The First Training Hike

Last Saturday our Troop went to Camp Cooper, which is over the river and through the woods, so to speak. Okay, so it's really mostly West of town.  Last week it rained nearly every day so we were expecting a rainy day on Saturday, especially considering that the Scout Camp is in a special rain forest zone.  But the Scouting Gods must have been thinking kind thoughts for us, because while it was a bit on the chilly side, there was no rain.  In fact, there was even some sunshine which is a miracle around here in the middle of winter.

The reason for the outing was to take a 10 mile hike.  See, we're planning a BIG hike in March to the Redwoods.  During the 10 mile hike we were practicing catching our breath and fainting from exhaustion :)

At Camp Cooper there is a lake called Hurl Lake (no I am not joking it is actually called Hurl Lake!!!!)
we had a lot of fun with the name of the lake (hey we're boys!) There is also a waterfall the name of which I don't remember but I do remember what we called it - Hurl falls!  Looking down from the top  of the falls it did make you want to "Hurl". But after we hiked down a few hundred feet having the spray from the falls in your face was like a cool spring shower.  Aaahhhh that felt good!  Any way..........  it was a good hike besides that my ankles got soaked during the first half and that the first half was straight up and down.  Besides that it was on a game trail so there was a lot over hang.   My top half on the other hand was nice and dry because I had on my "Gordini" wicking tee shirt (which does its job great! I loved it) I also had on my "Columbia Omni-Dry" hiking shirt - both of which did an incredible job of wicking away the sweat and keeping me dry and comfortable.  I'd post a photo but apparently my computer has eaten them.  Maybe next time.

Meanwhile, keep on Scouting!

Scout Boy

There's a LOT Going On!! HELP!

Okay, so it's been more than a week since I wrote anything.  You won't believe all that's been going on!

For those of you that have asked (and really for all of you who haven't as well, since this is a public not private blog) -- the Orienteering Project is coming along nicely.  I had meeting this last week with the City Parks and Public Works folks.  8 of the 9 original WayPoints are great.  We need to wiggle #9 around a little bit.  We decided on some basics for each Point - whether it would be a big rock or a bench, etc.  And we've decided on the 9 names for the Way Points.  I haven't decided to make those public yet, but if you'd like to take a guess that would be fun.  I'm waiting to meet with the Cement Man, and one of these days soon we should have some cost projections.  THEN I'll have to figure out how to raise money for the Project.  (and National Jamboree in 2014, but that's another post.)

I finished the Lifesaving Merit Badge this week.  It's not one that I thought I'd be earning already, but I took a really awesome class at the Aquatics Center and I discovered that it completed about 90% of the requirements.  One of the things we had to learn was the Side Stroke.  It seemed harder than it should be since I've been swimming the competitive strokes for so long I didn't know what it was like to learn a new stroke.  But learn it I did.  I really enjoyed the class. 

Anyway, Lifesaving was Merit Badge #20 for me.  It is also one of the Eagle Required Merit Badges.  

Speaking of Eagle Required Merit Badges, on Saturday this week I attended a Merit Badge Clinic, (why do they call it a clinic and not classes?) and I started 3 or maybe 4 new Merit Badges.  Are you wondering why I don't know if there are 3 or 4?  The Instructor for my 4th class didn't show up, so I'll need to guess at homework to get started on and show up with it next month.  Speaking of homework, my other MB homework just jumped into the room and landed on my face.  AAAARRRRGH! Someone make it go away!

The classes I'm working on for the next 4 months are:  Personal Management, Family Life, Citizenship in the World, and the pesky unknown, Communications.   I haven't decided which is my favorite yet.  

Coming up this week is the State Tournament for my Robotics Team and I'm pretty freaked out about that.  (not in a good way.)  I get freaked out when I have a lot of things to do all at the same time.

Today Papa and I officially signed up for a super-cool hike during Spring Break in the REDWOODS!!  Fortunately that's a couple of months away, since we have to do training hikes for it.  Time to dig out the Backpack, load it up and start walking.   I hope to get some opinions on things to review during the training hikes.

!^3**#.  That homework is staring me down and I need to get it done.  See you next post!

Lifesaving Merit Badge

signed,

The ScoutBoy

Historical Merit Badges

Finished Carpentry Project

Well, I've had a CRAZY BUSY week.

For 2010, the BSA re-introduced 4 special merit badges.  I set a goal earlier in the year to earn all 4.  I mean, if they're available just for this year, wouldn't everyone want to earn them?

Last summer I earned the Pathfinding and Tracking Merit Badges at Summer Camp.  (Summer Camp was AWESOME, by the way.)  I also started Carpentry at Camp but didn't get it finished there since there were too many Scouts and not enough tools.  I've been putting off getting it finished since July; I've had the supplies but for some reason just didn't get it done.  I didn't really mean to but the time just slipped away and that's what happened.  On Monday this last week my mother pointed out that there weren't so many days remaining in 2010 & if I wanted to meet my goal of earning all 4 of the Historical Merit Badges I best get to work on it.  

Overall, finishing the project wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be.  It rained horribly bad earlier in the week and my parents let me do the project in the living room instead of outside in the rain.  (Thanks, Mama!)  Everything had to be done with hand tools (no electricity allowed) so there wasn't as much mess as there could have been.

I made a Garden Bench, officially, but we've been using it this week as a coffee-table in the living room.   I also think it will make a great helicopter landing area but I haven't tested for that yet.  Doesn't it look nice?

Also this week I took an all-day Signaling Class.  I am never going to do that again -- take an all day course, I mean.  My brain was fuzzy at the end of the day.  But, I did it!  I met my goal of earning all 4 Historical Merit Badges.  I only wish some other Scouts in my Troop had earned them with me; I'm the only Scout in my Troop to have earned them all.