Backpacking

Every week, starting last week (7-17) until August 23, we will have someone in our family on a backpacking trip. Sounds like a bit of a fetish? Let me assure you, it is not. Just a few scout camps (Caleb) and a backpacking merit badge (Cache) crammed into a very short period of time. Just how much backpacking does one have to do to earn the merit badge? Three 3 day trips over 15 miles and one 5 day trip over 30 miles. But in order for this to happen a lot of gear needs to be acquired. A few backpacks, water purifier, backpacking cook stove, bear bells, bear pepper spray, small sleeping bags, water bladders etc. etc. Thankfully a few of the things have been collected over time so the budget hasn't been super strained, but earning these merit badges has not come without a large price tag!! Last week this gang (Jerry, Tom, Caleb and Cache) hiked Mt. Timpanogos. They definitely recommend to not start backpacking with such a strenuous climb! But they had a good time. (Or so they say, most of them say the best part of the trip was getting back to the truck!)

To finish up the merit badge, Cache and Tom are doing the 5 dayer by themselves and Jerry is taking Cache and Roon (a cousin) on a 3 day trip. Cache and Tom will finish up the merit badge with a 3 dayer sometime in September. It will be one merit badge all of us will be very happy to have out of the way!Caleb leaves this afternoon for a trip in the Uintas with his scout troop. I have to say that it is most brave for these leaders to take some 15 boys who have never done any backpacking and who, for the most part, are on the small side for these kinds of packs on an overnighter! But if that isn't sacrifice enough, they are turning around and doing it again in a month. I think I need to bake a few cakes! We live in an awesome scouting ward!!