Another 20 Mile Hike in the name of Scouting - Wahtum Lake to Cascade Locks on the PcT

 Another 20 Mile Hike with the Scouts

Date: July 8th, 2023

Miles: 20 miles (43,496 steps)

Trail: on the PCT from Wahtum Lake to Cascade Locks

This image depicts the feeling we all had when we conquered this hike! It was an amazing 20 miles that were hiked in the name of Scouting. For me, it was a great hike. I really enjoyed being outdoors, spending the day being in the moment. It was so beautiful out there.

The kids were not prepared. Lots of things have changed in the Troop. I stepped down from a lot of my positions, but I really wanted to keep the outdoor leader position. This is significantly challenging with the new families. Unfortunately, the kids' original 20-mile plan could not able to be completed, as the parents didn't secure a camping site, which meant we had to hike close to town. They had trained for the original hike, which did not have as much of an incline, so this hike was very challenging for them. 

It was amazing to watch the kids. They really challenged themselves, they found their limits, and they conquered. They showed up as a strong group of kids that impressed me a lot as people as much as they did hikers. They had many challenges, but they still conquered them all. They showed with GRIT! They probably don't feel it right now, but tomorrow, they will be surprised at what they did.

This trip reminded me of why I love hiking with kids. Through the challenges of the uphill climb, they found ways to have fun. Including making monkey noises, which had us all laughing so hard there may have been some tears shed. Every time the morale sank, the monkey noises came. They did a phenomenal job keeping morale up.

This hike had an insane amount of log crossings! 60+ logs were crossing the trail. It started out as funny, quickly turned to frustrating, and then became a count of how many we actually crossed. Though the logs were frustrating, this was one of the best 20 miles I have done! I had the right mindset, and it made all the difference. Even through the challenges of dealing with some of the parents on this trip. If there is a reason I quit Scouting, it will be because of them.

Now is the time to recover my feet. Feet are sore, right hip will need some work. Only one small blister. No poison oak, which is amazing, with a much as I saw on the trail. Attitude is perfect! So happy.