Category: Camping & Hiking
Written by Indra
Scout Troops 64/4064 joined with Cub Pack 163 on the first weekend of December for our annual winter Boulder Creek campout. As per tradition: it rained. On the first day, we left right after school to set up our tents and make a chili dinner before daylight ran out. On day two, after a 1.5 mile hike, the Cub Scouts arrived and we practiced fire-building skills. The wet weather allowed us the rare opportunity to actually start the fire and enjoy it – something we can’t do during the dry and fire-prone summer months. We ate hobo packets for dinner, then did skits around the campfire. Overall, a great campout. But next time maybe don’t bring more than 400 Oreo cookies. Or do. We like Oreos.
Nearly a dozen Scouts braved a windy ride on the SF Bay Angel Island Ferry for a campout on Angel Island on a cool and windy night on June. The group walked 1-1/2 miles to the campsite, one of them lugging a heavy cast iron pot to complete a requirement for her Cooking merit badge. When the gang set up camp, it was so windy that one camper’s tent stake out points snapped. After that, they hiked up Mt. Livermore. When they got back, they made a dinner of fresh ramen, mac and cheese in a cast iron skillet, and a smorgasbord of dehydrated meals. Then they made a fire with coals, had some skits and retired for bed. In the morning, they packed up while making instant oatmeal and foil packet breakfasts. They then hiked to Pearl Beach before leaving on the ferry back to SF.
As if a week of Scout Camp weren’t enough, five Scouts from Troops 64 and 4064 added an extra night after camp ended to hike up Kaiser Peak and spend another night under the stars. It was an especially impressive undertaking considering the hike is 10.5 miles up and back with an elevation gain of nearly 3,000 feet. But totally worth it for the view of the Central Sierras. As with any campout, the emphasis was on learning through experience. The Scouts practiced cooking dehydrated meals, swam in a mountain lake, and did all the navigation themselves. If they weren’t already dirty by the time camp ended, they were even more so after this.
The troop’s February outing was a 10-mile hike organized by Indra. Fourteen of us, plus Moxie the dog,started at Corte Madera School at 9 am then walked up Spring Ridge Trail to the top of Windy Hill. When we got to the top, we had lunch and enjoyed the view from the picnic area. After that, we walked back down the Hamms Gulch Trail to return to CMS, where those who didn’t need the full 10 miles left off. Those who needed a few more miles for merit badges then did a loop around the Portola Valley Ranch deer path to complete the full 10. The weather was sunny but cold. Everyone brought layers for the cold morning temperatures that they could take off when it warmed up. We used the AllTrails app and a paper map for navigation.
This dutch oven was used to cook amazing peach cobbler
Troops 64/4064 had a successful last campout of the year under the cool and damp redwoods of the Boulder Creek Scout Reservation near Santa Cruz. We went over the Firem’n Chit, checked off skills requirements for 10 participants ranging in rank from Scout through Life, and marked several complete for Scout, Tenderfoot, and First Class.
The temperatures were in the 40s and 50s but Chili Mac, expertly charred Burgers, awesome Peach Cobbler, and hot chocolate kept us warm. Plus the jokes at the campfire were flying so fast and so horribly bad that nobody was thinking about the cold. There were more than a few belly groaners.
We highly recommend the Zulu campsite. It’s a long walk from the parking lot but quiet and secluded. Although there were 120 other Scouts there for a Trail to First Class campout, we hardly noticed them.
On May 8th, we will be having our first camp-out of the year! We will be hiking about three miles to the campsite. This should be a fun way to get warmed up for future camp-outs and test our gear.
This trip will be a great opportunity to get out of the house and get ready for longer backpacking trips later this year, and to get some camping nights!
We will depart early on May 8th and return Sunday afternoon (Mother’s Day). Sign up on the Calendar page HERE.
We’ll hike about 5.5 miles to a beautiful mountain lake in the Tahoe National Forest. Starting location is Carr Lake Campground https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tahoe/recarea/?recid=55594
See the full hike at Alltrails Glacier Lake Hike
For those that have been to Dinky lakes, the scenery is similar but the elevation is lower. As this is national forest, no reservations are required.
If you are interested please sign up on the calendar page for this event which also has the zoom address for the Aug 31 planning meeting
Tags: backpacking
Troop 64 is going to the Klondike Derby, a winter-based camporee. They will join other Scouts, BSA Troops, and Venturing Crews and have the opportunity to camp in snow shelters they build and participate in a series of competitive events. Typical events include Sled Race, Jumbo Ski, Snowshoe Relay, Spear Throw, Fire Building, Snowball Toss, Ice Rescue, and Hasty Shelter Building. Typical events are described at http://terfry.com/klondike/klondike_events.html
Be Prepared to stay warm in cold/snowy conditions.
