Camp Baldwin Summer Camp 1996 Camp Baldwin Summer Camp 1996Last Updated: October 7th, 1997
This is a rather long journal and will take some time to print out if you are so inclined. I apologize for that inconvenience.
Greg Filip, our troop committee chairman, and I arrived at the camp site first by truck to drop off the gear. We transported everything to the site including personal back packs. This is a first for us. The staff here at Camp Baldwin feels that the camp tour goes better if the scouts are unencumbered. They did carry the equipment and gear that they picked up at the commissary. Sometimes I think we make it too easy for the boys. I must be becoming an old scouter.
Camp is quiet now with only Greg, myself, Brian, and Gary here. Everyone else is off on an explore (outpost trails?) until the siren blows at 6pm for fire drill. This year we only brought 7 scouts to camp, and they are an older group. I expect that things will go smoothly for us this year with all the experience in the group. All have been to summer camp at least 3 years.
Our Senior Patrol Leader, Brian Wyse has been to summer camp 5 or 6 times plus a high adventure trek to Philmont in 1992. Brian has only been SPL since Camporee in May of this year. At Camporee he was well organized and provided the troop with good leadership. In June the troop spent 7 days bicycling in the San Juan Islands. I didn't get to attend that outing, but by all reports he did a good job keeping it all together there as well.
The other scouts are Eric Berggren, Jeremy Filip, Reid Wyse, Jared Hall, Tavis Crocker, and Gary Brittson. Jeremy, Reid, and Jared participated with us on our 50 mile hike through the Three Sisters Wilderness last summer. Since we are so few this year, we will function as one patrol. Naturally, Greg and I are on vacation.
It's beginning to cool down a little now that the sun is sinking lower in the west. There is a very slight breeze which also helps. Earlier today it was quite warm. On the drive up from our home in Corvallis, I was a little concerned that the old Crown Victoria which I chose to drive to camp might overheat on the hills, but no problem. I turned off the air conditioner when we started to climb, just in case. Greg led the way with his F-100 Ford pickup and most of the gear, followed by Scoutmaster Dale Berggren in his Chrysler mini-van and most of the scouts. I was behind him with Tavis and Gary in the back seat. They slept some, but woke up when we passed through Sandy.
It was hazy in the valley, but nice blue sky up here. Mt. Hood sparkled when we got closer. It has plenty of snow, but near the bottom of the snow line the snow looks dirty from the rocks that have fallen from above. The traffic was behaving well on the way up. We did not stop and arrived at the parking lot in just under 3 hours, with 15 minutes to spare. Just enough time to eat our lunch and transfer all the gear in to Greg's pickup truck for the drive into our campsite. (I still think we make it too easy.)
By the time we had finished eating our sack lunches the action started. At exactly 12 noon there was a big commotion from down below as the staff came running up the hill and into the parking lot, led by a cowboy on horseback carrying a big United States flag. Everyone moved back when the horse got near them. I was busy checking in and wasn't sure how the staff guide found our SPL, but in a few minutes they were off down the trail for the camp tour.
While I was checking in, Dale told me that he had not had the parents update the medical forms. It will be interesting to see if this is a problem for the boys when they do their medical checks at the Health Lodge. Also, since we had one boy decide not to come to summer camp, we are one under. We might get a refund for that. Dale will have to submit a reason why the boy wasn't here, then the council will decide if a refund is warranted. I'll let Dale take care of that.
On the drive around the lake to our campsite we passed the horse corral and noticed that the horses were free. We commented that they must all be pets to hang around like that. Later we learned that they, or someone else, had opened the gate and that it took the wrangler 3 hours to get them all back in again.
Greg and I unloaded the truck and took some time to choose our tent before the boys arrived. The concerns were the floor, roof, and position regarding sun as well as being away from where the boys would likely choose to be. We wanted the tent to be cool and quiet.
While Greg drove on around and up to the parking lot, I set up the pin out board, displayed the Troop 2 banner, and located a place for the first aid kit. The rest of the camp set up was left to the SPL and his staff. That would be the cooking area, wood cutting area, quartermaster tent, etc.
The boys came in with their 2 staff guides to get into swim trunks for the swim test. Everyone of them passed as swimmers. Greg and I put off our swim test until another day. They brought with them the extra gear that they had checked out from the Commissary; pots, pans, cooking tools, and a Dutch oven, as well as cleaning and sanitizing supplies.
While the boys were off to the water front, Greg and I finished our site set up and relaxed for a few minutes.
At 3pm, we attended the first roundtable meeting for adults, where we heard that we (Greg and I) had to at least check into the Health Lodge to get a buddy tag. I expected this, but Greg had not. I will do the medical check, but Greg does not have a medical form with him, so that will be interesting. We also learned more about how Baldwin works. I took lot's of notes to be shared with the boys later at the camp site. It turned out that most of it they already knew. Partly because they had been told on their orientation tour of camp, and partly because it was in the hand out from Dale (which I didn't get) and partly because all of them had been here 2 years ago in 1994. As I reported earlier, we have a very mature group this year. All are 13 years or older, and at least 3 year campers which let's them do all of the high adventure programs at Baldwin.
At the round table we also met the major staff people. The camp director is Larry Clark who has been here for many years. He is a mountain of a man with a deep crackling voice that makes you wonder if he has every been out of the mountains. We also met Chad Clark (no relation to Larry), who is the commissioner that is assigned to our troop (and several others).
