Goat lake historian report
By Brian. F.

This weekend we went to Goat Lake for a weekend backpacking outing. We left Saturday morning. When we got to the trail head we got ready to go up the trail and split into two groups. My group went first and we took the upper Elliot trail. The other group took the lower Elliot trail. When we got to the camp site we unpacked and ate the rest of our lunch. Then when the other group got to the lake some of us went swimming (that wasn’t me, too cold).When they got back Trevor, Chris, and Stephan went to look for Bill because he was taking a while. When they found him and had gotten back, we started making dinner. My patrol, Da Moose, had clam chowder. After dinner Hellbenders made Ecto – Plasm something made out of marshmallows, peaches, and other stuff.
On Sunday morning some people had to leave early (including me). So we headed out and got to the place were the trail splits to lower Elliot. But we took upper Elliot because I told Stephan that upper Elliot was smoother and quicker. It was. Once we left the trail head we headed back home.

On Saturday, September 12, 2009, we, the boys of Troop 166, left the parking lot of the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church at 8 a.m. on our way to Goat Lake. When we arrived at the trail head we split into two groups. Group one was to go first and was to be followed by group two which would be a ways behind.
When group one arrived at the campsites, we chose one at the edge of the woods that was only separated from the lake by about fifty yards of bushes. After we had secured the camp we went swimming in the lake, which was very cold. As we stood on a log in the lake some people decided it would be a good idea to try and push everyone in which resulted in everyone going back to camp because the water was so cold.
After the camp had been fully set up we sat around a bit before we made dinner. After the dinner some of us took a big can of peaches that the Hellbenders had brought for dessert and cooked them, along with about 15 marshmallows and some Tang, in the can over a stove. This turned out to make an extremely good can of what tasted like peaches and cream. While this was happening some of the other scouts were fishing in the lake but were unable to catch anything.
Once it got dark everyone went to bed for the night. The next morning we got breakfast ready and then, after Chapel, the first group, which on the way up had been the second group, left the campsite to go back to the parking lot. The second group stayed and play a couple games of Capture the Flag before they left as well. After everyone had finished we packed up the cars and left for Seattle.

On Saturday the 7th of June 2009, twelve of the boys of Troop 166 accompanied by three adults left the parking lot of the Wedgwood Presbyterian church. We drove up to the parking lot next to the trailhead that went up to Lake Serene. It was originally planned to go somewhere else but the road had been washed out. Those of us who were planning on going on the fifty miler brought our backpacks with us for training. It was seven miles round trip, three and a half up to Lake Serene and three and half back.
The hike was very steep uphill and in the middle there was a part with a lot of stairs that was extremely hard. After the stairs we came out of the trees by a waterfall and we were surrounded by mist so that you could only see fifteen yards ahead and then it was all grey. The lake, even in the beginning of June, was frozen over with a layer of snow on it. It was drizzling so we put our packs under a tarp to keep them dry. After eating lunch some of us went up to a big rock that was right next to the lake and went down close to the water and threw food in it. After we had finished eating, it was discussed whether we should hike an extra mile and look at a waterfall or not. It was decided to go to the trailhead that led up to the fall and see who wanted to go.
We left and headed back down the path, which was easier then coming up and when we got to the trailhead leading to the waterfall it was decided by the main group not to go and so we continued on to the parking lot. When we arrived in the parking lot we waited an hour for a couple people who were behind the main group and had gone up to the waterfall thinking that that was where everyone else had gone. After we were all back at the cars we then set out to the place where we were going to spend the night which was at one of the adult’s, Mr. O’Brien’s, campsite.
It was located right next to a river and when we got there we found places to set up our campsite. There was a lot of dead wood lying around near the river that we used for firewood. After a fire was going we started to cook dinner. The Hellbenders had hotdogs and we cooked them over the fire on a grill that we had found in a shed by our campsite. When all the patrols had eaten dinner some of us gathered around the fire and proceeded to burn live slugs on logs that were sitting on the side of the fire. After we had done this for a little while everyone got together and we had a campfire with each patrol singing a song.
The next morning we woke up and made breakfast and packed. After that we had chapel which was led by the Woodchucks and Bulldogs. One of the adults who was driving us had left the night before to go back to Seattle, so we had to wait until ten o’clock when Max Schaffer’s mom came to take a few of us home. A special thanks to the drivers, Scott Meden, David O’Brien, Chane Clark and Eileen de Armon.

On Saturday the 18th of April, we, the scouts of Troop 166, set out on our 32 mile bike trip around San Juan Island. We arrived at Anacortes and unloaded the bikes and, after waiting around for the ferry for about ten minutes, we biked onto the ferry and put our bikes on the front of the ferry.
When we arrived at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, we set out and biked 12 miles to Roche Bay where we had lunch. Roche Bay has a resort town that looks exactly like something you would find in the colonial age except for the cars and the modern boats.
We then continued to San Juan Park where we set up camp. San Juan Park had a visitor’s lodge and a nice campsite with a couple of vending machines and was located right next to the water. We had a campfire with a story told by Bill Montgomery the scoutmaster and then went to bed.
The next morning we packed up and some of us put eggs in the campfire and watched them explode. Then we had chapel and left for Friday Harbor. There was a point after a few miles where we came out on a stretch that looked towards Vancouver Island and the Straight of Juan De Fuca. It was very sunny and there was a magnificent view.
When we arrived in Friday Harbor we had lunch while waiting for the ferry. When it arrived we took it back to Anacortes. We were stopped by a customs officer but he let us go through and we drove back to Seattle

Saturday, the 7th of January 2009, the boys of Troop 166 left the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church parking lot at 8:45 on their way to Meany Lodge. When they arrived they got ready and waited for the snow cat to pick them up.
First a smaller cat came and they loaded most of their luggage on that. Then the big one arrived and, after loading the rest of the luggage on, the boys squeezed in and headed off on a bumpy ride to the lodge.
When they arrived they got their beds and, after a troop-meeting, the scouts went outside to ski or snowboard. There were three rope tows. The one at the far end was very short and easy. The one closest to the lodge was longer and about the same speed. The one in the middle was the longest and was at least three times the length of the medium one and a lot faster.
At twelve thirty they had lunch and then skied or snowboarded or played games in the lodge. After dinner that night some of boys stayed up and played Risk or cards. The next morning they had breakfast, packed up and then skied or snowboarded some more.
Some of the boys walked out early and others rode in the snow cat. The rest of boys also got towed behind the cat on the way out by long ropes that were thrown behind the cat.