August 7, 1990

LEADER-S EVALUATION, 1.990 FIFTY MILER IN THE TRINITY ALPS WILDERNESS...

On July 21 through 28, twelve girls, women and men of Troop 253 hiked our tenth annual Fifty Miler in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, northwest of Redding. Of all of our 11 "50s" to date, it presented us with the most demands for flexibility and adaptability. However, like our previous nine such outings, it was a visually beautiful adventure for us all, and a great team building experience as well. All of us returned home from the trek renewed in spirit and in our sense of self-confidence.

As is our habit each year, our preparations consisted of a series of planning meetings at which the girls approved of the location and route proposed by troop leaders, and did nearly all of the planning for the trip. This included finances, menu, prep hike schedule, keeping of the journal and preparation of the equipment. Adult participation in the planning was limited to restocking the first aid kits and filing the various applications for insurance, Council permission for the outing, and camping/fire permits.

In addition, the latter part of June and the first part of July were devoted to a series of Wednesday evening and Saturday (all day) preparation hikes, designed to tune up our hearts, lungs and legs. 66 miles of such prep hikes were scheduled, and each participant was expected to complete at least 35 miles before the "Fifty".

Having remembered the lessons learned during our 1987 "Fifty" when we were a mob of 18 on the trail, we restricted this year's outing to 12 people at the maximum. A system of deciding whom had priority in the event that more than 12 applied was established.

We hit the trail organized into three self-sufficient patrols, with #2 and #3 starting on Saturday afternoon and #1 leaving the trailhead on Sunday morning. From Wednesday onward, Patrol #1 took a different route from that chosen by the other two patrols, further highlighting the necessity of each patrol to be entirely self-sufficient. Each patrol included at least one troop Leader, at least one man skilled in mountaineering and one person skilled in wilderness first aid.

Participants (and their assignments) were:

Elva Diaz*, Patrol Leader

Jos'e Diaz*

Susie Spitze, Finance

Randy Spitze*, First Aider

Karen Voisinet, Patrol Leader

Sam Spring, Advisor

Kim Hotz*

Ray Waugh*, First Aider

Vern Tucker*, First Aider

* indicates an adult.

It should be noted that Genie Moore was in charge of equipment and supplies, although she could not go on the outing itself.

During the afternoon, we troop leaders conferenced and decided to modify our route. We had discovered that the canyons and ridges of the Alps were steeper than their typical counterparts in the Sierra, and brush on the canyon walls and bottoms was often nearly impenetrable. These two factors meant that the cross-country hike from Grizzly to Papoose Lakes would be very slow and difficult, creating the risk of making that part of the outing a miserable trial of endurance for the girls. We decided to keep Patrols #2 and #3 at Grizzly Lake for a layover day of relaxation, after which they would retrace their steps back to the Hobo Gulch trailhead. Patrol #1 decided to go forward, following the original plan.

On Wednesday morning, everyone slept late. Patrol #1 left for Papoose Lake at midmorning. They reached Lois Lake easily, and then ran into difficulty in their attempts to follow the contours to Papoose. By nightfall, they were 1/4 mile short of their destination; having found sufficient water along the way, they made camp where they were. Their site, part of the area burned during the fires of 1987, was dusty and the ash covered ground sloped badly, making it difficult to get comfortable. On Thursday morning, it took them 2 1/2 hours to complete the last 1/4 mile of their cross-country hike, an indication of the obstacles presented by the terrain. At Papoose Lake they found a single good campsite, and it was already occupied. Taking time for a swim and a snack, they hit the trail once again for the eight or nine mile hike down Rattlesnake Canyon, arriving virtually exhausted at Rattlesnake Camp in the late afternoon. As had been the case earlier in the week, a fire had broken out in the canyon between Rattlesnake and the trailhead; this time the Forest Service was using a four-engine water bomber as well as helicopter. Once again the U.S.F.S. beat the fire, and after a good night's sleep, Patrol #1 hiked out of the Alps on Friday.

As is our tradition, we cleaned up and changed into fresh clothing at the trailhead so as to be presentable when we stopped for dinner (pizza, another tradition) on the road.

Except for two days, we arose at 6:00am each morning, made our breakfast, cleaned up, packed and were on the trail by 8:30am. While on the trail, we kept within sight of each other. Upon reaching our destination for the day, we made camp and attended to our chores. Upon arrival, our SPL designated a portion of the forest for women to use and another for the men. Jobs usually done by patrols on rotation (foil picking and firewood gathering) were done by everyone on an informal basis this year; in most locations, firewood was very plentiful. In several of our camps we could not bear-bag our food for the lack of suitable trees; having seen no sign of bear anywhere in our trip, we resorted to raccoon-bagging instead. Afternoons in camp were devoted to reading, talking, doing laundry and hair, swimming and relaxing. By sunset each day our dinner and dishes were done and the campfire was burning. Unlike last year, we did no singing around the campfire; we leaders missed it.