At 6pm on Sunday we had the weekly fire drill and all of us met at the parade ground which is what we will do if the siren ever goes of during the week. We were welcomed to Baldwin and came to attention for the raising of the colors. Each program area was given a moment to talk about their special area and to recruit participants. At one point all troops were given an opportunity to report their presence. Most had pitiful yells or a simple response of here when their troop number came up. This will improve for most at future assemblies.
At the end of the assembly we were dismissed to the chow line where we were served spaghetti, green beans, salad, bread, cookies, and colored water. It seemed a little light, but looking back, I was satisfied.
After dinner we were again assembled and then called, by lot, to the Merit Badge Midway where the boys could sign up for classes on reservations for high adventure activities such as rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain bike riding, snorkeling, etc. After the San Juan Island bike trek, our guys were not interested in anymore bikes for a while. Many are signed up for snorkeling and the horsemanship merit badge.
After that we were again assembled for the lowering of the colors and were then led to the chapel service. We had been told earlier to have our flashlights and warm clothes with us. Since the trail to the chapel and the campfire bowl goes right by our camp site, we elected to pick those items up on the way.
As usual, our guys did not want to go to the chapel service. Our guides told us if they had to go that we would have to go as well. I liked that. They grumbled, but went anyway.
The chaplain (Brad, I think) is of the Christian persuasion with a very southern inflection to his speech. He is quite a likable guy and perfect for a summer camp chaplain. He did a pretty good job of being non-denominational, but his approach was different than what most of our troop is used to. (Remember, a scout is reverent and respects all beliefs). His sermonette was the story of Daniel slaying Goliath (with his superior weapon system). The point was that David met the challenge and at scout camp we all have challenges. David met the challenge because God told him to. (So much for the pacifist view).
There was some dissension amongst the staff when we arrived at the chapel over whether we had to remove our hats in chapel. Of course our guys to keep their hats on which offended some other guys. Yes, there are challenges to be met every where.
After the chapel service we moved on over to the campfire program, which was pretty good. The stories and skits were well done, but the songs were flops. This had been true in the chapel as well. Even so, it was a good program. Near the closing, Larry Clark pulled our leg by relating a story about his trip to Philmont with his father and brother as a youth. He got to a critical point in the story where we all on the edge of our seats as to what was going to happen next when the bad guy was pulling on his leg, and then indicated that he was pulling our leg the same way. It was a good story. His dad still lives here at camp. I remember him helping with projects two years ago when we came to Baldwin.
After the campfire we went back to our site and the guys went straight to their tents. A little later, we were visited by a group of the other staffers who came through camp to see how things were going. The 2 that are assigned to our troop as staff guides are John Dykstra from hear Hood River and his assistant, Adam Beyerle from Milwaukie. They have been around a lot to get us going and to provide basic skills if needed. Being a mature troop, they haven't been needed much. In fact, they are learning some things from the way we do things, such as our use of the pin out board that helps us keep track of where everyone has gone. The boys have to be reminded to pin out when they leave the camp site, but in an emergency, we have a general idea of where to look for them and who they might be with. Another staffer that we met is from Bob Barnhards Troop 170 in Corvallis. He has mentioned that to us twice. Bob has been one of the more successful scoutmasters from our district and this young man seems proud of his troop.
Chad and a young lady staffer also dropped by our site Sunday night after all the boys had turned in. I believe her name was Kate. There are 6 or 7 young ladies on the staff. That's nice.
The guys talked for awhile in their tents before settling to sleep. One of them had a foot pump for his air mattress. It must have been very small because I could hear it working for a long time. Greg and I left the tent flaps closed during the day to keep out the dust. I think I'll keep them open at night for some fresh air. Besides, I like to look at the stars.
I got about 6 and a 1/2 hours of sleep, which was plenty, and was up well ahead of the boys. The night before, I had interviewed the boys to see what merit badges they had signed up for. This morning I filled out all of their cards while it was still quiet in camp. It was a little chilly, so I went for a quick walk to warm up. The only sounds in camp came from the corrals and the direction of the Blue Box camp site. Someone over in the staff area started up a truck. Greg also got up early.
Our food pick up was supposed to be at 7:20am. It was the last food drop and occurred closer to 7:30. That still seems pretty close to schedule. Our guides came in about 7:05 and wondered why every one was still in their tents. It will be better tomorrow.
We raised our flag at about 7:40 and then continued with breakfast preparation, pancakes, sausage, milk, and cocoa. All of us are eating as a patrol. Greg and I were served first out of respect. Thank you. I suggested to Brian that the KP guys should go first so they could start the cleanup earlier. So it shall be. Greg and I had to finish the cleanup this time so the boys could get to their 9:00 class. Tomorrow should be different. Also, we will try for flag raising at 7am, to get the guys out a little earlier. But that is up to the SPL.
After finishing the cleanup this morning, I took advantage of the warm water to shave. Good decision. It was reported at roundtable that the hot water system wasn't working. I may have to do the swim check just to clean up.
Greg and I visited the Health Lodge after the daily 9am roundtable meeting to drop off my health form and to fill out a health form for Greg. It was a fairly simple matter to take care of that business. We were asked the pertinent health questions and then we received our buddy tags to take to the water front. The health guy has been to Philmont twice as a scout. We shared some stories while waiting for Greg to complete his health form.
