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.
Deep within the hills of the Sunol Regional Wilderness lies one of the East Bay’s best-kept secrets and, this past Saturday, the Pack went on a semi-spontaneous Trail Trekker hike to discover this secret.
Several families met at Sunol Visitor Center to tackle the Little Yosemite Trail Trekker hike. The Visitor Center has a small collection of exhibits and and a costume area where kids can dress up in 1800s style clothing. There’s also a helpful staff here to answer any questions.
This trail is considered a “moderate” hike, so we had to put in some effort to get to the top of the East Bay hills, but the trail itself was in good condition and easy to navigate, if a bit steep.
A sturdy wooden bridge led the scouts over the Alameda Creek where we began our hike on the Canyon View Trail.
Scouts of all ages and ability made the arduous 3-mile, 440-ft climb up and over the Canyon View Trail until they reached the refreshing and beautiful Little Yosemite area. We broke for lunch before jumping into the Alameda Creek at Little Yosemite.
The Little Yosemite area is a wonderful place to explore and climb and splash after a long, hard hike. The water wasn’t too high so we were able to cross over and explore from both sides of the creek. Scouts (and parents) tried their hand at skipping stones and climbing boulders and tree trunks and all sorts of other nature-friendly activities.
Alas, all things must come to an end and the scouts were both eager to get home but sad the adventure was over.
This is a required hike for first-year Webleos. Meeting at the San Lorenzo Community Church at 9 am. Bring your six essentials and a picnic lunch. Water is not available on the trail so bring plenty with you. Be prepared to be muddy you will be crossing a stream which will be running at this time of year.
This is an acceptable hike for Bears. Wolves, Tigers and anyone who is sure on their feet please join us.
That last part is important to remember.
The first-year Webelos met as planned and began their hike with Cubmaster Gus at the beautiful Dimond Canyon Trail. We begin the 3-mile hike at Monterey Blvd. and Bridgeview Trail.
Cubmaster Gus shares his knowledge of the great outdoors with the Webelos (and their dads) all along the trail.
It doesn’t take long for the Webelos to reach the wet part of the trail. This is why they were all advised to bring a pair of dry socks.
There is more to hiking than walking through creeks, there are often historic markers and trail facts to be found.
On March 17, 1954, the roof of the Dimond Cottage, built in 1897 as a playhouse for the Dimond boys and used from 1924 as headquarters of the Boy Scout Troop No. 10, was destroyed by fire. The adobe wall and stone entrance of the new building are all that is left of the original structure.
But today’s hike was a special experience. The Webelos had the chance to apply their emergency preparedness to the test when one of the dads injured his foot when stepping off a rock on the embankment and braking a bone spur off his heel.
While the injury was not life-threatening, it was quite painful and made walking nearly impossible. Luckily, the dad was able to recover after taking things easy for a few weeks and now has a great story to tell. And the Webelos learned a valuable lesson – that even in the most mundane situations, problems can occur that require being prepared.
Everyone made it home safely and were ready for a bit of down-time after this adventure.
Saturday the Scouts went on one of the eight Trail Trekker hikes. Despite its name, Sycamore Grove Park does not have an abundance of trees. Plus, it was a very hot August day.
Despite the lack of trees, every inch of this park is alive with life – in the air, in the grass, and even in puddles.
While we were here, we were sure to pause often and listen for the sounds of reptiles and rodents in the grass. If you are lucky and very patient you might even see an animal. Near the wet areas be sure to look for great blue herons. Don’t forget to look up. Cross the bridge and return to the park entrance via the paved path. Insects are very visible as they cross the road. Be sure to take your time and appreciate beetles, grasshoppers, and ants up close. Don’t forget; no collecting.
We stopped for lunch at the end of our trail before returning to our starting point. Everyone was thankful for the rest and the shade and appreciated the importance of carrying their six essentials.
Today was our Sycamore Grove Hike which earns a Trail Trekkers patch. We say many things including various wild birds and deer. It was hot but all the kids did great.
