Installment Ten - June 29, 2003

Page Contents: Editor notes Crew 1 notes - Steve, Andrew, Denver, Jimmy, Gerard, Mr. B & Mr. P Crew 2 notes - Matt W, Scott M, Lowell, Zach, Alex, Clay, Mr. V, Mr. E & Mr. Mat [plus emeritus members Robbie & Mr. Mo] Crew 3 notes - Wes, Brad, Brian, Robert, Matt P, Mr. D & Mr. L Crew 4 notes - Scott F, Kevin, Rob S, Doug, Nick, Mr. W & Mr S Quotes of note Quartermaster Closing - Mr. L Scoutmaster Minute - Mr. B [The "V" van: Mr. P] This is being written on the homestretch, as we get back into Michigan on Sunday morning. While many photo CDs, slideshows and movies(!) are to come at afterglow parties and Troop Courts of Honor, it is now time to wind up our traveling weblog. Each crew has a few words below to recount their experiences in the spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park. The Quartermaster and trek Scoutmaster (both co-organizers) then get the last words. Thanks to all who have followed along and enjoyed the sporadic installments. Many thanks are due to webmaster Greg E. for fixing up our mistakes and for setting up the site navigational aids. The other Mr. E (on the trek) has suffered through serious electronic deprivation as I've borrowed his laptop and cell phone for long periods to upload these pages at 14.4 kbps (thank you, Dan!). Special thanks are also due to Mr. B for the oft-mentioned exquisite organization of the entire trek, and for recovering from his cold to rescue me from Crew 1 ;-). All of the adults performed multiple jobs with enthusiasm and great humor. Finally, the most thanks are due to the scouts -- especially Crew Chiefs, SPL & Scribes -- for their central contributions to this very successful trek and to it's weblog. [Crew 1, Wild Basin, map: Denver] Hello, this is Denver, and I would first like to say that this backpacking trip has been one of the best experiences of my life. As Mr. B said [in a closing prayer], we went in as seven friends, and came out as one crew. The time we spent together trekking through the Rocky Mountain backcountry will not soon be forgotten, and all who were there know the awesome feeling of making this journey. We drove to Wild Basin trailhead on Monday morning. After pictures were taken we fell into line and began our hike. Before fifteen minutes had passed, a re-examination of our new trail map showed we were heading backwards along our seventeen mile route. We turned around, found the correct trailhead, and once again began our hike. The first day featured a 5.5 mile portion of the trail, coupled with a 1600 foot vertical ascent. For those of you at home that cannot quite comprehend something like this, let me just say that it was brutal. We stopped frequently, but the views we witnessed invited us higher up the mountain. The final destination that night was Finch Lake. Many times we thought we must be close, only to find out that we were still hours away. We did eventually make it to our campsite and started setting up tents. Unfortunately, this was the group (wrong) campsite; our small-crew site was about 50 yards up the trail. This slight mishap was due to the boys hiking too far ahead of the adults, but the adults knowing where we were scheduled to camp. We took our gear to our new site and put the tents together. Lunch consisted of condensed, separated, and slightly dehydrated cans of what could have been chicken. We dipped rolls into the substance, and since we had been hiking since nine that morning, it tasted decent to most of us. Those like Andrew, who decided against the goo, supplemented with dried fruit and Power Bars. For the next few hours we all vegged. Some sat around, some read Harry Potter (Andrew), and some (Mr. P), took naps. Soon it was time to hang bear bags. These are large sacks in which we put all smellables like food, cooking equipment, and toiletries. These are then hung from trees and are left alone for the night. This process should take about ten minutes. It didn't take us ten minutes. Two hours would be a better approximation when talking about the time it took us as a crew to deal with these frustrating bear bags. We did it though, and it became much easier as the trip progressed. Dinner was freeze-dried lasagna with a raspberry dessert. After purifying water from nearby Finch Lake, we boiled it and mixed it with the lasagna powder and the after-product was then apportioned. It tastes great, actually, especially after adding sufficient amounts of spices such as Curry, Cayenne, Paprika, and Garlic Powder. Just as a reference, about a tablespoon of each of these added to the 10 oz. or so of lasagna made for a rather fiery-hot delicious backcountry meal experience. Dinner cleanup was quick under the direction of our Crew Chief Steve. We then entered our tents and were asleep in seconds. Day two was a lot easier hiking and we hiked downhill only four miles to our next destination -- Pine Ridge. Lunch was had on the trail and included pita bread and a giant sausage which we devoured. This sausage