See photos at www.west-point.org/class/usma1964/backpackers/ 

    The 2^nd Annual Class of 64 Backpacking Extravaganza for 2008 was held at Yosemite National Park during the period 14-23 August.  It was hosted by the California backpacking contingent of Mont Hubbard and Bill Hoover.  I would be remiss if I did not mention spouses Lyn Taylor and Connie Hoover as also playing a major role in the hosting function.  Seven classmates and one guest participated in the outing.  Classmates included Mont Hubbard, Bill Hoover, George Domas, Steve Weisel, Fred Taylor, Norm Gill, and Ken Kvam.  The guest backpacker was George’s son, John Domas, who was invited to participate when Ben Huneycutt had to drop out due to business commitments (maximum backpacking group size in Yosemite National Park is eight).

      The trip started innocently enough with a delicious organizational dinner at the Hubbards on the 14^th.  We all had a great time renewing acquaintances.  Little did we know during the evening’s revelry of the challenges and plan reversals that were in store for us.

      Other than Hoover forgetting his hiking boots (and thus having to do the hike in sandals) the movement to Yosemite was flawless. We had a good night’s rest at Tuolumne Meadows Campground and made our 0800 LD on 16 Aug full of vim and vigor.  We were STRONG, and we were ABLE…and we went out too fast.  Perhaps it was going out too fast and becoming dehydrated; perhaps it was the heat and humidity of the day.  Perhaps it was the altitude (~9000 ft).  Perhaps it was all of those things, but when we got to the 500 ft. climb after 8.5 miles on the trail, it was more of a challenge than we had reckoned for.  While all were struggling mightily, it was George who hit the wall.  Fearing a heart problem (dizziness, slurred speech, extreme fatigue) we decided to descend to the valley, circle the wagons, and send someone for medical help.  Now is when the last-minute addition of John Domas was a Godsend, as he carried both his pack and George’s pack back down to the valley floor, where we set up camp.  It was also John, joined by Steve Weisel, who performed the most selfless act I have witnessed in recent memory when they volunteered to hike, with packs and no rest, the 8.5 miles back to the campground to look for help.  On their way back they accidentally bumped into an off-duty forest ranger EMT, who hustled out to look after George. Arriving at our campsite around 2230 hrs, he monitored George and, since he had no medical supplies, decided to call for back-up.  Back-up arrived at 0600 the next day (the two Park Ranger EMTs had left Tuolumne Meadows Ranger Station at 0200 hrs).  At 0800 George, now with an oxygen feed in his nose, an IV in his arm, and a heart monitor on his finger climbed first into a flight suit, then into a Huey helicopter and was medevac’d off to his eventual destination of a hospital in Modesto.  There he was diagnosed with altitude sickness, exacerbated by dehydration. After an overnight stay he was good-to-go and anticipating rejoining the group!

      This unexpected incident threw all our carefully laid out plans into a cocked hat.  After no small amount of confusion: 1. retrieving George from Modesto and 2. reassembling at lower altitude (~3000 ft.) in Yosemite Valley, we were finally all together again. It was during this confusion that a second selfless act of sacrifice was performed by Bill Hoover, who drove all the way home, and, in addition to his boots, picked up a cooler of beer.

      We spent the rest of our time together fighting the hordes of Yosemite visitors as we visited many of the valley attractions.  I’m told that on the very night after I left, the remainder of the group also valiantly fought off a black bear intrusion into camp.  All-in-all a great time was had sitting around the campsite swapping war stories and drinking beer.  Rumor has it that Mont Hubbard grew so bold during sightseeing that he exposed himself to a French couple - accidentally of course, in an impromptu swimming session.  The bottom line, however, is that instead of emerging from the Yosemite Wilderness as lean, hard, wizened mountain men, we all went home softer and pudgier than we were when we first arrived.  We verified the hard way that we were, in fact, in our mid to late 60’s, and that we could no longer do what we could a scant 5 years ago.  Life plays tricks that way.

NOTE:  We are now planning our 2009 outing.  It will be a little less “aggressive”.