Did you realize that the Greater Yosemite
Council was given the last lumber camp in Tuolumne County
that was only served by railroad?
In the late 1920’s the Standard Lumber
Company had harvested most of the lumber south of the Middle
Fork of the Stanislaus River. In 1930 the Sugar Pine Railroad
was extended up the north side of the river from Beardsley
Flat to Sourgrass (at the current end of the paved road
on the way to Camp John Mensinger). The Sugar Pine Railroad
and the logging operations were shut down during the depression
from 1931 to 1937. In 1937 the Pickering Lumber Company
reorganized the Standard Lumber Company and the Sugar Pine
Railroad and again began logging north of the Stanislaus
River.
Sourgrass was operated as a logging camp
from 1937 to 1939. Then the railroad was extended from
Sourgrass to Soap Creek Pass in 1940. When the Beardsley
Dam was built in the 1950’s the Sugar Pine Railroad
at Beardsley Flat was submerged. The railroad was re-located
over the top of the dam and connected to the old right
of way. There was no road over the dam and up the north
face of the river bluff.
The Soap Creek Pass logging camp was only
served by the Sugar Pine Railroad until it stopped operation
in 1963. The Soap Creek Pass Lumber Camp was finally abandoned
in 1965.
In 1969 Wm. J. Pendola, a member of the board
of the Pickering Lumber Co. and also the Yosemite Area
Council, arranged for the Pickering Lumber Co. to give
to the Boy Scouts the entire Soap Creek Pass Lumber Camp
and additional acreage. The camp originally had a total
of 108 buildings and was used, beginning in 1970 as a summer
camp.
Since that time the new Camp John Mensinger
has been built and the old lumber camp has gone into disrepair.
There are currently 12 – 15 buildings that could
be salvaged from the original camp.
The Council’s Long Range Plan calls
for the development of a High Adventure Camp for older
Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, Venturing Crew Members and
Explorers. The camp’s name has been established as
Soap Creek Pass in keeping with the historical location
of the new camp.
Initial plans for the new camp include High and Low
COPE Stations, advance Aquatic Activities on the Beardsley
Reservoir, a Black Powder Shooting Range, Rappelling
Facilities, Outpost Camping and Wilderness Survival.
A key component of the development of the camp will be
the renovation of structures used by lumberjacks in days
gone by. The camp will include male and female restroom
and shower facilities as well as co-ed cabin camping.
If you have an interest in serving on the High Adventure
Camp Committee, please contact Sandy Wakeling at 209-826-3600.
For more information contact:
Greater Yosemite Council, B.S.A.
4031 Technology Drive, Modesto, CA 95356 209-545-6320
