White Water Rafting trip June 14-15

Posted by troop_leadership on July 1st, 2008 filed in Uncategorized

WHITEWATER RAFTING
By Brett Bader
June 14-15
Last weekend 24 scouts and adults embarked on an epic journey into the heart of the Gold Country to enjoy some whitewater rafting on the American River.  We camped on the water’s edge and were able to swim and jump off rocks before dinner.  We had a wonderful dinner consisting of Fred’s Steak, hamburgers, Caesar Salad and garlic bread.   Other than the raccoons that visited our camp and ate our leftovers, the evening was very pleasant and the sky full of stars.
After waking up at the crack of dawn and having some spectacular pancakes made by Gregory Dunn, crispy bacon, and tasty donuts, we broke camp and divided up into two groups.    A more advanced group of 9 took off for the middle fork (18 miles of river), consisting of over 20 major rapids, of which, 8 were class 4 rapids and one class 6 which we had to portage around.  The other group of 15 took off for the south fork, consisting of primarily class 3 rapids (21 miles of river).  It was warm by the time we got on the water and the temperature kept increasing throughout the day, reaching up to the mid 90’s which was perfect weather for rafting.
The first rapid we encountered on the Middle Fork was "Good Morning." If we weren’t awake by then, we were all awake after that first rush of cold water cascaded into the raft. Within just the first few miles we reached the "Tunnel Chute." The tunnel was blasted through by gold miners in the 1800s in order to divert the flow of the river away from the famous Horseshoe Bend which contained loads of gold. The Bend forces the river to be squeezed into a 100 ft long, 12-foot high cascading spillway. The river then flows underground through a tunnel. It was a thrill going through the chute.   Once it emerges from the tunnel, the Middle Fork races down the canyon over 5 miles of rapids, reaching "Kanaka Falls," a Class 4 rapid that has tossed many rafters out of their seats and into the river. After this one last rush, the river mellows and reaches the quiet side of the canyon where we enjoyed (and were victorious) in many waterfights as well as jumping out of the rafts into swimmers rapids and stopping for lunch.  Near to the end of this quiet section, the silence is soon interrupted with a thunderous roar, "Ruck-A-Chucky Falls." Here the river quickly drops eight feet over a navigable waterfall.  After that drop, we had to quickly paddle for shore to avoid a  twenty-five foot, Class 6, waterfall that we had to portaged.  The guides then maneuvered the rafts down the falls.   Once back in the rafts, the Middle Fork American River rafting trip ends with a 3-mile rush through the most demanding part of the trip.  Rapids named "Tightsqueeze," ”Catapult” and "Parallel Parking," all came in quick succession.  It was a blast.
After a long day of rafting, we loaded into vans for an hour ride back to the campsite where we joined with the other group, packed up and headed home.  I would strongly suggest this trip for all scouts and even adults.  My dad and brother (an eagle scout) both went on the trip and had a blast!  It was a trip of a lifetime and a trip to always remember.

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Pismo Beach May 2008

Posted by troop_leadership on May 12th, 2008 filed in Uncategorized

Pismo Beach
Troop 57
May 9-11, 2008

By Geoff Dodson

    After a rigorous week of school, sports, and other activities, twelve scouts from Troop 57 divided up into three cars for the long 3+ hour drive down to Pismo Beach. The drive took us about 10 miles south of San Luis Obispo into the North Beach campground. For the majority of the group, we did not arrive until about 11:00pm due to delays departing for specified reasons. Upon arrival into the fog-covered campground, we found ourselves a comfortable flat to set up our tents, and hit the hay shortly thereafter.
    Saturday morning we found ourselves up bright and early making breakfast. After enjoying scrambled eggs, sausages, bagels, and oranges, we took a quick walk down to the nearby beach. We quickly divided into two teams, and proceeded to play football on the sand. Within our improvised boundaries were small sand dunes, which made for some exciting and interesting play. After discovering how out of shape we all were, we took a break from football to walk down the expansive beach towards the water. While there, many spent time looking for sand dollars that were still fully intact. Most, however, were unable to find any.
    As we continued to spend our late morning by the ocean, we walked to an area of the beach where there were tall and steep sand dunes. We then spent a significant amount of time engaging in a variety of activities, including jumping off the dunes, racing up them, or playing ‘King of the Hill’. Eventually we wound up playing catch with the football while in midair from a jump off of the sand dunes. To say the least, we all spent our morning taking full advantage of the sand dunes that lined the beach.
    Shortly after noon-time we headed back to the campground for lunch. We enjoyed chips and dip, and sandwiches, which the scouts had the luxury of choosing between peanut butter and jelly or turkey and salami (or whatever other combination one wanted). After satisfying our stomachs with lunch, about two-thirds of the group drove off from the campground to go horseback riding, a pre-planned optional activity. The other third of the group, myself included, spent our time relaxing either at the campsite or the beach, while enjoying the calm breeze under the clear sunny sky.
    Once the rest of the group returned, we all headed back to the ocean to spend time with various activities. One highlight included taking turns handling a large kite, brought by the Moses family. As time went on, and the evening approached, we enjoyed our last few hours of daylight simply relaxing by the water. We were lucky to have great weather and lots of open space to run around on the sand, as the beach only had small amounts of people scattered about.
    Soon after we headed back to camp to begin the dinner process, while there was still daylight. Dinner included the cooking of way more steak than we could eat, salmon, cooked potatoes, and baked beans. This was all complimented with a variety of condiments including steak sauce, sour cream and cheese.
    As darkness came, us scouts gathered together to go play ‘Zorch’ in the dark on the sand dunes. This was followed by spending the rest of the night sitting by the fire talking and sharing stories. Not long after we retired into our tents after a long day of fun.
    The next morning was a simple eat breakfast, pack up, and go home day. We hurried our way out of the campsite to hit the road for the long drive, and get home nice and dirty to our mothers’ on Mother’s Day.
    The overall trip was a great experience for all of us. If you are into relaxing on the beach for a weekend, and getting to know fellow scouts, then this trip is for you!

