36 Attachment(s)
Aquarius Plateau/Boulder Top (UT) - BSA 50 Miler
Last week our scout troop took 17 boys ages 12-17 and six adults up to the 11,000 foot elevation Boulder/Aquarius plateau area of central Utah (Dixie National Forest) for a 50 mile backpacking trek over 6 days and 5 nights.
It was my first as a scoutmaster and after seven months of planning I can say it was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. Not so much physically, as our prep hikes (e.g. here, here, and here) helped with that, but emotionally and spiritually helping those boys through some rough terrain and rough weather (gobstopper-size hail, torrential monsoon thunderstorms, mud, equipment failure, obscure trails), especially the 12-13 year olds who were pretty new to boy scouts.
Here's a quick overview of our itinerary:
Day 1 - travel, hike 4 miles from Cook Lake to Raft Lake
Day 2 - 8 miles from Raft Lake to Rim Lake
Day 3 - 13 miles from Rim Lake to Raft Lake (got lost twice)
Day 4 - 7 miles from Raft Lake to Big Lake
Day 5 - 20+ miles from Big Lake to Raft Lake via the Great Western Trail
Day 6 - return home
During our planning meetings the boys and I were concerned day 5 would be a killer, but it turned out to be the highlight. As you can see, days 1-4 were comprised of 4-13 mile treks to get used to the elevation and build up to Day 5. The weather was everything from gorgeous to terrifying and the forests and lakes that appeared around every turn were downright inspiring. Fishing was a no-go though. Not one of us got a single bite. We did see a plane sweep over and stock a lake on day 4 though so hopefully future visitors will have better luck. Some of the boys enjoyed a "Polar Bear Plunge" at 6am in the freezing waters of the 11,200ish ft high Raft Lake on Day 6. We give them a "bear claw" award when they do that. I already earned mine on a prior trip and didn't feel inclined to repeat this time around.
The obscurity of the trails on days 3 and 5 made for some great map, compass and GPS opportunities as well as some trail marking (cairn building) where honestly no trail was to be found.
Whew! Glad to have it over, but we honestly had some excellent, significant build-men-into-boys experiences that made it all worth it.
I'd be delighted to hear from any other scouters/backpackers interested in more detailed itinerary/GPS routes, etc. that we created.
Attachment 46804
Around the campfire at our base camp at Raft Lake
Attachment 46805
Dutch oven potatoes and BBQ chicken. Yum!
Attachment 46806
Who knew rocks and logs could make such good pillows?
Attachment 46807
A view off the rim.
Attachment 46808
Day 5, along a segment of the Great Western Trail near Chokecherry Point.
Attachment 46809
Another view off the sound end of the rim.
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Beautiful skies!
Attachment 46811
Beautiful wildflowers.
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Donning our ponchos just as a monsoon storm is about to hit.
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Rain and hail (and lightning) that drove two boys to tears.
Attachment 46814
Meal prep.
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Hitting the trail from Rim Lake to Raft Lake.
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One boy proudly surveys his handiwork at fire ring construction.
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Me and my 15 year old son at one of the many beautiful lakes. Day 3.
Attachment 46818
Another beautiful sky.
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Morning of day 3 at Rim Lake. Ready to hit the trail.
Attachment 46820
A scout strikes a pose on the rim.
Attachment 46821
Hiking in the rain.
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Another view of the rim
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A view from the rim off the north end of the Great Western Trail.
Attachment 46824
Building cairns.
Attachment 46825
Group photo at the rim.
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Lunch break on day 3.
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Another view to the north from the rim.
Attachment 46828
Beautiful Rim Lake.
Attachment 46829
Cooking dutch oven stew at base camp.
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"Omlettes in a bag" at base camp. Tastes better than it sounds.
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Another beautiful lake.
Attachment 46832
A gorgeous sunset at Big Lake, Day 4.
Attachment 46833
The mosquitoes were out.of.control. But if you used repellent, long sleeves/pants and a mosquito net it was just fine. This hapless scout used none of those when he ventured into the trees to take care of business. His short visit to their domain will surely remain a legend among the mosquito community for years to come.
Attachment 46834
Day 2, lunch on the trail.
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Photo op at a beautiful lake on day 3.
Attachment 46836
From the rim.
Attachment 46837
Cook Lake, our base camp and site of the Day 6 Polar Bear Plunge.
Attachment 46838
On the trail.
Attachment 46839
Group photo on the rim.
