Leadership Assignments

We've done some reorganizing in Troop 212. Here's the latest.

Senior Patrol Leader: Kyle Peterson

"A Team"

Patrol Leader: Brandon Peterson
Assistant Patrol Leader: Chris Maurino

"B Patrol"

Patrol Leader: Grant Hunsaker
Assistant Patrol Leader: Brigham Meneses
Librarian: Wes Burgener

Scout Camp 2011!

We've scheduled Scout Camp for 2011. We will be going to Treasure Mountain again but this time we will camp in Red Cloud. Our week is July 25-30. As you can see in the map above, it will be less walking than it was from Little Eddy to get to the activities. It will be a nice short walk to pick up our food!

Let's get ready to earn a ton of badges,

Brother Hunsaker

iPhone Photos

A few additional photos from Bro. Wasden.

Treasure Mountain 4--More Miscellany

Something to remember.

Walking the road between camp and all the action.

Sometimes camp was a lot like school.

Happy Sam

I don't remember why the cookie was significant. Wait! Grant says that it isn't a cookie but his carving project. It is a fish.

Sorry, Grant.

Treasure Mountain 4--Miscellaneous

Table Mountain eluded us during camp, but not for long . . .

Pondering the mysteries of life in the Nature area.

CJ and his dad in the Archery area.

One of our commissioners has an interesting sunburn.

Austin and Weston. Or was it Weston and Austin?

The troop and the troop friends--Nathan, Korey, and Chase.

Treasure Mountain 3--The Waterfront

A near miss.

These Scouts were happiest on the water.

Future staffer Sam having a great day in the water.

Sam, Grant, and Kyle's feet.

The Dominator takes a break from his kayaking.

Treasure Mountain 2--The Hike

At the South Teton Canyon trailhead.

A happy camper--literally!

Mountain men know that they are cool.

Bullwinkle.

The scenery was not bad. Not bad at all.

Treasure Mountain 1

Kyle slips a little surprise left by a passing moose down Grant's shirt.

CJ demonstrates his rope bridge skills.

Bros Taylor, Jones, and Ashcraft brought their time, leadership, and smiles to camp.
Sorry, Jared. I didn't have a camera early in the week.

AJ studies the geology of Teton Creek.

Wes is happy that he didn't have to make this basket underwater!

Tuesday, Saturday, and Camp

Amigos,

We leave for Scout Camp one week from today (August 2). We have a lot to do between now and then! To keep things interesting, the Scoutmaster will be departing for Canada just as we enter the critical phase of our preparation. Here a few things to keep in mind.

• We won't have a Tuesday meeting this week.
• We will meet for an equipment check Saturday, July 31 at 8:00 AM at the church. Be there and be prepared. Use the equipment list posted on the blog (http://hunsaker212.blogspot.com/). Bring it all for review.
  
• Please review our expectations for conduct with your Scout.
1. Wear Scout shirt to all flag ceremonies and campfire programs.
2. Use the buddy system!
3. Complete your assignments from your patrol leader promptly and cheerfully.
4. Scriptures and prayer every night by 10:00.
5. Treat others--Scouts and leaders--with respect.
6. Work hard.
7. Have fun.
• We will be reviewing merit badge plans after the equipment check. Please review available required badges with your son in the Camp Leader's Guide.
• We will operate as patrols during camp.
• The A Team: AJ, CJ, Chris, Dom, Brandon
• Patrol B: Wes, Connor, Grant, Kyle
• Here's our camp schedule. Brent, Jared, does that look right? If any of you are available, we could use more mid-week Dads.

Steve Hunsaker

Tough Hike

Grant and I decided to hike Fossil Mountain today. The verdict? It was tough. We didn't make it to the summit but Grant made it a lot further than I did. The views from 10,000' Fossil Mountain Pass were great. Still, it probably wasn't the best choice.

Don't forget that we'll have an equipment check next Saturday.

Bro Hunsaker

Fossil Mountain

Mike Harris Campground--July 23

Fossil Mountain--July 24

A tougher and more vertical trek to commemorate Pioneer Day

Distance: About 6 miles to the top
Difficulty: Moderately strenuous
Special considerations: Expect to see tons of fossils on the side of the summit block

The trail begins at the end of the Darby Canyon road and crosses the creek on a footbridge. After about a half mile, the trail enters the Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area. From here it gently switchbacks up the South Fork of Darby Canyon.

In midsummer this canyon is filled with wildflowers.

After about 3 miles, the trail crosses to the west side of the canyon and heads for the Wind Cave. There is a faint trail that continues up the canyon toward Fossil Mountain.