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Snow Camping 2008

Posted by troop_leadership on May 12th, 2008 filed in Uncategorized

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Pismo Beach — May 9 - 11

Posted by asm_group on April 29th, 2008 filed in Outings, Announcement, 2008 Spring

Let’s have some fun on a unique Central Coast beach!  We’ll spend two days, leaving Friday after school and returning Sunday late afternoon.  While there, we’ll camp in the dunes, have fun on the beach and practice our newly honed cooking skills!  Back by popular demand: traction kiting.   Horseback riding and fishing also available (not included in outing fee).

Deadline: May 2nd. 

Drivers needed.

For more details, click here.

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Troop 57 Spring Cycling Trip

Posted by asm_group on March 27th, 2008 filed in Outings, 2008 Spring

Join us on the T57 spring cycling trip April 19-20, 2008.  We will offer several mountain and road bike rides on Saturday & Sunday, ranging from beginner level to advanced, as well as opportunities to work on the non-riding portions of the bicycling merit badge.  Best of all, these rides are over some of the finest cycling terrain in the Bay Area.  For example, the 50-mile advanced Sunday road ride loop will take you though redwood forest, oak woodlands, open rolling coastal grasslands, up (and down!) some nice hills, and along the ocean on a stretch of Highway 1 (http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/pescadero/251718022), while the 25-mile advanced Sunday mountain bike loop ride will start with a gradual climb of nearly 2000′ thought redwood & oak forest, punctuated by spectacular vistas of the ocean, followed by a rewarding downhill back to camp in Butano State Park (http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/butano/176475940).  As far as equipment, you will need a bike (either road or mountain), helmet, water bottle(s), suitable clothes and camping/personal gear:  See flyer for details.

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Posted by asm_group on March 23rd, 2008 filed in Uncategorized

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Mt. Wittenberg Rin-of-the-Bay Hike, Point Reyes

Posted by asm_group on March 23rd, 2008 filed in Uncategorized, 2008 Spring

Hike to the top of Mt. Wittenberg (1700′ el. gain), then continue to Arch Rock on the coast (10.5 mi. round trip)! A shorter return loop is available to scouts who do not want to hike to the coast.

We’ll meet at 7:30 am at Scout House and carpool. Drivers are needed based on expected attendance. Scouts provide their own lunch, snacks and water. Bring a day pack with lunch, 2 liters of watter, first aide kit, ten essentials. Wear layered hiking clothing appropriate to the weather. Include a light-weight rain jacket or poncho. Est. retujrn to Palo Alto 7:30 pm.

Trip Brochure at RoB Wittenberg Pt Reyes 20080405

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James Frederick Christopherson

Posted by tim_hedge on February 26th, 2008 filed in Eagles, 2005 Eagles

Biography

    James joined Cub Scouts while a second-grader at Walter Hays Elementary.  His Den was more like a co-op with multiple Den Mothers looking after at least a dozen boys.  After reaching his Weblos rank, James took a year off before joining Troop 57 as a 12-year old.  He advanced quickly and held the positions of Patrol Leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader.  He was elected to Senior Patrol Leader in June 2002.  He was nominated by his fellow scouts to be one of the new members in the re-vitalized Order of the Arrow program.  James was also appointed by Bob Cory to the rank of Junior Assistant Scoutmaster.  His favorite camping experiences include rock-climbing at Bear Valley, kayaking in the Elkhorn Slough, three tours at Camp Oljato and his favorite — the annual ski-trip. Many boys in the troop and their families know James as a frequent umpire in Palo Alto Little League.  James has coached youth sports teams for many different organizations including the 8th grade Jordan Boys team, a NJB Boys team that went to the State Tournament in San Diego and even a Second grade girls’ team through the YMCA. 

    James was recently awarded the PA Weekly’s Scholarship for Community Service for his many contributions.  He has worked as a section editor for Paly’s award-winning school paper — the Campanile.  He plans to pursue his interests in Journalism and Sports Marketing at the University of Oregon in the Fall. 