Lunch was celery, fruit, and bologna, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We will be increasing our bread and peanut butter allotment. Brian ate with the other Senior Patrol Leaders and our guides ate with us. Little or no clean up. Tavis managed to squirt syrup on one of the guides. Oops.
Greg and I visited the trading post to see what they had to offer. We each picked out a camp T-shirt and visited with some of the staff that were in the area.
I haven't taken any pictures yet. I better get with it. Greg will be helping out at the Eagles Nest on Tuesday. That is where younger scouts get help with skills for advancement. We really need to get Gary to First Class.
Later in the afternoon, I set up my hammock between the trees and am finding camp very comfortable. I can hear the life guards calling for buddy checks and occasional pops from the .22 caliber rifles up at the rifle range next door. Occasionally a vehicle will go by on the camp road. Sometimes it's staff, sometimes transportation for a young man in a wheel chair.
It has been warm, but a nice breeze just came up at 2:45. Greg just got back from taking his swim test and reports that the water is fine. Yeah sure. I may avoid the water this year. I don't think anyone from our group is going to do the mile swim, so I probably won't be needed to row a boat.
Greg has been reading a book called Endurance, Shackeltons Incredible Voyage. Occasionally he will read a section out loud or tell me about some incredible situation that Shackelton and his crew have found themselves in as they try to cross the Antarctic in 1915. Talk about high adventure and extreme scouting!!
I have been quietly relaxing in the hammock, and recently carving on a walking stick. I stopped that for awhile when I developed a blister on my push thumb. I decided to sharpen the knife when I realized the blister was forming, but of course the blister was already there. At least I didn't cut myself.
Up until now it has been relatively quiet here, but now the guys are back from snorkeling and the cooks are preparing tacos. We have the KP guys collecting wood for a fire to heat water for clean up. I love it when a plan comes together. Our SPL is doing a great job.
We have increased the amount of food that the staff brings to us. Now we have to make sure that no food is wasted.
Tuesday morning, 7/9/96. Flash back.
Last night was Man in the Moon night around our camp fire. Of the 9 of us, scouts and adults, 5 know the secret. If you have never played the Man in the Moon game I'll explain how it goes. Some one who knows the secret, uses a stick to draw a picture of the Man in the Moon in the circle of fire light. The audience is told to use all of their powers of observation and try to draw the Man in the Moon the same way. Each takes their turn, continuing to observe each others attempts. Only one element is the correct element to be observed. When each person finishes their attempt to perform the task correctly, they are either told that they did it correctly or that they did not do it correctly. The secret is never revealed by those who have figured out the secret. No new people figured out the secret this night.
Our 2 commissioners, Chad and Kate, had visited us earlier, but had missed all the fun. When they came around this morning, we asked them if they knew the secret of the Man in the Moon. They had never heard of it before. If we see them this evening we will make sure they get a chance to experience it.
The only downer about last night was that I probably spent too much time in the campfire smoke because I had a terrific head ache all night. It could have been not enough water during the day, but drinking extra water last night didn't seem to help. It could also have been from too much sunlight. I'll be sure and wear the dark glasses today.
At any rate, I fell asleep at about 1:30am, but awoke at about 2:30 because the wind came up and whipped the fire back to life. I had watered it down so that no coals were glowing and separated the pieces of wood. But, I did not stir and feel for heat, so it was really not dead out. When the wind came up I had to worry about the fire. J.J. Jones, one of our past scoutmasters and the person who really got me into scouting, used to talk about scoutmasters headache brought on by worry, so maybe that was my problem. I was also worrying that maybe we would get a lightning storm on us. but the stars stayed bright all night.
By 4:00am the wind was really strong. Limbs came down all over camp. I had tucked a bag of almonds up between the ridge beam and the tent to keep them away from the mini bears. At one point the wind lifted the tent, freeing the bag of nuts which crashed to the floor bringing both Greg and I up to see if we were in danger. We could see that we were not in trouble, but didn't figure out what had happened until the next day. The odd thing was that it stayed warm all night long. Both of us had to leave our sleeping bags open to keep from sweating.
This morning at round table, we listened to others experience with the wind. Apparently in the next valley to the south there was no wind. A horse group from Baldwin had an overnight camp there and reported no wind. However, I later spoke with a staffer that was on that horse overnighter and he said yes, they had big wind. In fact, 2 horses were spooked by the wind and broke loose in the night. Different people observe things differently.
Anyway, dumb me, I didn't decide to take a pill for my headache until about 4:30am. By 5:00 the headache was gone, but the birds were starting to wake up. No matter, I fell asleep and slept until close to 7am. Greg was already up by then and I needed to wake Brian so he could get the troop started.
Everyone was in uniform for our morning flag. The runners met the good van and breakfast was started in good time. The KP guys got the fire going and had water heating with out being reminded. Breakfast was eggs (scrambled) and hash browns. Clean up was completed and everyone off to class on time. I again shaved with the soapy clean up water then washed the eggs and hash-browns off my face with clean cold water from the tap. The system works well.
The 9:30 roundtable for scoutmasters was uneventful except for the wind stories and of course a stout cup of coffee. Most of the information was a recap of what we had already heard. The day before we had listened to a presentation from a US Forest Ranger in which he explained fire prevention and National Forest procedures. Although Camp Baldwin is private land belonging to the Columbia Cascade Council, it is surrounded by National Forest land. So if there is a fire at Camp Baldwin, his crew will normally be the first to arrive. He had begun by displaying a white flag with the words, "Remember, only you can prevent forest fires," and a picture of Smokey Bear on it, which he presented to the camp director. At the end of his talk he passed out pens and bumper stickers. I like the free stuff. The rest of the meeting was about camp programs.
