Here is a few of the 11 scouts just beginning there 5 km hike to the campsite.
Here we have marked our territory. The Wolverine chosen as our troop emblem signifies endurance and strength. Both of witch we accomplished on this camp. We were not prepared for the amount of hiking we accomplished but all 30 km were well worth the blisters and back aches. My hat goes off to our boys for what we were able to accomplish.
Our big plans to construct the optimal shelters went right out the window for Trent and I as we arrived to our proposed camp site around 10:30 pm. Two of the scouts worked hard and built this shelter. At the end of the camp they received awards for the most natural shelter. During every camp Trent and I look for behaviors and traits from the boys that show exemplary service and skill. At the end of the camp we gather the scouts together and go over the awards. The scouts receiving the awards then have a chance to choose from any number of items (knife, sling shot, matches, flashlight, candy, multi tools, hatchet, swag etc.) Many of the items come from the contractors I work with. I am not a big fan of swag and usually end up putting it in a box and later giving it out as an award to the boys. We gave out 7 awards at this camp.
Here was the leaders optimal shelter. We were so beat! Nothing fancy but it did the trick.
The other 6 scouts constructed shelters very similar to this one. On Friday night all the boys built reflector fires just outside the door of their shelter for warmth.
I was quite impressed to see that this stump was being utilized. All of the scouts have gone through the axe and saw safety training. At every camp location a stump such as this one is prepared in the area where the wood cutting takes place for this very purpose. If a hatchet, axe, and saw is found in a live tree, laying on the ground, or in the ground every scout is required to bring in 3 dead trees to camp and cut up two of them. I find if you make them all responsible they will look out for and discipline each other. The best kind of hatchet to buy your scout(s) shouldn't cost more than $12.00. If you look in this picture the wooden handled one is not recommended. The best hatchets are the steel shafted ones.
Canyon creek offered us some of the purest water I have ever tasted. This rock out crop was one of the best locations I have ever seen in all the years Ive camped for accessing a stream for water. This particular pool was approximately 2 feet deep.
While on our way to the ice caves we passed through some limestone shale areas where the scouts found literally dozens of fossils including; trilobites, corals, leaf/invertebrate impressions, clams etc.
Here is an example of one of the fossils they found. Look Closely.
The three stooges................
Ahhhh.......... at last after 10 km we have arrived at the ice caves. It was very deceiving. When I first looked at this crack in the mountain it didn't look like a cave at all, until I walked up inside.
Lunch time. Some of the boys had instant meals and needed to boil water. We used a combination of back packing stoves and fire to cook our meals. The entrance of the cave was also quite chilly approximately -10 to -15 degrees Celsius so the fire came in quite handy. The place chosen for the fire was perfect as all three walls reflected the heat directly out making it very hot with minimal firewood.
Just inside the entrance of the cave on the west wall is this giant crack. If you are careful you can climb up to the top approximately 80 feet and look out over the canyon. Two of the boys climbed up in this photo and pretended to be superman. At the top is a large slate of rock and fastened in a crack is an anchor for those of you who like to repel off rock walls.
Looking down from the ledge.
Here is a view looking east towards the opening of the cave. I was laying on the slate of rock. The distance between the rock ceiling and the rock slate is approximately 1 1/2 to 2 feet.
Here is Scouter Trent and one of the boys looking out over the canyon 80 feet in the air.
This is the view of the Canyon from the rock ledge. If you look as far as the eye can see down stream you might see our camp.
On the west end of the slate outcrop is this hole. Trent calls it the snake hole because you pretty much have to slither like a snake to get through it. Once on the other side you can view the canyon from a whole new perspective. I managed to slither through it with only a little trouble.
Trrreeeennnntttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This picture is of all of us before going deep into the cave behind us. Notice our head lamps it was very dark. Inside the cave approximately 300 meters in was a huge column of ice. It was really neat. Going further you eventually come to a wall of ice which Trent said hadn't changed much from the last time he was there 10 years ago. Once you get to the wall of ice if you are feeling ambitious head to the west and you will find a small crawl space 1.5 meters in length. On the other side is a whole new cave that extends back approximately 250 meters. From they're on you need to have ropes etc.
Coolio's
If scouts aren't burning things they're climbing something, and if there not doing that they are simply whittling away at a piece of wood in this case a walking stick.
What is he thinking about?
