On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
This weekend Pack 603 returned to Pinnacles Campground for another amazing trip. We had a great turnout as most of the pack was able to attend.
One of the highlights is the hike in the Bear Gulch. The trail travels through two caves up to a man-made lake and offers some views of the spectacular Pinnacles formations. This hike is suitable for all ages and most hiking abilities although there are some awkward moments as you duck or crawl or twist your way around a few outcroppings and large boulders. Flashlights are required for the caving portion which makes for an interesting adventure.
There is a 275 foot elevation change from the start of the trail head to the reservoir at the top and is mostly uphill. That said, it is also mostly stairs so you don’t have to worry about how well you can climb rocks.
Another feature of the campground itself is the pool. When open, it can be a lovely way to spend the afternoon, especially after a long hike.
And when camping with this many families, you need lots of space for lots of tents and learn how to cook lots of food all at one time.
All-in-all, it was another wonderful weekend with the families of Pack 603. Hope you can join us next time.
Our Pack families visited the beautiful Pinnacles National Park this weekend and everyone had a wonderful time. Not only do scouts and their families get an opportunity to spend time out in creation, but many of the scouts also use this time to work on their achievements. From cooking meals to creating and presenting skits, to setting up tents and cleaning the dishes.
Of course one of the special features of Pinnacles is hiking through the “caves“. Now, these are not exactly caves, but rather where large boulders fell onto a gap in the rocks. The effect is the same and you definitely need flashlights to navigate parts of the caves.
The caves are very hiker friendly but there are a couple of places where it is pitch black and places where the ceiling is very low or the path is very narrow. Or both.
After navigating the caves, hikers are rewarded with a scenic view of Bear Gulch Reservoir. And while this is a beautiful spot to visit, swimming is not allowed.
We found an injured bird on the ground. After a little care and rest, it was ready to fly off into the wild again.
Every campsite is a great campsite. It’s the experience that makes it so great, not the location. But Los Mochos is a good start to any scouting adventure.
One of the best parts of camping with the Cub Scouts is the peach cobbler cooked in the Dutch Ovens.
After a good meal, it’s time to gather around the fire and enjoy spending time together.
No matter where our pack goes camping, we always find great views.
No matter where our pack goes camping, the kids find ways to have fun.
This weekend the Pack went on a family campout where scouts and adults alike got a chance to experience the great outdoors. From games to hiking, to swimming, Brannan Island had it all. As usual, everyone helped out and had a blast.
We played in this part of Threemile Slough which connects the San Joaquin River and the Sacramento River.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. An ice cream truck rolled through the campgrounds twice. On the second visit, one of the dads bought all the kids Ice cream (which only accepted cash) The kids were very thankful.
While the kids had ice cream, we started cooking peach cobbler in our dutch ovens.
Capture the flag being played in the middle of the campground loop. It’s kind of like a town center for campers.
Our campfire pit was more of a barrel which is good for preventing wildfires, not so good for roasting marshmallows.
36 people went camping and these three kids stayed up the latest playing Old Maid. We finally finished at 11 pm and went to bed. guess who were the first ones up the next morning…
Mornings are hardest for the little campers. So much waiting
Waiting for breakfast (on the left) the kids played cards (on the right) I don’t know what the Boy Scouts were playing but the Cub Scouts (and their sisters) were playing Go Fish.
That morning sun made it hard to play Go Fish
This is the game the Boy Scouts kept playing. It was very popular and a little loud. I think it consisted of laying down cards then arguing about who grabbed the stack first.
Dutch Oven Breakfast. Eggs, potatoes, bacon, cheese (leftover hamburgers and hot dogs, too I think). Scrambled eggs and bacon strips for those not into the Dutch Oven dish.
The kids don’t want to go but the parents are soooo ready to get back home.
