High Adventure - I assume

Friday, July 11, 2014

I know that most of you reading this are mostly doing so just because you find my pithy commentary so amusing.  Well, at least that is what I tell myself.  However, in those moments when I’m truly honest with myself, I know, its all about the pictures.  You couldn’t care less about my commentary, what you are hoping for is another picture of your son.  Unfortunately, loading pictures is a cumbersome process here at the ranch.  We also have 28 folks in our group this time which makes it hard for me to get pictures of everyone as we a scattered much farther apart then we are at Goshen.  And as you will see, today I got a lot done, but honestly, while I enjoy making these available to you, I’m here for some High Adventure not to be team and crew photographer.  So without further adieu…

We woke this morning to a thick fog but the promise of a warm day to come.  The night was actually perfect temperature wise as it was probably in the mid to low 60s.  Perfect sleeping weather, except for the one scout who for some reason didn’t get his sleeping bag out from Bro. Baker’s truck and slept on a cot with nothing else.  I know, if we had known we would have tried to help, but stuff happens and when we don’t know we can’t help.  Bro. Adams was nice enough to inform me that there is no hot water in the showers.  He informed me that that shower is way better to wake you up that a cup of coffee must be.

Revele played at 6am.  Taps plays at 10pm over the speakers.  It is better quality than a former bugler we have had, but it isn’t near as sentimental for me.  We walked over to breakfast at 7.  When I say we, it was Bro. Evans and I.  We did let them know we were going.  We ate a nice meal (other than the “margarine” infested grits or cream of wheat or whatever that was that neither John nor Jason ate despite their best efforts and even some hot sauce…  We took our sack lunches and headed back to camp to tell them what was up.  We informed them that breakfast was ending relatively shortly and they also needed to pick up their sack lunch or they would miss not just one but two meals today. 

We headed over to try to sign up for the canopy tour first thing, but they told us it was full until 11 and they had 3 slots.  We took those.  A large group from our team showed up after that and went over to check and got in at 9.  We went back over and got a 10.  We then did mountain biking.  We did the green trail and then the blue trail.  No one broke anything so a few scrapes and some adrenaline from almost flying off the course are all good things.  The one group then left to Canopy – that is a series of zip lines through the tops of trees.  It was very cool.

Everyone was spread out doing various things the rest of the morning.  A number of us showed up at camp to eat our lunch and at 12:30 we headed up to the zip line to be sure we got out spot.  Well, they decided to harness us all at the same time and not send us out in groups – which turned out to be highly inefficient.  Eventually we got to the top and enjoyed the ride.  A couple of us did that two more times.  Now, the rub here is once you are harnessed up and have your trolley in your back pack you have to hike UP to the starting point.  That deters a lot of scouts.  So a couple of us went 3 times. 

Now, after this point, I have little to no idea where most of the group was or what they were doing.  It was free time and they were free to do what they wanted. I can tell you that I wandered up to the skeet archery  spot and shot a whole lot of arrows and hit very little.  After which we moseyed (and by that I mean we loaded into Jeremy ‘s pick up and drove to) the water area and got to do the obstacle course.  For the record, the 5 old guy obliterated the priests group.  Twice.  6:05 – a new camp record for 5 people.  They didn’t have a 5 person record, but that is beside the point.  If you are wondering, the 4 person record was just under 4 minutes and the priests were close to 15 or 20 their first try.  Then we came back and had dinner.  And can I tell you how much I enjoyed just sitting and relaxing and eating for a while.  Ahh.  Ice cold lemonade and some pizza and salad.  Not bad.  And I got to eat while my son sat there so we caught up as well.  Once we finished some of us walked back over to the water front and did paddle boats (no, not the kind you pedal like a bike, the ones you stand on with a long paddle.  It was wet and fun.  Then we attended the stake fireside where the leader of the Scout Ranch spoke to us about being more like Christ.  It was very good I thought and not even all that long.   After we played a couple rounds of gaga ball (google it if you are interested).  And then made the long walk back to camp. 

