Service Star: COMPLETE Fall 2017

6 months commitment to group:

• joined 55th Cascadia and served on Auxiliary beginning February 2016.

6 months commitment to community group:

• volunteer hours to p:ear ongoing since 2003

• volunteer hours to JDRF ongoing since 2014

5 group service projects or volunteer activities:

1. Planned in full the LEAP 1-day training for 55th TW leaders, spring 2017

2. Lead youth care volunteering at LEAP 1-day training, spring 2017

3. Served at Friends of Trees planting day in N. Portland, winter 2016

4. Helped at NW Children's outreach Spring 2017

5. BREC service day Spring 2017

6. NW Children's outreach volunteer night Fall 2017

Project Badge: COMPLETE February 2018

Project:  To transition 55th Cascadia Group from Google calendars/tools to TroopTrack. To research, train and implement the system. Complete 2/25/2018

Phase I: Research

February through April of 2017 I used a test account with Troop Track. Testing usability, limitations, best practice. 

Update given: to 55th Cascadia Group Council in person at the spring meeting, where I walked through the tool with group leadership, collected feedback, questions and discussed the merits and downfalls of the tool. Group Council agreed that using the tool would be a good way to streamline planning, calendaring and group communications.

Phase II: Implementation

Entering all scout data into the system and acting as reference for leaders as they work through trouble-shooting. 

• all Otters, Timberwolves, Pathfinders and Section Leader/Rovers have been added to the database.

• All events according to the AGM (annual general meeting) have been updated in the calendar tool)

• Emails have been sent to Timberwolf and Otter families announcing the use of the tool, as well as Rovers.

  • Pathfinders use only for calendar - they use google email to encourage scout to scout communication.

Update given to Group Council: 6/14/17 via email updating everyone on progress and next steps for the tool. 

Phase III: Troubleshooting and Best Practice

As of December 2017, the group has moved off of Google calendar and Google groups for primary communication, over to TroopTrack - with the exception of Pathfinders who decided that in order for the scouts to better own their person to person communications, they need to continue to email,  but are using the calendar for Troop Track. 

Update to Group Council: 2/25/18 in the form of a compiled Best Practice document for things we've learned along the way (so far). This is a living document that can be updated as things come up moving forward, but will answer some of the basic questions a new leader might have when starting out.  

Rambler Hike/bike log: COMPLETE Fall 2018

Beginning post-Practical Training Strip // Hike miles 1:1  //  Bike miles 1:4

2017

Saturday, Sept 9    --    Oaks Bottom Wildlife    --    3.5 miles

A leisurely walk with the Otters. The leaves were beginning to turn and the water levels were low still from the summer dry period. There were a lot of birds present today, and we were able to see a heron in the marsh.

Sunday, Sept 10    --    Wildwood Trail    --    9 miles

A good paced hike. Decent weather and I saw this little guy along the trail hiding in the leaves.

Wildwood Trail, Sept 2017

Wednesday, October 4 -- Lyon by bike -- 9 miles (2.25 miles)

We rented bicycles and rode from the northern edge of the ville central at Parc de la Tête d’Or, around the park, through the downtown central, to the southern most tip of the peninsula at the Musée de la Confluence. Then we returned to the Place de L’Opera for home. The route is some on-street with some sections having the bike lanes on the left side of the road, facing oncoming traffic, so that everyone sees each other. This was a bit hard to get used to, but it actually made sense after a while. However, most of the routes are bike-dedicated paths. I wasn’t surprised there were no helmets available, but considered not riding, but in the end really enjoyed the venture and was glad we did.

Musée de la Confluence

Saturday, October 28 -- Banks Vernonia Trail by bike -- 45 miles (11.25 miles)

I know this trail well and yet each time it surprises me. I starts flat, along-side the highway and roads along farmland, then cuts inland through fields and makes its way to the forest, where it hits a sharp incline for the first half of the ride, continuing upward over the course of 12 miles - passing Stubb Stewart State Park - until Tophill, where there is a sharp downhill then back up where highway 47 cuts a valley through the hill. Then you work your way down about 200 ft in elevation over the last 12 miles until you come to the turn-around at Vernonia Lake. Then you turn back and do the opposite to get back to your car in Bank.

There is a cricket pitch in the middle of a field that you pass just before your first climb. On this ride I saw the start of a cricket game on my way out, and then the rest on my way back.

I also did extra miles on this ride, because my riding friends were behind me, so when I returned to Banks, I turned back around and rode a couple miles back down the path to meet them and finish our rides together. It was a really sunny and beautiful day.

Saturday, November 12 -- Banks Vernonia Trail by bike -- 42 miles (10.5 miles)

No cricket game today, and though it was sunny, it was rather cold under the trees (which is most of the ride). The leaves are really turning now and it’s starting to feel like true fall.

Daryl rode with me today and we were both really tired which made for a hard ride.

Saturday, November 18 -- El Tour de Tucson by bike -- 76 miles (19 miles)

This was really hard. Cold, hilly and beautiful in the morning, but hot and flat in the afternoon. We rode all 76 miles together and would definitely do it again, though perhaps not the Tucson location, we’d like to try somewhere else next time.

