Outdoor adventure Scouting for All
New year, new location! We decided to check out Monte Bello Open Space Preserve in Palo Alto for our first official backpacking trip of the year. The best part was the amazing sunset over the Bay that evening. We loved this location and hope to make a return visit in the future!
It’s a hiking year! And the best way to kick it off is with a fun day hike in a local county park, Quicksilver-Almaden. Views, wildlife encounters & a little history made for a lovely morning!
This summer, our Scouts decided to attend a brand new (to us) summer camp- instead of deep in the mountains of High Sierra, we decided to spend a week at the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean at Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island! Kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving, small boat sailing and lots of fun & camaraderie with other Scout troops was all part of the experience! We earned lots of merit badges, had one of a kind adventures, and had a great time bonding as a Troop.
Click below to see how much fun we had this summer!
The Troop had an amazing time in as we worked on the Climbing merit badge in one of the most incredible locations- Pinnacles National Park. One of our favorite adventures!
A small but mighty group of scouts had a great trip down the Napa River. The food was the best part!
We had a great day trip to Camp Chesebrough in the Santa Cruz mountains to prepare for our big climbing trip to Pinnacles in May. We learned how to tie knots, belay, rappel and started to practice climbing. We had a great time and are so excited for next month!
We had a great trip to Brannan Island in Sacramento County. And our favorite pup Lucky got to join us!
In January, Troop 260 went on our annual snow camping trip. While the group was small, it was an amazing time. After snowshoeing around to find a good campsite, the scouts got to work digging out a big hole for the tents. Once the hole was dug, we wanted to go sledding. Unfortunately, while scouting for good sledding hills, one scout fell feet first through the ice and had wet boots! Luckily, one of the adults was prepared with extras. Eventually, we found a good sledding hill and had a blast. While doing so ,another scout also fell through the ice and had one wet boot. Once again, the adults saved the day with extra shoes. As the sun started to set and it got dark, we started a fire and huddled around it desperately for warmth as we told jokes and stories. After a while, we braved the cold and headed back to our tents for the night. The night was extremely cold, but we also survived. Following that very cold night, we packed up camp and piled into the warm cars, and made the drive back home. Of course not. before stopping for some lunch on the way back.
– Isabella DeMarco, 17, Life Scout
Trip report incoming, stay tuned!
In July, nine of us—six scouts and three adults—set out on our annual 50-mile trek through the Emigrant Wilderness, packs heavy with gear, bear cans, and the food we had carefully planned and prepared the week before. Each day’s menu was as much a part of the adventure as the miles we walked: steaming bowls of instant oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts to warm chilly mornings; hearty tortillas spread with peanut butter and filled with banana chips for quick trailside lunches; and dinners that ranged from lentil soup with rice to quinoa tossed with black beans and peppers, couscous with chickpeas and curry, and even a barley stew simmered at week’s end. In between, we discovered the small pleasures of granola with powdered milk and berries, cold-soaked chia pudding with mango, and muesli stirred with raisins, while evening campfires brought us together over simple but satisfying meals like pasta with tomato sauce, rice and lentils with spinach, or mashed potatoes with peas. What we carried on our backs became part of the story, fueling every step across granite passes, shaded meadows, and alpine lakes.
On “day zero,” before the first trail miles, we finalized our route and supplies, stopped at Camp Hi-Sierra to visit old friends, and then drove into Emigrant, where we pitched camp for the night and tried to quiet the excitement buzzing in our minds.The next morning, our journey began on horseback, climbing eleven miles into the high country. The trail rose steadily, winding through dusty granite and tall pines, and the sun bore down with the heavy heat of mid-July. Even on horseback, the warmth was relentless—sweat dampened our shirts beneath our packs, and the horses’ flanks glistened in the sun as they carried us upward. Every breeze that found its way down the canyon felt like a gift, though it never lasted long. When we finally stopped for lunch at Deer Lake, tortillas with peanut butter and banana chips never tasted so good, if only because it meant we could rest in the shade for a while. Afterward, we continued on foot for another six miles, passing Buck Lake before finally arriving at the shimmering expanse of Emigrant Lake. Exhausted but exhilarated, we could not resist plunging into its clear, blue water before setting up camp along its shore.
Day two brought us higher, six tough miles up to Bigelow Lake, one of the largest in the wilderness. With an extra day in our itinerary, we lingered there, swimming, fishing, climbing a peak to watch the sun sink behind distant ridges. It was at Bigelow that we learned to catch, clean, and cook fish with nothing more than a pocketknife and a pan—lessons in both resourcefulness and patience. That evening, a hiker named Jim approached us, worried for his missing companion, Pete. Though we hadn’t seen him, we searched the next afternoon for nearly an hour, combing the ridges and shorelines before moving on.
By day four, we were pushing toward Huckleberry Lake under relentless sun and still air, each step heavier than the last. When at last the lake came into view, we pressed through the final mile in just fifteen minutes, spurred on by the thought of rest. Our campsite there, a small clearing tucked against the water, proved one of the finest of the trip. That night, firelight flickered across tired but smiling faces as we told stories—some funny, others ghostly—before the wilderness grew quiet again.
From Huckleberry, we continued to Gem Lake, a shorter but demanding hike that left us weary, though laughter and cool water soon revived us. Our last evening around the campfire carried a bittersweet tone; tomorrow would be the end.
On the final day, we hiked the last three miles back to Crabtree Trailhead, shoulders sore, boots dusty, spirits full. The tradition was complete only after a celebratory stop for pizza and ice cream—one last feast together before parting ways. What remained was more than miles walked: it was a week of challenge and camaraderie, of learning, laughter, and the shared rhythm of trail life.
-Nandana N., 15, Star Scout