Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Cherry Valley Boy Scout Summer Camp, Catalina Island

   
     This was a week-long summer camp in which scouts earned multiple merit badges like canoeing and oceanography.  There were all kinds of activities like snorkeling, hiking, and kayaking, as well as shotgun and rifle shooting ranges.  My troop took a two hour ferry ride to get to the camp and spent a week there having a blast while working towards getting to Eagle Scout by doing merit badges.  there are some beautiful sights on the island and you get to learn new skills while you're there.

http://www.sgvcbsa.org/programs/camping/camp-cherry-valley

Thursday, June 13, 2013

LAVA BEDS

Lava Beds National Park, California

     Our four day adventure started off with us getting up close and personal with wildlife. Unfortunately,we got a little too close.  We hit a deer!

     After we finally got to camp, the first thing we did start exploring some of the many lava tube caves at Lava Beds Park.  Some were easy, some were harder, but they were all unique and intriguing. From caves where we had to crawl under spots with only a foot of clearance to an enormous cave in which you wouldn't be surprised a dragon lived, we had a lot of fun climbing through them.

     At our stay at Lava Beds, we also got to know a little about the Modoc Indians who once inhabited the land. They had a very different lifestyle because the main thing they had to worry about was how they were going to get their food each night.  They also had to use a natural fortress made out of huge walls of solidified lava (which we also visited) in order to withstand the U.S. Army trying to force them out of America.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modoc_War

     I was amazed that the Indians were able to fight off the U.S. because of their knowledge of the land even though the U.S. soldiers had them outnumbered more than 15 to 1.