Camp Hi-Sierra
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Camp Hi-Sierra is a Boy Scout camp located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, only minutes away from the small town of Longbarn, California. This camp is notably high, with the majority of its buildings standing at approximatly 4,800 feet and the highest point of the mountain standing over a mile high at 5,300 feet. The camp is used year round with eight weeks of Scouting camp during the summer, one of which is the International Rendezvous every even year. During the 'off season' Camp Hi-Sierra is used for training sessions as well as council activities.
History
Camp Hi-Sierra was created in 1949 with land that the Santa Clara County Council bought within the Stanislaus National Forest. Before the camp was a Scout Reservation though it was inhabited by Native Americans living there. When logging scions discovered the forest, they decided to start logging in the spot where the camp is now located. To this day, as one walks through camp, they can still see remnants of the logging industry, bits of saws, etc... Currently small-scale logging continues along the main camp road.
As of now, the Santa Clara County Council maintains the camp as well as a full time ranger who lives in the camp year round, he is the caretaker for all of Camp Hi-Sierra. The current ranger is Alan Young as of August 2006.
Location
This camp is located within the beautiful Stanislaus National Forest and is only several miles from the nearest town- Longbarn, California.
Facilities
In Camp Hi-Sierra there is a variety of buildings. The camp includes a dormitory, dining hall, staff office, and other structures. Located on the North Fork of the Tuolumne River, Camp Hi-Sierra is cut into two, divided by the river down the middle. On the western side is Staff hill, home to the camp staff during the summertime. Also, this side contains the staff offices, health lodge, dining hall, dormitories, flag meadow, and the ranger's home. On the southern-most end of the camp property is the lake, a small man-made one, which also is home to the boathouse.
The boathouse is relatively small, considering the size of the lake, though it contains lots of watersports equipment. The boathouse and adjacent lake contain several canoes, rowboats, and kayaks.
On the eastern side of camp is the Blackfoot Meadow, home to the baseball diamond. Directly across from Blackfoot Meadow is the archery range where Scouts learn how to pull and shoot bows as well as make their own arrows. Also there is the High-Adventure area, this includes the bike barn and rock climbing tower. In the late 1990's this tower was built along with the adjacent bouldering wall, the climbing tower is over 50 feet tall. Next to the High Adventure area is the Trail to First Class area and beyond that the Scoutcraft station. Opposite from Scoutcraft is the Livery. Here, scouts can practice their crafts skills including basketry and pottery.
Across from the climbing area is the Trading Post, which was first built in 2005 and later remodeled in 2006. Various things from otter pops to craft kits can be purchased here.
On the same side of the river is the Nature Area, which was at one point the High-Adventure Base. The log-cabin has now been converted into the nature lodge, though on the second floor there is space for two people to sleep.
Across from the Nature Area is the new Handicraft Area, where Scouts can do activities such as Leatherwork, Woodcarving and Basketry. On the other side of the Nature Area is Foxfire. This is the blacksmith shop for Camp Hi-Sierra. On this fenced-in property, there is a tipi for Native American classes, and a full blacksmith shop where the blacksmithing is taught to scouts. For scouts that are interested there is also a Mountain Man Program. This program is comprised of techniques that the so called Mountain Men used in days of old. This means blacksmithing, woodcarving, tomohawk throwing, and backpack making to name a few.
The eastern side of the river contains all of the scout camps where approximately anywhere from 250-350 scouts can be housed in tents depending upon how many are placed in each of the tents.
The last of the structures on this side of the river is the Shooting Range. This and the chapel are the only places that camp staff uses regularly that are tucked away from the river banks. At the shooting range scouts can learn about rifles and shotguns. Once they have learned the rules of the range, they can shoot either the .22 caliber rifles that the camp provides, or try their hand at the shotguns.
Camp Hi-Sierra's chapel is used for non-denominational services, and conducted within the trees overlooking the lake. Below the chapel is Camp Hi-Sierra's ampitheater which the Camp uses several times each week for campfires, announcements or whatever the staff has in mind.