So as I said, people did lots of stuff all day I assume.  I know I did.  And I didn’t take my camera to the water area so I have no pictures from there.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll try to get one or two.  After dinner I was sitting up on the Summit of Summit waiting for my phone to charge and watching folks head down the hill to the camp.  This trip wasn’t cheap, but as I watched the procession of our group head home, in groups of 3 or 2 or 4 – of kids who while friendly to each other probably don’t hang out with each other – walking back to camp discussing I truly have no idea what or want to know, I thought this is why we do this.  These memories, these times, they will have this shared experience they can hopefully remember and be able to know they have a friend.

I hope you see someone you love in a picture.  Assume they did what they most wanted to do and loved it.  They can correct that tomorrow if needs be.  Till then why think otherwise! 

Summit the Summit

Thursday, July 10, 2014

I’m once again headed into the wild with the wild, or maybe not so wild Team and Crew 1106. We are a group of 28 including our 5 fearless leaders.  I’m pleased to once again be traveling with John Evans – it is always good when someone else is in charge.  We gather at the church at 7am, and depart, lets just say sometime after that.  Despite the deluge of emails informing, reminding, begging, and even pleading, we have folks who don’t have all their paperwork so that gets to be dealt with prior to them heading down.  But 4 cars leave the lot and head west then south.

Our group is quite diverse with both young and old.   It will be interesting to see if or how the group comes together

My car with Nate, Michael, Blake and Dillon have a relatively docile journey as the alternatively battle on iphones, sleep, talk mostly quietly.  John leads the way and manages to avoid the 5 or more speed traps our fine public servants have set up along the path.

We get to WV and drive though a town.  This town has an astonishingly high number of taverns/bars/gin joints.  Or maybe that is how every little town in WV is, I simply don’t have a large enough data sample to reach any conclusions. 

 We finally turn into the Summit Bechtel Scout Ranch and note that the steel sign is already rusted (queue the Love Shack line Nate and I both sang).  We drive into the ranch about forever – seeing a fawn and a wild turkey on the way and arrive at the gate at exactly noon.  We couldn’t have been more punctual.  But since we are on time, we get to wait at the gate for 15 minutes while someone comes out to pick us up and lead us to camp.  We drive on a gravel road for about forever (and note the surprisingly small opportunities to get lost which seems strange to have needed an escort..) and wind around the camp and over to Camp C which will be our base camp. 

We arrive and get our stuff out of the car and head down to a registration tent and stand and wait for about forever.  John finally emerges from the registration tent and tells us that a few of us need to go in and get oriented.  We go in and wait for about forever as the guy keeps taking phone calls and eventually says “I gave you all that paperwork right?  Enjoy your stay.”  Or something like that.  We head to camp and they scramble into the coveted  tents, and generally since they are all identical and new and not full of spiders, everyone is happy. 

We then go back up the hill to the registration tent to have a tour after which we can get to having some high adventure.  After waiting about forever (and receiving a report that it wasn’t particularly helpful) we determine to do our own tour.  So we gather up who we can and head out.  We cross past the fishing pond and walk up the hill past the summit center and past the sustainability house and work our way over to the action center, which, as you might imagine, is where all the action is.  It is sort of like a carnival for bigger kids and so folks are free to do what they want as long as they stay with a buddy.

We are assigned to the BMX so we head there first.  We enter the tent and he tells us to grab a helmet and some pads.  So I grab a helmet and he hands me some pads.  They are two kneepads and two elbow pads. And, they are WET.  Not like damp from humidity, but like really wet.  And if they were just wet, it would be pretty gross, but the odor emanating from these pads is beyond my feeble ability to describe.  It is a combination of mold, a teenage boy’s sweat socks, and the set of gym clothes my son brought home from middle school about once a semester.  And once they were on, it didn’t go away.  And it’s staying power is something every perfume manufacturer would covet.  Remember, we are out of doors (thankfully because if we weren’t, I’m pretty sure we would all have been passed out from the smell long ago) and it is still so pungent my eyes are watering.