As mentioned earlier, we saw no sign of bear this year. However, at Mill Gulch the butterflies were so thick that several of us held them on our fingertips. At the same camp, we spotted the first scorpion we have ever seen on a troop outing; it was sitting next to one of the adult's feet near the campfire. Although we go to lengths to avoid disturbing creatures we meet on our outings, we made an exception in this case and promptly killed the scorpion. Aside from pesky flies at the lower (and warmer) camps, we had no problem with bugs. Also at lower elevations, we had deer walking through our camps. When Patrol #1 was camped on the side of the mountain just north of Papoose Lake, a 3-point buck walked through their camp. Little chipmunks were everywhere, every day, and got into our food if it was carelessly left out. Finally, at Grizzly Lake we were treated to the sight of a osprey soaring over the surface of the water, occasionally diving with a mighty splash to fetch a trout out of the lake.

This "Fifty" saw no problems with equipment or supplies. Because of the unusual menu, each patrol carried an extra can of fuel (for a total of six). Mild weather helped us save fuel; each patrol used 4 1/2 cans (instead of the usual 3 1/2 to 4).

Aside from three cases of diarrhea (two successfully treated using our first aid kits and one left to run its course) and the usual nicks, scratches and foot blisters, we had no medical problems this year. We felt that the diarrhea was probably brought on by a change in diet, or by the sudden exposure to water treated with iodine. As usual, our first aid kits were more than adequate for our needs.

This year saw us adopt a new policy regarding the disposal of used sanitary supplies. Based upon recommendations found in Meyer's book (see below), we had the girls burn (rather than bury) them. This was done to protect the environment, since they would be dug up by animals before they could decompose in the soil. Each person who went on this year's "Fifty" read her book before we hit the trail.

An additional advantage to this year's menu was the money it saved, compared to commercially prepared freeze dried meals. Paula provided food for one week (21 meals) for 12 people, or a total of 252 meals, for about $585 total or $2.32 per meal. This compares very favorably with the $2.50 per meal cost of last year's food. The downside of our use of "real" food this year was the weight and bulk which it entailed.

It is hard to find fault with Paula's work, but several things were learned this year. First, those meals which used TVP were too large for a patrol of four people; we could have done nicely with 70% as much food as she packed for us. Second, the ziplock bags she chose were too light in weight, and they often failed on the trail; only the very heaviest freezer bags should be chosen for packing food in a backpack. Third, the homemade oatmeal was judged to be inferior to regular Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal. Fourth, Paula packed too much of the dried milk; We used less than half that given to us. Compared to the hard work that Paula and her helpers put into our menu, and the excellence of their work, these are very minor criticisms.

Having learned in previous years of the importance of energy-packed drinks flavored with sugar, we packed sufficient quantities of lemonade, Kool Aid, Gator Aid and sweetened iced tea to make 168 quarts (two quarts per person per day). Unlike our habit of the previous nine years, the premeasured drink envelopes were not bundled in with the meals; each person was separately given 14 envelopes to use at her or his discretion. Since some days placed heavier demands than others on our water intake, this worked out better than the old system. It was a hot, hard outing in spots; we brought home very little of the drink mixes.

A financial summary for the outing is as follows:

* $0.12/mile, 3 cars, 675 miles

Thanks in part to Paula's clever work with the food, as well as troop leader and adult donations, we were able to keep the cost per person at or near the amount charged for our first "Fifty" in 1981 while returning a nominal amount of money to the troop treasury.

Twelve members of Troop 253 shared in the challenge and delights of our tenth annual Fifty Miler in the rugged and beautiful Trinity Alps Wilderness. Each day brought fresh adventures and challenges for us to meet and enjoy. Worked smoothly as a team throughout the outing; as was the case last year, we fell immediately into patterns of team-work. More than in any year past, the girls showed a true spirit of sisterhood and mutual cooperation, both on the outing and during the weeks of preparation before it. We grew to appreciate each other, we shared with each other our delight in the wild and rugged beauty which surrounded us, and we drew a fresh sense of confidence from meeting (and beating) the challenges which "the mountain" threw up before us. As is the case every year, we finished the outing by beginning to plan for next year's adventure in the south Sierra. We four leaders, who place so much importance upon courage, self-reliance and outdoor skills in "our" girls, were very proud to watch them once again prove the wisdom of the Roman philosopher Virgil when he observed

Meyer, Kathleen: "How To Shit In The Woods," Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, 1989.