Scouts hone skills on backcountry trip

A group of Boy Scouts from local Troop 341 honed their outdoor skills last weekend.

The Mustang Patrol from Troop 341, mainly comprised of boys newer to scouting, camped out at Blue Lakes in the Mokelumne Wilderness. Using a map and compass they learned navigation skills by matching natural landmarks to map topography.

A 7-mile hike culminated with an ascent of a 9,200-foot peak.

"Climbing to the top of the mountain was the best part of the trip," said Brandon Iwamura.

The Scouts demonstrated their camping skills by starting a campfire with just one match and helping cook their meals. Having fun was a goal of the trip, but they also are learning to respect the wilderness. Leave No Trace is an important theme where scouts learn how to camp with minimal impact to the environment.

Troop 341's activities this year have included snow camping, where they learned to build snow shelters and sleep in them, 10-mile hikes, a 20-mile hike, a 50-mile backpacking trip and two rock climbing trips.

• Ken Iwamura is an assistant scoutmaster in Carson City.