2011 Leaders' Guide Online

The 2011 Leaders' Guide can be viewed by clicking here: http://mbacbsa.org/Camping/2011%20Summer%20Camps/~/media/8CDEE1DACD3A48CCAF79F800CCE171DE.ashx.

The staff is preparing to give you a great summer. This weekend, some staff alumni went backpacking to Pico Public and said that the road into camp is in good condition.

Marksmanship!

Access Restored to Pico Blanco

From the council website: "The Pico Blanco camp road is now open thanks to the efforts of the Beaver Work Party. The road is still a little rough around the edges, but passable by pickups/SUVs'. Vehicles with low clearance are not recommended. Road conditions will continue to improve through the first part of May. All events on the May calendar at Camp Pico Blanco are still on. May events include, but are not limited to, the Council Camporee, the OA Ordeal, Mom and Me Weekend, and Memorial Day Family Camp. The landslide on Highway 1 is south of Palo Colorado Road and is not affecting our operations."

Updates on Road Conditions

The access road to Camp Pico Blanco is temporarily blocked by a slide and associated debris at this time. An experienced crew with heavy equipment is scheduled to begin slide removal on April 9-10. The OA Spring Ordeal originally scheduled for the April 8-10 has been postponed. OA leadership is in the process of rescheduling the event. It is anticipated that the slide will be cleared and access restored by April 15, 2011. Please check the Monterey Bay Area Council website for current updates on camp road status. In addition, one lane of Highway 1 is expected to reopen at the Rocky Creek slide at the end of April. This will restore Access to the camp from Big Sur and points on the coast south. For the vast majority of Pico visitors, including those from Southern California, the Rocky Creek slide is not on the route to camp.

Access to Pico

Many of you may have heard of the slip out on Highway 1 near the Rocky Creek Bridge (http://www.ksbw.com/video/27222972/detail.html). The closure is just south of Palo Colorado Canyon, the turnoff to Pico Blanco. Therefore, as long as you are coming from the north, which is the way the vast majority of campers access Pico, you will be fine. Sometimes units from the San Luis Obispo area choose to take Highway 1 all the way up the coast. However, with the closure, you'll need to take 101 to Salinas and then cut over to the coast.

We'll let you know when the road reopens. Current estimates are at least one month.

The bottom line:
Travel to Pico Blanco from Monterey is NOT affected by the slide

Snow on the Ventanas

April 2010, taken by our Camp Director.
Ventana Double Cone is on the left, La Ventana (The Window) is the notch in the middle, and Kandlbinder is the rounded peak on the right.

Take a Hike! The Pico Blanco Trailhead

Pico Blanco Scout Reservation is very fortunate to have a National Forest trailhead right at the edge of camp. Without driving anywhere, you can head off into the wilderness and explore the redwood lined Little Sur River, the waterfalls of the Circular Pools, the vast porteros (meadows) of the South Fork of the Little Sur, the marble topped Mt. Pico Blanco, and the remote Window, the namesake of the Ventana Wilderness. You can even hike out to the beautiful Big Sur Coast.

All units are encouraged to do some sort of hike during their stay at Pico. Day hikes are offered on Adventure Day, staff are available to lead hike to our various outpost camps for overnighters, and nature hikes and the famous star trek are available throughout the week. We have hikes for all abillity levels that go to a a diverse range of destinations, some taking an hour while others taking up to a week.

For Scouts seeking a week long backcountry experience, our Pico Pathfinders high adventure program is a great opportunity.

Our staff is just as excited to head into the backcountry as you are, so feel free to ask your favorite staffer for good hikes. You might even want to ask him along!