BSA Troop 147

Grand Canyon backpacking, April 2012

mr_s — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:18:14 +0000

Troop 147 was fortunate to procure permits to backpack into the Grand Canyon in the perfect month of April (not too cold and icy at the top, and not yet baking hot at the bottom). Whether due to the extended time commitment (4 days), or the timing (over Spring Break), or the challenging itinerary, we had a low turnout but still had a great time. The hike down was via the steep South Kaibob Trail (great views but no water) which led to the north side of the Colorado River where we pitched tents at Bright Angel trail camp near another scout troop from Illinois, and had fun on the beach by the river. After a restful night, we hiked up the Bright Angel trail to the lush Indian Garden camp. That evening, we did a great side trip from there to Plateau Point to watch the sun set. The next day we made the tough climb out of the canyon to the South Rim. We covered over 20 miles with major elevation changes in 3 days of backpacking. There was good wildlife viewing too – we saw lizards, snakes, deer, and condors, and even spotted a pronghorn antelope on the drive into the park. Truly a trip of a lifetime for scouts. If we can obtain the permits, we hope to do it again with a larger group – maybe next time we’ll hike from North Rim to South Rim, or even hike from rim to rim and back again.

Backpacking to Henninger Flat and Idlehour Trail Camp, March 2012

mr_s — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:02:14 +0000

The troop repeated a backpacking trip we first did in March 2010. This was a tough overnighter to Idlehour Trail Camp, climbing the Mt. Wilson Toll Road from Altadena to Henninger Flats and beyond, then dropping far down into Eaton Canyon via the Idlehour trail. Scouts coped with major elevation changes in over 10 miles of backpacking. Our scouts did an outstanding job on a tough hike. Boys also worked on their rank advancements by identifying native plants and animals, building our campfire, cooking on backpacking stoves, and working with map and compass on the hike. We had a light turnout compared to our last visit to Idlehour, but every scout excelled on one of the more challenging backpacking trips the troop has completed.

Joshua Tree rock-climbing – an annual event (February 17, 2012)

mr_s — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 22:16:10 +0000

Troop 147 went rock-climbing in Joshua Tree National Park yet again in 2012. The scouts love this trip. We camped at a roomy group site at Indian Cove and climbed at Morbid Mound. Our troop was instructed by our excellent instructors from BSAONBELAY. The scouts scampered up and rappelled down the rock all day long. A long day of climbing in perfect weather was capped with camaraderie around the campfire, stargazing, a long game of fox & hounds, and some monkey bread for dessert after dinner.

USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, January 2012

mr_s — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:05:50 +0000

Instead of camping someplace cold and snowy in January, the troop camped in a very unusual spot – a retired aircraft carrier. The USS Midway was the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned just a few days after the end of World War II. Active in the Vietnam War and in Operation Desert Storm, she is currently a museum ship at the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum, in San Diego, California.

The first part of a rainy Saturday was spent exploring the ships of the San Diego Maritime Museum. The scouts probably enjoyed the two submarines (Soviet and US) the most and a few boys went through them several times. Saturday afternoon was even more exciting as we mustered for the Midway. Our tour guides were all former sailors on the Midway and really knew and loved the ship. They showed us all over the ship including many places off-limits to the general public. The scouts enjoyed eating Navy grub in the mess hall, and bunking in the same berths the sailors used (these were NOT the officers’ quarters!). Sunday morning wake-up call was at 6 am and we again toured the ship with our guides before the general public arrived.

We had a great turnout for this outing not just of our scouts but also of dads and a few moms and webelos. We last visited the Midway more than 5 years ago but we won’t wait that long to return.

Eagle Projects of Troop 147 during 2011

mr_s — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:02:36 +0000

A service project is a key step on the long road to achieving the rank of Eagle. The service project involves many hours of work from the prospective Eagle Scout. Eagle projects must demonstrate the scout’s leadership ability and be of significant benefit to the community (as opposed to helping scouting or an individual). Earning the Eagle rank is a rare achievement; roughly 5% of scouts across the nation, historically, have achieved this highest rank. Troop 147 has averaged about one Eagle Scout per year over the last 20 years, but this year we were fortunate to have four boys earn this honor.

The projects of these four Eagles were:

1. Sprucing up Huntington Hospital, Pasadena. One Eagle scout organized a day of work painting equipment around the Huntington campus, including arranging all the supplies needed, feeding his team, and directing the project.

2. Restoration of three meeting rooms at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Arcadia. One scout organized a major effort to restore meeting rooms that were unusable because of clutter and damage. These rooms were extensively redone by scouts working over their summer vacation. Many hours over many days were spent by teams of scouts cleaning, sanding and painting walls and ceilings to restore these rooms.

