Facilities: US Air Force Academy
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Units interested in utilizing the facilities may email USAFAScoutHuts@GMail.com to make inquiries. Units must be able to provide a Certificate of Insurance with a minimum General Aggregate coverage of $5,000,000. It is not recommended to support more than 25 people at a time. Mix gender units are supportable. Tent Camping is not currently authorized at our location. The Academy maintains a primitive campground adjacent to the B-52 static display which is available to reserve year-round. There is no fee to reserve the campground but eligibility is restricted. Contact usafa.events@afacademy.af.edu for details and to find out if your group can reserve the campground. Weblink ** USAFA Main Lodge Notes (In no priority order) ** - There is no cost to use the USAFA Scout Huts, but donations are always appreciated to help maintain and restore the building. Expectation management: This facility is managed by volunteers for the development of youth leadership skills and exposure to the US Air Force Academy as an option for undergraduate schooling, we are not a hotel. For the history of the lodge and to make donations, please use the link: https://usafa-scout-hut.cheddarup.com - Members of the USAF Academy Cadet Wing scout units (Philmont Rangers or Venture Crew) can take priority over any other scout unit as these facilities exist for their benefit. To date, this has not happened- but it is a possibility. - Door entry is via an electronic keypad. You should have your access code no later than 72 hours prior to arrival; call Ric if you do not have it by then. Most likely your access code will be the last 5 digits of the POC cell phone. It will be good for only the duration of your stay. - The lodge was recently renovated with 110v electricity, a less than 10-yr old HVAC system, and a newer hot water heater. There is one bathroom with a non-ADA-compliant toilet and no showers in the facility. Dod ID card holders may sponsor the use of showers at the community center gym. - There are no cooking appliances inside the main lodge. We have a full-size fridge and freezer. The use of up to 5 crockpots in the facility has accommodated up to 25 people in the past. There is a propane BBQ grill outside, propane bottle exchange is at the base gas station or Wal-Mart. - Use of the US Air Force Academy Prep School Dining Hall can be arranged; please make an inquiry when reserving your dates. - Please bring your own toilet paper, trash bags, cleaning liquids, liquid soap, and paper towels. We appreciate any donations that are left behind. - If you use any of our 1st Aid Supplies or the fire extinguisher, please replace the articles used and notify the facility manager that the seal was broken. - Hut has 4 folding tables, 40x folding chairs, 6x 4-person benches inside; 3x picnic tables picnic table outside. - Hut has a pull-down movie screen, you will need to provide your own projector - Interior Fireplaces are not rated for use...no Candles or Flames of any kind INSIDE! -- Exterior fireplace in back or 55-gallon drum fire pits may be used in front of the lodge only after clearance from the fire marshal within 48 hours of the event. Coordination will be done by the Scout Hut Facility Manager on your behalf; just let us know if you want to start fires. Please ensure the coals are cold and then pack out the ash in trash bags. - Please take all trash out of the building and store your food in containers that will resist small rodents. This is a 1920s building and we have extreme rodent control protocols to keep the facility clean. - If you see rodent feces, please use the yellow HEPA vacuum to collect the waste. It is best to avoid creating dust from the feces to avoid the local airborne spread of fecal-related illnesses like Hantaviruses. - Water is potable, but it is suggested that you run the water for 5-10 minutes before using any of the water for consumption to clear out any settled debris in the water lines since the facility is rarely used. The hot water heater is always on, so there should be hot water from the two sinks. -- We have a water cooler. If you use the water, please provide a donation to keep this program going. You can also refill the 5-gallon bottles at the local WalMart (10 min away). - There are security lights outside the hut that have been reported as hindering the ability to sleep. There is a light switch next to the back door for the two side security lights. The front light stays on all night and may be temporarily shut down via the circuit breaker box outside on the northwest wall. - Base Access: 6 AM-10 PM guests are welcome with valid ID. After 10 PM guests will need a Department of Defense (DoD) ID to access the base. Suggest you plan to be on base by 10 PM to avoid any problems. Confirm these are still the rules by checking: https://www.usafa.edu/visitors/getting-on-base/ - The land behind the scout hut is part of a 200-acre archery range. We do not advise exploring more than 300 meters behind the Scout Hut complex. - Wildlife: There are bat boxes located on and near the main lodge, please do not disturb them. We also have a skunk and a few other critters living in our foundation and crawl space. In addition, we have a few dozen woodpecker holes, most are closed up, but new ones are constantly appearing. The noises you may hear at night are not ghosts, but other residents of our nearly 100-year-old log cabin. At night, deer and elk are road hazards, which is why the speed limits are much lower than expected for the road design. - HVAC is set to 65 degrees, you may adjust as desired, but please do not set it below 65 degrees. If you would like to donate a 20x25x1 air filter, we would appreciate the gift. - In the winter snow and ice accumulate. Suggest you bring a bag of snow melt--no salt, please. - Parking can accommodate 3 vehicles on the poured pad. 8 more vehicles can park in the dirt. Do not park more than one car length away from the road due to the fire hazard cars present on dry grass and leaves when there is no snow present. - The flag pole out front is unstable for continual use of the American Flag. You are welcome to raise and lower the American flag for rank requirements or ceremonial purposes. Units are invited to fly their troop colors unattended for the duration of their stay. - Lodge is at 6,800 elevation and subject to winds that can exceed 100 MPH and snow accumulations higher than what is forecasted for Colorado Springs or the B-52 Campsite. - Flag retirement ceremonies may be conducted in the fireplace hearth behind the main building. You are welcome to cremate non-synthetic flags in the back fireplace. Fires must be coordinated with the Fire Marshall. The grill was specifically designed for you the place a ring of coals around the scout emblem to burn the flag respectfully and then collect the ashes below with minimal contamination. There is a flag cemetery for the ashes to be laid on a compass heading of 200 degrees from backdoor. It is marked by rope barrier.
Created on: 2024-12-31 20:32:04
Last edited by: rhall290472 On: 2025-01-02 19:16:32