LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Troop 204 completes '50-miler'


Trek 3, from left: Naoto Watanabe, Ben Thiselton-Dyer, Jon Davis, Andrew Baxter, Ray Adams, Ryan Bea, Josh Gohres, and Nick Owels. Photos Pepe Davis

Lafayette's Boy Scout Troop 204 completed its annual "50-Miler" backpacking trip in August. This has been a tradition of the troop for over 50 years. There were seven different treks totaling over 80 Scouts and dads hiking through the Hoover Wilderness and Yosemite. Each trek had Scouts aging in range from 12 to 17 years old, with older Scouts teaching younger Scouts how to hike, camp and have fun in the backcountry. The senior trek comprised eight recent Eagle Scouts. The trip builds teamwork, camaraderie and leadership while enjoying some of the finest backcountry vistas in the world. The Scouts saw many incredible sites including Mount Conness, Matterhorn, Cathedral Peak, Glen Aulin Falls, Hetch Hetchy Valley, and many lakes, meadows, forests, granite domes and spires.

Scoutmaster Tim Lee, who took over this year from retired Scoutmaster Tom Steuber, said, "This was one of the most memorable 50-Milers in recent history. While we negotiated a few more mosquitos due to the rainy winter, we enjoyed perfect weather and incredible trails throughout the Yosemite wilderness. I appreciate the tremendous volunteer efforts by the parents, and I'm extremely proud of the Scouts for their accomplishments and the amazing time they had on the trip."

All Scouts safely returned from the wilderness and were greeted by their families at the traditional Welcome Home Picnic, usually involving the hikers' favorite foods. Many stories, both true and definitely exaggerated, were shared by Scouts and dads. This year was especially joyous as the boys supported their sister troop, Troop 402, on their first 25-mile trip starting the next day.

Boy Scout Troop 204 in Lafayette has been serving the community, providing leadership, and having fun in the outdoors since 1932. The troop meets at the old log cabin at First and School Streets on Monday nights at 7:30 p.m. Troop 402, the sister troop, is growing rapidly, and meets at the cabin on Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. If you are interested in joining or learning more, please contact Jim Coyle at jcoyle8@yahoo.com.