When we got back to our campsite, Greg put on his hiking boots and set out on a walk-about to explore the camp. I relaxed for awhile, and washed out a pair of Polypro socks that were smelling like they might crawl away, then hung them up to dry which took no time at all in this dry air. That made me think that maybe I should go take a shower while all the boys were off at merit badge classes. I gathered up my "possibles" and started down the hill.
On the way over to the shower house, I first stopped at the program center to pick up one of the keys with the big red tag that are used to control access to the adult showers. The showers are all in one building, with the boys section always open at one end and locked facilities for men and women at the other end. I can only speak for the men's side which is completely modern except there are no electric lights. The water is heated by propane, and the system is large enough, that temperature is easy to regulate. I opened some windows to make sure I had a nice cross ventilation to help dry myself after the shower. As usual, I only brought a bandanna with me to use as a towel. The shower was delightful. I promised myself that I use them often.
On the way back to camp, I returned the shower key to the peg in the program center then strolled over to the trading post to pick up another T-shirt and a post card to send home to my Marian and Zach. Being at summer camp without one of my own boys is kind of odd. I can take interest in the other boys and enjoy their successes okay, but it is just not quite the same. Is that a slight twinge of homesickness I feel?
There always seems to be lots of activity at a trading post. On the deck in back of the trading post is where the younger scouts are getting instruction in woodcarving, basket making and leather working. One of the staffers is a popular young lady who always seems to have lots of helpers around her. Greg and I have been trying to get Brian to come over and help her. He isn't quite there yet.
Inside the trading post, it is just as busy. I spent a little time there and talked with some of the staff. I think the young people that take these summer jobs at scout camps know how to have fun better than most kids their age. They are just so enthusiastic about everything. I know there is training that helps get them to this point, but I think it's more than that. Either the scouting program attracts that type of person or it develops them, or more likely it is a combination of both of those working together.
Greg returned to camp before lunch and had gone all the way to Vulture Rocks where the rock climbing program is given. From his description it sounds like they have tightened safety procedures since we were at this camp two years ago. That summer one of the trained climber staff died in a tragic fall. Even visitors must wear hard hats now if they are near the rocks, and non climbers are requested to keep their distance in order to eliminate distractions. That seems like a good idea. I'll have to go up and see for myself.
Lunch today was Minestrone soup and toasted cheese sandwiches. Preparation and clean up again went very smoothly. This is turning out to be a great vacation for Greg and I.
After lunch I spent some more time on my journal, then decided to take a nap and try to catch up a little from the sleep I missed the night before. I did and it helped.
It seems a little cooler today. It is still kind of breezy and at times the dust is whipped up pretty good. I'm considering moving to one of the other tents this evening to avoid some of the smoke. Of course I could properly put the fire out before bedding down this time.
Dinner tonight is elbow macaroni with ground turkey meat. The scouts are going over the plans now to determine what must be done. These guys are good. It all turns out just fine, but there is quite a bit of discussion as to what kind of meat we really were eating. One possibility is vulture from up around the climbing rocks. Larry Clark had indicated that we might notice fewer crows in camp for the next few days. Some of the guys were pretty sure that it was not turkey as the menu indicated. But I thought it was a good meal.
Our campfire went well tonight. Our commissioner, Chad, and his side kick, Kate, came by early so we had the opportunity to introduce them to "The Man in the Moon."
Unbelievably, they both got it on the first try. The told us they had never seen it before, but there is was. Chad went first and those of us that knew the secret looked at each other in wonder. Had it been just luck? We had him do it again just to make sure, and again he did it correctly. Kate was sure she knew the secret before Chad demonstrated it and after he did it she was sure she would give it away. We told her if she really could do it that it wouldn't make any difference because some of the boys had been trying for years to figure it out. She did it just fine the first time and everyone was astonished. That was the first time that anyone has figured out the secret on the first try and we had just witnessed two people in a row do it.
After they left, we tried to figure out how they did it so quickly. We ruled out cheating, and decided they must be telepathic.
The two brothers, Brian and Reid, got into it a little bit around the campfire. Nothing serious, just testing each other a little. It's always a little difficult to know just how far to let them go before stepping in. We try to use it as a teachable moment for the other boys.
Wednesday morning we had the flag up by 7:10. Breakfast was French toast. The extra eggs were scrambled and we finished the last of the hash browns. Clean up was done by 8:45, and the scouts were off to class. Again, everything went well.
After breakfast we had an opportunity to talk some more with Chad and Kate. Chad attends Washington State, majoring in elementary education and childhood behavior. Scout camp will look good on his resume. Kate just graduated from Benson High School and will probably start at Mount Hood Community College this fall. They are really nice people. Later we found out that they do have a kind of telepathy. At least they have demonstrated to others that they seem to be on the same wave length and often come up with the same ideas at the same time. Interesting.
This morning in the round table discussion, we were asked how the staff was doing. It was made clear that they really wanted feedback because the staff didn't get much pay, so feedback was even more important. Everyone then began to express what a good job the staff was doing. I agree with all that except that our guides seem young compared to our scouts. After the meeting I went over to speak quietly to one of the lead staffers to express that in our case it was okay, but that we haven't seen much of the guides. I explained that our youngest scout was a 3 year camper and that the others have been to camp 5 or 6 times, so they pretty much knew the ropes.
