When I was a boy scout some 60 plus years ago, our troop would spend summer camp at the now obsolete Camp Harvey West where we would hike the trails to the various lakes throughout Desolation Valley. Since it was some of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of my childhood, I decided to place a cache commemorating scouting and in particular, the scouts of Troop 98 of the Arcade District in Sacramento.
This cache was originally placed in Desolation Wilderness near Tamarack Lake. In July 2003, I removed the cache from that location when I learned that physical caches were not allowed in Desolation Wilderness. The cache's current location is above the northwest shore of Upper Echo Lake and is about 3 trail miles from the chalet at Lower Echo Lake. If you're feeling a little sluggish, or if is a hot day, you can save about 2.5 miles of easy hiking by taking the water taxi to Upper Echo Lake.
This time the cache was placed with the assistance of Motley Crew #2.
Have fun, be safe and tread lightly!
The replacement cache is a Tupperware container . The original contents were:
- Grizzly Superhero Bendo-a traveler
- New Boy Scout Handbook
- Waterproof map holder
- 1st aid kit (from the "Dilbert Nears Desolation" cache)
- Waterproof matches
- Light stick
- Knot tying pamphlet
- 6' tie down strap
- Animal tracks pocket guide
- 2 carabiners
- Boy Scout neckerchief
- 1 Boy Scout & 1 Webelos neckerchief slide
- Handmade cow hoof & cow horn neckerchief slides (Camp Harvey West, circa 1950's)
- 1 Cub Scout knife (circa. 1950's)
- Boy Scout bookmark