The Scouts departed the office at 8:06pm and drove for 97.9 miles to the town of Oakdale. We spent the night in the Best Western Plus Rama Inn & Suites. It was surprisingly accommodating for a group of 5. We had a bit of a slumber party, drank wine, and snacked before heading to bed.

In the morning, we drove another hour to the Groveland Ranger Station where we picked up our backcountry permits. We then ventured along a pretty twisty long road for another hour till we arrived at the Lake Elinore Trailhead. We were on the trail for about 10 minutes before forking off onto a lightly trafficked (sometimes hard to find) trail. We trekked through newly formed grasslands and burnt forest into the granite covered alpine. We had a fun (challenging) log crossing to make as we arrived at the lake. Kibbie Lake was warm enough for a quick swim, the bugs were out but not too annoying, the sunset was magnificent, and the clouds cleared up for some amazing star gazing.

We headed out the next day and got caught in a downpour. There was almost a constant rumble of thunder. We didn't spend much time on breaks or even talking for that matter. By the time we got back to the car, we were completely soaked and our hands barely worked due to the cold. All in all, a super successful trip! And big thanks to Chex Mix for all the great photos.