Troop 12 conquered a new adventure and for many of our 8 scouts, it was a first-time experience altogether -- cross country skiing.
On Saturday, February 26, Troop 12 caravanned east on OR 58 to the Cascade mountains, near Salt Creek Tunnel. Assistant Scoutmaster Ryan Frome helped plot the ski-trek route on a map and it was the scouts’ responsibility to make sure the group stayed on track on their outing to Gold Lake. One wrong turn sent the scouts on a challenging path up a steep icy hill…but that’s how they learn. After they discovered their mistake by consulting the map, the scouts had the fun of skiing back down the hill to get back on course.
Star Scout, Steen Swartley-Anheluk, an experienced downhill skier, said afterward, “Learning to ski uphill was definitely more difficult than I thought it would be.”
The destination for the ski trek was Bechtel Shelter, a rustic warming hut equipped with a wood stove. One of our Tenderfoot Scouts built the fire to complete a requirement for his 2nd Class rank, and everyone got to enjoy some hot chocolate with the hardy lunches they packed.
The scouts and leaders donned their skis after lunch and powered through the fresh snow and cold temps to complete the journey back to the trailhead. When asked what the biggest take-away was for the cross country ski trip, Steen replied, “Keep going and be persistent, because in the end you will find the effort is worth the work.”