Norther Tier Practice Campout

This weekend was our first Northern Tier Crew outing as we work to prepare for our Trip that is coming the last weekend June this year. The Troop has two groups going each consisting of 6 Scouts and 2 adults. Originally both crews were going on the same date but the other crew had to change due to some scheduling conflicts.

Up to this point we have had several crew meetings and some crew training during our March campout. This was the first time and perhaps the only time are camping just crew only. It was also the first time were able to test out our skills on the water and together

.

Northern Tier is my fourth high adventure in a row with Sea Base, Philmont, and Jamboree in the previous years. Each experience has been very different and for sure I have learned a lot along the way. We are very fortunate to have and adult on the second crew that has been to Northern Tier previously and most of the Scouts on our crew have previously participated in high adventure.

Nonetheless, I know from experience that it is important to not take anything for granted. Discovering and working out group dynamic frustrations and skill identifiers prior to being off on the adventure are very important. Even though these Scouts have been together for many years the function of a small group in a wilderness situation is far different from a small group as part of a larger Troop.

Our weekend went pretty well with the Scouts and the Adults learning some lessons to take and soak on before we train again. As expected, there were Scouts short on gear, Scouts that wanted to take short cuts on learning and Scouts that were just plain excited all the time. All of course is part of the process of team building and learning. 

A new adventure awaits

Deep down in many ways I thought attending the 2013 National Scout Jamboree would end up being my last big Scouting adventure with the son and with our Troop. After all, in the last several years I have been blessed to be able to attend Sea Base and Philmont in addition to going to Jamboree as an ASM.

I also figured it was time to move on and certainly time to stop the monthly payments with college looming. The final thing for me is that my work seems to cycle through layoffs every two years which would place 2014 as another on of those "risk" years take always drive me crazy.

As a result of all these factors, when the sign up for Northern Tier came around I did not raise my hand to be an adult volunteer. Well, it turns out they did end up needing an additional adult and with some very light arm twisting I am now poised and pumped again for adventure. We are taking two crews to Antikokan and I am very excited about the six Scouts that will be joining the other leader and I on this adventure.

My plan is to blog along the way here and share our experience including planning, training, gear and our time on the water. I know it is going to be amazing!

Thanks for following along.

Sea Base 2011

Philmont 2012

Jamboree 2013

Back from Philmont

Back from Philmont! Was it what I expected? Indeed it was and so much more. There are few times in life when we get an opportunity to relive something from our youth and make it better. That was the case for me when it comes to my adult Philmont experience vs. my experience as a youth.


Of course Philmont was not about me it was about the Scouts and as is typical with youth I am sure they had no idea what to expect. I also am fully aware that complete appreciation for what they experienced will not kick in until many years from now when they start to share memories with friends and family. I know they too will look back and think of it as a true experience of a lifetime.

We did Trek 11 and had six Scouts and two adults. Our crew was smaller than typical due to taking two groups this year from our Troop. I had the great fortune of joining the Trek with our SM. This was his fifth and professed “final” time to take Scouts to Philmont and it was the first time for all of our guys.

Our trip began first with a few days of touring so that we could acclimate to the altitude and have a little fun. This included renting Jeeps in Red River and then later touring the Philmont area museums.

Next it was time for the Trek. Things went smoothly at check in due to the great staff and our experienced Scoutmaster. We were also lucky to get an outstanding Ranger that quickly bonded with the guys. The Rangers are young college guys and gals that a chosen for their skill and also for their ability to relate well with youth. Bob made great effort to go beyond just teaching stuff skills to also be a mentor with life advice that had much greater credibility coming from someone of his age.

Over the many days of the Trek the Scouts had a great time and also learned a lot about themselves and about leadership. Indeed there is no better laboratory of human dynamics than days in the outdoors hiking with heavy packs. The Scouts dealt with the physically stress that comes with hiking in altitude as well as the mental stress of task management and relationships.

As an adult on the trip, I got pure joy seeing the boys go through this learning process. I also got to experience a trip that I know my son and I will remember for a lifetime. How lucky I am to part of the Scouting movement!