was so good! Anyway, we saw a lot of burnt trees surrounded by fog making for a creepy haunted forest feeling for this day. It was actually quite beautiful and I am sure you all will enjoy the pictures. We arrived at Pine Ridge in the late afternoon and hung bear bags in about twenty minutes. We were quite proud of ourselves. We ate dinner, beef stroganoff, cooked in the same manner, spiced in the same manner, and eaten in the same manner as the aforementioned lasagna. We spent our free time playing Euchre. I have decided that I and my partner Gerard have no concept of how to win this game, looking at our horrible losing record. We went to bed by about 9:30 and everyone was lulled to sleep by the amazing singing of me, Jimmy and Andrew. We were soon told to shut up, not because we are horrible at singing, but because it was time to sleep. Our eyelids shut at 10:00 and it was another wakeless night. [The morning of Day 2, four of us day-hiked up to Pear Lake (see description under Crew 3 Day 4), and Denver swam briefly in the cold water at 10,600 ft. He must still be suffering from hypothermia to have missed describing this feat. - REP] After our previous day's hike up to Pear Lake followed by the easy walk into Pine Ridge, we looked ahead to a slightly harder trek to Ouzel Lake. Today was only three miles but another 1000 foot vertical. That morning we woke up and before we headed out, Steve called a crew meeting. It was then brought to our attention that Mr. B. had not been feeling his best and that the crew must make a choice. The first was to let Mr. B take a mile hike out from where we were to his car and head into town to see a doctor. The second was we all leave and go with Mr. B. As a crew we decided we would be able to handle the rest of the hike minus one leader. So at 8:00 that morning we bid Mr. B good luck and we were off. We hiked continuously for about two hours until we met up with Crew 3. Weston's crew was hiking the same trail as us, but backwards. We stopped, chatted with them, notified them of our leader situation, discussed the best spice combinations, and bragged about out which of us had received the better of the Nortog Beef Jerky. After 20 minutes we said goodbye to crew three and hiked our remaining two miles to Ouzel Lake. The trail proceeded along a mountain ridge and we saw many beautiful views. This is why we came to RMNP. We had an awesome campsite that night bordering three mountains, two ponds, a river, and a lake. Raising the bear bags was easier tonight and took us a minimal amount of time. The tenting combinations were changed up a little bit with the loss of a member and I went to bed with thoughts of why I and my Euchre partner just can't seem to win a game. The next morning we awoke early to our beautiful surrounds. Breakfast was oatmeal, raisins, and granola. After we had cleaned that up as a crew we decided under Mr. P's direction that we would all take a day hike to Bluebird Lake, since we did not have any distance to cover with backpacks today. We filled up our Camelbacks and Nalgene bottles and headed out. We were all thankful that it was only supposed to be 400 feet vertical and 1 mile. Haha, yea right. Unbeknownst to us it was really 3 miles long, 1000 feet up and through about 3 feet of snow much of the way. We had to climb over many snow drifts, some having large streams coming out the bottoms, reminding us to be careful. The going was exciting, dangerous, and slow. It took us several hours and more than one wrong turn to reach the lake. It was fun and when we reached the top, it was the most beautiful view any of us had ever seen. Bluebird Lake was surrounded by rocky cliffs, and was a bright blue color. Icebergs were floating around and the water was freezing. We got several great camera shots before heading back down to camp. The way down was a lot of fun, being that we could go sledding down the 200 yard snowdrifts. About half way down we noticed a man in a red jacket snapping pictures. We thought nothing of it until we recognized his hat, camera, Nalgene, and hiking staff. We only realized then that this was Mr. B, having hiked six miles from the trail head this morning and making an educated guess as to where we went [He claimed to have recognized Steve's boot prints in the snow, but we were skeptical about this - REP]. He was up in better health, up in spirits, up in medication, but minus his 3 day beard we had last seen him with. It was great to see him again and we were glad he would be finishing the trek with us. He and Mr. P decided to go see Bluebird Lake together. The rest of us headed back to get lunch. Lunch was good and we sat and played some cards and wrote some skits while we waited for the adults. At about 6:00 they were nowhere to be found and had been gone for 4 hours. We immediately sprung into action. Our quick thinking allowed us to form a rescue party comprised of our three fastest hikers equipped with food, water, lights, rope, first aid kits, blankets, splints, and