Troop 150 goes on the Sussex District Camporee At Sterling Hill Mine

Sparta — On Friday, April 26, Boy Scout Troop 150 joined with other area Boy Scout troops for the Sussex District Camporee camping on the grounds of the Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg. On Saturday, the troops were given four different tours of the old mining operation.

The first tour was the “above mine” tour. This was a special tour through the buildings not usually open to the public where minerals were separated from rocks. The scouts got to climb up into the big tower on the hill that can be seen from Route 517. There were steep inclines, many flights of stairs and large rooms full of mining equipment. Then the scouts walked through the mining museum and learned about the history of the Sterling Hill Mine. The boys learned so much about all of the rock which made the Sterling Hill Mine famous, including fluorescent rocks such as Willemite, Franklinite and Zincite.

The next tour was a guided trip into the mine. The scouts saw the equipment the miners would use, fluorescent rocks and a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt had sections that could carry miners, heavy equipment and rocks. Finally, they went on the Blackout mine tour. The scouts went into the mine without any lights at all except for some UV or black lights. The guides would shine the UV lights at the ceiling as the scouts were walking and the rocks would fluoresce all different colors.

All of the scouts had a lot of fun. To join the boy scouts, visit Troop 150 at the United Methodist Church on Mondays at 7 p.m.