Troop 253 Yosemite 30 Miler of 1995

CHRONOLOGY

07/15/95 Saturday

Kibbie Lake

1:30 hit the trail, a little late and in the heat of the day.

1:35 returned to the car for Larrisa's camera.

1:40 on the trail.

The first mile was switchbacks up hill - a grind.

We stopped for lunch at about 1:30 on the ridge near the trail junction with the Ridge trail & Kibbie Lake trail.

Vern followed the pack and we had a number of long stops as a result.

Crossed Kibbie Creek in ankle deep, not too cold water using a line for reassurance but wasn't really necessary.

4:30 PM found a camp about 1 mile downstream from the lake. I let two scouting parties find the camp - one looked upstream and one down while Vern and I sucked in the beauty of the area (and found a site as a back up in case the scouts couldn't find anything that was suitable). Tina's group found the best site and there we made camp. I took a group of 4 fishing at the lake leaving at about 5:45 and was soon joined by everyone but Vern. The water on this side of the lake outlet was no more than hip deep with no fish - but we tried. Half of the girls went wading (too shallow to swim but they got good and wet).

We all returned to camp on schedule at 7, started dinner etc. The food was well received but as always there was too much. Vern's patrol of 3 finished the servings for 4 of spaghetti but the patrols of 4 couldn't.

Everyone hiked hard and without complaint even though it was hot 75-80 deg. and the packs were heavy (ranging from 32 to 40 pounds).

All in bed and the campfire out by 10:45 and I'm blowing out the candle at 11:45

PS - my flashlight lamp burned out, my spare flashlight lamp burned out (I have spares), and the butt of my pants ripped open with a 7" rip (they are just worn out. Needle and thread tomorrow but I have a change if I can't fix them).

07/16/95 Sunday

Lake 253

Hit the trail at 9:40.

Well marked trail to the junction to Flora Lake. It was about 2 miles of easy stuff and 1/2 mile of steep stuff. The girls started out in good humor and have maintained it 'till they hit the sack - what a good bunch of kids.

The trail through the red pines was obscured with downed trees, shag, and rotting tree matter. It was hard picking. We stopped for lunch. Further on we followed the contour of the hill and proceeded up a small draw until we reached a stream from melting snow where we stopped for a snack and a water bottle refill. Some snow ball fights broke out but sanity returned shortly. We reached the ridge that drops down into Flora Lake and hiked north until we found what we thought to be the seasonal pond that is the landmark to start heading down the hill to Flora. We had been following a very thready trail since the snowball fight and it was completely obscured by the time we got to the ridge (just like the book said it would be). We headed down the huckleberry covered granite slope to a point where the going got quite rough. We stopped, dropped packs and I went on to find a better way down - unsuccessful. Being somewhat frustrated, I asked Vern to lead us down the hill, which he did cheerfully and gave me a chance to assess the state of the scouts (they were still in good spirits). When we pulled out of the brush a lake appeared and everyone was happy to see the end of a long hike coming near. It was not Flora Lake, however. It was a pond just south of Flora - but a nice pond, so we elected to camp there for the night because everyone was exhausted.

The weather had been changing all day. Vern and I predicted the weather with as much accuracy as Pete Giddings. Rain - thunder and lightning - fun to watch. Since it might rain tonight we pitched shelters, Genie slept with two other scouts in their shelter, and six scouts put shelters together to make a dorm. A fire was built for burning trash while others went to bear bag. Two of the scouts were asked to get a water bucket and tend the fire - when we returned from the bear bagging exercise we found the fire had been properly put out and the trash stacked neatly on the side (lesson - communications must be clear and exact). We built another fire and took care of the trash, told stories of the day and went to bed.

It was a good day, we're all sore and tired.

Courtney led today's hike.