Today is Order of the Arrow day, so everyone is wearing their sash. Tonight they will have a ceremony which everyone will be invited to. Some bead traders were set up by the program center to supply those scouts who were working on Indian lore or costumes for O of A. They had some interesting things like jawbones and knife blades as well as the usual beads, leather, and thongs.
Greg and I decided it was time to go for a hike, so we put on the hiking boots, our day packs, and filled a water bottle a piece and set out for Vulture Rocks. Greg had been up there earlier in the week, which was good, because I had remembered taking a different route than he led us on. I might still be up here but for his guidance.
It is a pleasant hike up out of New Baldwin. We walked past the mountain bike racks, the volley ball court, and the tipi village that the O of A members had set up for use in their ceremony later this evening. The forest is the same as down in camp, mixed pine and fir, but since this area is not tramped over as much, there is a little more underbrush. The Forest Ranger had told us that since there has not been much forest fire activity that the fir have been able to get a foot hold and the forest seems denser that what it would naturally be. We crossed the highway and headed into the forest on the other side. The Ponderosa pine are larger here and have that characteristic red bark.
The trail is more of a jeep trail at this point and will take us down to Iceberg Lake. We soon come to a fork in the trail where I would have taken the wrong turn. Greg directs me to the trail on the left. I had a similar problem with this junction two years before when Stewart and I hiked to Vulture Rocks. That time we ended up on the ridge above Iceberg lake, where the old concrete foundations of old Baldwin are located. But this day we hike right on down to the lake with no problems.
Iceberg Lake is a man made lake formed by the remains of a concrete retaining wall which supports an earthen dam and a concrete spillway. Over the years the lake, which is in a small canyon, has filled up with sediment and is now only about a foot deep. The concrete spillway and part of the dam have broken away, so the level of the water is several feet lower than when it was in use for water activities by campers of years past. Even with the dam in good repair and no sediment it is hard to imagine the lake being large enough for very many scouts. I later saw a picture of the lake when it was in use by the old Baldwin scouts and it seemed to be okay for their needs.
We crossed over the spillway and began the climb up to Vulture Rocks where the rock climbing takes place. This day they were working on rappelling off the top of the rocks. The route they were taking was on the near side as we approached and was down a face of approximately 40 feet. At the bottom was an attractive lady staffer, tending to the climbing ropes. She was tanned by the sun and buff as you would expect such an athlete to be. We were welcomed to the site with a warm smile and since we did not have hard hats she asked us to remain beyond a fallen Ponderosa that lay up the hill, making a natural fence.
By this time, we were slightly winded after our climb up the trail and took the opportunity to sit on the bed of pine needles and watch several of the climbers descend the rock face. They were calmly talked over the edge by another lady staffer at the top, whom we only got glimpses of from our position near the bottom. This lady carried on a soft patter of conversation with her student that we could see was intended to help him conquer fear and at the same time provide technical instruction and confidence.
After we had caught our breath and taken some water, we continued to the top of the pass and observed how the safety lines were tied with straps to several rock knobs. We noticed that everything was double fastened so that safety never relied on a single point. This appears to be a solid program with no safety items left to chance.
We could not climb further up on the rocks without hard hats. The action was not visible from where we stood, so we decided to head on back to camp. We did take a different route on our return, which was to go on up the ridge then circle back to a point above Iceberg lake. I had hoped to see the site of the old Baldwin foundations again, but they must have been on the next ridge over. There were more interesting rock formations along the ridge and at one point we could see a turkey vulture warming it's wings in the sun atop a tall snag across from the climbers.
When we reached the end of the ridge were directly over Iceberg lake. The scramble down the trail was quick and easy then we proceeded back up the trail to new Baldwin and lunch.
Lunch today was hot dogs which the cooks boiled, then each person fixed their own. Easy preparation, easy clean up.
In the afternoon I took another shower then visited the trading post to purchase a third T-shirt. I like T-shirts, and besides I can wear them at my job.
Stewart Wershow, another of our assistant scoutmasters hiked in this afternoon. We spent the rest of the afternoon bringing him up to date. He had been on the San Juan Bicycle trek the month before, so he also brought us up to date on how that outing went. With only one week between trips, I believe the scouts were definitely better prepared to work effectively together at this summer camp than I have seen at previous scout camps. I told Stewart maybe we should just plan on taking them camping every other week instead of only once a month.
Greg and I expounded on how well the rock climbing program was being run this year. Two years before, Stewart's son Aaron had enjoyed his experience at Vulture Rocks, so of course Stewart wanted to see what it was all about. We had a little time before dinner, so the three of us decided to hike over to see the climbing wall on the other side of camp.
The wall had several scouts on it when we got there. One of the staffers who we had observed earlier in the day, was working with younger scouts that looked to be having their first experience with climbing gear. The wall is about 20 feet tall, similar to the one our troop has, but most of the hand holds seem larger. Ours has smaller hand holds, but we don't put the board up at 90 degrees like this one is.
Again, we watched the instructor work with the scouts, calmly talking them through difficult spots. There was one young scout in particular who was having difficulty. He was heavy for his age and just couldn't make his muscles get him up farther than about 6 or 8 feet off the ground. She talked quietly, giving encouragement and instruction which were just not enough. The boy had to come down. However, she wouldn't let him take off the climbing gear, but told him to just rest for awhile. He did, and after a bit she had him back on the rope with new energy, and with her skill, she got him all the way to the top. I was really impressed.
