Yucca Firsthand

Our Nature Director shows some campers a Yucca whipplei (chaparral yucca, our Lord's candle, Spanish bayonet, or Quixote yucca) along the camp road. Go on a nature walk with him and he'll show you how you can make your own needle and thread out of this plant!
Learn more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesperoyucca_whipplei

Article about the firebowl

http://www.nccrc.org/newsletter/v14n7/v14n7_boyscout_camp.html

Dad and Lad 2012

Cub Scouts- Come on down to Pico with your Dad for a weekend of BB shooting, slingshots, hiking, archery, crafts, and a campfire! This year's theme is The Great Escape and will take place September 21-23.

More information here:
http://mbacbsa.org/Activities/~/media/Councils/Council025/Activities/Dad%20and%20Lad/Dad%20and%20Lad%20flyer%202012.ashx

Pico Blanco Available for your Group!

Did you know that Pico Blanco is available year round for your Scouting and non-Scouting group? You can rent out all or part of camp for a campout or retreat. You can also reserve a parking permit so that you can use Pico Blanco as a trailhead.
More information here: http://mbacbsa.org/Camping/2013%20Summer%20Camps/Year%20Round%20Camping%20Reservation%20Form%20and%20Parking%20Permit

2012 Esselen Lodge Vigil Honor Recipients

2012 Esselen Lodge Vigil Honor Recipients

9/8/12

For a complete list of Esselen Lodge Vigils visit: http://himlyn.com/vigil.html

Labor Day Weekend 2012

This year's Labor Day Weekend Scouter Retreat was one of the busiest on record. This year the Pico Staff served over 180 campers and offered an expanded program including waterfront, shooting sports, slingshots,        handicraft, nature, and scoutcraft demonstrations. The campfire program was filled with great skits and songs  from troops, packs, venture crews, and the staff.

This year, our program expanded beyond the camp into the Ventana Wilderness where Scouts of all ages took part in a wide range of hikes. A group of Cub Scouts went downstream from camp to Little Sur River Camp and enjoyed walking in the river. Several older Scouts went with some staff upstream to Jackson Camp to see an albino redwood and some other Scouts did a challenging hike to visit Al Clark's Lost Silver King Mine and then to Pico Public to take a refreshing swim in the waterfall fed pool

Several units decided to go backpacking over the weekend, using Pico as a base camp. A troop from Monterey spent the night at Fox Camp and took a side trip to the Circular Pools. A patrol from the Los Padres Council hiked to Jackson Camp and spent the night. Two Venture crews elected to do some more challenging treks. One crew hiked to Pico Public and then went up Mount Pico for the night, enjoying stunning views of the sunset over the Pacific. A crew from the Los Padres Council attempted Ventana Double Cone, a 4,852 ft peak above camp with views of the entire Ventana Wilderness, Monterey Bay, and  the Big Sur Coast, spending two nights at Pat Spring Camp.

Scouting was alive and well at Pico Blanco that weekend!

A Scoutmaster reviews packing techniques with his troop before heading out on a backpack trip

A staffer is excited to be at Jackson Camp

And excited to find an albino redwood along the Little Sur River

Crossing the Little Sur River

Hiking to Pico Public

Searching for Al Clark's Silver Mine

The Blue Hole at Pico Pubilc

Swimmers and Boaters Enjoying the Waterfront

Canoeing at the Waterfront

The Nature Director imparts wisdom upon some Scouts

Driving out Palo Colorado Canyon after a fun weekend