Seriously Backpacking #lifestyle

Back in March, I decided to get (HAT) High Adventure Team, Basic Backpacking certified for the boy scouts. As a cub scout leader, I could introduce the appropriate high adventure awards to my pack and as a Committee Member of my older son’s boy scout troop, I could help the boys earn high adventure awards. 

Truth be told, I think I like scouting just as much as my boys. I love getting out in nature and exploring different places.

And it doesn’t get better than going backpacking. Everything you need is in your backpack so you better pack it tight and just what you need!

I took the Indoor Session in March and now it was time for the practical, Outdoor Session.

Our destination: A 5 mile hike to Bear Trap Camp in the Los Padres National Forest.

The challenge: heading out we had 1,000 foot change in elevation from 3900 feet to 5000 and two hills.

On the journey: our HAT facilitator, Bill, myself, Steve and Robert. Along for the ride were my husband and my 14 year old son.

We met up in Ojai at the local café for b-fast. I’m not much for eggs so I got a Belgium waffle and bacon.  

After coffee and food we drove approximately 30 miles north of Ojai and arrived at Reyes Creek Campground. We parked our cars at the trailhead and checked our backpacks.

Mine fit alright. Empty it was about 5 pounds. Full, it was 28 pounds! I had a pillow, change of clothes, 10 essentials, camp shoes, personal hygiene items, sleeping bag, mat, and lunch. I didn’t even carry the tent. My husband did. Bless him. I think his backpack was around 35 pounds.

Since I figured I would be the slowest, I offered to go first and be the pacesetter. It was sunny, but not too hot. Almost immediately we were climbing. I had to control my breathing. It leveled out a bit then we hit the switchbacks. That made going up the first hill easier. I had to stop a couple of times to catch my breath, but I tried not to linger. They say you should go about 2 mph and allow 1 hour for 1000 feet of elevation which proved accurate. Around 2 we arrived at Upper Reyes Campground #1 – a 3 mile journey. We had lunch – chicken from a can, lettuce, and pita which I packed along with a cutie orange. And to be honest, I felt like I was starving. I haven’t eaten like that since the Army!

After lunch we hiked up another hill with switchbacks and then down the other side. At the bottom was a full, running creek and Bear Trap Campgrounds. It was 4 pm! Cool air settled over us and I dug out my sweat jacket, glad I brought it, but to be honest, I didn’t pack the right clothes. I didn’t have a set of pants or thermals so that was a learning experience for me. I got a campfire going and we talked about different types of cooking stoves when backpacking. We discussed the “bear”muda triangle, where to set up tents and cooked a jambalaya in a big pot. I loved it. 

I hung out by the fire to stay warm before retiring for the night. Thankfully no bears paid us a visit, but I did smell a skunk trolling through our campsite. The next morning, I was the last to get up. I crept toward the fire, warmed up, ate some oatmeal and drank some camp coffee. It was Trader Joes. Highly recommended.

My husband and son helped me pack up my tent since I was lagging behind. After taking some pictures, we were off. It was 830 amish. Immediately, we were climbing up a steep hill. I had to stop once to catch my breath, but after that I was good. We made good time to the Upper Reyes Campground, took a break, and kept on hiking. We arrived at the trailhead around 1130. I was tired and sore, but thrilled too. I did it! Not bad for being 47. I even think I lost 5 pounds. Now I’m looking forward to bringing hiking and backpacking adventures to my son’s boy scout troop. 

Does anyone else hike? I’d love to hear about your hiking or backpacking adventures and tips.

Scout on!

Steph 

PS – Hope you like the pictures. 

Camp Emerald Bay Cub Family Weekend 27-29 March 2015 #cubscouting

I thought I'd share some pictures from my recent adventure to camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island. My son, Joe, is a Bear cub scout and I'm his den leader.  The opportunity to go to Emerald Bay presented itself and I just had to sign us up.   We left out of Long Beach on Friday, 27 MAR at about 0615 pm.  We were the only ones from our pack with is out of Valencia, CA.  Almost immediately a great den out of Pack 377, Palm Springs adopted us and Joe had other boys to share the experience with.

