Category: Monthly meeting

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Events Hiking Monthly meeting

October 2024 Angel Island

Angel Island Trip

Events, I’m starting a new post here to help plan our next trip out to Angel Island this Saturday, October 12th.  Below are some of the most important pieces of information that I gathered from the ferry website (https://angelislandferry.com) and Angel Island State Park website (https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=468). 

  • Map of the parking and ferry departure location in Tiburon: https://angelislandferry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Tiburon-Parking-230419.jpg?fit=1500%2C1215&ssl=1 (also attached as an image to this post).  From Sacramento, it will take roughly 2 hours to arrive based on average traffic conditions.
  • Map of Angel Island State Park can be found here: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f89c2919e6d8e7bb4d21508/1614727049009-J9C6LFK2LF9ZX38D29Q9/Screen+Shot+2021-03-02+at+3.16.52+PM.png?format=2500w (also attached as an image to this post)
  • Departure / Return schedule
    • Saturday/Sunday (Oct 5, 6, 12 and 13)
      Depart TIBURON: 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm, (5 pm – campers only – check return schedule)
      Depart Angel Island: 10:20 am, 11:20 am, 1:20 pm, 2:20 pm, 3:20 pm, 4:20 pm, 5:20 pm.
  • Ferry Prices (Advanced bookings are recommended but not required)
    • Adults (ages 13 -64) $18.00
      Seniors (ages 65+) $16.00
      Children (ages 6 – 12) $15.00
      Small Children (ages 3 – 5) $6.00
      Toddlers ages 2 and under Free! *
      Bicycles $1.00
  • Angel Island information
    • The ferry will drop visitors off at Ayala Cove, which is located 1.2 miles from the Immigration Station. Follow the Perimeter Road along Angel Island’s north end for fantastic views of Tiburon, Raccoon Strait, Richmond Bridge, and Red Rock Island. (PRO TIP: If you aren’t in a hurry, take the road instead of the stairs. The road adds an additional 15 – 20 minutes to your walk, but you’ll have a greater chance of seeing deer on your way to the Immigration Station.)
    • DETENTION BARRACKS MUSEUM & WORLD WAR II MESS HALL
      • The barracks remains a destination for visitors to learn more about the history of immigrant detention and exclusion from 1910 to 1940. Visitors can walk through recreated living conditions for the 300,000 detainees that were held for weeks, months, and sometimes years on Angel Island.
      • Hours of Operation: Saturday – Sunday: 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM
      • Admission Prices: Adult ($5 – self guided, $7 – guided tour), Youth ($3 – self guided, $5 – guided tour)
    • ANGEL ISLAND IMMIGRATION MUSEUM (AIIM)
      • AIIM is a place where visitors can explore the full complexity of immigration to the United States through the Pacific Coast. Housed in a former hospital, the museum presents personal stories, immigration policies, and social issues from both historic and contemporary times.
      • Hours of Operation: Saturday – Sunday: 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM
      • Admission to the Angel Island Immigration Museum is FREE.

Categories
Events Hiking Monthly meeting

April Event: Indian Grinding Rock State Park

In April, the boys did a hike at the Indian Grinding Rock State Park in Pine Grove. The site hosts one of the largest concentration of grinding rocks in the state of California. After the hike, we visited the museum to look at the exhibits.

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Events Hiking Monthly meeting

March Event: Gold Bug Park and Mine

In March, the boys took a tour of the Gold Bug Mine (https://www.goldbugpark.org) in Placerville. After the tour, the boys did a tour of the mill, as well as the black smith station.

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Events Monthly meeting

January Event: Camping at China Camp State Park

This was our second overnight camp out for the year. Fortunately we timed the weather really well, as the weekend was between two rain storms the previous and following weekends, with temperatures in the low 60’s in the day, and only dropping into the low 50’s at night.

Once again our troop reserved a group campsite inside the state park, within just miles of the town of San Rafael in the north Bay Area. The campsite was right next to two main trails through the park (Shoreline Trail and Bay View Trail), which were quite popular for mountain bikers. We took both of these main trails on a hike on Saturday morning starting at our camp, and circled around by the coast, and then back to the site.

After a lunch of sandwiches back at our camp with chips and oranges, we then drove over to the China Camp village and pier which was about 3 miles away. The boys had fun trying to fish for the old pier, as well as playing on the small beach, and picking up some ice cream sandwiches at the general store. There was a small museum at the China Camp Village.  According to the park “a Chinese shrimp-fishing village thrived on this site in the 1880’s. Nearly 500 people, originally from Canton, China, lived in the village. In its heyday, there were three general stores, a marine supply store and a barber shop.  Fishermen by trade in their native country, they gravitated to the work they knew best. Over 90% of the shrimp they netted were dried and shipped to China or Chinese communities throughout the US.”

