October 2012 - Badger Creek

Cold and snowy were a big change from last month's campout, but the boys gathered at the church parking lot all the same and after loading up the vehicles we were off to Badger Creek - BYU-Idaho's Outdoor Learning Center.

The roads to Teton Valley were clear and we made good time to Badger Creek where we were met by one of the eager staff members.  After a brief orientation we made the quick drive to our campsite NW of the pond.

With at least an hour's worth of camp setup and a half hour of daylight left the boys set to it.  They had their two tents up in reasonable time after clearing the snow, but discovered that one of the tent's main door zipper was broken, letting in the cold air.  So while the others prepared their tin-foil dinners the SPL and ASPL trekked to the main lodge for some duct tape.

Eventually all was taped shut and the boys cooked and ate their dinners over the welcome warmth of the fire.  It continued to snow lightly through the majority of the evening, but this didn't deter the boys from playing some night games before heading to bed.

In the morning a fire was quickly rekindled, and while the gear and tents were packed up many hands contributed to the breakfast preparations.  We made scrambled eggs with sausage, potatoes, onions and garlic, and nearly everyone had their fill.

Our Badger Creek guides for the morning arrived and were patient in waiting until our troop had finished packing up and clearing the campsite. Then it was off to our morning activities.

The troop first had to "Save the Baby" by sending one of the boys to a pole along a rope line without anyone touching the ground inside within about twenty foot radius of the pole. They accomplished this in record time.

The second activity involved having all the troop members swing on a rope over a pole to a small platform. This took much longer than the first activity. The boys learned some valuable lessons about teamwork and planning.

The third station was one of our own making where we improvised a trust fall. We were impressed that all the boys fell back with good form and without hesitation.

The last activity was the "Spider Web". Again the boys were given an opportunity to practice their planning and leadership skills as they got all the troop from one side of the web to the other without touching the web or re-using any hole.

As we made our way home we had a final opportunity to "Do a good turn daily" by stopping to help tow out a family whose truck had slid off the road. The boys enjoyed their lunches in the cars while we made out way home arriving just as scheduled.

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.

Big Springs Campout - Aug 2012

Had a great time at Big Springs in Island Park.  We had the campground virtually to ourselves.  After getting fires started and camp setup the boys prepared Dutch Oven pizzas and brownies.  Great fun was had watching over the brew they inexplicably christened the "Hairy Buffalo" (Kool-Aid carbonated with dry ice.)

After dinner we listened to the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian, World War II hero and exemplary Christian.  Then it was off to bed.

In the morning the fires were lit again and a hunter's breakfast of sausage, onions, hash browns and eggs were set cooking in a Dutch Oven on the stove.  The boys enjoyed a quick walk to the Johnny Sack Cabin at Big Springs, and then returned to enjoy breakfast. 

Camp was quickly struck, and then Br. Shane Thompson provided a primer on the canoeing/kyaking that would be done in the "Native" canoes.  We drove to the put-in a quarter mile downstream and made our way down to Mack's Inn following the many curves of the nearly-too-shallow stream.  

The boys and leaders enjoyed a refreshing dip at the rope swing.  Garett made a special reprisal of his showing at Packsaddle Lake; this time on purpose with a resounding (I meant to do that) belly flop thwack.  

(Garett)

June 2012 Campout - Packsaddle Lake

May 2012 Campout - Geology Tour

Be sure to click on the pictures to see them in all their glory.  Many more cool pictures of the campout can be found here!

Many thanks to Ben Jordan for making this trip possible and memorable.  It's not often that you see a group of 12-16 year old boys mesmerized by discussions of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock!