January 22nd and 23rd: Pinewood Derby Weekend
Saturday, January 22nd: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: Vehicle Inspection & Impound
Sunday, January 23rd: Noon to 3:00 p.m. Race Day!
Location: Coyote Creek Elementary School MPR
Attire: Class A uniform
Bring: Reusable water bottle and readiness to cheer on your fellow scouts
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Volunteer
Race Commissioner: Krishna Kumar
Attention Race Fans!
The 21st running of the Pack 1776 Pinewood Derby will be held on January 23rd from noon to 3 PM in the MPR! There will be racing, design competitions, and pizza.
Please be conservation minded and bring your own reusable bottle. Fresh filtered water will be available from the refillable station in the MPR. Wear your Class A uniform!
We will once again have an open class for siblings. Additional kits may be purchased for $5 by January 16th to purchase more kits. Email [email protected] for further information.
The mandatory inspection and car impounding is on January 22nd from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. at the Pack Shed near the Coyote Creek Kindergarten area.
Even though Pinewood Derby car is a team project for scouts and their adults, we encourage scouts to do as much of the car building as possible. For those new to scouting or just need a refresher course, here are some helpful websites.
o How to Video
o Design Ideas
o How to Tips and Templates
o Online Car Designer
If you need help cutting the wood block, you could take it to Ace Hardware. The store staff may charge each car $5. You can also use their equipment to sand, align the wheels, and fine-tune various details. Each car must pass inspection on January 22nd by the official inspection committee before it will be allowed to compete. Once a car passes inspection and is entered into the race, only the race committee members can touch it. If the car loses a wheel, or is otherwise damaged, the racer has 5 minutes to make repairs.
Rules will be emailed to you in a separate email and can be found Pack 1776 Pinewood Derby Official Rules.
On the day of the event, cars will race in multiple heats. They will have the opportunity to race on each of the 4 tracks. Only their best time will be used. All participants will receive a patch for participating. Trophies will be awarded to the fastest three cars in each rank, and the overall fastest three cars in the Pack. We will also give ribbons to 1) Best Paint Job, 2) Most Unique, 3) Most Patriotic, 4) Most Interesting Design, 5) Most Original, 6) Most Creative
AGENDA:
o Lion Heats (x4 for each Lion)
o Tiger Heats (x4 for each Tiger)
o Wolf Heats (x4 for each Wolf)
o Bear Heats (x4 for each Bear)
o Webelos I Heats (x4 for each Webelos I)
o Webelos II Heats (x4 for each Webelos II)
o Scouts BSA (x4 for each)
o Siblings Heats (x4 for each Sibling)
o Best Overall Heats (x4 for each First place Den Winner)
According to the BSA's Cub Scout Leader How-To-Book, the GENERAL RULES are as follows:
All cars must pass the following inspection to qualify for the race:
1. Width shall not exceed 2-3/4 inches.
2. Length shall not exceed 7 inches.
3. Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces.
4. Axles, wheels, and body shall be from the materials provided in the kit. Additional wheels can be purchased separately.
5. Wheel bearings, washers, and bushings are prohibited.
6. No lubricating oil may be used. Axles may be lubricated with powdered graphite or silicone.
7. The car shall not ride on any kind of spring.
8. The car must be free-wheeling with no starting devices.
9. No loose materials of any kind are allowed in the car.
Here are the rules in more detail: Pack 1776 Pinewood Derby Official Rules.
Covid Safety Information
Please read and adhere to the pack's COVID statement.
The safety of all participants is our priority. While the pack is instituting additional precautions for this event and mandating the wearing of approved face-coverings, they do not remove the potential for exposure to COVID‐19 or any other illness while at Cub Scout events or anywhere else. We encourage all that are eligible to be vaccinated to do so before this event.
In an effort to reduce the number of persons inside the MPR at one time and to promote social distancing, we will invite racers and their families to participate in the race in specific blocks of time – according to when their den/rank will race (as set forth in the above order, under “agenda”). We will be able to provide these time estimates after the cars have been impounded on January 22nd.
· Those scouts who completed racing are asked to leave the MPR after their heats.
· Those racers who advance to the finals or have older siblings may stay until those races have been completed.
