Another tale of high adventure wherein The Gimlet proclaims from the mountaintops his proficiency at boiling water at high altitude. See more pictures from this hike in the Gimlet Gallery.
Last weekend our scout troop and church group made an overnight hiking trip to Rachel Lake, which is about a 1-hour drive east from Seattle into the Cascade Mountains, not far past Snoqualmie Summit. Our group consisted of 10 boys and 9 adults, with a wide range of outdoor experience. One boy’s pack was surprisingly light; when asked what he had brought for food, he assured us, “I’m okay; I brought money.”
After a last “civilized” meal of sub sandwiches and Hostess treats at the trailhead parking lot, we set off. The trail begins easily enough with a three mile hike with a 300 ft elevation gain. The last mile has a 1300 foot elevation gain and the trail, while well-used, is not well maintained. Tree roots and rocks along the trail make for a very rugged hiking experience 
and the last mile especially is like climbing an uneven staircase. Only a couple of the boys needed their packs carried the last half mile of the hike. Due to our late start, the last mile was in the dark and headlamps were the key to safety and success. We set up our tents and quickly settled down to sleep. We put seven of the 10 boys in a six man tent.
ETA: Overheard:
Anonymous Tenderfoot: “I have frostbite! My fingers are turning black!”
Scoutmaster: “That’s dirt.”
The next morning a couple of the boys went fishing while yours truly boiled water on the cook-stove for various packages of oatmeal or noodles. After breakfast the group hiked up an additional 500 vertical feet to Rampart Ridge and the lakes there. With the snow falling on our heads, we began our descent by returning to camp for lunch. Again, yours truly boiled water for many boys. Following lunch and breaking camp, we packed out.
Packing out was uneventful, except that as the old man on the trip, my knees just did not want to take the downhill abuse. After we got back to the cars and made the drive home, my muscles seized up. Once at home, our usual narrator pointed out that I was walking like my grandfather … Well, I felt like my grandfather at this point. I don’t know how I will survive this trip in 10 years 
when Thing Two is ready to go.
Thing One carried his own pack the entire trip and never complained. I was really proud of him.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 at 1:04pm
and is filed under scouts.
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