On the boat w/new friends

I just want to thank Irena, Susie, and Cara for adopting me, too.  It was just great to hang out with other den leaders and moms who truly enjoy the scouting experience!

Cara, Susie and Irena from Pack 377, the Palm Springs area

Camp Emerald Bay, Catalina Island

On Saturday, after breakfast (and the chow hall was great!) we  picked our own activities and set out:

Petting sharks at the Marine Museum

Hiking up to Parson's Beach. It took 1 hour there and 1 hour back

Joe shooting BB Guns.  He really enjoyed it. 

I shot Archery and really loved it. Bullseye!

Joe swimming on the beach with his new friends.

Hanging out with the Camp Emerald Bay pirate!

Leaving. sniff..sniff... miss it already! 

Adventures of Cub Scout Mom: A visit to the USS Midway #USSMidway #veteransday

On the USS Midway at night

When my son's Cub Scout Pack said they were going to visit the USS Midway, I got very excited. I like all things military. I served in the US Army from 1986-1997, and I got to see places I would never have if I didn't serve.

I signed up the family right away, ironed all our uniforms, and waited impatiently for the day to arrive.  Mind you, I don't know anything about the Navy, so I was looking forward to visiting the Midway and discovering a lot.  Did I!

Planes on the flight deck

The trip down to San Diego took us 3 ½ hours with traffic and we made it with just a couple of minutes to spare. At 5 pm, we lined up and went into the enclosed hanger bay where we received a safety briefing, had a fire drill, and met our staff for our overnight stay. I'd guess there were about 75 of us total and we all wore our uniforms.

We received our sleeping quarters in the enlisted berthing area and I was shocked at how small they were. It was like a tin can with just enough room to move around.

Sleeping in the tin can

 Interesting Note: Usually when I go anywhere there's always a long line for the ladies room. Not so here. On Cub Scouts outings, there's more boys and men. No wait for the ladies room!

The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and eager. They were very appreciative of us veterans, reminding everyone that freedom is not free and that veterans have paid for everyone's freedom. They acknowledged us in a ceremony that was quite nice, but there was only a handful of us.

We ate dinner on the ship in the gallery downstairs. Chow was lasagna and very tasty. Afterwards, we went on a scavenger hunt and learned what life was like for the officers and pilots on the ship.

Learning about the anchors

 Our staff gave us guided tours of the engine room, (Joe's favorite part of the visit was acting like steam) the emergency control center, the flight deck, the bridge and catapult control rooms.

We learned what an air boss was, and how aircraft catapult off an aircraft carrier and how they land using a tail hook. The cables used for the tail hooks are heavy and thick. After 100 times, the cables were considered used up and thrown into the ocean.

On the bridge

So where do you think they threw leftover food and other waste?

We went to bed at 1030 pm and after all that climbing and walking, we were so pooped that sleeping in a tin can wasn't a big deal.

The next morning we had breakfast – tasty for Navy chow, but I kept it light. During our free time the boys used the simulators and we saw all the planes on the flight deck.

We got our souvenirs, said goodbye to the staff, and headed out.

A plane with the tail hook

The Midway and its story fascinated me. The ship was constructed during World War II and was originally a straight landing strip aircraft carrier. It entered service in September 1945, just missing the war by a month! Believe it or not, it was built ON TIME and IN BUDGET!!

It spent time in the Mediterranean Sea in the late 1940's. Unfortunately it's too wide to go through the Panama Canal. In the early 1950's, it went to the Pacific. From 1955-57, it was retrofitted and updated, acquiring its angled flight deck.

It conducted combat missions in Vietnam and got another retrofit in the 1960's. In 1975, Yokosuma, Japan was named the Midway's homeport.

Midway served in Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and helped evacuate Clark Air Base when Mt. Pinatubo blew.  In 1992, it was decommissioned. After sitting in a shipyard up in Washington State, it was brought down to San Diego and made into a museum in 2004.