matches. We stayed in radio contact with those remaining at the campsite and set out to find our adults. As Andrew put his CC skills to the test sprinting along the trail, myself and Gerard took a shortcut through a swamp and then up a steep mountain face. We were all racing and were prepared to do what was needed when we found the adults. About a mile and a half down the trail and ten minutes after we left the campsite Steve and Jim reported over the radio that Andrew had located the adults and they were returning to camp. When G and I returned, the adults told us they were late because they were taking pictures of mule deer and marmots, but that they appreciated the intended rescue efforts. [There may have been more than a bit of fatigue also contributing to the slow return, but naturally we wouldn't admit that. - REP] We ate dinner, cleaned up, again hung the bear bags with ease, I lost two more games of Euchre and we went to bed. I felt pretty stupid when the alarm went off at 5:00 am. It was my idea to get the crew up this early because we had a 5 mile hike to our cars this morning followed by a half-hour drive into town and the nearest McDonalds. As most of you know, McDonalds stops serving breakfast at 10:30, so the 5 am wake up call was imperative in order to get those new McGriddles and many greasy hash browns. We made it to McDonalds in time and a few other crews were waiting for us. As we drank our orange juice, we shared our trail stories. The hikes all seemed amazing. Thanks to Mr. B and Mr. P for hiking along with Steve, Andrew, Jim, Gerard and me. We shared an awesome experience. The work they put forth was outstanding. Their leadership was excellent, and the guidance was right on target. A class-A for a job well done. [Crew 2, The Mummy Range, map: Matt W.] On Monday, the troop said their goodbyes and split into their respective crews. Crew 2 was comprised of Matt W, Scott M, Lowell S, Zach M, Alex V, Clay E, Mr. V, Mr. E, and Mr. M. We set out for Dunraven, the trailhead, around eight in the morning, and didn't arrive until nine. Gear was checked, packs were adjusted, and pictures were taken. And with the last shot captured, we ventured into the Mummy Range of the Rockies. Day One The members of our crew probably would not have been together under most other circumstances. We were a rag tag group of soon-to-be juniors and freshmen. However, no personality clashes occurred. The trail for the first day seemed simple enough on paper. Hike about four miles on a slight incline by nightfall. When we got to Dunraven, we realized that we were in for more than we had expected. The first hill was about two hundred yards in length and about a twenty five degree incline. Not bad, but enough to get our breathing just a little more heavy. Following the hill was a great downward slope, which at the time was great, but we didn't realize that we would have to climb back up it later. Most of the hike was a cakewalk. A gradual incline, steady pace, and cool temperatures provided a most enjoyable atmosphere. But then we got to the switchbacks. These switchbacks cut through a dense forest and hugged up next to the mountain we were climbing. We couldn't see where each one started from. Through many stops for air and water, we approached our next foe, stairs. Many would find it funny to find stairs in a national forest, and so did we. But they were the ones doing all the laughing when we were done. Some were mad, others embarrassed that they were winded by a flight of stairs, but in the end, everyone made it to the top. Our first campsite was at the National Park -- National Forest boundary line. Our hiking permit allowed us to hike and camp in the Forest for the day. We crossed the boundary and sought out a place to camp. We found a nice spot down by the river, so we made camp and began to make lunch. After lunch, we began to work on bear bags. After many trials, we decided that a pulley system would be the best way to lift this satchel. Using carabiners from our packs, we strung the ropes up the tree. Some pulled on the rope while others pushed up on the bags. The whole ordeal lasted over an hour. Not two hours had passed when a National Park Ranger named Ranger Matt came to inspect our permit. According to him, we were on National Park land, not National Forest land and asked us to move. No one was pleased. It turns out that the boundary line doesn't run perpendicular to the trail, but on an angle, so the ranger was correct. After preparing freeze dried Beef Stroganoff and playing a card game or two, we retired. Day Two We awoke early Tuesday morning to wet tent and granola for breakfast. And just like the first day, we were on the trail at 9:36 AM. The trail for day 2 was similar to the day previous, about four miles uphill. No one mentioned that we would see our old pal stairs again. The hike included some of the most beautiful landscapes that any of us had ever seen. However the weather left something to be desired. It did