07/17/95 Monday

Flora Lake

About 6 AM, I left on a scouting trip to Flora Lake. I headed around "Lake 253" counter-clock-wise and over the small ridge then north to the lake inlet area. I walked clock-wise to the granite slope then south toward our camp. There are a few random "ducks" but no trail. After breakfast I continued to look for the best way out and decided that we had to crash through brush in a swamp located just north of our camp. The troop got up late - about 9AM - as the storm clouds formed. We broke camp and hit the trail at 11:20, as the rain started in earnest. After 10-15 minutes of bush crashing we were completely soaked but happily continued on picking our way to Flora. With the lake in sight I tried a "better" way down the rock and slipped, turned my ankle (just a little pain), and scraped my knee - I tied a bandanna around it so as not to offend the troop and continued on. The rain had stopped by the time we had selected a beautiful camp. A fire and hot chocolate and cider warmed us up. Karen was warmed a little too much. While eating gorp and drinking hot cider she spilled the hot stuff on her legs - cold water administered by Vern and me reduced the pain a little. She has a minor first degree burn (pink skin) on parts of both legs - dibucane took the pain away and she didn't complain about it afterwards (she is a tough kid). By 2:00 the sun was breaking out, clothes were being washed followed by a swim in not too cold water. More storm clouds threatened so shelters were erected, bear bag line placed and the camp was prepared for the worst (which never happened). No one was very hungry so we cooked 2 patrols lasagna ( not everyone's favorite but some really liked it). A little fishing by Vern, Anna, and me produced nothing (my reel lost a screw and will give me grief for the rest of the trip - Tina brought Emily's so I won't be shut out because of this). A good campfire and conversation lasted till 9:30 then prep for bed. We heard some noises in the brush but decided that bears were not the likely cause. We saw bear scat by lake 253 but none since then.

Chrissy led today's hike

07/18/95 Tuesday

Little Bear Lake

9:40 am on the trail around Flora Lake through brush over rocks and brush - no trail up Bartlett Creek

We crossed the creek at exactly where I plotted on the map. Hiking across not smooth (boulder) granite and stopping at 10:30 for lunch

We stopped again at 1:30 for a wade in the water going over smooth granite in sheeting fashion. (1 hr lunch & 45 minute wade)

Vern and I guessed that the waterfalls ahead were coming from Little Bear Lake and disappointed the scouts with an additional 1.5 miles to go because they were originating at a lower pond. We had a tough climb up both falls.

Little Bear Lake provided a nice campsite with separate sleeping quarters for all of the leaders and the scouts slept together.

No fish!

07/19/95 Wednesday

Boundary Lake

The walk from Little Bear to Boundary Lake was about 2 miles and accomplished in about 1 1/4 hr.

We left camp at about 11:00 AM after a long sleep in and lazy start (I slept 'till after 7 and Tina still later). We picked up a trail just past Little Bear and an easy walk to a campsite. Two other parties of 2 had set up camp. This was our first encounter with other people since Saturday. After looking over Cherry Creek Canyon and talking to two hikers that had just scouted it - we decided to change our plans and hike out the Kibbie Ridge trail - maybe next time for Cherry Creek Canyon - it sure looks beautiful.

The scouts washed hair, bodies, and clothes and waded in the shallow end of the lake. The water level is high enough to cover a fire ring from previous years.

Neither the GPS, the map, nor the lake marker sign agree on the lake elevation here but it doesn't matter.

A good lazy day to start a layover and looking forward to an easy hike out on Friday and Saturday.

I'll hike down to Cherry Creek with whomever wants to see it tomorrow.

There don't seem to be any fish here either. I'll check that out too.

07/20/95 Thursday

Boundary Lake Layover Day

Got up late, 7:00 AM and walked around waiting for the rest to see the sunshine. Tina was up and getting ready for breakfast and Vern rose a little later. We gathered a party (Genie, Tina, Anna, Chrissy, Shannon, and me) for a day hike over the saddle toward Cherry Creek and Lord meadow. This covers some of the trail for tomorrow. Without packs, the hike was easy and we had time to look at the magnificent scenery. We reached the Creek at a large emerald pool with swift, but glass like water. Tina and I hiked down stream at about 200 feet above the water level. We could see that the trail was impassable close to the creek due to the high water and would become impossible higher on the slope due to loose rocks. The water made a thunderous noise and was exciting to watch. The decision to abandon the canyon part of the trip was confirmed!