Giving the "go" for Catapult

The USS Midway served 47 years. Amazing for a ship. It wasn't run on nuclear power, but steam. My thanks go out to the Midway and it's sailors for serving our country.

Anyone visit the Midway or have a Navy adventure they'd like to share with us?  For those reading my blog who have served in the Armed Forces of your country or have relatives serving: thank you. 

Taking the Cubs to Camp Whitsett #cubscouts #scouting

Adventures of a Cub Scout Mom 

Me, Andrew & Joe at Camp Whitsett

Truth be told, I've got my fingers in too many "pies." It's a wonder I still have curls in my hair, but when Joe's den leader asked for an assistant and no one else volunteered, I started feeling bad for the boys and raised my hand. After all, Cub Scouts is a big adventure to a 6/7 year old.  How could I let my son down?

Being a Cub Scout assistant den leader has more pros than cons. I love watching the boys grow and learn and have fun. There's always a new adventure around the corner. My big stress is getting to the meetings on time with everything I need.

Just recently the pack (We belong to Pack 40 out of Valencia, CA) spent family cub weekend up at Camp Whitsett. The camp is up in the Sequoias near the Kern River. Kernville is the nearest town. It takes a good 3-3 ½ hours to get there.

We waited until the boys got out of school on Friday and left at 4 pm., stopping for a dinner break. We arrived at 8:15 pm at Camp Whitsett and signed in. We were staying at the Tillamook Camp. We found our way over there, unrolled our sleeping bags on the cots and passed out. I got to share a tent with Andrew, my 11-year-old. The tents are canvas and on a slightly evaluated wooden platform with 2 cots. I really can't complain about the sleeping arrangements. If anything, the porta-potty was a hike in the middle of the night. Uncomfortable.

Our Tents

The staff that runs the family camp are very friendly and helpful. We talked to a bunch while waiting in the Saturday morning breakfast line. One lady helps because her son, now a teenager, wants to be there. It just shows the positive influence of scouting in a boy's life, being outdoors, doing things with your hands, learning skills that will last a life time. These qualities resonate with a young boy and provide the building blocks for responsibility, discipline, and leadership as they get older.

The staff provides the food under a big tent. This weekend there were 400 people. For me, all the food was edible. I'm not a big complainer. Joe ate the food which is fantastic considering he's the pickiest boy I know.  (Being a fond believer in the zodiac, I just learned that Virgos can be picky eaters. Go figure. Joe is all Virgo.)

Opening Flag Ceremony

After breakfast the boys participated in a flag ceremony. Then we went back and changed into our Camp Whitsett t-shirts. We took Joe fishing first, but the trout didn't nibble on his line and he lost patience. After lunch we "tie-dyed" t-shirts and worked on beads. The boys rushed off to BB guns while I finished the beads. I caught up to them on the Archery range. The bow was as tall as Joe. He was a little tired, it being the end of the day, but he did manage to hit a target or two with the instructor's help. Afterwards, they let the adults shoot some arrows, so I got up and had a go at it. The last time I shot a bow was in junior high (about 32 years ago) and I forgot how much fun it was. After adjustments I was sticking it to the target something fierce. 

BB Gun Targets

Before dinner I played chess with the boys and I won. (It was hard to lose) I used to play all the time when I was Andrew's age, not so much since, but chess is like riding a bike – you never really forget once you learn.

Joe at the archery range

After dinner, our group had clean up. I helped out in the kitchen. Andrew was right at my side and I'm glad. He was always willing to get his hands dirty. Afterwards, we crashed on the cots, totally pooped.

Me at the Archery range

My son, Joe, said the best part about the weekend was spending time with his family. He also liked the BB guns.

Andrew and I loved the archery. Heck, I had fun tie-dying the shirts too, but it's being outdoors that invigorates the soul - and watching the smiles on the boys' faces.

More adventures coming soon…

Smiles

Steph