More Camping - Cub Scout Pack 2008 - Den 7

DEN 7

Some of you know that the Scouting program is near to my heart. I was raised in the Scouting Program. My grandad taught me the Scout Oath before I was 5. My Uncle is an Eagle Scout. My brother is an Eagle Scout...and I am an Eagle Scout. Some of my best memories are in Scouts and by the time I was 12 years old I had completed my first 50 mile backpacking trek in New Mexico's Pecos Wilderness. When I was 16, I had repelled off my first 150 foot bluff. I love the outdoors and I love camping.

Hanging out with your buddies

Cooking Breakfast - It's a bit chilly (me on the right)

Scout Families Enjoying the Camp Fire

So now I have a 7 year old son and I have become his Cub Scout Den Leader. This past weekend was the fall camp out and we decided to go to Tyler State Park. Another thing of note, it was supposed to be the first freeze of the year. Yeah baby, now that's camping.



Orienteering Training - who knows, they may take up adventure racing

We pull into the park at 5:30PM on Friday evening. When we got there two of my Scout's Dads had a fire going and supper was on the Colman Stove. With the help of one of the dads, we set the tent up in the dark and begin to settle into camp. After dinner, I broke out the Dutch Oven and in 30 minutes we had peach cobbler, hot and ready to go. The air temperature was cooling down and it was time to get the boys to bed. At 11:30PM, I decided to take off on a 2 hour run. There are some really good mountain bike trails and I was anxious to get out there and see what happens. After one hour on the trail, I had determined a couple of things. I was struggling at keeping a good pace on a technical trail that is unfamiliar, at night. So after that hour, I took to the roads and finished up at 1:30 AM running a good pace. After a quick shower, I crawled into the bag at 2:04AM. It was getting cold....at least Texas Cold.

Luke having the time of his life

Me having the time of my life - my son and both daughters

Up at 6:45AM on Saturday morning, had a fire going and the day was off. Also I had about 4 boys coming on Saturday for the activities and Saturday night camping. Additionally and most astonishing, my wife Bren was coming on Saturday to camp and stay the night. She was bring our two daughters, Macy and Hope with her.

Bren having the time of her life...well not so much

Why is this astonishing? I will tell you. She hates to camp. This stems from one bad experience nearly 20 years ago and since that point she has sworn off camping. So here we are on Saturday, they show up and I notice she is having a good time. Wow...but we still have the night to go and it is suppose to drop to freezing. I at this point made a judgement call. I knew she was having a good time and that this camping thing for Bren would have to come in Baby Steps. If she froze her butt off on Saturday, it would be a cold day in hell before she treaded into the camping realm again. Thusly, I suggested for her to go back home. My oldest daughter wanted to stay the night, so Bren left for the house with Hope and herself. Smartest move I made as she commented on Sunday that she realized that camping may not be as bad and she may stay the night next time.

As far as Macy, we wake up with frost on the ground and her first comment was, "I LOVE CAMPING!" All in all a great time was had by everyone. I have a great Den with great parents. Last night I got and email from one of my boys mother's. She mentioned that Trevor said, "They were the best days of his life." Makes all my efforts worthwhile I tell ya!

Trevor having "the best days of his life"

Note about the orienteering training: I marked out a course and hid an ammo box with prizes for the boys. It was their job to shoot the azimuth and mark the paces from landmark to land mark to eventually the ammo box location (about 1/2 to 3/4 mile course). Cool experience for them using the compass.