Yosemite Camping Trip Recap
Pack 1776 Families:
This year our Pack headed to Yosemite for our summer camping trip. We stayed two nights at the Tuolumne Meadows campground. The campground is located on the Tioga Road in the east side of the park.
On our first day at the park we visited Soda Springs. The Springs are located an easy hike away from the campground. The Scouts crowded around to watch the water slowly bubble out of the ground. On the hike back to camp a couple Scouts dipped their feet (and other parts) into the Tuolumne River.
That night there was a camp-hosted campfire for the Scouts, another campfire where the Scouts learned about owls, and a late night of star watching for those that could stay up past 9:30 p.m. They also learned about a Coyote sound so they could be prepared if anything went wrong. Late in the night, some campers heard a bear near our campsite. Nothing went missing from our site as all our food was securely stored in the bear boxes provided by the park. There were lots of gorgeous motorhomes and a lot of people had RV's and it made me really want to buy one! I don't think I could ever afford to buy one outright but RV Rental is certainly an option for the future. There's something exciting about sleeping in a tent but camping out in an RV would be so luxurious. Something that I'm definitely not used to when I go on camping trips! Luxury and tents are two words that never go together!! I was told that if you do a lot of traveling with your RV then it might be a good idea to make sure that your RV battery is properly fitted/charged. Some fellow camper also reccomended that if I wanted to get a Motorhome, it would be important to use a reliable insurance firm. If you are travelling around the country in a camper, be sure to check out One Sure Insurance for information on the benefits of ensuring a camper!
On Sunday the Pack took a hike to the top of Lembert Dome. It was a steep, but short, hike. We took the hike with a Ranger who stopped from time to time and told the Scouts about the history of Yosemite. By the time we made it to the top of the dome we had climbed over 600 feet to an altitude of 8,800 feet. The views were spectacular!
Sunday afternoon was free time. Some Scouts went fishing (no luck!), others took in a park lecture or went swimming in the river. The water was crystal clear, not too cold and there was even a natural "water slide" the Scouts could use. The Tuolumne River feeds into the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.
The campsite had another campfire and lecture on Sunday night. Some Scouts stayed at our campsite and recovered from a day of fun. Once everyone was back at the campsite we all had s'mores.
Monday morning we packed up our gear, cleaned our campsite and headed home. Everyone had a lot of fun, learned about Yosemite, and became more responsible Scouts. Please try to join us the next time our Pack goes camping.
Pack 1776 Committee
Free Snake Bite Poster
The American Association of Poison Control Centers would like to offer its new poster on snake bite safety to Scouts and Scouters free of charge. The poster features information about what to do, and what not to do, in the event of a snake bite as well as information on how to identify venomous snakes. It also features a map of the United States that shows where venomous snakes live and information about the poison help line.
The poster is 18 inches by 24 inches in size. If you would like to order posters, please email [email protected] with the number of posters you would like and your mailing information.
In the spirit of KNOW risk vs. NO risk, we can all take a tip from the Boy Scout Handbook: “Being able to identify venomous snakes is a good first step toward staying safe where they live. If you leave snakes alone, they are likely to avoid you, too. Use a hiking stick to poke among stones and brush ahead of you when you walk through areas where snakes are common. Be careful where you put your hands as you collect firewood or climb over rocks and logs.”
Note: Image shown is a proof. Please e-mail [email protected] to receive copies of the official poster.
