Overnighter...Keith's first post

Last weekend I had the honor of taking our scouts on a camp out. I haven't been on a boy scout camp in a long time. Working with these young men brought back a flood of memories from my youth. I must of had a mental block shutting them out of my conscious mind, because I completely forgot how young men act and think (or maybe don't think). I am now of the belief that from the age of about 12 to 23 men don't really use their brains to their full capacity. I'm thinking a rough estimate would be like 20%. After 23 they use more like 50 to 60%. I think to some women that number is a bit generous. Sometimes I think young men are more like adolescent zombies that are in a constant state of bewilderment.

We have about six scouts that normally come to our activities each week. About an hour or two before we were to meet five of the boys called to say they weren't going. We had two boys, who are brothers, actually show up and one of them is from an older age group. When we picked them up, one of them was carrying a small backpack. He threw it into the trunk and then jumped into the back seat. When I asked them to get their stuff for the camp out they replied that they already had. Now I knew before hand that they didn't have a tent or sleeping bag so we provided one for them. I did however think it was a bit strange that they had only one small bag between the two of them. Being a firm believer of 'live and learn' I closed my door and we left. So with two boys and three leaders we headed to the great outdoors.

We camped out at Farmington Flats which is just nine miles from Farmington. Now you may say that that's not too far of a drive. But you haven't taken into consideration that the leaders are only dealing with 50-60% brain power. Being the adventurers that we are we took the drive starting above Bountiful which is at least twice that of Farmingtons mere 9 miles. The road from Bountiful is also a heck of a lot bumpier. I don't think the leaders minded the drive very much. I know I enjoyed the view. It was very relaxing. The cool breeze with the leaves changing colors made for a pleasant ride. On the other hand that was all lost on the two boys in the back seat. At one point the window was rolled down when we got the sense that lunch was about to make a quick come back.

When we finally made it there I think the boys realized that it was worth the drive. It is really beautiful up there right now. It's not too crowded, the weather is just about perfect, and they also have running water and bathrooms in the camp grounds. After picking a camp site the boys headed straight for the axe and the camp fire. I got a little nervous with the axes. I'm just glad everyone came home with all of their fingers.

At night everything went well and nobody died or got lost. When the leaders out number the scouts you have a better chance of making sure everyone makes it out alive. We worked on the orienteering and axe merit badges and had them make dinner. They did a really good job with everything. I'm very impressed with the young men in our troop. I consider myself lucky. The only down side was that at night the boys didn't have coats, since the only items in their back pack were paper plates and silverware. As it turned out one of the other leaders and myself had packed extra jackets for the night. It was a good thing too because it got a little chilly.

The next morning we had breakfast, packed up and headed home. On the whole I think every thing went well. It was nice to get out of the city and enjoy the out doors. I've really missed it. Next year we are planning on a 50 mile hike and I'm really looking forward to it. I only hope the boys are a little more prepared next time.

Below are a few Pics from the camp out:

Our healthy breakfast consisting of bacon, potato's, and pancakes.

That's Damien, Kasey, and Jay working on breakfast.

This is Warren enjoying a smoky fire.

And this is Jays dog Hook. Some dogs like small sticks to chew on but Hook likes logs.