Pine Glen Group Camp 2015
With trips to the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery, Rock Creek Lake, Top of Mammoth Mountain, the Devil’s Postpile and Alabama Hills
August 18-21, 2015
The Campers:
David, Janice, Chris, Bill, Kim, Heather, Michael, Kyle, Stephen, Cynthia, Callie, Jessie, and Dianne
The Walking Trout:
Eric, Rick, Toner, Jim, Steve and Charles
It goes without saying, as it is often said, but I must tell you that we have something here and more. A vehicle, one without boundaries or limitations and the belief that anything can be done, that drives the heart of this foundation. It is not the Walking Trout; it is the Campers who bring the weighted portion of spirit to these trips. We just provide a bit of opportunity. A lucky 13 people took this opportunity and we managed another epic camping trip.
The process is simple. We meet a group in a parking lot, load up a bunch of un-necessities, and head out on the road where the conversion of strangers to friends begins. We changed nothing this year, except location. The WTF torch was taken to the Ventura-Santa Barbara area. It was passed directly into my hands, and I enjoyed every minute of this opportunity. So, the first person to thank for the success of this year’s trip is the Lord of Lone Pine himself, Mr. Steve Ashburn. Without you, this would not be, and it must not go without saying.
To friends and family who generously contributed time, money and good cheer, your wealth of support and encouragement is so well received, and it is shared with exceptional people. Some of their words are selected here:
Words from a Camper:
I’m unable to find the words to express just how grateful and appreciative I am for the opportunity to join the merry band of mountain campers. It’s hard to believe that I didn’t dream the whole experience but my clothes smell like a campfire and I still have some pine tar stuck in my hair.
Today on TV there was a movie from 1953 about 2 fishermen going on a trip to Mammoth Lakes. It was filmed in the Alabama Hills and Owens River Valley area. I have photos of the rock formations where it was filmed. It’s called the “Hitch-Hiker”. So glad we took that side trip after our pizza lunch.
I noticed the abundance of love and kindness from everyone who’s in the Walking Trout foundation/brotherhood/cult and that is what makes this event extra special and the time of our lives. Love you right back… I thank you and long live Walking Trout!
Words from Another Camper:First off want to give you a HUGE THANK YOU!!! For an amazing trip and experience. It would be easy for you to go on these trips with your other friends, but you decided to take on the challenge and expense of inviting and investing in people who have challenges. People who normally couldn’t go on their own you made it possible for us to go camping. Hope we can keep in contact. Thank you again and God bless you.
Special thanks must go to:
Paige Schaefer, for sewing up our abused tents; Andrei Barbrow, for joining the battle to acquire new WTF tents at the REI garage sale; Brian Hicks, for your generator’s uninterrupted supply of energy to charge wheel chairs at camp; Erin Wolfe, the Devil’s Postpile Park Ranger who, for the last two years, provided well delivered tours and good humor; Ted Pedersen, the Whitney Fish Hatchery Docent who provided a grand historical tour and offered us a lifetime of unrestricted fishing privileges at the hatchery lake (if only in our dreams).
To the rehab facilities and associations that allowed us to spread the word about the trip and who referred their patrons to the WTF: Rene Van Hoorn, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital; Andrew Skinner, Triumph Foundation; Dan Shapiro, Ventura County Medical Center Physical Therapy; Ester Globerman, Globerman Physical Therapy Inc.; and Brian Stevens, Ventura Family YMCA.
