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Check out this link of a credible account of
Bigfoot at the Second annual Kegger Backpack, back in 1977!!

See 2006 Photos.
Thanks Tom & Jeff.
Photos Wanted! Write Me

The 30th Annual Kegger Backpack was held on June 11th & 12th, 2005
A great time was had by all. See 2005 Photos.

Saturday afternoon get-to-gether. June 11th, 2005.

SPECIAL 30th Anniversary t-Shirt, still available
Write to Jake. Jake

"Timing is critical.." she said. "The arrangement of the planets. The arrangement of each person around us. June is a time of transition, changes re-alignments, re-adjustments, re-fulfillments and especially recreations."
"NO!" he pleaded. "Don't mess with a good thing. The 4th of June has nearly no moon. It's too early. Let us convene instead on June 18th. We will be blind by the darkness on the 4th. Wait for the light. Are we to blunder all summer because of impatience? Can we not wait for longer, warmer days? You always wanted to hurry things up. Do you want to hurry life up? You race to finish it! What then?" He looked down at her nubile form wrapped in the sleeping bag.
As her eyes looked into his soul she smiled and said only that she wanted the summer to start two weeks earlier, to last two weeks longer. "Get back under the blanket and watch the sun come up with me."
After a long pause he crawled in next to her, but the question of should the Kegger be June 4th/5th OR 18th/19th kept intriguing him in a warm and tantalizing way. In the end he chose the 11th & 12th.

A Just found!! 40 year old painting of Tom, Bucky and Pat as boyscouts deaming up the kegger Backpack trip.

Pictures!! of the 2004.
Thanks to Dave Voth

Photo Galleries
Follow this link to the photo galleries from past years.

Read the Kegger Backpack Guest Book

Read what others said as they planned and discussed for Kegger in years gone by.

A Send a note to the Kegger Guest book.

What's a Kegger Backpack?

This cultural phenomenon takes place in early summer. Each year friends gather to celebrate life in a beautiful spot in the High Sierra Mountains of Northern California. It was started in 1975 by a close knit bunch of outcast "pointy heads" (i.e. ex-Boy Scouts) when they became too old to return to their B.S.A. scout camp. Their children now carry on the tradition. Each year a few tasty kegs of beer are laboriously backpacked in cross-country for quick consumption on the earliest possible Saturday and Sunday of June. The first kegs were the cheapest of light beers. Now as tastes have matured and paychecks have grown, micro brew kegs are more common. Some years may bring only about 20 people. Other years over 60 people are common. In the late 80's the organizers saw such an increase in those wishing to attend that two Keggers a year were held so as to lessen the environmental impact on the traditional "Kegger Spot". Planning is already well underway for the next Kegger.
For the complete history of the gathering see Tom McGonigle's Column in the Kegger Chronicle, and the authoritative history and origin of the first kegger backpack trip. Also guidelines for Kegger Backpacking and environmental concerns.
All U.S. Forestry regulations strictly enforced.

THE FOREST
The Stanislaus National Forest is located east of Sonora in Central California's Gold Rush Country, on 895,500 acres. State Highways 4, 108 and 120 access the area. The Stanislaus National Forest, created on February 22, 1897, is among the oldest of the National Forests. It is named for the Stanislaus River whose head waters rise within Forest boundaries. The Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga named the river "Our Lady of Guadulupe" during an 1806 expedition. Later, the river was renamed in honor of Estanislao, an Indian leader.

Please take a minute to jot us a note of your most memorable Kegger experience.
We need good CONTENT. Send in articles! Ideas! Support..... Or better yet you make a web page and lets link them together.
Now's your chance to get published on the WWW!

Also if anyone took pictures, besides me, I'd be glad to post them.

Chief Kegger Coordinator
Tom McGonigle i.e. Tom Fun (t.mcgonigle@comcast.net)

and Paula or Mike Williams
(vacawilliams@att.net)

"I just want to have a little party..." Mike Williams, spring 2000.

The 25th annual Kegger Back Pack, June 2000

The 2000 Kegger Backpack was special. Read a review of this phenomnal gathering.
Y2Kegger

From the desk of Tom McGonigle
The story of the first kegger backpack trip.Also guidelines for Kegger Backpacking and environmental concerns.
The authoritative history and origin

Teresa's Favorite Kegger Recipes.
Teresa offers two outstanding recipes for your dining pleasure. Easy to make while inebriated or in the daze of a hangover, check these out.

John's Advice Column
"Dear John letters..." Advice on romance, relationships and camping.
Send letters now to John C/O Dear John
All names kept confidential. All letters answered. Make your Kegger experience as outstanding as possible. Avoid screw ups. Learn from the sensitivity of a master.

Other Kegger Links
Want to know the current status of the Kegger spot, this minute?
Find out about the island right now on the WWW.

Find a snow depth map of the island. Want to know if there have been any earthquakes in our region of the Sierras? Here are also many, many more links that look at other keggers, and beer drinking, and drinking in general. Just a few of many connections.
Just added, a precautionary note about California rattlesnakes
and Moon phases in June 2003
"The Carry" by Jake
"I loved Brian's guest book entry. I laughed all the way through. I've never been able to imagine what a keg carry was like, but I can now. I think his story is a winner!!" Paula.
After posting Jake found three very minor "geographical inaccuracies" But only the most experienced kegger backpackers will pick them up. Can you ?

