I wanted to finish up the rest of the Backpacking merit badge in Boy Scouts. I have done three fifteen milers for the badge, I just had to do a requirement that lasts a trip that would take five days, three campsites, and thirty miles. I started the trip on Tuesday, August 2, 2011. I walked five miles from my house to the church, and then by Bingham High School, than South Jordan Middle school, then Jordan Ridge Elementary School and then to Jordan Ridge Park. And then went to the church again and then headed back home. I set up the big tent in the backyard and then slept in it all night with my sisters, Princess and Prima Donna. Right in that night, it was a big thunderstorm that it kept us from sleeping outside that we wanted to head back in the house, but I had to stay outside while Mom told Teach to check out on us in the middle of the night to see if we were okay from the big storm.
We were at least okay the next morning. So the next day, Wednesday, August 3, 2011 I did another five miles, which it was while walking a neighbor's dog heading to the church and then I went to a combined activity that we did a hike somewhere close to Riverton, but it was kind of an easy hike without my pack. And that night, I slept out in the tent in the backyard agian with just my sister Prima Donna this time. The weather at that night was much more nice than the first night. Before I went to that combined activity, I had to do a service project in order to complete the requirement of the five day trip. The service was to pick up trash from two parks, Prospector and Jordan Ridge Park. It was very long and hard, but I managed to do it.
The next day, Thursday, August 4, 2011, I went to a leader named Matt Russell's house and packed my backpack in his vehicle. Some of my friends, Paden, Garret, Kraten, Cody, Alex, Matt Butterfingers, and Josh came on the backpacking trip to a place in Wyoming called Red Castle. It was a long drive there, but when we got there, we started our hike to the Red Castle with our packs on. It took like six in a half hours to get there, because for me it's really hard to go there when it's mostly uphill. But we kept on going and made a couple of stops for rests and then we made it to our destination where there is a lake and a big mountain that looked like a Red Castle. That's where we set up tents and made a fire. We all went to bed that night. Those nights were really long and cold, and not comfortable to sleep on hard ground.
The next day, Friday, August 5, 2011, we woke up the next day and I had to do another hike for this fourth day of this backpacking trip for me. I had to walk a bit more for the 30 miler on this trip. Some of the group came with on the hike to a lake on the other side of Red Castle. It was a bit hard when it was uphill and I look at a map that shows of where we were going and then I ask if we are like almost to the destination and they say almost. I think every time they say almost, it's like we aren't almost there if we had to walk for like twenty minutes. We made it to that lake and we took pictures of us by the lake. Some of the group wanted to go much further but I had to go back to camp and set up my tent on a different spot to set up tent on three different campsites. Which it's third campsite I've went to for the requirement. I just need one more night and then we walk back to the parking lots first thing in the morning.
The last day, Saturday, August 6, 2011, it was the last time we get to hike back to the parking lot where we started. Paden, Garret and I were the first ones to leave the camp after we cleaned up. The hike was much shorter on the way back then on the way there. It took us like three hours to get back, but we never made a single stop on the way back to the vehicles when we were at least taking water while we were walking. All those hikes for Red Castle, I had to have something to suck on so I wouldn't pass out. I had been sucking on Jolly Ranchers to keep me from passing out. We couldn't make any stops, we all wanted to make it to the exit in no time before evening. We got to the parking lots by 12:25 to have lunch at the picnic table. We had to wait for the others to catch up from the long hike. It took like three hours to wait for them, but at least they made it back before we complained some more about heading home to take a shower. Thanks to Matt Russell, I have completed the hardest requirement of the badge by doing a five day trip with three campsites and go at least 30 miles. I actually went 33 miles for this, but that's okay, there's no limit to it, but you have to at least get to that number of miles. Hopefully I'll pass this
We were at least okay the next morning. So the next day, Wednesday, August 3, 2011 I did another five miles, which it was while walking a neighbor's dog heading to the church and then I went to a combined activity that we did a hike somewhere close to Riverton, but it was kind of an easy hike without my pack. And that night, I slept out in the tent in the backyard agian with just my sister Prima Donna this time. The weather at that night was much more nice than the first night. Before I went to that combined activity, I had to do a service project in order to complete the requirement of the five day trip. The service was to pick up trash from two parks, Prospector and Jordan Ridge Park. It was very long and hard, but I managed to do it.
The next day, Thursday, August 4, 2011, I went to a leader named Matt Russell's house and packed my backpack in his vehicle. Some of my friends, Paden, Garret, Kraten, Cody, Alex, Matt Butterfingers, and Josh came on the backpacking trip to a place in Wyoming called Red Castle. It was a long drive there, but when we got there, we started our hike to the Red Castle with our packs on. It took like six in a half hours to get there, because for me it's really hard to go there when it's mostly uphill. But we kept on going and made a couple of stops for rests and then we made it to our destination where there is a lake and a big mountain that looked like a Red Castle. That's where we set up tents and made a fire. We all went to bed that night. Those nights were really long and cold, and not comfortable to sleep on hard ground.
The next day, Friday, August 5, 2011, we woke up the next day and I had to do another hike for this fourth day of this backpacking trip for me. I had to walk a bit more for the 30 miler on this trip. Some of the group came with on the hike to a lake on the other side of Red Castle. It was a bit hard when it was uphill and I look at a map that shows of where we were going and then I ask if we are like almost to the destination and they say almost. I think every time they say almost, it's like we aren't almost there if we had to walk for like twenty minutes. We made it to that lake and we took pictures of us by the lake. Some of the group wanted to go much further but I had to go back to camp and set up my tent on a different spot to set up tent on three different campsites. Which it's third campsite I've went to for the requirement. I just need one more night and then we walk back to the parking lots first thing in the morning.
The last day, Saturday, August 6, 2011, it was the last time we get to hike back to the parking lot where we started. Paden, Garret and I were the first ones to leave the camp after we cleaned up. The hike was much shorter on the way back then on the way there. It took us like three hours to get back, but we never made a single stop on the way back to the vehicles when we were at least taking water while we were walking. All those hikes for Red Castle, I had to have something to suck on so I wouldn't pass out. I had been sucking on Jolly Ranchers to keep me from passing out. We couldn't make any stops, we all wanted to make it to the exit in no time before evening. We got to the parking lots by 12:25 to have lunch at the picnic table. We had to wait for the others to catch up from the long hike. It took like three hours to wait for them, but at least they made it back before we complained some more about heading home to take a shower. Thanks to Matt Russell, I have completed the hardest requirement of the badge by doing a five day trip with three campsites and go at least 30 miles. I actually went 33 miles for this, but that's okay, there's no limit to it, but you have to at least get to that number of miles. Hopefully I'll pass this 
Congratulations!! You did such a good job. I admire your "stick-to-it-iveness". You should be very proud of your accomplishment! ~karen
ReplyDeleteYou are an amazing person! Good work, Dog Walker.
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