We returned to camp after 2 PM to find the others playing cards and enjoying themselves.

I bathed, repaired my ripped pants, and loafed around talking with the scouts and leaders.

Shannon and Anna got sunburned on their backs and Tina burned her ears. A lot of lotion and a little dibucane reduced the pain.

The Scouts held a "Scouts Own", sang songs and recollected the most memorable parts of the trip so far.

We discussed the day at the campfire

Bed felt so good after doing so little

7/20/95 Friday

Sachse Spring

We hiked over Styx pass encountering only two patches of snow on the trail (they were only about 4 feet long so going around them was not difficult). The hike down the trail was easy even though we had to cross a few swamps. We started to encounter other hikers today. The area seems to be opening up. We passed Sachse springs by about 100 yards before I realized that it had a lot less water and bog than three weeks ago when Paul and I had hiked the area. The troops stopped for lunch on the trail while I hiked back and forth on the hillside looking for a campsite that I had been told existed near the head of the spring. I found it, looked around a little and headed back, cross country, to the gang. They had been taking in the view of Kibbie Lake and Cherry Creek from the vantage point up the ridge from the trail. We hiked to the campsite the way I had just returned. As soon as they found a flat spot near an empty forest service log cabin they dropped their packs and took a nap (in spite of talk previously of continuing down the trail to camp at the trail head). I "forced" the troop to move 50 yards to a nicer campsite that had a good fire ring and access to water. They didn't like me much for that and complained about ants and mosquitoes that they hadn't noticed at the first place - but it was a nicer place to spend the night.

Several of the scouts (Larissa, Courtney, Melinda, and Karen) wrote words for popular music that described the adventure. They have mysteriously vanished from the Journal (I hope to retrieve them someday). The songs were sung at the campfire accompanied to much laughter and a tune that I couldn't recognize. Talking extended into the dark well past the time that I had gone to sleep.

07/22/95 Saturday

Return to the Trail Head, Cherry Lake, and Home

Even though everyone wanted to get home, shower and feel clean, we got off to a lazy start. On the trail at about 9:30 and headed for the barn. We kept the pace down for fear that someone might get hurt. We stopped at an overlook to see the last view of Cherry Creek, then headed down hill to the trail head. A group of 3? "campers" and two guides on horseback with seven donkeys passed us. They were headed for Huckleberry Lake with 900 pounds of stuff. I wondered how they were going to cross Cherry Creek - probably at Lords Meadow which had been reported to be several feet deep.

More and more people were encountered on the trail. On the last switchback (about a quarter mile from the parking area) we encountered about 5 young people (in their 20s) that informed us that they were headed "Up the trail" but their guide knew where they were going. These hikers were dressed in tennis shoes, day packs with overnight bags with equipment stuffed inside, and no water bottles in sight. Upon meeting their guide, Vern and I were asked where the trail to Cherry Creek started. We informed him that it started down the road about a mile. He then asked if he could just cut down to the creek from where he was - I asked if he had ropes and rock gear and pointed out on the map how steep the cliffs are. I suggested that he consider changing his plans and go to Kibbie - he thought that might be too far. About this time we could hear the screeching from our girls at the bottom of the trail. When we got there we found the Old Folks party (Troop 253 leaders with out scouts) waiting for us. Their planned route was blocked by snow, so they were going to follow our route. We made a few adjustments to these plans and bid them a good journey.

Barbara Rudd had left us a note stating that her car couldn't back up so we were to meet her at the campground where she served PBJ sandwiches, watermelon, and OJ.

Some took a final bath in the Cherry Lake, and we headed home after collecting the troop equipment. Following Barbara to Oakdale, there was no apparent problem with her car so Vern and I picked up our pace and let her follow. After arriving home she reported that her van stopped going in Fremont and had to be towed, but they all made it home safely.

A great trip. I'm ready to go again.