The Troop hiked from Glacier Point to Nevada Falls then down through the boulder field next to the falls to the valley floor.
Fallon-based Boy Scout Troop 1776 participated in the National Park Service’s Volunteer-In-Parks Program in July by completing a major project in Yosemite National Park.
The scouts’ project entailed assisting the Park Service Resources Management and Science staff with the eradication of the invasive Bull Thistle plants that are encroaching the valley floor. This project was particularly challenging as the scouts had to snip and collect the blossoms of the shoulder-high thorny thistles before up-rooting the plants.The project was technical as it included the use of GPS and GIS mapping tools in the field. The good news is that for each day of assistance provided, the National Park Service doubled the amount of time the troop could stay in one of the most premier campsites on the valley floor, at no cost.
For recreation, the troop hiked the Panorama Trail from Glacier Point to the Misty Isles. This aggressive hike stretched 8.5 miles and involved over 4,000 feet of elevation change. The scouts also visited Mono Lake and swam in the Merced River (ya gotta take a bath sometime).
This is the third time Troop 1776 has participated in the Volunteer-In-Park Program. Troop Charter Representative Steve Endacott facilitated the project between the scouts and Yosemite National Park leadership. Endacott was also recently honored at the annual BSA Awards Banquet for being the latest recipient of the Silver Beaver Award. This adult leadership award is the highest the Nevada Area Council is authorized to present.
Troop 1776 is sponsored by Epworth United Methodist Church. If you have a boy interested in the Scouting program, contact Scout Master Jim Shurtliff at 775-423-6911 or email shurtfam@cccomm.net.