PS:  I wrote this post a long time ago. Sorry it took so long to post!

Our Final Philmont Shakedown

Yes just days away from our departure to Philmont and time for the final crew personal gear shakedown. The Scouts came with everything they were expected to bring on the trail during our Trek and were asked to dump it all out for inspection. Much better to find out before leaving if anything is missing of course! Most Scouts had every item that was expected with just a couple exceptions of a sock or some other minor item. Thankfully they have time to get these things together before we leave.


The best tool for this shakedown has been the PG list provided by our Scoutmaster. Items are listed in categories and include weight limits since we are working to travel as lightly as possible. I have personally packed and re-packed probably a half dozen times over the last few weeks and it seems I live learned a little more each time. I have also walked a few miles with the pack fully loaded just about every other day. This is in addition to my normal running and cycling.

I have a good feeling about the overall level of preparedness of the Scouts in our crew. I know they are going to do great and have a true trip of a lifetime. I can’t wait to see them learn and grew as we hit the Philmont trail starting July 21st.

Another step closer to Philmont

Just a little less than week before the first of our two crews leave for Philmont. Our crew was still in need of some conservation hours so we made our way over to the John Nichols Scout Ranch for a morning of hardy work. There is just something about the sound of a chainsaw, the feel dirt on your face and sweat to make you feel a sense of accomplishment.

The guys in our crew have been Scout together for many years and fortunately have been getting along very well during this year of preparation. I do not believe there have been any personality conflicts and they are work hard when needed and always find a way to find fun in what they do.

As an added bonus for me personally, the site for are little project was also the site of our very first Cub Scout campout five year ago when we had just recently joined Scouting. It is incredible to have gone from those days to these in just a short time.

We have one more meeting as a crew before we leave for a final gear shakedown.

Philmont is just a few weeks away....

Just a few weeks until we leave for our Philmont trek so I am now hitting the pavement to spend time hiking with the pack on. This is in addition to my normal running and biking. I would say that right now my greatest weakness is more core strength. This really needs improvement to help keep the back pain down to a minimum.

Anyway, while out today I thought I would record a little Vlog! I am hoping to do more of these in the future.  Thanks for watching.

Philmont Shakedown Hike #2

This weekend our Philmont crews hiked the Shores Lake loop in Arkansas for the second a four part series of backpacking hikes in preparation for our July trek. We had a bit of a light turnout from the Scouts due to several conflicts with school activities.


It was a five hour trip from OKC to the campsite and we got an early start to beat the traffic. Thanks the small turnout I was lucky enough to not have to drive.

Saturday morning was a 5:45 wake up and we were packed and geared up in a respectable 45 minutes.

The guys kept up a brutal pace and at times I felt like I was trail running vs hiking. Oh to be 15 and physically fearless like these guys. Really I was amazed at how well all of them did with the challenging steep and rocky trails. I remember all of these guys when they joined the Troop as first year Scouts. Now just a few short years later they are maturing young men that were able to blaze through the woods cheerfully with heavy packs. They did so well in fact that we skipped the first campsite to hike an additional 4 miles. This worked out great since it made our final day shorter for an early return to home.

The guys ended up deciding they liked the challenge of this trail so much that we will return again in just a few weeks. The scratching on my legs this evening will serve as a good reminder to be prepared next time for the chiggers and mosquitos that seemed to be everywhere.

On a sad not, I have learned that one of our Scouts has decided to drop out of the trek due to some physical challenges he has been experiencing. I hate to see anyone not to make it all the way to Philmont but respect the decision to make the right choice about preparedness.

Less than 90 days left to go. I am looking forward to our final two training hikes as we set to complete our training.

Philmont Shakedown hike #1

This weekend was our first outing in preparation for our July Philmont trek. The weekend consisted of hiking the trails at the Wichita Wildlife refuge near Lawton OK. It was a bit of a backpacking “light” experience since we started from a campsite and returned to the location. This was a good option for a first shakedown since we had the home site in case there were any unforeseen issues or problems.