Back in camp, the scouts were busy with our dinner, cheeseburgers. It's difficult to mess up a cheeseburger. The only problem was grease spattering all over every thing. We cautioned the boys to be careful with the hot grease. No major burns. Cleanup was completed and again, we brought our flag down on time.
We arrived at the camp assembly and this time we did our only real patrol yell. We had been pushing our guys to compete with this, but they just couldn't pull it off until tonight. It went something like this; WE LOVE THE STAFF pause AT MERIWETHER. It was a little bit clever, and real obnoxious (which fits our guys) and it was real loud (which suited me.) I guess I just can't have it all.
After the assembly, I went up to the program center to review the merit badge class sheets. I have been doing this every day after evening flag. A few of the sheets were missing the first day, but through the week each of the scouts showed up on the sheet where they were supposed to be.
A little later, Greg, Stewart, and I took our folding chairs with us and went to attend the Order of the Arrow campfire. It was done at the edge of Lake Hanel, not to far from the camp flag poles. Earlier in the morning I had thought I heard a Night Hawk, but I hadn't been sure. As the people began to arrive for the program a Night Hawk did circle and dive for insects over the lake.
The fire was built up and the O of A members began to arrive in their Indian regalia. There was a story of Indian bravery and song of Indian experience which have been taken by the scouting movement for their beauty and connection with the out of doors. One of the rock climbing instructors led us in a song she calls the Eagle song. We have heard it before, but have not been able to find the words to it.
Have you all seen the Eagle, Flying so high? He'll circle all the universe, On wings of pure light. Oh oh e-che-chi-o Oh-i-oh, Oh oh e-che-chi-o Oh-i-oh. May we all be like Eagles, Flying so high. We'll circle all the universe, On wings of pure light. Oh oh e-che-chi-o Oh-i-oh, Oh oh e-che-chi-o Oh-i-oh.
Stewart was able to get the words from her later, which is why I can report it here.
Back in camp, we built our own campfire and had a pleasant time.
Later in the evening when the fire was dying down, the boys headed for their tents. Then we had a visit from the camp director and one of his assistants. Hopefully, our only major problem for the week was about to come to light.
The program director related to us that several of our boys had been causing problems at the water front and in one of the merit badge classes. People had been offended by the same boys in several places over several days. The final offense occurred that afternoon and the boys had been told that they could not return to the water front. We were surprised at hearing the facts, and were embarrassed by the actions of our charges. We thanked the program director and his assistant for the information and they left us to our responsibilities.
Due to the seriousness of the offenses we decided to carefully plan our strategy for taking this back to the boys. It was decided to give the boys every opportunity to explain, discuss, and understand their transgressions and for them to come up with a plan of their own for preventing future problems, as well as correcting the current wrongs. Our plan was to interview each boy, giving them a rough outline of what we had heard, then let each of them fill in the blanks. We would then explain the consequences of their actions, including that they would be sent home if a similar action occurred again, that many people were already aware of their actions, and lastly of the embarrassment for the troop. Next we would get a commitment from each of them that they would be on their best behavior for the rest of the week. They would also be required to come up with a plan that would ensure no more problems. Finally, we would ask them to reflect on the scout law, tell us which ones applied to this situation and to explain how they applied.
After interviewing each scout, the stories all matched. All of the scout laws they came up with did fit, although they each had a slightly different view point. They decided that they should apologize to the people that had been offended. The next day they were reminded that they needed to follow through with their plan.
Thursday morning breakfast was pancakes and Cooking with Brian. Like most older scouts I have known, he likes the food to be prepared a particular way. In this case, Brian wanted the pancakes to be lightly browned and cooked all the way through. That is exactly what they had. The two guides arrived early, John first and Adam puffing up the hill behind him. It was reported to us later that the guides ate great quantities.
Greg, Stewart and I were invited, along with the other scoutmasters, to have breakfast with the staff up at the commissary/staff dining hall. We arrived early and were rewarded with coffee in the courtyard where we got to visit with some of the staff. Crystal, from the water front, moved through our company and kept our cups full. Chad told us that his tent mate thought we were pulling his leg about his getting the secret of the Man in the Moon on the first try. I decided that this called for some extra effort on my part and would attend to that a little later. We were introduced to the climbing instructors at this time, Jennifer and Crystalin. I'm not sure of the spelling. Crystalin was the song leader from the O of A campfire, so Stewart immediately asked her for the words from the Eagle song. She said she could do that and would leave it in our mailbox later. She told us that she was interested in veterinary medicine, cowboy poetry, and that she was breaking her own horses. Thinking of our troop back in Corvallis, we told her to consider the Veterinary school at Oregon State University. She is multi talented.
We moved inside and after grace, we sat down to a meal of chipped beef and gravy over biscuits with scrambled eggs and coffee cake on the side. Kate sat at our table and carried on a conversation with Stewart at his end of the table.
After the meal, we thanked the cooks for such a feast then retired outside again while the tables were cleared. This soon accomplished we returned for our morning roundtable. There were the usual notes about events for the day plus the paid advertisements about the other council camps and their programs.