They start us with two beginner hills.  The key, they tell us, is to keep the pedals level.  It actually works pretty well.  After some practice we head over to the big course.  It is a blast.  It is also very surprisingly strenuous -  you end up not pedaling that much but you end up totally out of breath at the end of each lap.  Jeremy has his go pro on and nearly bites it but saves it with just a little ankle tweak.  We have a few other guys dump it and Michael who can’t seem to master one of the curves.  But by and large we are unblemished or maimed and have a great time.  They are getting ready to shut down at 4:30 for dinner (yeah, sort of early right?) So we had over and sit in the cafeteria area and wait for dinner.

We note the favorable comparison to the Goshen food and concur it is much better.  We have salad and spaghetti and garlic bread with Watermelon for dessert (or desert is we read the sign).  After dinner we head over and shoot arrows.  We then chuck tomahawks at logs.  I finished the evening with a few of us on the challenge course.  It’s a pretty good time.  We are looking forward to some of the other activities tomorrow.  Should be a great time.  I’m tired, so I’m going to bed.  Hopefully more tomorrow!

May tomorrow, be a perfect day....

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Around 4:30 am our survivor returned to camp.  He said it may be his worst night ever as first their shelter collapsed and so they went to sleep by the fire, which went out when the rains came down.  Apparently the leaders of the event didn’t want to sleep in the rain either since 4:30 am seems just a wee bit early to break camp and head for home. 

Well, I think Marriot has outdone itself this time.  Our breakfast consists of just cold cereal and oranges.  Hmm. The rant in my head is a good one.  Further inquiry leads me to the conclusion that other troops had eggs and ham.  Hmm.  Seems like maybe we had Boy Scout error involved in our meal today.  Either way, with Bro. Baker gone even the leaders will subsist on Frosted Flakes this morning.

The rain last night seems to have been light and is helping to keep the dust down this morning.  A fairly large contingent of scouts actually head to the showers on their own.  I’m not sure if I should be appreciative or concerned about the apparent cleanliness fetish of our younger generation.  Then again, they were sleeping 6 in one tent and more than one of those scouts were taking the “onion” smell to a level unreached since John Evan’s hit that old dead skunk years ago (see 2007 blog post).   We have by the scout’s count had at least 3 brown recluses and 1 black widow found in tents.  My count would be at least slightly lower than that.  I think my count must be more accurate or I do think they would have lost quite a few more scouts at this point than would be allowed by law (scout or otherwise).

There is some action – assuming you are taking a merit badge requiring action.    Those who are not enjoy another day of class and another class closer to receiving their patch.  Early afternoon thunder closes the water front and the shooting range.  A pall is cast over the camp, but most our boys are off the water in the afternoon anyway. 

Most meal times resemble something out of Lord of the Flies, except that they do manage to generally wait until a prayer is offered before breaking into feeding frenzy mode.

Most of the scouts are taking Citizenship in the World.  They have to do one of two items.  One of which we are told is “talk to a foreign scout.”  Many of our scouts claim to have done that.  Upon further investigation we find that the requirement is actually “Visit with a student or Scout from another country and discuss the typical values, holidays, ethnic foods, and traditions practiced or enjoyed there.”  Fortunately, our foreign guest scout agrees to hold a discussion with the rest of the scouts about such matters.  We learn that the UK is one of the only countries that doesn’t have an independence day.  We hear about a holiday where because someone wasn’t able to blow up parliament he was burned at the stake so to speak so every year they celebrate by burning him in effigy – and there is a song, which neither the Scout nor Sam would sing for us.   We learn of  local cuisine referred to as “fish and chips” and “bangers and mash.”  Feeling quite multiculturally enriched, the boys return to sharpening sticks.

A few years back I swam the mile with Nate.  That year the camp was obscenely crowded and most of the camp decided to swim the mile.  No one drowned, but maybe they did and it just wasn’t discovered till weeks later.  Since that time they have made some changes to the mile swim experience.  In order to qualify for the patch you also have to participate in 4 hours of training, so you have to take a class.  Taking a mile swim class means at least on less merit badge so we did not encourage our group to do that.  When we show up for the swim, they tell us that the kids in the class go first – and they go out as buddies and are each assigned a boat to row next to them.  Seems a little overly cautious to me, but I’m not in charge.  Fortunately, my buddy Ty and I are able to get a boat!  Spoiler alert – we made it.  My camp experience concludes as I complete the mile swim with Tyler!  Can’t think of a better way to wrap up my week.  It will be a late night drive home, but well worth it.

