Hoover Dam Canoeing Trip
May 25, 2024: Traveling with Troop 219, we drove up to the Hoover Dam and visited it before heading up to Boulder Beach Campground to car camp for the night. The following morning, we got up bright and early to grab our canoes and life vests at the Hoover Dam Lodge. We proceeded to take our canoes 3 and a half miles downstream, stopping at Boy Scout Canyon for climbing, caves, and hot springs. We then stopped at White Rock Canyon where we stayed for the night. The next morning, we packed up and briefly visited Arizona Hot Springs before canoeing another 8 miles to Willow Beach, stopping at beaches and jumping spots on the way. Overall it was a really fun trip and a great opportunity to interact with fellow scouts in and out of our troop.
Gould Mesa Trail Camp Backpack Trip
January 21, 2024: We started near NASA’s JPL and hiked up 2 miles to our campsite. After we arrived we day hiked another 2 miles up to the Brown Mountain Dam Waterfall and back. There were some river crossings along the way but we were easily able to pass through most of them. Early in the day it didn’t rain much but the rain started to pick up once we got to camp. We learned how to setup a rain cover to keep our table dry, as well as setting up a campfire. We also packed out some trash we found along the trail. It was an easy-going trip overall but we learned a lot about how to deal with adverse weather conditions.
Valley Forge Trail Camp Backpack Trip
October 29, 2023: Starting near the Red Box picnic area, we hiked down around 2 miles to our campsite. At points there were some vegetation and poison oak in the way we needed to traverse. We also saw lots of animals, including lizards, frogs, bees, and a rattlesnake. At our campsite were some abandoned houses and lots of tall grass. We then also took a small 1 mile hike to the power station. The hike was certainly easier on the way down then on the way up. Overall, it was quite a fun trip.
Lily Meadows Backpack Trip
June 27, 2021: We started at the Camp 3 Falls Boy Scout camp. We were unsure if there would be water available at the campsite so we brought extra water. When we got to the campsite there was no water close to the campsite and we discovered that we had not brought enough water because it was a hot day. We went back down the trail to where we had seen water and were able to get enough water. Fortunately one of the adult leaders had brought his water filter because we could not find the troop water filter. In the end it was a good hike and we learned a few important lessons.
50 Mile Bike Ride
June 13, 2021: For the final ride for the cycling merit badge we needed to ride 50 miles in under 8 hours. We started in Seal Beach and biked up the San Gabriel River Bike Trail for 25 miles and then turned around and went back to Seal Beach for a total of 50 miles. The first 25 miles were slightly uphill, however, it was easier because the wind was at our backs. The last 25 miles was harder with the headwind which grew stronger as we neared the finish. All of the scouts were able to complete the ride in under the 8 hour time limit for the cycling merit badge. Thank you to all the support crew who helped out. We couldn’t have done it without them.
20 Mile Hike
May 16, 2021: We hiked 20 miles from St. Peter’s by the Sea in Palos Verdes to the El Segundo Scout House. This was the last hike for the hiking merit badge group and was definitely the hardest. Everyone completed the hike and enjoyed some well earned Minecraft playing time after the hike.
15 Mile Hike
March 21, 2021: The scouts working on their Hiking merit badge completed their 15 mile hike. There were some sore feet at the end but everyone finished the hike.
25 Mile Bike Ride
February 28, 2021: The scouts working on their cycling merit badge successfully completed their first 25 mile ride. They started in El Segundo and rode up the Ballona Creek bike trail to the end. They then turned around and returned home.