The program I found most interesting was the annual horse drive over the mountains from the Butte Creek Ranch near Scotts Mills. Every summer the horses are moved from the Willamette Valley to Camp Baldwin in a week long trail ride. Sign up for this adventure starts in early January. The cost is about $300 per person. This is very good for the horses because it gets them ready for summer camp. The trek is repeated at the end of summer when the horses are returned back over the mountains to their winter home at the Butte Creek Ranch. On the return trek they take an extra day to layover for a day of rest and relaxation some where along the trail. I had heard that there was a waiting list of up to 3 years for these treks, but were told that they start the sign up in January. They added, that the treks do fill quickly. We also were told that Butte Creek is open on weekends all year long with Adirondak shelters.
Baldwin also stays open all year long. Larry Clark keeps the snow plowed out about 3 miles down to the mail box where the county takes over. That means that in the winter, Baldwin can only be approached from the east.
After the meeting ended, I stayed to tell the Program Director how we handled the problems from the night before and that the boys would probably offer apologies. Then I walked down to the water front to also share that information with the waterfront director. I hadn't spent any time at the water front, so I wasn't sure who the water front director was. It turned out to be Crystal who had served us coffee at breakfast. She is a very pleasant lady. I had already matched her up with some other members of her family. Her husband is the head wrangler at the corral. She also has a son that is on staff at the corral and a younger daughter whom I had met earlier with the computer code message up at the trading post. They seem to be a good scouting family, having a good time at summer camp.
When I got back to our campsite I felt ready for a little rest break, so I set up the hammock and got comfortable for awhile.
The blister on my thumb was about healed up, so I decided it was time to do some more wood carving. I found some likely pine limbs of about the right thickness and set to work on some awards to be handed out on our last day in camp. I carved one with the words, "SPL Troop 2 Baldwin 96 Jump Off Joe" for our leader and another with the words, "Troop 2 Top Scout Baldwin 96" which Brian would present to a scout of his choice. Then I found some nice white fir that would make good awards for Chad and Katy. On those, I carved the words, "Man in the Moon First Try with Troop 2 at Baldwin 96."
By then it was lunch time and the boys were gathering for Top Romen Noodle Soup, and of course Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.
After lunch, Stewart and I decided to hike up to Vulture Rock. We expected to see some climbers doing their thing, but when we arrived there was no one there. Were we early or late? We sat ourselves down in the shade to take some water and wait for awhile.
After a bit we heard voices coming from the trail below. In a few minutes Jennifer appears from around a large rock, leading a group of scouts wearing hard hats and carrying large coils of climbing rope over their shoulders. Jennifer made our day when she spotted Stewart and I resting in the shade and asked, "What are two nice guys like you doing up here?"
We chatted for a moment and learned that they were headed for some other rocks farther up the ridge that we had not seen before. We are again politely reminded to stay back if we don't have helmets but if we would like to climb there are helmets available. We respectfully declined the offer.
One of the scouts asked us if we had seen Mr. Fraley, his Scoutmaster, who was planning to come up and take some photographs. We hadn't seen him, which seemed to disappoint the scout.
We followed the group up to the rocks and scrambled around to find a good spot from which to watch the activities. I picked a spot in the shade and Stewart went a little farther out on a ledge into the sun. The climbers were about even with us but on the other side of a deep cleft in the rocks. We were safely out of their way.
Crystalin took a position at the top of the rock and Jennifer was down below. The boys had to climb up the face of the rock and somehow haul themselves up and over an overhang. It was quite a challenge. Crystalin had to climb part way down from above to direct and encourage. She reported to us that she had a problem at that spot earlier in the morning when the rope slipped or rolled across her arm, pinning it to the rock. She said she left some skin there on the rock, but that it was climbable and that all the boys could make it across that overhang. Which they did.
After awhile we decided to head back to camp. The trail down takes us out of site until we cross the ridge. At that point some of the climbers spied us and called to us thinking we might be the missing Scoutmaster. We called back that we would watch for him.
Down near Iceburg Lake we did come on to him and pass the message that the climbers are expecting him. He told us that he had gotten mixed up on the trail and had returned all the way back to camp for better directions.
We also found some Woolly Aphids on the alders around the lake, but didn't know what they were at that time.
About halfway back to the highway we met some old folks in a car with several youngsters. It turned out that the lady had been a cook at Old Camp Baldwin, which is the area around Iceburg Lake. She hadn't been back for many years and reported that it didn't look the same, which is another way of saying they were lost. We told them where the lake was but they would have to walk because the road was bad. I mentioned them to Larry Clark later. He wished they had stopped to talk with him because he was looking for pictures from the early days. He is another scouter interested in scouting history.
Back at New Baldwin, I stop to take a shower while Stewart goes on up to our campsite. The shower felt good and it was nice to strip some of the dust away.
On my way to our campsite I found some more of the Woolly Aphids near the bridge at the top of the lake. Since I was near the nature center I stopped to ask the staff if they know what they are. Like the good staff they are, they immediately dug out books to identify my find. They and passers by were amazed when I pointed out the little white woolly critters which at first looked like a powdery residue on the leaves and stems of the Alders.
Back in camp, I discover that the boys have apologized for their transgressions and have been doing an hour and a half of service at the water front for which their water front privileges have been reinstated. What a relief for an old scoutmaster.
With the boys off at merit badge classes I can relax for awhile in my hammock and catch up on some of my writing. It's pleasant in camp now, with a slight breeze stirring through the pines. I can hear the occasional pop of the rifles over at the rifle range and can see the Chaplain working with some scouts on a service project over at the chapel.
