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CAMP DIMOND-O
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 If you were a Boy Scout in the Oakland Area Council during the 1930's to 70's you will remember Camp Dimond-O. You would remember swimming in the frigid Middle Fork Tuolumne River and hiking in the high sierras just outside of Yosimite Valley. This was a camp which was loved by everyone who attended it. The current park rangers say that there is a constant stream of former scouts coming back 40-50-60 years later just to see it once again.   Swimming Hole From George Colgett Song: we wish someone would make it grow sound off 1,2 sound off 3,4 1,2,3,4,12,34... Oh the bears are brave and so are we when they appear we climb a tree sound off 1,2 sound off 3,4 1,2,3,4, 12,34 Oh we like to shoot we like to swim but oh the food is pretty grim sound off 1,2 sound off 3,4 1,2,3,4 12,34 Oh the kybo's clean the paper 's there but oh the odor is hard to bare sound off 1,2 sound off 3,4 1,2,3,4 12,34 This was a hiking song we sang when we hiked the trails at diamond O. There was a trail that was about 5 miles long and on that trail we found a den of guarder snakes. So the day of the lumber jack event there was a snake race the only thing was we had no snake. So I hiked 5 miles+ and brought back a snake. He did not win, but it was fun as was the lumber jack days events. They had big pancake flipping contests, log chopping, and sawing events. We all slept good after the days activities. Our scout troop was 233 from Oakland and we always took the farthest camp out. One summer the scouts in the troop set a big log swinging from a tree to stop bears. Coming back from a camp fire we almost got the scout master, 1963 or 64 a Mr. Ernst. We also had a bear visit one of our troops tent and I never saw two guys run so fast in there sleeping bags as that night. The water was absolutely the coldest melted snow! From Steve Hickey My first year at Dimond-O Camp was in 1960 when I was a first year Scout with Troop 744 from Castro Valley. My father was a ASM and my older brother Mike was a First Class Scout at that time. I always heard stories about Dimond-O as a Cub Scout with Pack 744, and couldn't wait to go there as a Scout. I remember the windy roads leading to the camp. My father would have to stop a number of times so the Scout's who were riding with us wouldn't get car sick in my dad's 55 chevy. Once we got to camp the excitement began. We would always camp in the second week of July, so the weather was hot during the day and cool at night. Swimming in the river would always be a challenge because it was so cold. I really liked the old dining hall. The old hall was beautiful, you could feel the history. My greatest memory was going on night hikes. We would sit at a clearing on top of one of the hills and look at the stars. Most of the nights were clear, and the stars seem so close and bright that you could almost reach out and grab one. We would look down at the camps lanterns and flashlights that would light up each camp site. The sounds of Scout's laughing and singing would fill the valley, as the smell of camp fires and fir trees filled the air. From Hank Hendrie Peggy, Get ahold of Weaver in Mission Peak Dist. I beleive he has the original Brandin Iron. Contact Stan Names he was the Trading Post Clerk for about 5 years (63-68). I for got to mention your EM last night at the Scout Mtg. He is the SM of T807. The USN Mobil Construction Bat. I was attached to in 60-62 did some work there to inprove conditions at the time. From: Larry C. Burkholder I went summer camp at Dimond O in 1951, was hauled to camp along with Troops from other areas in a 40 foot flat bed trailer with side rakes. May have been 40 or so of us and a lot of supplies for camp. It was Lou Jack Trucking I will never forget that name, they forgot to come and pick us up at the end of the week. Also ran into a new Chev. on one of those narrow roads, the ranger used his double bite axe as a way to measure the site, two axe length from the white line etc. The cost was $16.00 for the week. I collected one ton of newspaper and that was what a ton was worth in scrap. Took a $1.50 with me for money at the trading post. The food was great, I think it was Army cooks. But do not put your elbows on the table, those big spoons could make your elbows hurt. And the water from the spring next to the mess hall was clear and cold. $1.50 for a week, I see scouts at camp with $100 bills now. WHAT A GREAT TIME I HAD. Larry C. Burkholder Hat Team, ASM T256 (www.troop256.com) Boulder Dam Area Council 529 Utah St. Boulder City, Nevada 89005 702 293 7377 Troop 206 History In the mid-1950s, following Wilson Young and Leland Shay, John Beek became Scoutmaster of Troop 6. An amateur naturalist and teacher, Beek often discoursed about the flora along the trails while on the monthly camping trips. During his tenure, the Troop attended Dimond-O, the Scout camp near Yosemite. Every year, following a week at camp, the older boys hiked in the high country for a second week, stashing food for the return trip along the trail to lighten their packs. Having mastered outdoor skills and naturalist training from Scoutmaster Beek, many Scouts later became counselors at Dimond-O. |
Dimond O Campground was recently rebuilt by the U.S. Forest Service. There are plans to convert the one remaining building into a visitor center. They believe that this building was our health lodge [see picture on right]. Dimond O now features paved interior roads, paved parking pads at each of its 38 spacious campsites for RV campers and level tent pads for tent campers. There are several double campsites which might be appropriate for a small troop campout. Reservations are through the National Reservation Service Toll-Free 1-877-444-6777 or internet ReservetUSA.com.
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