I’ll miss the last two days and 3 nights of camp, but I’m sure your boys will bring home to you the stories I couldn’t.  Things such as – were they able to get enough signal to watch the soccer game?  I’m glad to have had the chance to spend with the boys.  They are a good group of youth all well on their way to the rank of Eagle.  I’m especially grateful to those adult leaders who were able to support the trip, especially Scoutmaster White. 

Till next year…

Spiders

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

We arise early.  Why?  Because it is camping and the boys can’t sleep past 6 a.m. when they are camping and less than 14 years old.  Brother Baker has brought the fixing for a wonderful breakfast for the leaders of eggs, kobasa, and potatoes.  The youth get cold cereal, pancakes and eggs.  With due respect to the other leaders, Bro. Baker leaps to the head of the class. 

It is off to merit badge classes for the scouts.  As I mentioned before, first day not much gets done and since this is the first day for morning classes, they are quickly reminded about why they look forward to summer break and that parts of scout camp are really nothing like summer break.     

A couple of the folks get to swim, boat, hammer, dye (no mother’s don’t worry – not die), shoot, and fingerprint.  Speaking of which, our first completed merit badge takes place in Handicraft (no surprise) as a scout finishes fingerprinting (no surprise).  Robert is able to complete his dream purchase of a hatchet and proceeds to scour around for things to embed it into.  The number of sticks in camp which have been denuded and sharpened to a point is reaching the range where I would expect my Aunt (if she were here) to say we have more such sticks than Carter’s got liver pills (she used to say this when Carter was in the white house which was always very confusing to me but I later found out this had nothing to do with him).  A few scouts head out to work on their observance of nature as part of environmental science.   This involves sitting in two spots for twenty mintues 3 times.  They generally do this as a group which almost always serves to scare off the wildlife but also keeps them awake. 

Tonight dinner is the semi-traditional tin-foil dinner night.  After a little e-coli incident shut down camp they don’t send things out raw anymore.  Instead they provide some already boiled and seasoned potatoes, pre-cooked hamburgers, and some baby carrots.  Mr. D makes a fire with just 2 matches and the boys proceed to throw their meals into the fire and pull them out just about every 30 seconds to see if they are done and then put them back in with incrementally less protective foil until they either give up and eat it cold or accumulate so much ash inside the meal that they achieve that smoky flavor they apparently love.  I pull out the secret weapon (bbq sauce – thanks Doug Nichols!) and eat mine.  We did have apple pie for dessert.  That was delicious! 

Sam joins us and is warmly greeted by the youth.  Just after dinner one of our members takes off to attend the wilderness survival camp out.  For the survival camp you can only take what you can fit in your pockets – no sleeping bag, etc.  He isn’t taking the merit badge, he just thought it would be fun.  When he meets up with the group going the other scouts tell him – dude, if you aren’t doing the merit badge, you DON’T want to go.  He goes anyway.

Flag retreat includes a pitch for world scout jamboree in Japan next year.  Just under six thousand including airfare and travel around Japan.  First payments due in July.  And our FHE speaker gets another chance to address us – think he takes it?  Do scouts whittle sticks to points?  He encourages our youth to be like the staff.  I appreciate the sentiment but hold out hope for something more lucrative for my kids such that they can take better care of me in my old age (which the scouts generally already think I’ve reached.) Not that I don’t appreciate many of the wonderful staff who put up with a lot…

As dusk settles into night we once again are asked to “come see” various lethal spiders in tents.  No scouts were harmed in the process; I can’t say the same about our 8 legged co-habitors. Around 10 pm the rains came, which are actually a very effective means of driving the animals into their abodes.

Land of Goshen!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Is it that time of year again already?!

I begin the end today.  It won’t be quick, and it most likely won’t be painless, but as my last son begins his first year at beautiful Camp Marriott, I know the end is very nearly upon me.  How I got this old I know not, but I know it is what it is. 