Tonight the scouts prepared a stew for dinner. It turned out well and was very tasty. I think it must be difficult to mess up a stew.
We are running a little short on fuel and are using Stewarts reserve fuel rather than going to the storage facility for our half gallon. It's not really a problem, but we have chosen to practice a little conservation. This led to a teachable moment at clean up time when more hot water was needed because the hot water that was heated over the fire with disinfectant was used in all 3 wash tubes, leaving no clean water for rinse. The person on cleanup couldn't see why we couldn't heat up more water quickly with the stove. Some hurt feelings accompanied the disagreement. Ya win some, ya lose some.
Later that evening, Chad and Katy dropped by our campsite for a visit. I took the opportunity to bring out the awards I had carved for them celebrating their accomplishments with the "Man in the Moon" game. They were both very pleased and we all enjoyed the moment.
Friday morning, last food pick up for a breakfast of eggs and hash-browns, and a lunch of sandwiches and what ever else is left over.
Parents have been drifting into camp all day. I heard a comment that the hill up to our site looked too tall. I found it to be just fine. I did note that many of the overweight boys that came up the hill needed to stop about half way for a breather. No one in our troop needed a rest stop. We must be doing something right, although we had no one from our troop in the mile swim this year which took place this afternoon.
Our Assistant Guide sat with us at the evening chicken dinner and spread some ugly rumors about our troop. Some were based on the facts, but some sere laid on us unfairly. This worked on our SPL which almost led to a confrontation at campfire with an undisciplined scout from another troop. Stewart stepped in to prevent a possible altercation.
During the program, a deer wandered past and all eyes and pointing fingers followed her progress. Not unreasonable, but we were in the front row and I was afraid we might distract the performers. However, it didn't seem to upset anyone.
The staff presented us with the Heritage Program of music and recitations from our US history. As usual, it brought tears to my eyes. The director for the program was Crystalin from the rock climbing staff. She impressed me with a fine job of keeping it all together. Afterwards, the staff lined the trail while we passed on our way back to camp. I gladly shook their hands and thanked them for the program.
That evening, six or seven of the staffers came by our site to see how things were going for us. We didn't have a fire going, so no "Man in the Moon" game, but we did teach them the "Rope Game." It's a game of skill and balance that really brings out the competitive spirit. They had a good time and ended up being late to their evening staff meeting.
Saturday morning, the cars could come around to the campsites at 6am, but had to be out again by 8am. Stewart brought his car in and reported that Crystalin was washing windows in the parking lot. She has to be my choice for most outstanding staff person at this summer camp. She has had a part in almost every thing we've seen.
Packing up goes very smoothly. All of the troop gear is moved to a central location to be transferred into the car, then the SPL oversees the campsite cleanup and runs several sweeps of the site to ensure that we leave it better than we found it. This is something we do very well.
Our guides came to the campsite to direct the cleanup, but as usual, we were ahead of the game by the time they arrived. The plan was for them to stay with the troop while I go take my pack over to the program center to check over the troop packet. Everything is in order. There are 18 merit badges, 3 snorkeling cards, and 2 sets of 4 National Rifle Association Certificates.
While I'm waiting for the troop to arrive with their packs, I have an opportunity to visit with Crystalin. She tells me she may attend the Veterinarian School at Oregon State University. I suggested that with all her talent, she should consider trying to get on the staff at Philmont. I'm sure she would fit right in.
I found Larry Clark and picked up an extra patch for Greg and one for the Troop banner.
The troop arrived and set their packs up in a pack line against one of the trees then gathered with the other troops around the parade ground. The staff brought out a large box which they set on the ground then proceeded to pull on latex gloves. With much fanfare they brought out all kinds of smelly gross items that had been collected during the week to see if the owners could be persuaded to claim them. They had a nice closing ceremony to close the camp and brought all of the flags down.
Dale arrived in time for our hike up the hill to the parking lot. The scouts were glad to see him and all tried to tell their stories at the same time.
When we pulled out of the parking lot the staff was given 24 hours off before they were to be ready for the next weeks campers. Some of them will go in to Dufer or over to The Dalles, to have a dinner out, wash clothes, or take in a movie. Many will stay at camp.
On the way home we stopped at a McDonald's near Clackamas where they had air conditioning. Oh joy. The poor flat landers had been experiencing 100 degree weather while we were having our mountain resort vacation.
The boys in my car slept most of the way home. This gave me time to reflect on our experience. All in all, this had been a very successful summer camp for us, with each of the boys showing personal growth. A small part of their success would be the merit badges and certificates they would receive at the fall court of honor. But I know that what they will remember in years to come will be the smell of the pine, the memory good friends, and a confidence that they can accomplish what they set out to do.
Eric Berggren; Cooking, Nature, and a BSA Snorkeling Card.
Jeremy Filip; Cooking, Nature, and a BSA Snorkeling Card.
Reid Wyse; Cooking, Nature, and a BSA Snorkeling Card.
Jared Hall; Horsemanship, Wilderness Survival, Camping, and a partial in Environmental Science.
Tavis Crocker; Horsemanship, Wilderness Survival, Camping, and a partial in Environmental Science.
Gary Brittson; Horsemanship, Rifle Shooting, Mammal Study, Woodcarving, and four National Rifle Association Certificates.
Brian Wyse, the SPL; four National Rifle Association Certificates.