Eagle Project

    James’ Eagle Project was painting two large maps on the blacktop at Beechwood School in Menlo Park. Beechwood serves low-income minority families from the surrounding communities.  One map was of the entire United States, neatly colored with several different colors.  The other map was of the entire world and also was neatly painted with several colors.  Overall, work crews as large as fifteen people completed the project in four days.  The labor that was required to complete the project included power washing, chalking out the borders from the stencil, and lots of painting.  The maps are used as an interactive part of the geography curriculum at Beechwood.

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Christopher R.G. Reade

Posted by tim_hedge on February 26th, 2008 filed in Eagles, 2005 Eagles

Chris is a native of the Bay Area, and his family’s roots are here in Palo Alto and with Troop 57. His father, Evan, was a member of the Troop and his uncle, Ray Nasr, earned his Eagle with Troop 57 in 1978. However, Palo Alto and Troop 57 are not the only scouting experiences Chris has known.

His family is in the Foreign Service, so he has lived in many countries. Chris began scouting as a Tiger Cub in Tunisia! He returned to Arlington to finish Cub Scouts and joined Troop 638 in Virginia. Back in North Africa, Morocco, he advanced to Star with Troop 509 of the Transatlantic Council. Each summer he returned to the east coast and Troop 638 at scout camp in Goshen, Virginia, and he still proudly wears his Goshen patch on his uniform today.   Whether camping in wild bird preserves on the Atlantic coast, rock climbing and rappelling in the Atlas Mountains or trekking through the Sahara on Camels, Chris received a truly foreign flavor of scouting.  Perhaps one of Chris’s more memorable outdoor experiences while in Morocco was climbing Mount Toubkal which at nearly 14,000 feet measures up as the 2nd tallest mountain in Africa.

Chris’ life changed again when his family returned to Palo Alto, where he enrolled in Paly and joined Troop 57.  Some of his favorite scout trips include the whitewater rafting trip, the Joshua Tree/Lake Mead Spring Break trip, and of course, his summers at Camp Oljato.  During his entire 4 years in Troop 57, Chris was consistently one of the most active Scouts in the Troop.  He never missed a Memorial Day Observance in Golden Gate National Cemetery and played a role in many of the Troop’s major community service projects, including the Urban Ministry food service program and the rebuilding of this Fire Circle.

He developed his leadership skills first as a Den Chief, then Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader in Patrol 2, and finally when he was elected Senior Patrol Leader for the entire Troop. Whether as a Den Chief attending Cub Scout meetings or as Senior Patrol Leader, Chris’ distinctive leadership style had three primary characteristics - an infectious enthusiasm that rubbed off on all the other Scouts; a positive attitude toward any task, that motivated others to do their best; and a good-natured approach to his relations with other Scouts and to team building, so that he was recognized as a “natural leader” in the Troop.

At Paly, Chris was an honor student, wrote for the Campanile and Verde, played on the JV and Varsity Football teams, and competed in the hurdles for the Track Team. He is currently a freshman at U.C. San Diego, where he is a member of the Club Lacrosse Team and he is a leader on the University Activity and Spirit Committees and is a voting member of the Student Council. 

Eagle Project

Chris’ Eagle project is a free-standing awards kiosk and bulletin board which is used by the Paly track team for posting notices, schedules, race results and news. This structure acts as a communication tool for the Athletic Department and serves as a popular gathering spot for student athletes as they await their races and check results. Chris’ project was completed in the spring of 2005 and can be seen at Paly High’s Hod Ray Field, home of the Palo Alto Vikings.

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Pinnacles Recap

Posted by troop_leadership on February 25th, 2008 filed in 2008 Winter

February 8-9, 2008
By Ryan Vertelney, Patrol 4 Scribe

This year at Pinnacles, we had a great turn out of Scouts with many first years and Webelos.  We all met at the Scout House at 8 am on February 8th to get ready to depart to Pinnacles. Once we got there, we set up our tents and prepared for the hikes. This year included the usual five-mile and ten-mile hikes. There were 12 Scouts and 6 adults on the five mile hike and 11 Scouts and 3 adults on the 10 mile hike. I participated on the 5 mile hike. On the five-mile hike we saw wild turkeys, deer, and other wild animals. The scenery was terrific and everyone enjoyed the hike. Following the hike, we went back to camp and had the first years cook our food. Patrol four’s menu included hot dogs, baked potatoes, and double stuffed Oreos for dessert. After dinner we played electric fruit, and shortly after Mr. Weller and several Scouts made some apple cobbler and chocolate cake in the Dutch ovens. They turned out delicious! After that was complete, most of the scouts went to sleep. In the morning, we woke up to our first years cooking our breakfast. Patrol 4 made bacon, oatmeal, and hot chocolate. After breakfast, we packed up our tents, performed a garbage pickup police line, and headed back for Palo Alto. The trip was a delight for everyone!

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