Friday night the two crews set up separate camps and the guys got to practice with their tents. The next morning was a 0600 wake up with a goal to be fully packed and ready to go in 30 minutes or less. Most did not meet the 30 minute objective this first time but hey that I why we practice right?

The hike was 10 miles on a loop through the refuge. I am huge fan of this area and the amazingly diverse topography. Basically it has everything. Hills, rocks, lakes, canyons, plains, trees and of course there is the wildlife. The Scouts in our group did great with the hike and I was impressed with their pace and positive interaction along the way. We did have one little scare when one of the guys tripped while walking down a rocky path and cut his forehead on a rock. Luckily it was just a scratch and he was fine. This worked out to be a good training on first aid since we had to break out the kit for him.



The guys were pretty exhausted by the end of the day and spent much of the afternoon around the camp hanging out under the dining fly and chatting. My time was spent thinking how much I am going to miss a place to sit. This has me seriously thinking about added a lightweight chair to my gear.

Sunday was a 0530 wake up so we could get an early start on the 1,000 foot 2.5 mile hike up Mt. Scott. We wanted to see the sunrise along the way and get done for an early return home. It was beautiful to see the sun reflecting off the granite one side and the morning clouds floating peacefully on the other.


A couple of our guys struggled quite a bit this second day physically. Part of the purpose of this short all uphill hike was as a fitness gut check. The hike was up a closed road, short and close to our cars if there were to be a problem. The Scoutmaster had told me in advance that this was purposeful so that the guys could get a good fitness measurement with time to get on the ball before we leave in July. The struggle guys made it to the top and hopefully will use the pain they felt as motivation to really jump on the need for additional fitness and weight loss before our Trek. We talked to them about working to thrive through the Philmont experience and not just survive. We train so extensive so that most issues can be worked out before going and when there have even more fun.

Overall it was a great weekend and I am now looking forward to our next shakedown adventure to Arkansas.

Another weekend of Philmont training

I love running these! 

This weekend we met and walked the stairs again at the Chase building downtown. The goal for me this week was to walk the 38 stories of stairs four times. It is amazing to me how challenging stair walking is in comparison to other workouts. I am happy to say that my overall fitness and ability to do this has improved greatly from when we walked the first time a few months ago. I was able to complete the four round trips and felt pretty good the entire time.


Most of the Scouts are doing well with this too and there are a few that struggle each time. It seems most of the non-sports kids are not doing any exercise in between our meetings. The weather outside, conflicts with homework and motivation when not at a structured session with buddies are all challenges they are working to overcome. February is typically the coldest month of the year here in OKC and my hope is that as spring arrives in March we can get outside together more and add some weeknight walks when the time changes.

Showing treks on a Philmont map

The stair sessions have been followed by instruction time back at the Scout room. The boys have prioritized the activities they want to do at Philmont and used this as a filter to list the top five treks they plan to submit for in March when the official selection process begins. They have been lucky. With having been to Philmont several times and with a son that has worked there as a ranger, our Scoutmaster seems know every inch of the property and every program. This is really helping the Scouts make an informed decision about what they want to do. The Scoutmaster has made a real point to let them determine the choice and make the trek Scout run.

Our next training is going to be a full day with the Scouts introducing them to the gear they will be using.

I am looking forward to it.

They did it!

Wow they did it! Our Scouts participating in the hiking merit badge hiked 20 miles last week. This was their final hiking requirement for the merit badge and last Philmont urban training hike before moving on to winter stair climbing.

As we walked I thought back to the first 5 mile hike we did way back in summer. I know at that time the thought of going a full 20 in a single day seemed a little far-fetched. Heck I have run several marathons but the idea of walking that far seemed crazy and painful in my mind. There is power in youthful exuberance and the guys had so much fun on all the hikes that the time seemed to fly by. I especially enjoyed the variety of locations around OKC and Edmond they chose for us to walk. It was not very many years ago that walking these trails would have been impossible since they did not even exist.

I was shocked really to read in a Philmont Advisor guide “Rangers that we talked to say that, based on their experience, 80% of the adult advisors coming to Philmont are not adequately prepared for the physical demands of the backcountry and that 50% of the adult advisors had not exercised at all prior to their arrival at Philmont.” Ouch!

