Greetings! This is Andi, and I am going to be your journal person for this 50 miler, in 1993, of Troop 253, to Emigrant Wilderness. We left Crabtree camp at about 9:00 am, after walking for about 50 feet, everyone was covered in a layer of dust, was we thought we were all getting a tan. After many-a-water-break, we came to stream crossing #1. After moaning and groaning and deciding a place, we removed socks and shoes and knee braces and two or three at a time, crossed the stream. On the road again. After about 4 miles (total), lunch was served, for the scouts, lunch consisted of wheat thins, triscuts, cheese, jamaca, apples, sandwiches, cookies and nutri-grain bars. After adjusting packs, we traveled approx. One mile and ran into the snow. Another mile of "mountain step-aerobics" and weight lifting.

....Reached camp at about 3:00pm. Jill, Katy, and Ann went wading while others set up camp, played football and napped. The adult-patrol came in at 3:20 or so. A dinner of falafels was enjoyed by some.

Quote of the Day: "Hey, uphill has the right-of-way!" --unknown

7/18/93

After choking down a breakfast of oatmeal, we left camp at 9:00 am. We hiked a dusty, muddy, "mosquito central" and down to Cherry Creek. We followed a trail for a mile or so, in order to find a shallower place to cross. Before that, we were forced to cross a stretch of snow on which my knee gave out, slowing the process a little. Sorry! We had lunch at Rosasco Lake . yum. We hiked for a while longer and we found out why we put ourselves through this torture. There we were, a microscopic group of seventeen, surrounded on all sides by a granite bowl-shaped valley, carved out by glaciers thousands of years ago. That view, by itself is what makes this whole trip worth it. When we reached camp; after a treacherous, but well-lead cross-country (thank you, Jill and Paul...) we washed hair, clothes, fished, I caught one that was this big! Honest!

....Some of us, who wish to remain anonymous, kept most of the camp awake as we talked about death and parents until the wee hours of the morning.

Quote of the Day: "I hate this 'when in doubt go up' stuff." --Erin

7/19/93

If it hadn't been for marisa "the radio", most of us may not have made it out of Hyatt Lake. Some of us decided that it was just flat out TOO EARLY to hike that hard, that early. Oh well. Lunch was welcomed at Big Lake. We decided that was a most unoriginal name for a lake. After what seemed like an eternity, we reached Yellowhammer Lake. Several of the scouts said that they wanted to stay here for our layover day. So far, this has been the best fishing lake on our trip, and best cooking rock EVER. After burning all the trash, I brought out my six ounces of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers, and made s'mores for Ann's birthday!

Quote of the Day: "Help! Where's Paul or Andrea?! I caught a fish and I don't know what to do with it!" --Jill, upon catching dinner

7/20/93

After hiking out of Yellowhammer Lake, we arrived at stream crossing #3. It was deeper than either of the other two (mid-thigh of Paul), but we made it all the same. At lunch, as she was filling her water bottle, Erin decided to venture out a LITTLE farther on that log, to get less floaters in her water. And, just as fate would have it, she fell in. At 5:30 or so, we arrived at out original camp destination which turned out to be massive marsh land. From there, we chose to move on another mile to Long Lake and a better campsite. It looked as if it might rain, so we set up shelters and tents. Snow patches were rare in camp and were often mistaken for rocks.

Quote of the Day: "More like 'Emi-GRUNT' Wilderness" --yours truly (Andi)

7/21/93

LAYOVER DAY!

...In other words: a day to relax, sleep in, make snow sculptures, "ski" or slide down hills of snow on garbage bags, make bracelets, get sunburns, sleep more, do hair, swim, wash hair, fish, write words to songs for scout's own, sleep more, scout out where to stay the next day, sleep more, eat pilot bars and prunes for lunch, walk around the lake, play "sardines", take a nap. That was about it. And during campfire, Ann actually CAUGHT a fish! 12 inches too! It made a lovely dessert! For the first time this 50, we all sat around the campfire and sang songs.

Quote of the Day: "Duck! No no, a REAL duck!" --Jill, referring to a bird, and not a pile of stones to indicate where the trail is.

7/22/93

After a yummy breakfast of granola, AGAIN, we set off to camp approx. 1 mile around the lake, to the other side. This was to make the next day's hike shorter. For those of us who wanted to, the option was open to hike an extra few miles to Granite Dome. As it totaled, it was Karen, Jana, Mike, Erin, Julie, Marisa, Genie and myself. The 360 degree view was spectacular! We could see Half Dome from where we were. The hike itself was fun too. When we got back, we were told that the rest of the group fished, swam, slept, ate and collected firewood.

