Today was our long hike. We went from Whiteman-Vega south to Dan Beard camp. Dan Beard serves as one of the camps you pass through when entering the Valle Vidal area.
We left Whiteman-Vega around 7:45 am and arrived at Dan Beard just about 5:45. We successfully navigated the entire way using map and compass, increasing the crew skills in this area. We had such an excellent opportunity to develop these skills. When we selected our trek we had no idea how important land navigation skills would be in the Valle Vidal. We turned this unexpected challenge into an opportunity to train.
It was certainly an interesting day from a wildlife perspective. We encountered a western rattlesnake, elk, and an angry bull. The rattlesnake was the most significant event. We were climbing a steep hill where all of the trees were fallen, so we were using our training in how to cross logs in snake country. You step on the log and then step off the log, never step over the log. Bob was in the lead position and about half way up the hill he came to an abrupt stop as he saw the rattlesnake at the base of the log from about 3 ft away. We diverted our course and all got a good look at the snake. The angry bull is a story for another day. Just ask Brockton.
The Dan Beard campsite sits in the Ponil Canyon, which is where there was a tremendous fire a few years ago. The hillsides in this area were barren of any trees, so it provided a good view of the surrounding area and an unbelievable view of the stars at dark.
We had high temps and hot sun the entire day. Everyone was pretty tired from a long hike. The adults are still alive but hurting a lot. We've also got some sore feet / knees and rashes in the scout ranks.
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