Scouting, Volume 58, Number 6, November-December 1970 Page: 16
56 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Whether cooking or climbing, girls add zest when this California
Explorer post goes mountaineering in the High Sierras.
MOUNTAIN PEAKS
AND BOBBY PINS
H
er brunette pigtails flapping in
the cool breeze, Cindy gingerly
backed over the cliff's edge. The
granite cliffside cut sharply away
beneath her as she rappelled down-
ward. Encouraged by a cheery
"You're doing fine" from Mike who
was belaying her from above, Cindy
16 speeded her descent, gaining con-
fidence at each drop. Silhouetted
against the blue mountain lake be-
low and the gray peaks in the dis-
tance, she seemed vastly changed
from the young lady who was brush-
ing her dark tresses so daintily an
hour or so ago.
Cindy and Mike are both part of
Explorer Post 92, sponsored by the
Citizens Group for Conservation in
Manhattan Beach, Calif. Along with
15 other Explorers and 8 more girls,
they agree that the new policy of al-
lowing girls as Exploring Partici-
pants is a "natural."
Post 92 was formed as a moun-
taineering special-interest post
slightly over a year ago, with seven
Explorers and two girls. "The mem-
bers run things like an adult club,"
says Advisor Edward Eversole.
"Sometimes they get things fouled
up, but they feel it's valuable expe-
rience. By the way, two of our post
officers are girls—one as vice-presi-
dent and one as treasurer."
One reason the Explorer-girl re-
lationship works so well is Advisor
Eversole's wife, Jeanne. She leads a
Horizon Club of Campfire Girls
PHOTOS AND STORY
BY GENE DANIELS
(high school age), some of whom
are Post 92 participants. She thinks
the cooperation between youth
groups is a plus for both programs.
Post 92's program is tough and
strenuous. Post bylaws require
members to equip for year-round
backpacking, to take the Sierra
Club's basic mountaineering course,
and to earn two trailblazing awards
each year. This special post award
requires mapping a specified moun-
tain area or working 12 hours on
trail projects. The big goal for 1971
is a trip to Hawaii.
The girls take this vigorous pro-
gram in stride. They have gone on
most of the hikes with the post, in-
cluding a week's backpacking trip
into the High Sierras. They also
proved their worth on two conserva-
tion projects as Post 92 gathered
wild buckwheat seeds for planting
in a burned-over area in the foot-
hills above Manhattan Beach.
"Backpacking is strenuous, but
the gals do very well," says Advisor
Eversole. "They're as tough as the
guys at this age, and generally we
find little difference in how far they
can hike or how much they can
carry."
He admits there are some prob-
lems, but most of them occur on
any co-ed wilderness outing. "For
instance, when we take a rest stop,"
he points out, "the Explorers go one
way and the gals the other. Actually
it's nice to have the girls around.
They certainly cause more social
awareness, and things are more fun
around the campfire with singing
and such."
There's another benefit too, says
Mrs. Eversole. "The Explorers prob-
ably won't admit it, but they take
more care with their clothes now
and keep themselves sharper in ap-
pearance."
A recent mountain trip bore out
the Eversoles' comments. It was
one of two outings needed to com-
plete the Basic Mountaineering
Training Course required by the
post bylaws. A comprehensive intro-
duction to basic back-country hik-
ing and climbing skills, the course
is sponsored by the famous Sierra
Club which provides mountaineer-
ing consultants.
On this trip, 22 of the 25 post
members and participants, plus sev-
eral adults, drove to the first night
site and made camp. After a final
briefing and cleanup of the grounds
the next morning, the hike began.
Old hands reminded, "You're at
10,000 feet and going higher. We'll
camp at 11,000 feet."
Cooperation was immediately evi-
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Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 58, Number 6, November-December 1970, periodical, November 1970; New Brunswick, New Jersey. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth331809/m1/18/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.