· We are also changing the orientation of our track set up to allow for viewing on both sides in an effort to promote social distancing.
We are fine-tuning our plans and will circulate them close to the race. Please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions in the meantime.
January 30: Wildcat Peak Trail Trekkers Hike
Date/Time: Sunday, January 30, 2022, at 10am
Location: Tilden Regional Park // 600 Canon Dr, Berkeley, CA 94708
Meeting Point: By the Tilden Nature Area Environmental Education Center (EEC) sign
Fee: None
Distance / elevation: 2.5 miles / 669 ft
Difficulty: Moderate Mostly gentle with steep grades near the peak / Recommended for Bears to Webelos
Hike Info: Hike info
Awards: Trail Trekkers Cub Scout Patch / Progressive Hike Award
Contact: Hiking Chair and Co-Chair Kushal Kaleshwari 925-639-5493, Nagabhushan Channabasappa 408-666-5931
RSVP: Evite
What to wear
- Class B and dress in layers, incl. windbreaker
- Approved face covering
- Sturdy closed toe shoes
- Hat + sunscreen
What to bring
- binoculars
- camera
- plenty of water and snacks
- map — be sure to pick up a Tilden Nature Study map at the Environmental Education Center (EEC); it contains a legend of trail symbols to help you follow the right paths.
Directions
From Hwy 24: Exit at Fish Ranch Road. Take Fish Ranch Road to Grizzly Peak Blvd. and turn right. Continue on Grizzly Peak Blvd. until you come to the intersection of Spruce Street, Wildcat Canyon Road and Canon Drive. Turn right on Wildcat Canyon Rd., then immediately make a sharp left down Canon Drive. At the bottom of the hill, veer left onto Central Park Drive and follow into the parking lot for the Nature Area.
The hike
Wildcat Peak Tilden Nature Study Area, Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley, offers a view of Mount Tamalpais rising from San Francisco Bay, which will be the reward for hiking to the top of Wildcat Peak. This trail loops through eucalyptus and oak forests, up moderately steep hills, then back to one of the best nature study areas in the Bay Area.
The trail
The trail begins at the edge of the eucalyptus forest directly behind the EEC. Look for the Jewel Lake Trail sign and the Sylvan Trail marker.
This trail affords an excellent opportunity to compare different biomes. The first part of the hike is a gentle climb through pungent eucalyptus, abruptly yielding to oak woodland as you near Peak Trail. Then hikers climb moderately steep switchbacks through grassy hills (covered with wildflowers in spring) and chaparral slopes to Wildcat Peak at the top of the loop.
Here there is a spur (.10 mile) which leads to the top of Wildcat Peak high above the tops of the eucalyptus trees. You will find a circular stone observation plaza at the top. On a clear day, hikers can view San Francisco Bay, with Mt.Tamalpais rising above the bridges in the west, and Mt. Diablo looming above rural Contra Costa County to the east.
To descend and complete the loop, retrace your steps on the spur back to Peak Trail. At this point continue on towards Nimitz Way. About 30 yards before the paved road the trail makes a right turn and begins to weave through a lush canyon.
When you come to the fire road (Laurel Canyon Road) follow it to the right until you come to the marker for Laurel Canyon Trail. Going left, you'll follow switch backs and cross tiny streams in the shade of large oaks and laurels. The trail continues on the other side of the next fire road, but about 10 yards to the left.
The last leg of your trek takes you out of the oaks, back into the eucalyptus grove, across one more fire road and finally deposits you back in the meadow behind the EEC.
The history
Tilden Nature Study Area has had a long history: first as a nature camp for Oakland school children in the 1930's, then as part of the East Bay Regional Park District. Since the 1960's, Tilden has operated a wonderful nature study program with professional naturalists. The Nature Study Area consists of many habitats: Eucalyptus and oak forests, grasslands and shrub areas.
Before it was a nature study area it was a cattle grazing area, and in the 1930's trees were planted in what was once open grasslands to preserve the watershed.
For all in-person pack or den events and activities, please adhere to the pack's COVID statement. If you or your Scout are sick, are experiencing COVID-like or flu symptoms, or may have been exposed to COVID-19, please stay home and stay safe.
