High Adventure

When I was a teenager our youth leaders took us on a 5 day, 50 mile adventure backpacking on a section of the Appalachian Trail through Pennsylvania. It is one of the activities that I remember as a highlight from my youth. The first couple of days were rough. Not only was it a steep climb on rocky trails but it was raining and we got soaked despite our rain gear. The second day a couple of the leaders were having problems with their knees and decided to go home. I had some bad blisters that needed to be tended to. My sister had a soaked sleeping bag that was going to be inadequate to sleep in. I knew my dad was planning on joining the hike the next day, so I traded my dry sleeping bag for my sisters wet one and went home that evening. I got my blisters treated properly and my shoes dried out and threw Laurie's sleeping bag in the dryer. The next morning I went back with my dad and we set up camp where we knew the hikers planned to be that evening, then we hiked up the trail to meet them. We met them part way through the day then retraced our steps back to camp. In doing this I was able to get all my miles in so that I still did the 50 miles even though I went home one night. Those who had been hiking for 3 days were thrilled with the salad and steaks my dad had brought out and cooked for dinner that night. It was a welcome change from the dried trail food in the packs. The next two days were drier and we were only soaked by our sweat as we finished the planned hike. We got off the trail dirty and tired but proud of our accomplishment. I think that all of us have retained a fondness for the Appalachian Trail and the great time we had there.

Last week Steven got to participate in his troops high adventure activity doing a three day backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. The troop plans to go to Philmont next summer and they are in training mode to get prepared for the 10 day experience there. Helping him get ready for it brought back a lot of memories from my youth experience and even though Steven moaned and groaned about going, I assured him that he was going to have a great time and that it would be worth it. I doubt he believed me but he humored me by listening to my stories of our trip on the trail and at least the fact that I had done it myself lent credence to my words.

We got him booted out the door on Thursday morning with a pack full of the things he needed to survive in the wilderness for three days. (Plus he took his phone and it can hardly be called wilderness when you can text your dad or post to Facebook anytime you want.) And they were off on an adventure. Ralph tried his hardest to get some time off work to join the scouts but forces were not in his favor. He had to settle with driving out after work on Friday and joining them for the last night and day of the hike. Steven hasn't told me too much about his hike. I'm thinking he had a good time but doesn't want to admit that Mom could possibly have been right. For now, he just complains that his feet are sore. I hope that behind the soreness, he feels a sense of accomplishment and maybe even wants to go back. All I know for sure is that in the pictures, he is smiling.