Hundred Peaks Section Celebrates 50th Anniversary of First Hundred Peaks
"Game" Outing Listed In Schedule
Approximately 75 hikers participated in a hike in the local
mountains which re-enacted an outing led by Jack Bascom fifty years ago.
Jack was on hand to help lead the outing again.
The idea for a hundred peaks "game" was conceived of by Weldon Heald
in the early 1940's. Heald mentioned his idea to Jack Bascom, and it
gained popularity. By 1946 a number of individuals were in the game, but
the first hundred peaks game outing listed in the Schedule, and led, was
an outing to Iron Mountain No. 3 and Rabbit Peak No. 1 located just off
the Angeles Forest Highway near the Monte Cristo Mine. That hike was
conducted on March 10, 1946.
On Sunday, March 10, 1996, hikers met at the La Canada rideshare
point, then reconvened at the Monte Cristo Campground. After the
signing-in process, HPS chair Ruth Dobos presented Jack Bascom with a
plaque recognizing him as the HPS' John Backus Leadership Award winner
for 1995. Jack then addressed the assembled hikers, describing the
origins of the hundred peaks idea as well as details of the hike we were
about to re-enact. He mentioned that two participants of the hike, Eric
and Elsie Kent, had sent their regrets that they could not join us this
day.
Now it was time to hike. Bob Thompson, an Angeles Chapter Chester
Versteeg Award winner (1988), led the group up the dirt road leading
from the campground, turning on to the road leading to the ridge near
the summit of Iron. Bob's route only approximated Jack Bascom's route of
50 years ago, because there are trails that existed then but have long
disappeared, and there are roads that exist now that didn't then. Patty
Kline, also a Chester Versteeg Award winner (1993), assisted. Several
other HPS leaders were scattered throughout the large group.
Shortly, Frank Goodykoontz, Joe Young, and Frank Dobos drove their
vehicles, loaded with celebratory items, to a flat area near the
entrance to private property around the Monte Cristo mine. After the
climb of Iron the group partied in typical HPS style. Jack Bascom, who
had hiked all the way to the party site, attached the original
topographical maps from the 1940's, copies of the first Southern
Sierran, and other historical information, to a cord strung between two
vehicles.
After the party many hikers were ready for a climb of Rabbit, and
Peter Doggett and Jim Fleming obliged by providing leadership. On the
summit of Rabbit, the group remembered Theresia Glover, prolific HPS
leader, who had passed away in late January. Her son, Peter McGowen, who
had travelled from Australia, was present on the hike. Theresia had
planned to complete the HPS List on this hike.
Other participants hiked out to the campground. Waiting at the
campground was Sam Fink, legendary hiker. Sam was one of the hundred
peaks game players in the 1940's. Lynda Armbruster had brought Sam to
the campground from Santa Ana to be a part of this important historical
moment. Sam and Jack Bascom thus were able to greet each other this day.
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