the 40 mile hike

[pastorp]

When I was a lot younger and in better shape I did a 40+ mile hike with some of the scout kids in the church I attended. We put in at a trail head into the Gila wilderness with 2 mules packed with our camp and food. I owned several horses but both myself and the other chaprone said we wanted to walk so the kids could "Keep up", boy that was a mistake.

We led the mules and never saw the kids between meals. It was a great experience. We went slow and didn't move camp on sunday of course. With plenty of food, life was good. We even baked biscuits and cakes in our dutch oven. Bacon, eggs, & pancakes were the norm for breakfasts. We took a case of candy bars but those didn't last long. So I started baking the cakes, used hot chocolate mix to flavor the cakes chocolate. You got to improvise when the nearest grocery is over 100 miles away, and your on foot.

The weather was wonderful as it usually was summertime in the southwest high country. We saw all kinds of game as you always do when your not hunting. Deer, Elk & turkeys as well as small game were in abundance. We followed the river through the wilderness area for 8 days. We swam and fished along the way. Trip of a lifetime. Regards,

[bilmac]

Wow those kids had some great leaders. I doubt the Scouts would even undertake such a thing today, too may lawyers, somebody might get snakebit, and of course it would be the leaders fault.

The last place I worked before I retired we had a kids fishing day every year. The local sportsmans club would bring town kids and their own boats out to a lake on the Refuge. Nebraska Game and Parks and us would do some programs and fun things like casting contests. The kids and club members would go fishing in the boats for a few hours and then come back together and clean the catch. Then we fried them up. Good times, it made your heart warm to see the kids have such a good time, but I think it was even better to see the old guys give up their time to show the younguns the great outdoors.

[Bornsouthern34]

A friend and I did 28 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Ga 3 weeks ago. We ran into a group of scouts at one of the shelters. Actually, the adults were in the shelter and the boys had tents. Good to see them still doing it. My grandfather was an Eagle, my father is an Eagle and I am an Eagle. Now my boys are in Cubs. I hope to keep the tradition alive. As for the lawyers, take them with you and help them "DOWN" the trail. That should take care of it.

[Victor3]

As for the lawyers, take them with you and help them "DOWN" the trail. That should take care of it.

 

 Couple of years ago my Wife, Son (Webelo, BTW ) and I were having breakfast at our Hotel at the Grand Canyon. A couple of 40-ish women with New York accents sat down in the booth next to us, with their pine broomstick 'hiking staffs' just bought at the tourist store.

 The waiter, a 20-ish French guy obviously in top physical shape, came over to serve the ladies. One of them asked him, "Are you familiar with thie Bright Angel trail?" He replied, "Yes, I've hiked it over 20 times now."

 The lady went on to say, "We're going to the bottom and back up today.  Is there anything special you recommend we take with us?" (My Wife raised her eyebrows and smiled at me).

 The Frenchman replied, "Hmmm.... Let me see. Do you have a helicopter?"

[Bornsouthern34]

After 3 days of rain on the last trip, I wish I could have gotten a helicopter. Being a weatherman is the only profession I know of where they can be wrong 360 days of the year and get a payraise for it. BTW, how is the rest of your gear? I just bought a new pack and going to get a new bag if I can sell the other barrel. The pack I have on the pick is a military issue ALICE loaded with 42 lbs of gear. By day 3 I was burning stuff to get the weight down.

[MUTTLY]

Wow those kids had some great leaders. I doubt the Scouts would even undertake such a thing today, too may lawyers, somebody might get snakebit, and of course it would be the leaders fault.

Sorry, I'm a scout leader-

This year we hiked 56 miles on Isle Royale over 7 days - carried all food and gear for every mile.

Last year - 54 miles at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico

Year before that - 10 days in the Canadian wilderness by canoe

[Hodr]

Yeah scouts, 
Massive train wreck going through Arizona, may people injured in derailment some seriously but by the time help arrived BSA Scouts had already reached and triaged all injured.  Most of the the injured were transported without further first responder treatment.  These scouts were all headed to Philmont looking for a challenge.

Liability;  I have taken over 200 Explorer Scouts down to a public range and got them in free to teach fire arms skill.  Deal I made was to go rangemaster 1 day a month.  Never had a problem.

Hiking; My son and 3 of his friends all took Eagle in the same year and had thier ceremony together.  In a 4 year span they picked up 4 parts of a circular badge know as rim of the bay mostly for Mountain hikes.  Last month they could be scouts they set up the fifth and last hike.  They took the troop uphill with an assistant scoutmaster and got back rather quickly.  Seems on the way up it was too much for the tenderfoot scouts.  The older ones picked up and split all the packs between them. our son and his friends each packed out a 12 year old on thier back.  When asked why they didn't go on they only said "little ones could'nt make it"  On that day I sent out a boy scout, what I got back was a full sized man.   The very last hike he took an electric guitar, batteries and speakers 20 miles into wilderness area to play around a campfire to prove that he could do it.

blijndhari