Scout Camp 2005: The Needle Peak Ascent

posted at 1:08 am
on Aug. 15, 2005

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It started, as stories these days do, with a man, a plan, an email: Let the cascade of replies begin!

Martin was responsible for the whole thing.  Scout Camp 2005—an annual affair where many of the old gang who were once a young gang of adventurous boy scouts head out to hike, fart and reminisce.

The goal this year was Needle Peak, a very tall mountain near the top of the Coquihalla Pass.

Six of us made it out this year: Clint, Martin, Me, Mike, Rob and Ryan.

We had enough food to feed us plus any other two people who happened to wander by—including things that clearly DO NOT belong on a camping trip where the place you put the tens is 1500 feet above where you parked the car.  I’m talking things like, a box of wine, and several bags of baby carrots.

Nothing was too luxurious for us to get Martin to carry, though.  We needed to slow him down so the rest of us had a chance of still appearing unsloth-like.

We camped by a lovely lake made from melting snow pack.  The rock was warm enough and the lake small enough that we were able to swim in it with only minor shrinkage and squeals. (OK, I provided the squeals, because they SPLASHED me!  I mean, I left high school behind, dudes!)

To be fair, I was acting like a big lame cry baby who couldn’t handle a little water, boo hoo hoo.

We took three says: Friday, was the hike up to the base camp, Saturday was the ascent of Needle Peak, and Sunday was the rush back to civilization.

The ascent went really well, with only a few scary white-knuckle bits.  It was made slightly more bearable by the fact that Martin brought his black lab dog Tennyson, and if he could make it up without thumbs, I knew I’d basically be alright.

At worst, he could curl up with me overnight while the others went for the rescue helicopter with the pretty nurses.  I was promised pretty nurses, dammit!

Being up at the top of the world was a feeling I haven’t had for a while, a sort of warm, burning feeling in my calves and toes and thighs and lungs that made me feel like I was going to need to lie down for a good long time that night.  And sure enough, I did sleep rather well.

Our most successful meal was the chicken and rice curry with raisins, accompanied by spinach in balsamic and lemon juice.  Even though I completely forgot to add the pine nuts, I think we all still managed to choke it down.  The box of wine helped.

All in all, a fabulous trip was had by all.

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Keywords: adventure  •  british columbia  •  camping  •  hiking  •  needle peak  •  scouts  •  summer  •  weekend

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