May 10-11, 2013
Ten Scouts from Troop 4 pose before completing the Mt. Zion Loop. Click here for all images.
Within minutes after my trailhead briefing, the boys were on their way down the trail. Out of the ten Scouts, the average base weight weighed in at 14 pounds, with some tipping 18 lbs and one a little over 10 lbs. It’s satisfying to watch boys hike unencumbered by heavy packs, practically jogging up the trail. From my experience in lightweight backpacking with Scouts, if a boy starts to wear out, it’s usually because they haven’t eaten enough, not because their pack is too heavy.
My goal as a leader is to make backpacking fun, safe and exciting for the boys. Helping them go light is one way to help assure I reach my goal. The event actually began a few days before we departed at our house when I held a shakedown and makeup Backpacking 101 class.
Instructing the boys how to make freezer bag cozies
By Monday night before the trip, I had 15 people signed up. Seven boys and their parents showed up for the shakedown. While I did the class in one room, Amber and James helped sort through gear and clothing of the newer scouts, ultimately shaving an average of about one pound per scout. Part of that night’s curriculum was making freezer bag cozies. We supplied the Mylar-coated bubble wrap and duck tape, and the boys were left to themselves to make their cozies for the trip. The evening was a huge success with a multitude of compliments from scouts and parents. We now have a good group of motivated scouts who are interested in taking the next step in backpacking.
The Hike
Civil twilight was at 8:15pm, which gave us plenty of time to hike up to Spruce Grove. One of my concerns is not finding a campsite, so leaving at 4pm helps beat the crowds. Up until Friday morning, we had hard rain for a couple of days. The storms were fierce, creating torrential rains, thunder and lighting. The weather cleared up just in time, leaving the mountains cleansed, wet and steamy. The hike up the Gabrielino Trail was beautiful. The air was warm and with the humidity upward towards 80 percent. The boys did well on the 4-mile hike, especially since each of their base weights were so low. There were times I had to ask the pacesetter to slow down; they were leaving us in the dust!
When we arrived at Spruce there were only a few people camping. We had most of the sites to ourselves. We decided not to take any of the designated campsites. Instead, we chose to use the flat area on top of the debris dam across the stream as a disperse camp; it has no tables, fire rings or wood stoves. I suggested to the boys that this area gives them a more realistic experience of back country backpacking. The boys were fine with that.
Cowboy camping at it’s best on new Tyvek ground sheets
Two days earlier, amber and I cut sections of a 150-ft roll of Tyvek into 5′ x 7’ sections for cowboy camping. Every scout decided they wanted to sleep under the stars and so chose the ground sheets instead of tents. The boys claimed their space with crackling-new Tyvek sheets. It took the them only minutes to set up, leaving time to prepare the bear bags, stoves and explore. Two of the boys worked on the stove and got the water boiling while the others dialed in their gear. One the water was hot, we each took turns re hydrating our chili mac. Everyone raved about the food.
By 9:00pm, we all turned in for the night. When I last looked at the thermometer, it was 65° and 99% humidity.
My setup for the night. I guyed out the tarp just for fun.
I got up just before 6am to check on the boys and go for a short to Camp Sturtevant, a few hundred yards up the trail. Once I got back, a few of the boys were running around. The boys started the stove again and boiled water for our oatmeal. Once everyone ate, we packed up and the Crew Leader lead the boys in a campsite sweep for trash. We were on the trail by 9:00am, making our first stop at Camp Sturtevant to let the boys go throughout the historic, 1914 ranger station and play on the swing. We took the Mt. Zion Trail to the summit and back down to Hoegees where we ate lunch and performed a Scouts Own ceremony. The remainder of the trip went fast as we made our way down Upper Winter Creek Trail to the parking lot at exactly 1:30pm – when we said we would be arriving. Click here for more images from the trip.