The faint trail soon fades away. Don't worry about getting off track. Just set your sights on the pass to the southwest of Fossil Mountain and hike the path of least resistance.

When Fossil Mountain appears in view, its west face is imposing. It's almost straight up, cliffy and loose rock.

Two miles after leaving the main trail, you'll reach the Fossil Mountain pass.

From the pass, there is a faint trail that starts up the ridge to Fossil Mountain. The peak's south end is a steep ramp of broken and loose rock. The hiking up is slow, but not too hard.

Almost at every turn, ancient seabed creatures--clams, coral, seaweed--lie cemented in the broken up rock. There are also geode crystals broken open and on display. What might be an uneventful grunt up the side of a mountain becomes a slog of discovery.

After about a third of a mile, the ramp of scree gives way to the level summit ridge. A few hundred feet north and you're standing next to a cairn with a summit register inside.

Coming down from the mountain can be more taxing than going up. The loose rock occasionally will scoot out from under and bite legs and hands.

Eastern Idaho Sweet Spots: Hiking, Biking, Skiing & Climbing. Jerry Painter and Matt TeNgaio.

A blogger and extreme runner from Victor recently hiked Fossil Mountain. The pictures come from his hike. Read about his climb here.

Schedule

Tuesday, July 20

• 5:00 PM Hike plan ready

Friday, July 23

• 4:00 PM Leave hike plan at home with a parent
  
• 6:00 PM Meet at church for prayer and departure (Bring overnight essentials!)
• 7:30 PM Arrive Mike Harris campground
• 7:30 PM Set up camp and prepare dinner in patrols
• 9:30 PM Scriptures and to bed for early start in the morning
  

Saturday, July 24

• 06:00 AM Arise and shine forth! No-cook breakfast
• 06:30 AM Strike camp, clean up, head out
  
• 07:30 AM Arrive at Wind Cave/Fossil Mountain trailhead.
• 12:00 PM Lunch on the summit
  
• 01:00 PM Begin return hike
• 03:00 PM Detour to Wind Cave for cooling off
• 05:30 PM Back to trailhead
  
• 07:00 PM Arrive in Rexburg
• 07:05 PM Hit the shower
• 07:15 PM Hit the sack!
  

Men on the trail.











Wes strikes a thoughtful pose.










At the trailhead. Some of us are still a bit sleepy.

Moose Creek--Done!

Taking a break.













The scenery was very nice.










There is a moose in this picture. I promise.










At the trailhead after the hike. We made it!


We had a great hike today--and we beat the thunderstorms! Thanks to Dom, Wes, Grant, Sam, CJ, AJ, and Chris for a great display of hiking skill and positive attitudes.

Bro Hunsaker

Moose Creek Hike

Hike #2

July 10, Moose Creek (~10 miles)

The Moose Creek Trail offers a fun hike up a classic mountain canyon featuring a good-sized trout stream, beaver ponds, a large meadow, waterfall and small lake.

This trail takes you into the Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area. The trail starts out tough for the first 1/8 of a mile until it climbs up to an old dirt road along the south side of the creek. From here the next mile or so is fairly easy hiking. The road eventually narrows down to a trail. The canyon is thickly forested with Douglas fir, spruce and lodgepole pine. Willow brush clogs the creek bottoms.

The trail crosses the creek on nice footbridge at the second mile. If at first you don't spot the bridge, keep looking. The horseback riders usually walk through the water. After the bridge, the trail climbs sharply for a quarter of a mile. At the three-mile mark is a small meadow fed by a spring and backed up by some busy beavers.

At 4.4 miles up the canyon, the trail comes to Moose Meadows. This huge meadow is several acres wide. The area is laced with beaver channels and slack water.

(Eastern Idaho Sweet Spots, Jerry Painter)

Tuesday, July 6

• 7:00 PM Hike plan ready

Saturday, July 10

• 06:00 AM Pray and leave from church.
• 07:30 AM Arrive at Moose Creek Trailhead; start hiking.
• 11:00 AM Lunch break at Moose Meadows
• 12:00 AM Begin return hike
• 03:00 AM Arrive at trailhead and head home
• 04:00 PM Arrive in Rexburg

More news and reminders

Scout Camp: August 2-7. Each scout will need to pay $45.

Palisades Creek Hike--Done!

13.14 miles, a snake, llamas, goats, and a moose! Grant, Dom, A.J. and their aging leaders had a great time hiking along Palisades Creek today.

Next up . . . Moose Creek on July 10.