Our party this year consists of 24 total scouts including 4 from another troop and 4 from a different troop and we are fortunate to have a bloke from London town with us as well.  We are lead ably by Brother White (head honcho) and Brother Baker (assistant honcho).  One very odd item Bro. H noted is that there was not a single mother (or a married one for that matter (rim shot)) drop off her kids this morning (or at least that I saw).   I’m not sure we have ever had a majority of the “drop-offers” be men, let alone a nearly unanimous showing.  Interesting.  We are just one seat short and so President H gets to accompany us down.  We are happy to have him but disappointed we didn’t quite manage to keep him from having to drive down.  We load up and head west just as the sun broaches the horizon the color of a flaming marshmallow.

My van is filled to capacity with the Z-men, two Ty-guys, Special K and the brick layer.  They (unfortunately) sleep very little but the conversation is (fortunately) kept to a dull roar and I learn all about any number of movies or tv shows or youtube videos involving zombies, shootings, etc. that I haven’t found time (or desire) to view.  It is also a sometimes painful reminder of just how difficult being in Jr. High/Middle School can be:  wanting to be your own person, but wanting to fit in and wanting to be cool yet still being just a kid at 12.  One boy  comments about a “friend” who threw an egg at a car and shattered a window and when the disbelief becomes a little much adds that they also threw a brick.  Hmmmm.  Another said that someone always calls rather than texts and that a call is better anyway, realizes that might be a statement not fully supported by the group generally so follows up with “at least most the time,” speaker indicates he texts sometimes, but not all the time.  I think I haven’t seen that many hedges in such close proximity since viewing that movie with the labyrinth in the garden.  It isn’t easy walking that line.  There is simply not enough money in the world to have me do it again. 

The Knob route proves the winning route again, but everyone else stopped and we drove on through so I’m not sure how much quicker we were.  We did do our good turn for the day was we were running down the Knob we almost ran into another car going the other direction.  It was a load of scouts looking for Goshen.  We told them to follow us and we led them to camp.  They were headed the wrong way.  The rest of the crew filters in.  While waiting, Bro. Baker discovers that rather than a new pick up he has actually purchased a very pricy mobile playground as the scouts climb over it like ants on a dropped jujube.

We are assigned camp #2.  It is just as far from everything as camp 1 with the added bonus that the path to Ecology heads at one side of our camp so we shall have non-troop members traipsing through our abode on a regular basis.  Super.  Boys pick tents, sweep out spiders (best line – can we get a lantern for our tent?  Why?  Because it is dark.  I typically open the doors if it is dark.  But that’s how the bugs get in!) and change for swim check.  We do swim check and all survive.  A number of folks are either initiated into the red hand club or have adopted themselves into a Native American tribe. 

We have staff introductions where the staff run in camp Marriott and injure themselves.  I assume to serve as an object lesson on why we don’t run in camp.  Because they can’t feed 400 people at once, they split us up and send 2/3rds on a “busy work” tour and we have the unfortunate rotation of being last to eat.  When we do, the hot dogs taste like, ok, they tasted like mediocre hot dogs, but we were appreciative of having at least something to eat. 

As soon as lunch is over it is on to merit badges.  I would give you some action photos, but trust me, there is NO action on day one.  They head out with blue cards in hand and visions of merit badges dancing in their heads. 

Dinner consists of a poor man’s chicken nugget (which really is saying something).  After dinner we have FHE which helps the boys appreciate the brievity of FHE at home.  We then walk back to camp and 20 minutes later then walk back for flag retreat. 

Upon returning to camp we enjoy some quiet less noisy time.  Despite the fact that their parents have paid full boat for them to be here, and for each of them to have a cot and to have two persons per tent.  6 scouts decide to sleep in one tent on three cots.  Ah to be young and able to walk after such a night!  Three other scouts are in another tent with three cots. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh well, I have a tent to myself.  The big dipper is perfectly outlined by the trees above our camp.  I finally hit the sack and drift off.  Tomorrow we do it again.