not rain, but the clouds threatened to do so at any moment. After about three hours of blood, sweat and tears, we reached our campsite, Lost Meadow. The site was a mountain meadow, with wildflowers and beautiful rocks, just no mountains, yet. There was a huge fog that took over our camp before we had arrived. But around dinner time -- lasagna -- the sun overcame the clouds and revealed an awe-inspiring mountain backdrop, with a close-by rocky face and some 14,000+ snow covered peaks in the background. Lucky us, we still had another night in this Eden. The bear bags were harder to hang in the pine trees because the branches were so close together. So, taking it upon himself as the crew chief, Matt scaled the trees and carefully placed the 'biners close to the tree. He received minor scrapes from the tree but was treated like a hero when he was on the ground, safe and sound. We played some cards and went to bed. Day Three Not having to hike anywhere allowed for a late wakeup of 8:30. We were met with the breakfast of champions, Pop Tarts and Beef Jerky! The adults made their own Starbucks on the mountain by mixing coffee with hot chocolate mix creating what was arguably the best café mocha anyone had ever had. The plan for the day: day hike the 1.3 miles from our camp to Lost Lake (not to be confused with the summer camp in Claire, MI). The hike was not strenuous at all, but we were 40 lbs lighter, only carrying our own water, cameras and lunch. Half way up, some on our party realized that they didn't have enough water to last them all afternoon. So Zach, Matt, and Mr. M. volunteered to go back to camp to get the water filter. The rest pressed on to the lake for a nice relaxing view. When the three caught back up to the rest of the crew, they were well rested and ready for a new challenge. Mr. M. told us of a lake above and beyond the lake we were at currently. Mr. V. and Alex decided that the lake they were at met their fancy and had no need to go to the next lake, but the rest had a hunger that only adventure could fulfill. There was no trail to this new lake, so the remnant employed "Leave No Trace" tactics and scaled the mountain spread out. When we had reached an altitude of nearly 12,000 ft, the new lake was before us. It gleamed in the sunlight, and we realized what this trip was all about. Anyone can pull into he roadside picture spot, but to see the wonders of God's creations, you have to earn it by getting there on your own power. With wind gusts of 35 MPH and greater, and "Dippin' Dots" like snow, the new lake was the most beautiful thing most of us had seen. On the way down, the boys enjoyed downhill skiing in June. There was a patch of snow where we slid on our boots down the hill (see Mr. E. about video). When we had regrouped, we enjoyed a delicious lunch of summer sausage and Clif Bars. Having conquered the lakes, we headed back to camp where various card games were played. A grab bag of freeze-dried was our dinner, with Beef Stroganoff, Lasagna, and Spaghetti. After dinner, the satellite phone was used to call loved ones to reassure them of our safety. We soon found ourselves horizontal in our tents. Day Four Just past 9:00, everyone came out of their tents to discover how cold it can really be in June. The thermometer read around 38 degrees. Oatmeal was the breakfast of the day. The journey home began on day four, with an easy three mile downhill hike. To make it easier on ourselves, we left after lunch (one less meal to carry). We didn't want to leave our Meadow Paradise, but we knew that we had to, and pressed on. When we reached our final campsite, we were surprised to find that campfires were permitted in a designated ring, so when it started to get cold, we started one. No skits were done, but stories were told of old jobs, friends and neighborhoods. That night, we hung the bear bags for the last time and engaged in the SWQ Stone Poker Tournament. Each player was permitted 20 stones to use as money in the game, and once you were out of stones, you were out of the game. Dealer picked the game, and the deal rotates. Five card draw, Seven Card Stud, and Acey-Deucey were the most popular. Scott M. found himself pitted against the card shark himself, Mr. M. In the end they played Indian Poker for the whole thing, 180 rocks. With the queen of diamonds beating the five of spades, Scott M. became "Quarry Master". We grew tired and finally went to sleep. Day Five Everyone awoke at 6:00 this morning because we had about 5.5 miles to cover and then get to the McDonalds in Estes Park by 11:00. Tents came down, water was boiled, and the last meal of our trek was eaten. We met the trail at 7:45 as we moved towards our destination. While being easier on the thighs, the trip down was much harder on the knees, especially if you were an adult. We were very pleased when we found ourselves nearly done at 10:00. But then we saw it. The great monster that was so nice to walk down now made us wonder if we would ever go home. Matt told