Okay everybody, I have been gone for a couple of days. I was given the opportunity to wander around the wilderness with 12 scouts for 4 days. Myself and another scout leader took 12 backpack toting, wrong shoes wearing, over packing, slow walking, mommy missing boys up into the forests of the High Uintas, where they participated in the time honored tradition of wandering around and freezing. The whole while, we the leaders lied to them about how much fun we are all having and how much character they are building. We do this for the sole purpose to ensure the boys, when grown, will know how to inflict the same amount of misery and pain on the next generation and so on and so on until the world blows up in a huge ball of back packing fire!
The following is the true account of one of countless character building events that happened during this important right of passage:
We pulled up to the trail head in the Uintas. The trail head was located just about a mile from a beautiful touristy lake where people park and walk with their young children to spend the day in relaxation. We were not going to the touristy, close lake. The plan was to leave from the parking lot, point the boys at the forest in the direction where you think there are the fewest number of bears, and let them walk until they collapse. At that time they will set up tents and we will be miles from civilization (Maps and compasses will be used to ensure that we are as far as humanly possible from a Dr. Pepper).
Anyway, we walked and we walked. We went up rocky hills, and we went down scary slopes. They boys started walking slow and then they walked slower. We turned left at the fork, and looked at a map in a very convincing manner. When we had gone for about four hours, we finally arrived at the most beautiful campsite you have ever seen. Next to the most beautiful lake you have ever seen. It was there we decided to set up camp.
As the scouts set up their tents in the areas of the campground guaranteed to collect the largest puddles of water if it by chance rains, I took a walk over to the lake to take in the sites of true seclusion. It was glorious. My eyes moved across the lake taking in all the wonders of nature...and then I noticed the swimmers...right there on the other side of the lake. This was not the lake of our destination, this was the lake that was located 15 minutes from where we parked. It just took us hours to walk 15 minutes. I started to cry and realized those weren't tears...they were rain drops...I looked up just as the sky opened up and and let us have it. As the rain fell, I started to laugh. Bring on the character!
The following is the true account of one of countless character building events that happened during this important right of passage:
We pulled up to the trail head in the Uintas. The trail head was located just about a mile from a beautiful touristy lake where people park and walk with their young children to spend the day in relaxation. We were not going to the touristy, close lake. The plan was to leave from the parking lot, point the boys at the forest in the direction where you think there are the fewest number of bears, and let them walk until they collapse. At that time they will set up tents and we will be miles from civilization (Maps and compasses will be used to ensure that we are as far as humanly possible from a Dr. Pepper).
Anyway, we walked and we walked. We went up rocky hills, and we went down scary slopes. They boys started walking slow and then they walked slower. We turned left at the fork, and looked at a map in a very convincing manner. When we had gone for about four hours, we finally arrived at the most beautiful campsite you have ever seen. Next to the most beautiful lake you have ever seen. It was there we decided to set up camp.
As the scouts set up their tents in the areas of the campground guaranteed to collect the largest puddles of water if it by chance rains, I took a walk over to the lake to take in the sites of true seclusion. It was glorious. My eyes moved across the lake taking in all the wonders of nature...and then I noticed the swimmers...right there on the other side of the lake. This was not the lake of our destination, this was the lake that was located 15 minutes from where we parked. It just took us hours to walk 15 minutes. I started to cry and realized those weren't tears...they were rain drops...I looked up just as the sky opened up and and let us have it. As the rain fell, I started to laugh. Bring on the character!
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