Overnight Hike/camp - Monte Cristo
Hike to an old mining town by heading up a long-closed road along the South Fork Sauk River. This route largely sticks to the old route taken by miners over a century ago. This hike is about 4 miles each way, and is fairly easy! AND we get to see the ghost town near where we camp.
Monte Cristo Ghost Town - Washington Trails Association
Equipment: Scouts and parents will need sleeping gear, a tent, warm clothes in case of rain, and food. All of this should fit inside a comfortable backpack. No duffel bags, hand carried gear, or school packs with stuff strapped to the outside - please. Scoutmasters, Patrol Leaders, and older scouts can all offer guidance on selecting and packing gear for this trip. The North Cascades are colder at night, so plan accordingly. If enough scouts and adults are interested, once camp is set up we might lead a short round-trip hike from Monte Cristo just to get some more miles under our belts.
Lightweight Backpacking Equipment List: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FnJ4cPJZhSLoqtIG90_Qj_exNYvw5Rl_/view?usp=sharing
Driving: We will meet at 7:00 and leave at 7:30 from the ice rink parking lot. We will be coordinating a drive plan for scouts, and drivers who carry a full car of scouts will be reimbursed. Northwest Forest Pass, or a National Parks Pass is required to park at the trailhead. It takes 2.5 hours to reach the trailhead.
Food: We will be arranging food by patrols. This is a backpacking trip, so we strongly recommend scouts plan freezer bag meals, simple meals that require minimal preparation, or cold meals like sandwiches. Fires are not allowed, so hot meals will need to be prepared with a stove. Elaborate patrol meals are fun, but also have a higher failure rate on backpacking trips. If you are working on camping or cooking Merit Badge, make plans at the troop meeting before how you are going to fulfill those requirement (ie, know the requirements before you show up to the planning meeting).
Medical Forms and Physical Requirements: Part A and B need to be on file before the trip, for scouts to participate. Scouts need to be able to carry their backpack for 4 miles up a slight but steady hill, and then back down the hill on the second day. This trail is not handicapped accessible, but is relatively easy to traverse. This trail requires the scouts to cross a log into Monte Cristo, over a stream.
Webelos, Other Scouts, and family Webelos, other scouts, and family are welcome to unofficially participate in this event also. They will also need to find an adult who will be present on the trip and who will personally take responsibility for them. This can be a scout leader from their troop or pack, a parent, or a Troop 498 parent who is willing to take responsibility for them. This is a great event for younger scouts to learn about hiking a medium distance, with moderate difficulty.
Drive Plan: Enter each scout attending on a different line in comments, and if you are an adult attending, please enter your name and whether you are willing to drive. If we cannot find enough drivers, we may not be able to take everyone - but historically this is a rare occurrence.