Scout Hike

I have been trying to recover today from a scout hike that I took a bunch of boys on Saturday. Being the Assistant Scoutmaster I went along to help the boys earn part of the hiking merit badge. They had to complete a 20 mile hike in one day and also learn to identify the different wildlife along the way. The area that we chose was Oak Openings Metro Park as they had a loop that was 17 miles then several adjoining loops that we could choose from to make the 20 miles. The park is also commemorating 50 years so they had a patch available to those who complete the 17 mile loop.

It was a beautiful day with a high around 60 degrees and all the leaves were vibrant fall colors. I was looking forward to an easy hike in a place that the elevation doesn't vary by more than a few feet. Being from Utah I'm used to climbing mountains if you want to go more than just a few miles. We had a group of 5 boys who were surprisingly cheerful about going on an outing early Saturday morning. One of they boys actually has Cerebral Palsy and did an amazing job. He only made it through the 17 mile loop, but we are still counting that for his 20 mile requirement. After 15 miles I was wondering if I would even make it. By the end of the trip I had a blister on each heel the size of a quarter and very tired feet. It was a great time to be out in the wood to enjoy the fall season.