Locust Troop 202 hikes Yosemite
Published 10:50 am Sunday, September 16, 2018
- Boy Scouts Troop 202, of Locust, recently hiked Yosemite National Park. Troop members include, front row, from Left: Justin Kimrey, Nathan Crisco, Bryson Whitley, Elijah Fox, John Thompson, Kane Lowder, Michael Gosse, Sam Watson, Trey Whitley, Kert Scheimreif, Tyler Chen, Noah Watson, Coley Whitley, Jacob Smith, Samuel Ross; Back row, from left: Jonathan Smith, Daniel Smith, Dana Maness, Thomas Maness, Mark Watson, Benjie Burris, Travis Lowder, Cody Burris, Caleb Burris, Tom Van Horn, Stephen Remsburg, Kyle Van Horn, Justin Gilsenan, Tommy Wallace, Carlos Talero, Colin Talero, Ethan Wallace, Mike Fox, William Broom, Ross Gosse, Brandon Mulvey, Chad Whitley, Gabriel Purkey, and Bob Remsburg.
Troop 202 of the Boy Scouts of America recently completed a West Coast trip that included backpacking in Yosemite National Forest.
The troop, which charters with Mission Church in Locust, spent a week this summer in California. The summer excursion included nature hikes and climbs before becoming tourists in one of the country’s most famous cities.
Beginning the trek at Mariposa Grove, the troop first observed the Sequoia trees, estimated to be between 800 and 1,000 years old with massive trunks and an average height of about 280 feet.
The Scouts hiked the High Sierra region where they observed granite domes, craggy peaks and spacious meadows of Yosemite.
Hikes included rugged trails up the Half-Dome, a granite cliff that’s 8,844 feet above sea level and revered as the most challenging hike in Yosemite.
After the tasks, the troop turned to more civilized surroundings. They toured downtown San Francisco and the historic Fisherman’s Wharf before ferrying into the bay for a close-up view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. On the final day, the troop toured the state capitol in Sacramento, California.
Troop 202 is no stranger to scouting trips. It has become a biannual tradition for the trek out West to a national park. In the years when the troop does not visit a park, the troop’s strongest hikers visit Philmont Boy Scout Ranch. Just last year, some of the Scouts went to Cimarron, New Mexico.
Past trips include venues like Rocky Mountain National Forest and Glacier National Park.