3. Fundraising and purchase of an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) for Monrovia High School. This project required a substantial fundraising effort involving a car wash (thanks to Pep Boys for the use of their parking lot), much letter-writing to local businesses, and extensive research to choose an appropriate life-saving AED. This project also involved more than the usual research and paperwork, such as obtaining the proper physician’s prescription along with school board and high school approval for installation of the AED.

4. Installing park benches at Plymouth Elementary School, Monrovia. This Eagle scout organized a day of installing four heavy-duty concrete benches on the grounds of his local elementary school. This effort required raising funds for materials, digging and pouring foundations, and installing very heavy benches that will last as long as the school will, probably.

Thanks go out not only to these Eagle scouts, but to the entire troop for putting in many hours of hard labor on these worthy projects.

And congratulations to our four newest Eagle Scouts on their accomplishment – achieving this rank is something that they can be proud of for the rest of their lives. These young men are a credit to their parents, their troop, and their community.

Stay tuned for some photos of the above service projects…

Bikepacking trip to Glenn Trail Camp, West Fork San Gabriel River 12/11

mr_s — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:16:35 +0000

Troop 147 repeated one of its favorite local biking campouts, to Glenn Trail Camp. Scouts cycled in on Saturday morning and set up camp before exploring the surrounding area, including a side hike (more of a bouldering scramble) up Glenn Canyon to an impressive series of waterfalls. After a hearty dinner and a roaring campfire (yes, with toasted marshmallows, Jiffy Pop, and Smores), it was getting chilly so an early bedtime was in order (December sunsets come early). Sunday morning we awoke to a heavy frost, ice in our water bottles, and a temperature of 25 degrees, but another campfire warmed everyone up. Scouts then cycled up to Cogswell Reservoir just for the extra exercise – quite a climb from camp. There was even a large patch of ice on the road up, which our SoCal troop is not accustomed to seeing. Turnout was a bit light for this trip due to lots of conflicting engagements in December, but everyone had a great time and some scouts even managed to get a few more rank requirements signed off in their handbooks.

Red Rock Canyon, Mojave Desert – 11/11/11

mr_s — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:35:14 +0000

The troop paid another visit to Red Rock Canyon State Park, 3 years to the month since our last visit. This time we welcomed some enthusiastic webelos scouts and families interesting in learning more about our troop. We arrived early due to the Veteran’s Day holiday and scouts had a great time exploring the cliffs before dark. After a relaxing campfire of jokes and ghost stories, a cold and windy rainstorm passed through while all were sleeping – but scouts had prepared for this by being extra careful in setting up their tents. We awoke to a brisk but sunny dawn with snow on the distant mountains. Scouts had a full Saturday complete with training in fire safety and fire building, a 4×4 adventure to some interesting desert ruins, and ending with a great campfire program cohosted by our friends from Troop 274 in Tulare.

Holcomb Valley Scout Camp, 10/14-16/11

mr_s — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:20:45 +0000

The troop returned to Holcomb Valley Scout Camp in October for a weekend campout, after having visited for the traditional summer camp in August. The weekend was gratis, courtesy of San Gabriel Valley Council, as a reward for Troop 147 having the largest increase in scouts of any troop in the district.

Scouts had a great time riding mountain bikes around the hilly area. They also worked hard on rank advancement and outdoor skills including map & compass and orienteering.

It was nice to get away from the heatwave in Monrovia to spend time in the cool autumn weather up in Holcomb Valley, at 7,300 feet elevation in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Spruce Grove backpacking September 2011

mr_s — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 03:37:48 +0000

This weekend was a repeat visit to Spruce Grove Trail Camp in the San Gabriel Mountains, last hiked back in 2008. This is a beautiful local backpacking trip, starting at Chantry Flat and hiking first down and then up through Santa Anita Canyon above Sturtevant Falls. Scouts hiked about 10 miles over two days. All our scouts did a great job, including some new boys on their first backpacking trip.

Mt. Palomar campout and visit to Palomar Observatory, 7/11

mr_s — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:28:18 +0000

Troop 147 scouts escaped the Los Angeles “Carmageddon Weekend” by heading down to San Diego to camp at Palomar Mountain State Park. Our senior scouts worked with younger scouts on their rank requirements through first class, and scouts still had time for a 3.5 mile hike to a lookout tower on a nearby mountain, followed by some fishing in Douane Pond (no luck). The weekend was capped off by a fascinating tour of the Palomar Observatory with its mighty 200 inch Hale telescope. Many thanks to a new scout parent who brought his telescope for some moon-gazing on Saturday; unfortunately, scouts were so exhausted from the day’s adventures that no one could stay up until moonrise!