Here was our preliminary schedule:

Friday, January 26

3:00PM – 5:00PM:  Arrival / Tent Setup 

7:00PM:  Bonfire with Readings / Stories

8:00PM: Junior Cadet Catechism

8:30PM: Rosary led by fathers

10:00PM: Lights out 

Saturday, January 27

   
6:30 AM  Prepare fire for breakfast
7:30 AM  Morning Prayer/Lauds
7:45 AM  Flag Ceremony
8:00 AM  Breakfast
8:30 AM  Tidy Camp/Pack Kitchen
9:00 AM  Hike (Shoreline Trail or Bay View Trail)
12:00 PM  Lunch
1:00 PM      Free Activity Time  
4:00 PM  Prepare Bonfire/Kitchen
5:30 PM  Dinner
7:00 PM  Bonfire
7:30 PM  Junior Cadet Catechism 
8:00 PM  Rosary led by fathers
8:30 PM  Evening Activities (S’mores)
10:00 PM  Lights Out
   
Sunday, January 28   


7:30 AM  Morning Prayer/Lauds
7:45 AM       Flag Ceremony
8:00 AM  Breakfast
9:00 AM  Tidy Camp/Pack Up
10:00 AM  Depart

Categories
Events Monthly meeting

December Event: Archery, BB Guns, Christmas Caroling

In December our troop practiced archery and BB gun shooting on a large piece of undeveloped property next to Holy Trinity Parish in El Dorado Hills. In additional, the cadets learned about the Rorate Mass which was celebrated early that morning at St. Stephen’s.

After shooting practice, we drove down the road to Prairie City Landing in Folsom to sing Christmas Carols at a senior center. Lt. Pratt arranged 10 traditional Christmas Carols for the cadets to sing, accompanied by instrumentals that were played in the background on a blue tooth speaker to help keep us in rhythm. Once caroling was finished, we grabbed an early dinner and then took a tour of the Christmas light decorations on Pebble Creek Drive in Rocklin.

Here was the schedule:

1:30PM:  Meet at Holy Trinity Parish (3111 Tierra de Dios Dr, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762).

1:40PM: Opening Prayer; discussion re: the Rorate Mass at St. Stephen’s that morning and its significance.

1:45PM: Archery / BB Guns

3:30PM: Drive to Prarie City Landing Senior Center (645 Willard Dr, Folsom, CA 95630)

4:00PM: Christmas Carols 

5:00PM (Optional): Dinner at Taco Bell (702 E Bidwell St, Folsom, CA 95630); Christmas Light decoration tour of Pebble Creek Drive in Rocklin.

Categories
Events Hiking Monthly meeting

November Event: Quarry Trail Hike

Once again, the troop started their year with their first membership meeting with a hike up Quarry Trail located near the confluence of the Middle and North Forks of the American River.  We hiked this trail last November and the dads taught the cadets a knife safety training class.

This year Lt. McCain gave the boys a small talk about how to use their compasses. In addition,  Lt. Watts gave a talk about radio communication along with a live demonstration using his radio while at Mammoth Bar.  

The itinerary for the event was as follows:

9:00AM – Meet at parking area/trailhead

9:15AM – Opening prayer; Compass review and project.

10:15 AM – Arrive at Mammoth Bar; brief membership meeting.

10:30AM: Radio communication demonstration.

11:00AM: Hike back to parking lot.  Recitation of the rosary on the way.

12 Noon: Estimated arrival at parking lot

Categories
Events Monthly meeting

October Event: Hiking at Hidden Falls Regional Park

The October event took place at a very popular hiking spot up neat Auburn named Hidden Falls. It was a 3 – 4 mile hike roundtrip, with a break in the middle to hold a formal membership meeting where officers were be elected for the upcoming troop year.  The following agenda was sent out:

9:00 AM – Meet in parking lot; opening prayer.

9:15 AM – Hike to Hidden Falls & Coon Creek via Poppy View Trail -> Hidden Falls Access Trail -> North Legacy Way (approx. 2 miles)

10:15 AM – Snack break; membership meeting (agenda to follow)

10:30 AM – Knife safety review

11:00 AM – Return hike & Rosary via Creekside Trail -> North Legacy Way -> South Legacy Way (approx. 2 miles) 12:00 PM – Concluding prayer at Hidden Gateway (near parking lot).