See the Calendar page for details
Where: North Tahoe Regional Park Thomas Llewellyn Scout Area, 6600 Donner Rd, Tahoe Vista, CA 96148
Saturday:
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10:00am – Arrive, setup tents, and build snow shelters
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7:00pm – Astronomy (weather permitting)
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8:30pm – Cracker Barrel
Sunday:
Our next trip is our annual backpacking trip at Point Reyes on Saturday to Sunday, December 21-22. We’ll leave Portola Valley Saturday morning and return home around 4 pm on Sunday. The hike in to Wildcat Camp is 5.5 miles with a few hundred feet of elevation gain; the hike back, partly on the beach, is a little shorter, and will go up Alamere Falls.
There are many opportunities to complete requirements for ranks and merit badges, including a 5-mile hike with map and compass, selecting a campsite and setting up a tent, and cooking for ranks and MBs. This is a great backpacking trip for first-timers as well as veterans. This is a great time to get away to the quiet and beauty of the Point Reyes backcountry.
Let Kirt know if you wish to go Scouts’ parents are welcome. Go to calendar page for this event for more information, the trip plan (to come), and to contact Kirt.
Troop 64 enjoyed great November weather at Pinnacles National Park last weekend. This 2-minute video shows some of the highlights enjoyed by the Scouts and leaders. One of the highlights was watching the graceful soaring of some of the rarest birds in the world, the California Condor. (more…)
We are planning a campout and hike to Pinnacles National Park south of Hollister for Saturday to Sunday, November 16 to 17. On Saturday we’ll do an 8-mile loop hike through the pinnacles, through a tunnel, and past the bat caves. The troop has done this twice in recent years and seen tarantulas, sleeping bats, and other wildlife. On Sunday, people can head home after breakfast or go on another hike.
This is a good opportunity to complete Camping MB requirements for nights, hiking, and cooking; for Tenderfoot, Second Class, or First Class cooking; for Troop events and campouts; Second Class map and compass; and more. For more information and to sign up see the calendar page for this event at Pinnacles Camping.
The park was an active volcano region millions of years ago split by the San Andreas fault and contains talus caves, lava tubes, and majestic rock spires. Pinnacles is one of four sites where captive-bred condors are released to live in the wild, and many of these birds live out their lives flying between Pinnacles and the Big Sur coast. Pinnacles was set aside as a monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 and became a national park in 2013.
Troop 64 is going to Sunset Beach State Park this weekend. The beach supports four major plant communities and associated wildlife. There will be plenty of opportunities for Scouts to explore nature, work on achievements and merit badges, bike and fish, and have fun on a beautiful California beach. Sunset Beach is just south of Santa Cruz on Monterey Bay. Follow the link to the official State park brochure
Go to the Calendar page for more details.
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The ever-popular shooting sports camp is a chance for scouts to learn the safe handling and cleaning of firearms like .22 rifle, shotgun (12 and 20 gauge), archery and tomahawks. Trained range masters will run each station and provide close (and strict) supervision. Eye and hearing protection is provided. All firearms and ammo are provided- don’t BYO firearms. There will be several other Troops from the Bay Area attending. This event has been a lot of fun the past few years and adults were also able to shoot. Turns out T64 has some very good clay pigeon shooters!
Location: Camp Rancho Los Mochos. A large scouts camp in the hills SE of Livermore. Address: 18450 Mines Rd, Livermore, CA. It’s about a 2 hour drive from PV.
For more information and to sign up go to the Calendar page for this event.
Remember to sign up for May 31-June 2 weekend backpacking trip to Big Basin. Full details below….we still have some space, so please join us for an amazing trek!! This will be a 2 day backpacking trip. We will camp at Big Basin HQ on Friday night, hike 5-6 miles on the Skyline-to-the-Sea trail to Sunset Camp (backcountry) for Saturday night, and then return via Sunset trail on Sunday (another 5-6 miles). The trail is about 2,150 of climbing over the 10 mile loop – with a backpack this should be challenging. Here is a link to the hike: http://www.redwoodhikes.com/BigBasin/BerryCreek.html
It looks incredible, and with all the rain, I’d think the waterfall should still be good in end of May. We have reservations for 12 people, and need 2 adults, so max would be 10 scouts. If your scout is interested, please see details on the Calendar page
We are booked for the nights of April 12th and 13th at Little Basin State Park near Boulder Creek in the local mountains. We will plan out the food at an upcoming scout meeting and meet at Roberts to shop before we go. We will also plan out the car pooling to make sure we can get everyone there and back.
Little Basin is a unique camping destination that features open grassy meadows, acres of dense redwood forest, and miles of hiking trails as well as two sports fields, a tennis court, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, a children’s playground, and more. Camping accommodations include cabins, tent spaces, RV sites and a large group camping area. All campsites are equipped with a BBQ grill, picnic table, and fire ring. The campground also includes piped drinking water, rest rooms, and showers.
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Tags: Trail to 1st Class
