The picture above shows the big side hill above the Tubal Cain mines on the way to Buckhorn Lake and Marmot pass.
Of course Mark had to swim in Buckhorn Lake. This lake is fed by snowmelt and is 35 degrees F!
Ian did a good job. He wasn't the fastest boy on the mountain, but he wasn't the slowest either. He is really learning how to master the art of trekking under Mark's guidance. One of Ian's requirements for the hiking merit badge is to come up with a fitness plan to condition himself for ten mile hikes. He happens to be working on his fitness merit badge at the same time, so he and Mark have been running a mile or two a few times a week. Mark could see that the running has really helped Ian get into better shape and develop better endurance. No PE class at the middle school could have done this for him.
Mark would fall behind when he would stop to photograph the flowers. When the younger boys scratched their heads about his curious behavior, Mark was ready with the wisdom of the sages... He was, once upon a time, the boy scout who ran up ahead of the group just because he could. But now that he is a little older, he wants to stop and smell the flowers!
Boy Scouts are supposed to always follow Leave No Trace. One of the principles is to leave what you find. The saying is, "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." So Mark brought home a virtual bouquet for his sweetheart! (that would be me)
The picture below is really cool because it shows an avalanche chute. Every winter, the snows come tumbling down and knock out everything in it's path. Every summer, the greens return.
The more adventurous scouts continued hiking past Buckhorn Lake...
...to a B-17 crash site. This added 900ft and over a mile to the hike (Ian called it "one helluva hill"), but it was totally worth it.
In January of 1952, a B-17 crashed while on a rescue mission during a blizzard. Three of the eight people on board were killed. Debris from the crash has been slowly disappearing over the years as hikers take souvenirs. This started an interesting discussion about whether taking small bits of the plane is "packing out trash" or disturbing a memorial site; both choices fall under Leave No Trace guidelines. Mark observed some of the boys struggling to make the "right" choice.
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| Juxtaposition of a crashed war plane with the peace and serenity of the alpine wilderness. |
