31 August 1986

On August 16 - 23, 11 girls, women and men of Troop 253 hiked our sixth annual summertime 50 mile backpack trip. It was, without a doubt, the most physically demanding and visually beautiful of the six such outings. In all, we hiked a total of 55 miles with unusually heavy packs, almost all of which were at altitudes above 8000 feet. 15 miles and 2 1/2 days were spent above 10,000 feet, and we topped 12,000 feet at one point while carrying our packs. In total, we climbed over 7100 feet during the week. In spite of the strain, nobody failed to appreciate the magnificent view from LeConte Divide of the San Joaquin River flowing through Goddard Canyon, 3000 feet below us, the breathtaking views of icy lakes below us and of sharp Sierra peaks around us as we hiked through passes ... Nor are any of us likely to forget the spirit of teamwork and togetherness which characterized our week with each other in the wilderness.

As is our habit each year, our preparations consisted of a series of planning meetings at which the girls decided on the route and did nearly all of the planning. Individual efforts included one girl who handled budgets/finances, another who planned the menu for the week and did the shopping and a third who kept the journal (attached) during the outing itself. Adult participation in the planning was limited to restocking the first aid kits, checking out equipment and helping with the massive job of sorting and bundling the food for the week.

On the last night before the trip, each girl brought her pack to the annual pack inspection for checking and weighing. She was required to have everything that is called out on the troop's 50 Miler list and nothing else (except for six ounces of discretionary material). At the end of the inspection, all packs were impounded lest they pick up weight during the night. The average weight of a girl's pack was 34 pounds, with leaders carrying up to 50 pounds. The unusually high pack weights this year were the consequence of a hearty diet and the need to carry food for an extra (eighth) day on the trail.

Our route is described on the attached map and elevation plot, a "C" shaped path through the Sierra National Forest and John Muir Wilderness, touching the western boundary of King's Canyon National Park. Three nights were spent at lakeside, giving us a chance to swim, and the other four found us camped along a stream.

The entire route is contained on the Blackcap Mtn Quadrangle 15 minute series USGS topo map. However, several trails shown on the map no longer exist and new ones have been added (as we discovered). Our original plan called for a day of cross-country hiking with map and compass; we overshot the saddle in the ridge between Devil's Punchbowl and Crabtree Lake, crossing LeConte Divide instead at a point less than a mile south of Hell For Sure pass. However, it was the use of map and compass which brought us back onto our original track the next day, and it was generally agreed that the views from LeConte Divide and the teamwork we used to get down the other side made getting lost very worthwhile.

It was generally agreed by all leaders that next year we would supplement our topo maps with US Forest Service maps which show up-to-date trail routes.

In addition to the usual daily outbreak of blisters caused by long hikes with heavy packs, we had three people suffer from athlete's foot brought on by long hours spent wearing sweaty socks in boots. One girl lost her footing while climbing, resulting in a slight injury to her knee. Sunburn, pulled muscles, mildly twisted knees, sore arches, a mild infection or two and bug bites rounded out the complaints during the twice-daily sick call. Finally, the dry air caused some problems with dry and cracked skin. All ailments were successfully treated and the first aid supplies we carried were sufficient.

Our diet this year was rich and varied, with main courses nicely supplemented with fruit and vegetables. Our only complaint seemed to be that, if anything, we had too much food. Additionally, the dinner we had to prepare on the evening of our first day's hike (after driving up to the mountains) was too complicated for a late dinner. (menu)