Quote of the Day: "'Cause when you're up you're up, and when you're down you're down, and when you're only halfway up, you're neither up nor down." --Jana's song by Jana

7/23/93

...Being the procrastinator that I am, I woke up at about 5:00 am this morning and sat on a rock and watched the sunrise over the lake as I caught up on the last 3 and a half days of journal. By the time this was done, everyone else was up and feasting on a breakfast of (drum roll please) OATMEAL! Wow, what a change! No, just kidding. Then we set out on one of the easier hikes so far, heck, it was downhill almost all the way! At the scouts own, at _______ Lake, everyone had a chance to share their feelings about the hike, we sang and anklets were passed out. The vote was unanimous...chili is sick!

Quote of the Day: poem by Jill:

We barely knew each other
Till the fifty came about
But we quickly sealed friendships
And helped each other out.
We lived eight days together
Through mosquitoes, ants and snow
Catching fish and hanging food.
Throughout our highs and lows.
Even though sometimes
The trail was hot and long
We kept our spirits up
With Marisa singing songs.
Falling into lakes
And staying up all night
Laughing, singing, crying
and hoping fish would bite.
Smelly bug repellent
Eating food we didn't like
We learned a lot about each other
Through the duration of the hike.
Now it's time to say good bye
To friends so tried and true
But I'll never forget the laughter
And the time I spent with you.

7/24/93

Today may have been the hardest day yet...so to speak, in that we all knew what was on the other end...a shower. S-H-O-W-E-R. Wow, there's a word I haven't heard for a while. The trail was nine miles and dusty, with a little cross-country and 1/2 mile of uphill and at the end was a much deserved clean set of clothes. After showers and shaves, we met Rosemarie and company, who served us hamburgers and salad on flat, white, round things called "plates". And also, they gave us these white spiky things that they stabbed their salad with. We caught on and found that these objects were called "forks". Weird, these civilized people are. No, thanks Rosemarie and Paul, we appreciate it!

Quote of the Day: [whatever you said when you reached the cars!]

ONE TIN SOLDIER

Listen children to a story
That was written long ago
About a kingdom in a valley
And the valley folk below
On the mountain there was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone
And the valley people swore
They'd have it for their very own.

Chorus:

Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat your friend
Do it in the name of heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowin'
Come the judgment day
On the bloody mornin' after
One tin soldier rides away
Now the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill
Asking for the buried treasure
Tons of gold for which they'd kill
Came and answer from the mountain:
'With our brothers we will share
All the riches of the mountain,
All the treasure buried there'

Chorus

Then the valley cried with anger:
'Mount your horses, draw your sword'
And they killed the mountain people
And they claimed their just reward
Now they stood beside the treasure
On the mountain dark and red
Turned the stone and looked beneath it:
'Peace on Earth" was all it said.

Chorus

I WANT TO LINGER

mmm
I want to linger
mmm
A little longer
mmm
A little longer here with you.
Mmm
It's such a perfect night
mmm
It doesn't seem quite right
mmm
That it should be my last with you.
Mmm
And come September
mmm
We'll all remember
mmm
Our camping days and friendships true.
Mmm
And as the years go by
mmm
We'll all look back and sigh,
mmm
It is so long and not good bye.

ON THE LOOSE

Chorus:

On the loose to climb a mountain
On the loose where I am free
On the loose to live my life
The way I think it should be
For I only have a moment
And the whole world left to see
I'll be searching for tomorrow on the loose.
Have you ever seen a sunrise
Turn the sky completely red?
Have you ever slept beneath the moon and stars
A pine bough o'er your head?
Do you sit and talk with friends
Though a word is never said?
Then you're just like me
And you've been out on the loose.

Chorus

Have you ever hiked a trail
Just to see where it will go?
Many places yet to visit,
Many people yet to know
And in following my dreams
I will live and I will grow
On a trail that's out there
Waiting on the loose.

Chorus
So in search of love and laughter

I'll be travelin' 'cross these lands
Never sure of where I'm going
For I haven't any plans.
And in time when you are ready
Come and join me, take my hand
And together we'll find love
Out on the loose.

Chorus

Thus endeth the 1993 Fifty Miler.