Announcing the
2005 HAIKU Contest!
"The sensitive beauty..
The delicate touch of nature
wrapped in words
The 1999 Kegger Haiku contest winner: Phil Webster cashed his $100 prize gift certificate at Tower Records. His winning poem was:

The keg, it was full.
We drank and drank and drank
The keg, it was empty.

Congratulations again, Phil!
Next year's prize will be a 3-day all-expense trip to Las Vegas. To enter, please submit poetry to Deb, and sign up for the brief, 3-hour presentation of the South Las Vegas Resort Condominiums. Judging done by consensus of conscious Kegger participants on Sunday morning, June 11^th.
haiku (HIE-koo) noun
1. A Japanese lyric verse form having three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables, traditionally invoking an aspect of nature or the seasons.
2. A poem written in this form.
[Japanese : hai, amusement (from Chinese pa, farce) + ku, sentence, from Chinese ju.]
Example: "Takiguchi is more lyrical: `Poetry is bottled wine, Haiku is bottled poetry'." City Diary: Take a haiku, The Daily Telegraph, 10 Oct 1998.

Send your entries to
HAIKU Contest

Steam rises after the hail storm. June 7th, 2003.

Announcing the
Kegger 2003 Trivia Contest
See how many you can answer!
Also please send your questions, and answers to
Your Trivia Question

Official Kegger Backpack Song

.. Oh, we had a little party on The Island
There was Harry, there was Larry, there was space such space....
..Sing Glorious Victorious One Keg a Beer for...

L. to R. ?, Lenny, Tom, Kenny Caton, ?, Jeff, John, Bucky, TC, Pat, Jim

The design on the limited edition mugs.

For the 2000 Kegger, Mike Williams produced a BIG 22 oz. insulated coffee/BEER mug with our favorite logo attached. It was available for $5.00 per mug or 3 for $12.00. This will be a classic for yea. Like the shirt, this mug is at production cost.
It has the boys call to action. There may be some left.
SoooDeee!!".

This is the T-Shirt done for 1995 by Brian (aka Jake).
Jake has finished this years Kegger Backpack shirt. He will have an assortment of sizes and colors in the campground area on Friday night and Saturday morning. THESE SHIRTS WILL RUN OUT! Those who have pre-ordered a shirt will receive one. Thanks Jake for your efforts again this year.
Production cost: $16.00 each. Offer expires June 2000.

keg Pronunciation: 'keg, dial 'kag, 'kAg
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English kag, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse kaggi keg. Date: circa 1632
1 : a small cask or barrel having a capacity of 30 gallons (136.4 liters) or less
2 : the contents of a keg

Two camping list of essential and optional items you should consider.

The first Written by Tom himself is for the first timer. What to take on your kegger trip.
TOM's LIST

The second list, from John of "Johns Advice colum" fame. This is for the seasoned Camper, similar items but a different emphasis.
JOHN's List

Kegger Backpacks are realy pretty cheap vacations.

Purify Your Water!
Water Warning: All water should be boiled or filtered. Last year, Steve and Ed came down with gilardia.

Related issue: There has been rumor that the 1999 Aqua-fresh model 34 may have been defective. Aqua-fresh is recalling all filters for replacement.

Announcing New Sanitation Procedures

The Committee for Kegger Safety and implemented at the Kegger 2000. Preliminary designs include a new privacy creen and magazine rack with built-in toilet paper dispenser. Depending on the river's flow, the temporary sanitation unit will most likely be located across he river. It is everyone's duty to help lessen the impact of the Kegger patrons on the Island. Please support our new Green Environmental policy. BYOTP.

"I am I, plus my surroundings, and if I do not preserve the latter, I do not preserve myself."
-Jose Ortega Y Gasset [Meditations on Quixote] (1883-1955)

Open Job Listings

The Committee for Safety and Health Maintenance has an immediate opening for sanitation engineer and three positions for porto-potty transporters and/or pit diggers. Shovels not provided. Must be under 28. Excellent benefits, including beer discounts.

Crime Log

Kegger, 1999:
Julia Jiver reported her tent stakes missing during the night. She experienced tent-roll from the high wind. Her tent was located downwind from John McGonigle's tent. In the morning, she awoke on the beach.

Kegger, 1999:
Teresa reported someone stole their Kegger cups and does not think it was funny and would like them back.

Kegger Classifieds

For sale: Keg stretcher, slightly used, in good condition. Original wooden model. Low mileage. $45 Call Phil.

For sale: Slightly used water purifier. Aqua-fresh brand, used once. Make me an offer - Steve

For sale: Tent, missing six stakes. Call Julia.

For sale: Tent stakes. Make offer, it's a steal! Call Max.

Deer Count Up in 2002

U.S. Forestry estimates are staggering. Over-grazing is a real concern. Natural food supply for deer will be stretched to the maximum. Forester Mike Williams will recommend double the amount of deer tags. Hikers should use caution, as deer may be especially aggressive this year.

"I wanted to change the world. But I have found that the only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself." -Aldous Leonard Huxley, British writer (1894-1963)

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