On Washington's birthday, 43 Sierra Clubbers, guests, and children met at 8:00 a.m. at the Cascades. We proceeded by caravan to Bouquet Reservoir, where we consolidated, and half the cars drove the dirt road up Sierra Pelona Ridge almost to the summit of Mt. McDill. We hiked about 1/2 mile to the summit (5187) where we had an excellent view of the Mojave Desert, the Tehachapis, and the snow covered San Gabriel mountains. There were some interesting outcroppings of quartz. Driving back down the dirt road, we stopped again and half the people hiked 1 1/2 miles each way to view the burned remains of the biggest oak tree in California (destroyed by fire last year).
We all then drove to Vasquez Rocks, ate lunch and had a treasure hunt. While looking for clues, we explored the movie fort and climbed the huge rocks. The leader provided birthday cupcakes for the kiddies, and prizes for the participants in the treasure hunt. We departed for home about 4:00 p.m.
The outing was very well organized. The leader provided mimeographed instructions and maps to all drivers. The cleverly planned treasure hunt provided excitement for the kids (and for some of the overgrown kids as well).
