Pack and Paddle Trip by Troop 410 in 1967

Camp Tom Wooten

Pack and Paddle
1967
Troop 410

Troop 410 at the parking lot at Camp Tom Wooten ready to begin the Pack and Paddle adventure June 18-24, 1967. We camped Sunday at Scout Island.

	Scouts and Leaders prepare to disembark from the waterfront on Bull Creek. We chose to paddle up the Colorado River to Mansfild Dam and hike back. The cost per Scout for the week: $20.
Troop 410 just downstream from Scout Island on Bull Creek. Monday's destination was the Austin City Park. We had 14 Scouts, the Scoutmaster, and a dad-for-a-day.
	Scouts Robert Miller and Gary Wissler found Lake Austin to be a placid body of water.
We arrived at City Park after 2 hours of paddling.
	One of the Scouts found a "treasure map" which lead us to a cave, where they found a real treasure, a cave where the Scouts found a chest full of cold soda pop.
On a hot June day, there was always time to take a swim, or two, or three in cool Lake Austin.
	One of the dads, Dr. Wissler, demonstrated his cooking skills to Scout Greg Baum.
On Tuesday, we paddled to the Steiner Ranch, to one of the pavilions along the Lone Star Trail.
	The prevailing southern winds gave us a boost on the final leg on Wednesday. It sure beat paddling.
Most of the troop sailed up Lake Austin. Wednesday was the longest day by canoe.
	Just below Mansfield Dam, we reached the end of the canoeing part of our journey.
The LCRA gave us a tour of the power plant and tunnels inside Mansfield Dam, then we began the steep trek to the top of the dam. It was a long haul. Scout Luke Davis was in the lead.
	Leading the troop across Mansfield Dam was our Pack and Paddle Ranger, Jon Beisenherz (son of then Council Executive Paul Beisenherz). We camped at the LCRA park with Troop 182 from Elgin, who began their week hiking from Camp Wooten and would return by canoe.
We swapped canoe paddles for backpacks. On Thursday, Troop 410 backpacked across the Steiner Ranch to camp at the L. East Ranch via the Lone Star Trail.
	Although the normal schedule called for troops to return to Camp Wooten Saturday morning, we chose to bypass a night at City Park. We were on the trail at 6:30 Friday morning, arriving at Camp Wooten just after 9:30. Even in the "cool" of the June morning, Ranger Jon Beisenherz and Scouts David Wight, Bill Hawkins, and Rex Schroeder had visions of cold water during a trail break.
Each Scout and Scouter who made the entire trek received a canoe paddle and a leather patch branded with the Pack and Paddle insignia. Acquatics Director Jack Gatlin brands the paddles.
	Assistant Camp Director Neil Hector made a presentation to Scouts Eddie Hindsman (right) and Rick Robertson in the final ceremonies Saturday morning.