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.
Planning is underway for the second half of the Scouting year. From January through June, we have lots of ideas for our troop. The Patrol Leaders Council is working on merit badge offerings, first aid instruction, backpacking trips to Black Mountain and Henry Coe State Park, hikes (including a 10-miler!), a ski day, snow camping, fly fishing, rafting, and more fire safety clearing for the community. Keep your calendars clear so you can fit in as much as possible.
Troops 64/4064 held their annual Winter Court of Honor in November, awarding 61 merit badges, 33 other achievements and 24 rank advancements, including nine new Star Scouts and two Life Scouts. In addition, the Troop honored its latest Eagle Scout with a solemn ceremony and cake.
In December, Troops 64/4064 offered the climbing merit badge to interested Scouts over the age of 13. We started off with a belay class at Planet Granite to learn the knots, safety and techniques for climbing indoors. Then we did an afternoon of outdoor climbing at Castle Rock State Park off South Skyline Boulevard.
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.
Scouts made flower arrangements and cards for seniors ling in The Sequoias.
Troops 64/4064 did an annual service project at their November 3, 2021 meeting, creating dozens of flower bouquets for residents of The Sequoias retirement community and collecting donations of canned and non-perishable foods for the Catholic Worker House in Redwood City, which supplies food to 70 needy families per week. The Scouts also wrote notes and letters to people at The Sequoias. The flowers were placed in the dining room, in hallways, in meeting rooms and in some individual bedrooms. Residents were so touched by the troop’s efforts that they sent a thank you note in response.
Max Moore (MBC) and Scoutmaster Ellis are joining together to offer the Climbing merit badge to all Scouts of age 13 and older who are interested. This badge will require a belay training class at Planet Granite, preferably a second day there to solidify your skills and pass the test to get a belay card, then a half-day of outdoor climbing on real rock faces in Castle Rock State Park with a certified climbing guide/instructor.
Dates/times are still TBD, and all scheduling will take place by Doodle poll. If you can’t make a specific day/time chosen, you can
schedule training or days at Planet Granite on your own.
This is a super fun badge that will enable you to climb indoors and outdoors, a skill that will be super fun to have throughout your life.
Interested? Shoot an email to Scoutmaster Ellis.
With San Mateo County now in the Orange Tier and likely to improve to the Yellow soon, we’re eager to resume in-person Scout meetings! We have approval from our Charter Organization, Kiwanis Club of Menlo Park, to meet.
The overall plan:
- Rotating in-person with online meetings so that we meet the needs of those who have to socially distance with those who are eager to return to face-to-face engagement
- Rotating in-person meetings between Wednesdays and Thursdays so all have an equal chance at attending
- Careful adherence to County standards for safety, including masks, distancing, temperature checks, pre-clearance health questionnaires, and hand sanitizer
- Stable cohorts of 14 or fewer.
More detail:
- Safety Logistics:
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- Parents will receive a pre-meeting health check questionnaire the day before each meeting
- Scouts will be divided into cohorts based on patrol. Scouts should maintain six feet distance within their cohorts and cohorts will be separated by 10-20 feet
- After a brief welcome, explanation of safety measures, announcements, and flag ceremony, scouts break into smaller groups within their cohorts to learn skills
- There will not be restrooms available
- If anyone becomes sick during a meeting, they will be separated from their group and parents notified immediately
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.
Troops 64 and 4064 will be having a merit badge class for the Traffic Safety merit badge! The whole badge will be completed in one meeting, and it is open to all scouts. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable traffic safety skills in addition to earning a new merit badge!
Over the next few months, we will be going mountain biking for the cycling merit badge!
The badge requires 9 different rides, all of which will be completed at Baylands Park.
This is a great opportunity for scouts of any biking ability to have fun and earn an Eagle required badge!
Each ride will be put on multiple times, so you can still do the badge even if you can’t make every ride.
For more information, go to the Calendar page
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…)