the crew that it was only 200 yard long and that it would be no problem, but it was found out that that was the horizontal distance and was actually more like a quarter mile up and over. When the cars were finally reached, pictures were taken, gear was loaded, and a sense of accomplishment filled every member of Crew 2. They had conquered the Mummy Trail. [Also from Crew 2: Alex] We left on the first day heading toward the Rocky Mountains. The first day we hiked for about 4.5 miles. The first half of a mile was all down hill but we soon realized we had to climb back out of the valley up to our campsite. Our hike took about 3-4 hours and we stopped about 9 times which seemed to annoy the kids that were up at the front. So if any kids complained the adults would take something out of their pack and put it in someone else's pack. When we got to the campsite we set up tents and went down to the river to boil water and to set up bear bags. In the middle of setting up everything a ranger (Ranger Matt) came to our camp and asked us to move our tents back because we were in the wrong place. So we moved our tents back down the trail about 100 yards. For dinner we had the best freeze dried food that there was for the whole trip -- beef stroganoff. Later, after dinner we all just laid down and slept or played cards. The next day we started off by waking up at six thirty in the morning and eating breakfast. The hike was started after the strenuous pack up of all of our belongings at 9:36 am. The second day's hike was by far the hardest, because we hiked up lots of steps. [Crew 3, Wild Basin, map: Wes & Matt P] Day One We woke early, dropped off the trailor at the park visitor center and drove to the trailhead -- Wild Basin. After walking for about a mile, we encountered Crew 1 returning from a wrong way start at Copeland Falls. We also realized that the frisbee was not with us, so Robert and Brad went back for it. When they returned we kept hiking until a deer ran right in front of us. At camp, we had lunch and took naps. We woke up long enough for dinner before going back to bed. Day Two We woke up and had breakfast, leaving camp for a day hike of about 5.5 miles to Thunder Falls. Most of this trail, which was uphill both ways, was covered in snow about 12 ft deep. We had lunch there, then walked back to camp, where we ate freeze dried dinner and hit the sack. Day Three Only a 2 mile downhill today, so we slept late and took down camp. Beef jerky (Nortog brand) and oatmeal were breakfast. We knew we were on a mountain, but the view was blocked by trees most of the time. The hike was short, but we were rewarded at the end with a great waterfall view [Calypso Cascade]. At camp there was a note on the toilet cover from Crew 1 that said they had used the privy walls for firewood. There were no walls. We had dinner, played hearts and went to bed. Day Four We woke up early for the hardest hike of our trip -- about 4.5 miles uphill. This was our most difficult day yet, but also the most fun. After the main hike, we set up camp and had lunch. Then, while some crew members slept, the remainder hiked two miles up to Pear Lake, which was the best part of our 16 days. We went swimming in the 34-degree water (I -- Matt P -- was in the longest, don't listen to Denver). The scenery was also amazing up at Pear Lake. Day 4 of the hike was the best one. Day Five Today being the last day, we woke up way too early to put down our tents. We set off for 2 miles before eating our Pop-Tart breakfast (very nice) and then continued for another 3.5 miles. We finally got off of the trail, back in the cars and on the way back to the D. [Crew 4, Bierstadt/Odessa/Fern Lakes, map: Rob S.] We began our trip with a steep 0.4 miles. The rest of our first day (all 1.7 miles) was downhill. Camp rose quickly, leaving the scouts with little to do. Since it was only 11 am, we headed out on a day hike to Bierstadt Lake. The lake had a magnificent view and 3 ducklings. The ducklings were the highlight of the day. The crew minus Scott and Nick proceeded to return to Bear Lake to finish off our day hike. That's a total of about 8 miles. Tuesday served as the main challenge for the week. We would go a total of 6 miles, with all but 1.5 uphill. When I say uphill I mean uphill with a very steep grade. Rob and Kevin went ahead of the crew and set up the tent at Odessa Lake. This lake is the most beautiful place in the park (we checked with the rangers!). The lake is totally surrounded by trees with mountains in the background. There was even a waterfall in the middle of the mountain. If you watched the mountains and the lake long enough it would fade in and out of sight based on the amount of fog and clouds. Kevin took approximately 7 pictures from the same spot and none are the same. Our campsite was one of the few spots in the lake area that was not covered by 6-7 feet of snow. We would awaken the next morning to a fresh snowfall of 2-3 inches. Having no tarp for the tent and no pad myself