2014 Mt. Whittenburg Backpacking

This year’s spring backpacking trip was also a Rim of the Bay hike to Mt. Whittenburg.  Originally it was scheduled to for the week after Mothers Day so as not to interfere with that important day.  However, an Eagle Candidate arranged projects in a bunch of the Sonoma County Regional Parks for that day, so we were forced to move the camping outing forward to accommodate it.  As it turned out, we had several mothers that went along on the backpacking trip on this Mothers Day!

The day started nicely with no problems getting to the Bear Valley Visitors Center to check in.  After check in, the troop loaded up and prepared to hike.  First everyone did a warm-up lap around the one mile Earthquake Trail that explores the San Andreas Fault Line which separates Pt. Reyes from the North American Plate.  After doing the loop and leaning a bit about our dynamic Earth, it was time to head down the trail and up the hill. 

Up the hill it was.  The trail to Mt. Whittenburg is by far the easiest hike in the Rim of the Bay program.  Still, even if it is gentle, it is all uphill to the peak.  This called for frequent rest stops to recharge and hydrate.  On the way, the troop got to enjoy the beautiful coastal redwood forest and even its most famous resident, the banana slug!

The peak itself is also the least impressive of the various Rim of the Bay peaks.  At one time it afforded panoramic views of the point and the Pacific Ocean.  Since that time though, a conifer forest has overgrown the peak.  New hikers often walk right by the peak benchmark on the loop trail without recognizing it.  This was the case on this outing as we had to inform another troop that they had passed the peak by and lead them back to it. 

With the peak surmounted and lunch in everyone’s belly it was time to head off to sky camp to set up for the night.  This was a pleasant hike down the hill from the peak going from ocean views to and enchanting redwood forest to ocean views again. 

Sky camp has several individual sites and one group campsite with a communal water supply and outhouses on a ridge overlooking the point and the Pacific Ocean.  The group site also has two bear boxes and several picnic tables.  The group site is fairly open and exposed, so the windy weather made tent set up (and staying up) a bit of a challenge.  Thankfully the wind died by early evening and the rest of the night was undisturbed. 

It was about this time that we discovered that a) the site has snakes and b) that Moms don’t like snakes (at all).  Luckily, the snakes weren’t anything more dangerous than common gopher snakes, but we did have 4 of them crawl through camp in during the 24 hours we were there.  After the first experience however, several of the Moms retreated to their tents and weren’t seen for an hour. 

Meanwhile, back in camp, the boys had invented their own role playing game and were avidly playing it in several groups.  Because of the number of characters in the game who were getting sick and dying, the adults christened it Dungeons and Dysentery.  The boys were having fun though and we had our own Blackjack tournament to attend to so the adults let them play on.

A quick after dinner hike familiarized the troop with some more of the trails in the area and then it was back to camp and bed. 

The next morning the troop ate, struck camp, and got on the trail early on Mother’s Day.  They were rewarded with quite a view as they turned one last time to view the ocean before heading into the trees.  The windy conditions the day before had blown any haze out of the air and the view was clear as far as the eye could see.  The Farralon Islands seemed close enough to reach out and touch!  The we turned and headed down the hill.  The trip down was done on the Meadow trail which rewarded the troop with some beautiful meadow vistas as they hiked.   When the troop arrived back at the visitors center, they had some time to kill, so they took a look at the exhibits and even had a moment to view a movie about the park.  Then it was back into the vehicles and home after a fun, Mother’s Day campout. 

Participants: Bryce, Owen, Evan, Sebastian, Diego, Ewan, Quinn, Brian, Carl, James, Ben, Payton, Gerrit, Eric

Leaders:  Mr. Polkinghorn, Mrs. Jacobs, Mrs. Delao, Mr. Frazee, Mrs. Fisher

Lessons Learned:  Moms don't like snakes.  Sky camp can be windy.  The boys like role playing games.