September 2012 - Aldous & Hancock Lakes

There are few things that make a Scoutmaster happier than a lineup of well organized packs ready to go out into the wilderness.

Preparations for the trip began a week and half prior to our departure as the boys planned and organized the campout on Tuesday the 4th of September.  Initial plans to go to Union Falls in Yellowstone had to be modified to accommodate time constraints, so the leadership wisely opted to plan for a trip to Aldous and Hancock Lakes along the Continental Divide trail north of Kilgore, ID.

The boys all checked in their packs on Thursday evening with a "weigh in", where several learned that ounce (volume) for ounce (weight) water can tip the scales.  With a little modifications to the packing all came in under 20 lbs by the end of the night.

Friday the packs were loaded in the truck, the boys loaded up too and we were off to the hills.  The driving route was straight north along South 2nd East until we could literally go no further.  From there, a short jaunt around the corner and then north again along Forest Service roads brought us to the trailhead.  After a brief safety talk we started up the trail.

The first leg of our journey was 1.67 miles in distance and 750 feet in elevation up the Continental Divide trail.

We arrived at the lake nearly in time to abort any "how much further" calls from the Scouts.  We opted for the campsite on the west side of the lake, and while a group circumnavigated the lake the others began to setup camp.

The scouts had hopes for creating a rope swing, but due to the shallow shore our aspirations came to naught.  However, the boys did have fun testing their balance skills on a slack line setup at the edge of camp.  (Fortunately no twisted ankles followed.)

After camp setup the boys dined on a variety of dehydrated meals, ramen noodles and the ever classic SPAM.  As night fell, several laid back along the shore of the lake to watch shooting starts and identify constellations before retiring to the tents for a well earned and desired rest.

Shortly after the sunrise the boys awoke and began breakfast preparations.  We boiled several pots of water to fulfill all the demands for instant oatmeal before everyone's  belly was filled.  The boys set to packing up camp admirably and we were soon on the trail to Hancock Lake.

Hancock Lake sits in a cirque just below the Continental Divide (the ridgeline above the lake is also the border between Idaho and Montana).  It was up a mile horizontally, and about 600 feet in elevation.  Without packs the boys had a fun time cruising the trail.

Late in the season the lake was no longer filling, and the shoreline had retreated significantly.  But the boys had fun circling the lake and finding salamanders aplenty.

Our return to the campsite went quickly and after a break for lunch we were back on the trail descending to the trailhead.  The way back always feels quicker, and the boys made excellent time down the trail without need for breaks.

Once back at the trailhead we re-loaded and made the short trip to the Kilgore Store for a "Fat Boy" ice cream break before the remainder of the ride home.