Right after Christmas, we decided to take a quick backcountry trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We had only been to the Canyon once before during our COVID summer roadtrip, but had never ventured more than 2 miles down the Bright Angel trail. We flew to Phoenix and drove a rental car toContinue reading “Family Grand Canyon Backpacking”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Scout Packrafting Boquillas Canyon
Austin Troop 33 has a rugged tradition of heading to West Texas every January over MLK weekend for a mini-high-adventure. This year, we were back at Big Bend NP. The national parks rules and regulations increase the complexity of scout adventures in Big Bend. For this trip we needed to obtain a “Special Use Permit”Continue reading “Scout Packrafting Boquillas Canyon”
Family Rafting Adventure on the Lower Salmon River
This summer, we took our first family multiday rafting trip. We were not lucky enough to pull a lottery ticket, so we went on the Lower Salmon from White Bird, Idaho, to the confluence with the Snake River, where you don’t need a stinking lottery ticket to have fun. Rafting is an equipment-intensive sport. LivingContinue reading “Family Rafting Adventure on the Lower Salmon River”
River Safety: Why I think strainers are the most dangerous hazard for scout river trips on Class II or lower rivers
This is a follow-up to my earlier post, which looked at the AWA accident database. One distinction is that AWA database includes all whitewater accidents from Class I to Class V – and may not be representative of a typical scout trip. By “scout trip” I mean a river trip in canoes or kayaks, onContinue reading “River Safety: Why I think strainers are the most dangerous hazard for scout river trips on Class II or lower rivers”
Why Canister Stoves Beat White Gas Stoves (or why White Gas Stoves suck)
I don’t understand the continued use of white gas stoves, such as the iconic MSR Whisperlite, on wilderness trips. White gas stoves are the standard at Philmont, Northern Tier, and among many scout troops. As far as I can tell, there are only two advantages of white gas stoves: Outside of these rare scenarios, canisterContinue reading “Why Canister Stoves Beat White Gas Stoves (or why White Gas Stoves suck)”
Canoeing at Northern Tier High Adventure Base
For me this is the summer of scout canoe trips. Last week my oldest daughter and I went on a week-long canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota with a crew from Troop 19 in Austin. Instead of using a private outfitter, we booked our trip with the Northern Tier High Adventure Base.Continue reading “Canoeing at Northern Tier High Adventure Base”
Understanding River Risks: Insights from 20-Year Whitewater Accident Data
Recently, I have been perusing the American Whitewater Accident Database, which includes data on whitewater river accidents in the US and Canada. I have been thinking about river-related risks for my personal trips (mostly Class III) and for trips where I may lead other adults and youth (Class II). The data are interesting and notContinue reading “Understanding River Risks: Insights from 20-Year Whitewater Accident Data”
Philmont: Our Trek Report
For information on Philmont “how to,” check out my prior posts: Philmont Overview, Registration and Itinerary, Fitness Prep, Skills Prep, Gear Prep, Youth Leadership, and Top Tips. This post is simply a trip report for Crew 714-9B-1. Day 0 (travel day): We flew from Austin on an early morning flight to Colorado Springs, where weContinue reading “Philmont: Our Trek Report”
Philmont: Youth leadership and the role of adult advisors
From the first step off the bus upon arrival to the step back on the bus to leave, the youth Crew Leader, not the adult lead advisor, is responsible for leadership. The three “official” Philmont leadership positions are Crew Leader, Chaplain’s Aid, and Wilderness Pledge Guia. Of these, Crew Leader is, by far, the mostContinue reading “Philmont: Youth leadership and the role of adult advisors”
Preparing for Philmont: Gear
The foremost rule for gear is to go as light as possible and not take unnecessary stuff. Your base weight should be 21-22 lbs or less, equating to 30-35 lbs once loaded with food, water, and crew gear. If your pack is more than that, it is too heavy. Philmont recognizes that people bringing tooContinue reading “Preparing for Philmont: Gear”
Vamonos Baby! 