Mile 60 - El Tour de Tucson

 Saturday, December 17 -- Armstrong Woods, CA -- 1 mile (I swear it felt a lot longer at the time!)

A beautiful “hike” with my mother and cousins through Armstrong Woods in Guernville, CA. We walked the path from the State Park entrance, all the way back to the amphitheater - surrounded by Redwoods the entire way. Though I’ve hiked this park many times in the past, today it seemed particularly crowded and chilly. I noticed a lot more English Ivy on the trees than I have in the past, but they look to be keeping an eye on it and trimming regularly. The average age of our companions was about 78, so it was more of a saunter.

2018

Saturday - Sunday, May 19-20 -- Salmon River Trail -- 2.5 miles

I was so proud of Henry on this hike. His first backpacking trip. It was warm and he was carrying the maximum he could get in his pack without being too heavy. It was a quick, easy hike from TH to camp, where we unpacked and put up our tarp shelter for the evening.

No ticks, and we checked regularly. This was a bio-stove R24 and Henry was very helpful in gathering sticks for the fire.

Salmon River Trail R24

Sunday, May 27 -- Lost Lake Trail Loop -- 3.2 miles

The path was rather broken up this year, with a lot of splintered sections. It was sunny for most of this trip, and warm enough for the kids to play and swim in the water. I did a solo hike around the lake.

Lost Lake with Harold.

Tuesday, July 10 -- Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site — 1 mile

Close to Wallowa Lake State Park, this short nature area was perfect for the family. We saw other people in some areas, but also had sections completely to ourselves, including this lovely spot to sit and observe the Wallowa Mountains. The hardest part about the hike was the heat and keeping the kids motivated.

Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site

Tuesday, August 7 -- Bill Riley bike trail by bike -- 17 miles (4.25 miles)

A really wonderful ride through the Des Moines bike trails where I used to ride as a kid. They’ve extended the trails and now you can ride much more of the city by trail, rather than street.

Friday, August 10 -- Des Moines trails by bike -- 16.3 (4 miles)

Another section of the trails today. It was sunny and hot, but we had a great time looping from the west suburbs all the way to downtown for lunch and then back to home. Lots of other bikers today.

Saturday, September 1 -- Lower MacLeay Trail to Wildwood -- 3 miles

The kids and I took Juliette, our French house guest, on a short hike in Forest Park. We started from Lower Macleay Park, to the old stone bathrooms, then turned north-ish on Wildwood Trail until we snaked our way to the neighborhood streets in NW and came back down Thurman over the bridge. Our biggest challenge on this hike was keeping Harold motivated.

I really enjoyed seeing the blue diamonds along the way and remembering how we searched for them as we were doing the full Wildwood last year.

Lower MacLeay

Wildwood

Sunday, September 23 — PIR to Columbia Slough to Old Vanport trail — 3.1 miles

Henry and I did this 5k walk as a fundraiser for JDRF. It was a wonderful day, though a bit chilly in the morning. Henry found a dead Great Blue Heron by the side of the trail, it looked to be freshly dead, but no clear reason for death.

Sunday, September 23 — Sunday Parkways NE — 8 miles (2 miles)

Juliette, Harold, Daryl and I did the full loop of NE Sunday Parkways. It was basically the same path as always with a slight deviation on when crossing Killingsworth at 53rd. It was a really nice day, though it went really fast with such a small group. I was surprised that we only saw one person we knew the entire way.

Saturday, October 6 -- Nevada Falls, Yosemite -- 8 miles

This was a breathtaking hike.

Most people take the Northern trail (Mist Trail) up the mountain to the top of the falls, scaling hundreds of stone stairs and boulders along the way (picture to the right, but I didn’t take it - found here).

Then they wind down the flatter (but still steep) southern path (John Muir Trail) to get back.

We did the opposite. We went up the John Muir trail, climbing steady switchbacks early in the morning (8 a.m. start). We didn’t see a single person on the trail between where we turned off for the Muir Trail, until we were 1/4 mile from the top of the falls. It was beautiful, and also we decided to talk the entire time so that any bears would hear us coming - it was that deserted. Our way down was more challenging, going down those hundreds of stone stairs, like a salmon swimming up stream against the hoards of hikers that showed up about 10 a.m. when we were making our way down. I would definitely do this hike again. It was stunning.

The top of Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park

Sunday, October 7 -- Merced Grove Trail, Yosemite -- 4 miles  

Daryl and I hiked 4 miles to visit an old forest cabin and see some Sequoias. It started on an old forest road and then turned down a more secluded trail that landed us in a deeper forest. It was a lovely day and we saw many people along the way.

The most challenging part was that it was 2 miles downhill to get there - and of course 2 miles uphill to get back. But it was just what we needed to finish up our weekend in the national park.

We continued on the trail farther than most people go, and the trail was less kempt, so we did a little clean up.

Clearing the trail, like a good scout.

20 large Sequoia trees and a lovely log cabin in the middle of the forest.

Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 — Elk Meadows, Oregon — 11 miles

R24 backpacking: Elk Meadows Mt. Hood Oregon. This trip was super cold, though no snow. there was a lot of ice. I am thankful for my sleeping bag and the fact that I sleep in full coat layers.

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Rambler badge complete, but rambler-hiking log continues.

November 28 - December 5, 2018: Vienna and Ljubljana - 41.5 miles

Wandering through the streets and forests of Vienna, Austria and Ljubljana, Slovenia. This was a new space and yet familiar in that the nature around you feels the same no matter where you are. A city forest feels like home whether it’s in Portland or Ljubljana.

December 24: Alice Lake Provincial Park, Squamish BC, Canada - 4.5 miles

A snowy hike around 4 lakes, except we got a bit turned around in the snow and only did 2 lakes, but nearly the same distance. With such heavy snow fall, it was probably for the best that we hiked the lakes nearest to the main road and did not find ourselves lost in the farther areas of the trails.

March 23 - 25: Trillium Lake, Mt.Hood, Oregon - 8 miles

A snow camping trip with Rovers, beginning at the Highway 26 trailhead, hiking 3 miles in. Hiking 2 miles-loop around the lake on day 2, then back out to the trailhead the final 3 miles on day three.

Current (3/19): 156.55 miles

Scoutcraft Star: COMPLETE Summer 2019

Camp on at least 10 separate occasions, not less that 15 nights, at three or more locations. 

• Hullabaloo 2016/BREC: Summer 2016 2 nights

• South Sister: Summer 2016 2 nights

• Hullabaloo 2017/BREC: Summer 2017 2 nights

• South Sister: Summer 2017 2 nights

• Salmon River Trail: Spring 2018 1 night

• R24 Elk Meadows: Fall 2018 1 nights

• Oxbow 2018: Fall 2018 1 night

• Trillium Lake snow camp: Winter 2019 2 nights

• Dodge Park: Summer 2019 1 night

• Hullabaloo 2019/WA-RI-KI: Summer 2019 2 nights

Occasions: 10

Nights: 16

Locations: 8

Competencies in teaching the following Sr. Pathfinder proficiencies (2 detailed). I am not currently in a Pathfinder leadership position with Sr Pathfinders to teach. However, GSM Ethan has indicated that it is in good-faith that these are taken as proficiency on my part. I am committed to showing my competencies in Pathfinder and Sr. Pathfinder training as the opportunities arise:

• Sr. Athlete: as a former gymnastics team coach, I’ve led teens ages 12 - 18 through the various requirements of the sport including:

  • Explaining sportsmanship its importance.

  • Coaching what it means to be a good team leader and a good team player.

  • Taught the rules and etiquette for your sport. Explain the equipment required including any protective equipment.

• Backpacker

• Camp Warden

• Grubmaster: having worked in several restaurants in management positions, run a household and worked at a summer camp set in 1870 - I have not only accomplished the requirements in this proficiency, but also led youth and newly hired adults in cooking outdoors and indoors, including roasting, boiling, frying and the making of bread, cakes, pudding, drinks and sauces.

  • In restaurant management I trained team members (many who were pathfinder age) to prepare and serve food punctually and hot, following the niceties of good manners and to budget and order required menu items according to rotating inventory need (meal planning/shopping).

  • In the 1870 camp, we worked with youth to cook all meals in single-pot (billy-can type) recipes for the daily meals.

Practical Training Strip - COMPLETED 3 September 2017

• The normal requirements in regard to personal and camping kit, for both a weekend and a week's hike r cruise. Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017

• The general regulations affecting camping and hiking. Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017

• The use and care of an axe. Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 30 Aug 2017

• The use of, and ability to make the following knots: bowline on a bight, fisherman's bend or hitch, man harness know, diamond knot, rolling hitch, timber hitch: Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017 (some examples)

• The use and making of the following lashings: square, diagonal, sheer or round, figure of eight: Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017

• The use and making of the following spices: back or end, eye, short: Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 3 Sept 2017

• Hike and camp cookery, the storage of food in camp or on a hike, the disposal of refuse in cap, and the supply of hike rations suitable for hikes of both a weekend's and a week's duration. Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017

• Participate in hiking, camping and pioneering practices, or in a sailing expeditious and cruises, with your crew: Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017

• Hike on foot, over a distance of at least 16 miles, spending one night out under cover improvised by yourself, or carried on your back and submit a report. Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017

  • 30 miles Wildwood Trail 2017

  • 12 miles South Sister 2017

• Swim a distance of 100 yards: Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017

• Practice the care of your own health in matters of cleanliness, fresh air, exercise, food and clothing. Examiner: Ethan Jewett Date: 24 June 2017

• Complete a First Aid training course: Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 30 Aug 2017

• Have general knowledge of the rights and obligations of citizenship, and a working knowledge of the local government of the area in which you live: Examiner: Allan Folz Date: 2 Aug 2017

• Recruit a Rover Squire: Alan Fryer. Examiner: Travis Wittwer Date: 2 Aug 2017