Log Cabin Wilderness Camp

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Dunderberg Peak
Dunderberg Peak

The Log Cabin Wilderness Camp is a Boy Scout camp operated by the Los Angeles Area Council and is located in the Inyo National Forest.

The "Log Cabin" is a high adventure camp. The camp is near the Tioga Pass Road on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada bordering the Hoover Wilderness and Yosemite National Park. It is the highest Boy Scout camp in the country, at approximately 9,800 feet (3,000 m) above sea level.

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[edit] History

Gold was discovered in California in 1849. By the thousands, miners came from all over the world to make their fortunes. From the seaports of San Francisco and Eureka, they spread out in all directions following the rivers to the high country where gold was just waiting to be picked up. In the north they followed the Trinity and Klamath Rivers high into the Klamath Mountains and Trinity Alps. From San Francisco, they worked their way through the Sierra Nevada’s following the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers.

Thirty miles (50 km) from Mono Lake, the population of the sleepy town of Bodie exploded. Search for the elusive mother lode drove the miners higher into the mountains until in 1910, at an elevation of 9600 ft. (2,950 m) above sea level, the Log Cabin Gold Mine hit paydirt. Over the next thirty years, the mine became famous for the gold it produced and for the harsh winters the miners endured. The mine was closed at the onset of World War II by order of President Roosevelt.

By 1950, new mining techniques and the high price of gold presented an attractive proposition to reopen the mine. Unfortunately, efforts to upgrade the equipment and buildings were not a part of nature’s plan for the mountain. The parts of the mine that were not buried under twenty feet of snow were whipped by winds in excess of 80 mph. Nature’s one-two punch was too much for the modern day miners and the Log Cabin Gold Mine was closed permanently in 1956.

In 1971, the Hathaway and Garbutt families who owned the mine, donated the property to the Los Angeles Area Council. The gift included the land, the mill operation, all buildings and equipment. This unique piece of property sits just north of road through the Tioga Pass on the rugged and picturesque eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada overlooking Mono Lake.

In 1981, the Clem C. Glass Eagle’s Nest was built to serve as headquarters for the Log Cabin Wilderness Camp. Today, the Eagle’s Nest has been expanded to include a program center, trading post, health lodge, showers, whirlpool spa, kitchen and dining room.

Over the years, Log Cabin was transformed from a traditional summer camp to a high adventure base camp. In 1973, the camp hosted the first “Quest Beyond Eagle” a two-week challenge open only to Eagle Scouts. The program was expanded to include the High Country Gateway program, offering one-week backpacking trips through the Yosemite Wilderness. In 1998, the program was expanded again to include the Sierra Nevada Mountain Man Adventure.

[edit] Programs

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[edit] High Country Gateway

The High Country Gateway Program features a C.O.P.E. Course, Leave-No-Trace training and a one-week backpack trip in the Yosemite Wilderness, Hoover Wilderness or surrounding area. Eighteen preplanned itineraries allow a choice of treks based on the age, experience, and capabilities of the crew. A trek can include peak climbing, day hikes and lots of fishing.

[edit] Sierra Nevada Mountain Man

The Sierra Nevada Mountain Man Program is geared more toward crews with less high adventure experience. It also includes a C.O.P.E. course and Leave-No-Trace training but also includes additional practice in map and compass use, trail cooking, and technical climbing. Short overnight trips for rock climbing and peak bagging are the highlights of the Mountain Man Program.

[edit] Peak Bagging

The Log Cabin Peak Bagging Program is incorporated into both Gateway and Mountain Man programs. The program is separate from and not related to the Peak Bagger Award program sponsored by the LAAC High Adventure Team. Participants earn a patch for bagging one or more peaks on the approved list. Mono Dome, Lee Vining Peak, and Mt. Warren are all within a short distance of base camp and are excellent destinations for day hikes. Returning crews often choose this option rather than repeating the C.O.P.E. course. Other peaks require that your crew choose a specific trek to within close proximity of the selected peak.

[edit] C.O.P.E.

Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience is the full name of the C.O.P.E. course. First year groups go through the C.O.P.E. course as a part of their team building process. The high elements consist of a giants ladder, two-line traverse, caving ladder, and zip line. The low elements are selected from the wild woosey, slack wire, noose traverse, nitro crossing, the wall and the trust fall. We also offer initiative games and team building exercises as a warm-up to get the group working together.

[edit] Ranger training

Ranger Training for Venture Crews was added to the Log Cabin program in 2002. Venturers can tailor a program to the specific desires of their crew. Trained leaders will guide your group through selected elements of Ranger advancement including backpacking, land navigation, wilderness survival, rock climbing, conservation, and first aid.

[edit] See also

Scouting Portal

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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