I know from my own miserable experience as a youth at Philmont that being physically prepared is a key to actually having fun. I was not in the right shape as a kid at Philmont and my memories now are mostly of blisters and pain on the trail. Our Scouts and adults will be ready.

Perhaps my favorite part of the hike was the look on the faces of folks we passed by as they stared at this group of 14 crazy folks walking with packs on through OKC. I guess it is pretty unusual to see youth hiking 10 -20 miles starting at 6AM. There were also the whoo hoos! from people that would yell “go Scouts!” or people that would say, “You guys must be Scouts!”. Kind of good to know that even out of uniform they can be recognizable by the community is such a positive way.

Now it is time to move on to stage two of the fitness training plan. Hiking stairs at a downtown high rise building. Now that is going to be hard. (well and a lot of fun I am sure)

Final Philmont 10 mile training hike...

Yesterday was our final 10 mile hike and next up is the super challenge of a 20 miler on Sunday. The hike this week around was a little more scenic thanks to some time on a short trail through a local wildlife refuge. All of our hikes have been urban walks on paved paths prior to this and it was kind of nice to get some dirt on our boots for a change. Trails for these hikes would be ideal of course but her in our part of the state we would be looking at a long drive to find such a thing. We are fortunate at least to have a wide variety of walking trails available.


Overall this 10 mile hike experience has been a good one. The boys have taken the lead on each of them with the adults hanging a few steps back. Next week is going to be a big challenge with a 20 miler. I have run marathons and done other distance events but walking 20 miles is something new and finishing this is going to be an accomplishment for everyone.

After we complete the hike, the boys will move on to winter training which will be walking up and down stairs at a building downtown. Whew that is going to fun too! We have backpacking campout weekends set for the spring in various location and there is no doubt that these guys will be as prepared as possible for a great experience when they take that first step on the trail at Philmont in July 2012.

Training for Philmont #3

Saturday was our third training hike for Philmont as the Scouts continue to train and work on requirements for the Hiking merit badge. Once again we met at the crack of dawn to get ahead of the oppressive heat here in Oklahoma City. This was an interesting route with a walk from one Edmond park to another basically through town. How lucky these Edmond people are to have such great walking trails basically in their backyards. Everyone seemed to do great on this hike and personally I found this one to be the most enjoyable so far mostly due to going a way I have never been before.

Next up for us is a gear meeting with the Scoutmaster to learn everything that will be needed to purchase. The total estimate for this is around $500 and includes pack, boots lightweight sleeping bag and more. My son and I are kind of lucky in that since we like hiking and have been buying Philmont ready gear already for a couple of years. That will help reduce the shock of what to buy in the next few months.

Overall things are going well for the boys. There are a few that currently do not meet the BSA high adventure guidelines for weight. Unfortunately, as with most teenagers the coaching to correct is having the opposite effect with some of them actually gaining weight. If they were to not meet criteria there is a real possibility that we will not have enough Scouts for two crews and some Scouts (and adults) will have to be pulled out. I am keeping my thoughts positive on this with hopes everything will work out for everyone. More on this later!

Less than a year to go!

Training for Philmont #2

This morning was our second training hike for Philmont 2012 and the first of a series of 10 mile hikes as the Scout start work on the hiking merit badge. We got an early start by meeting at 530 the beat the terrible heat we are having in OKC. The planning Scout chose a nice route around one of my favorite local lakes.
I
Overall it was a great hike today with our group finishing much faster than we had anticipated. It looks like we have a pretty fit group of guys with good attitudes. Never did I hear any complaining along the way. Our Scoutmaster is a veteran of many Philmont trips and uses his teaching skills by having Scouts take turns in the lead and by having several carry a compass along the way. It was often that he would ask one of them to give a barring to an object.
By the time we reached the parking lot I was still feeling strong but indeed was ready for the a/c of the car. My main need for training is work on my core to strengthen my back. So far I am doing well with this and it seemed to make a positive difference this morning.

Being our first 10 miler, I am incredibly proud of the Scouts and adults for the great effort today. More to come.....