I got a little wet. We were a little anxious about our next campsite as it was at the same elevation as Odessa. In anticipation of it not being camp-able Kevin and Rob went on a day hike up to Spruce Lake. To get there we had to go bouldering over numerous 1 ton or more mounds of rocks. This was all through heavy hail that stung when it hit bare skin. Upon turning back we pitched camp at Fern Lake, cutting off about a mile from Thursday's hike. The campsite was nice as sites went; however, the mosquitoes literally swarmed you whenever you stepped out of your tent. All told we made a large dent in the mosquito population of Fern Lake, but don't expect the dent to last too long. There were just too many for 5 scouts and 2 adults to take on by themselves. Thursday brought us a beautiful day, full of sunshine and high spirits. We were going back along Tuesday's trail (minus the mile up to Odessa). All but 1.5 miles was downhill, but that 1.5 was some of the steepest grade we'd hike for the whole week. We made it back to Upper Mill Creek camp, the same camp as the first day out, early in the day. Most of the crew went to take a nap; however, Rob and Doug took a day hike back up to Bear Lake (adding 4.2 miles to the 5 miles in full pack from the day) to dump the trash. Also that day our 2 adults went off on a hike without informing the scouts where they were headed. They turned up 1.5 hours late. The scouts were upset until we noticed that they came bearing crackerbarrel. This consisted of a large bag of Doritos, Oreo cookies, Pringles, and a 12 pack of Coke. The scouts did send out a search and rescue crew of 3 scouts before they came back, so we were taking charge of the situation and attempting to find our missing members. This operation occurred after a full game of euchre however. The last day of our adventure we decided to wake up at 7 am. This would allow us to hike our last 1.9 miles (all downhill) and make it in time for Mcdonald's breakfast. Everyone was in high spirits the whole day. Especially when we got to camp [in N. Platte, Nebraska] with nice warm showers. Overall the hike was fun, and relatively easy with 3 days totaling under 20 miles of hiking in full packs. The majority of our free time was spent playing cards; euchre, hearts, and speed. Kevin kept complaining that he was missing his "significant other", Matt W. The trip has been long and eventful. Now it's time to head home! Memorable Quotes  I can hear myself getting fatter - Matt W or Matt P (or both) at Ryan's Buffet Arches National Park: Home of over 2000 natural arches. Illinois: Home of innumerable construction barrels. - Mr. B Next time, can we backpack in Kansas? - Denver, as Crew 1 hiked 1,600 ft. of elevation gain in 1 day "Pass" - Kevin, just before Mr. B. slams a lay-down loner in euchre [Quartermaster Closing: DQL] Troop 755 showed its finest face in late June 2003, with our successful Southwest Quest. The roots of the trip are exemplified in the Scout motto: Be Prepared. For it was in the exquisite planning by the trek's Scoutmaster and Quartermaster, and its wonderful execution by the Scouts and Scouters that bestowed magical memories for all who attended (and some who tagged along in virtual boots through the troop website, www.troop755.org). The simplicity in the reward of that effort was seen countless times on the faces of the boys who saw their first mountain sunset; who felt their first summer chilled-air morning; who took their first high altitude breathless hike. It was heard in their enthusiastic recounts of the day's events, the day's wonders and surprises, the day's glory. It was shared in boys and dads alike; no counting for age differences when it came to the beauty of our surroundings. The contrasts were one of its appeals. From the symmetry of the stainless steel Gateway Arch in St. Louis, to the graceful wind shaped rust colored natural arches in Arches National Park. From the sports stadiums of the Kansas City skyline, to the kivas of Mesa Verde. From the hot Nebraska winds, to the numbing Rocky Mountain mornings. From the meandering Mississippi River, to the raging torrents of water cascading down the Colorado mountains. From the humidity of the Midwest, to the aridity of Utah. From beef jerky backcountry lunches to the decadence of Ryan's Buffet. From the smells of pines, as you hiked through the tree line, to the Dodge City stockyards. From sleeping open air on pavilion picnic tables, to sleeping open air on sandstone mattresses. From the talents of the Bar D Wranglers, to the choir that was Crew 1. From the century-old huffin' and puffin' Durango & Silverton Railroad to the pinpoint accuracy of the GPS to help us find ourselves along the trail. From the Class A sharpness of our troop in public venues, to the lackluster groups at the go-cart track. From the clash between the roadway noise of the North Platte campsite, to the eerie silence of the one at Colorado Sand Dunes. The contrasts were not coincidental. It was planned by the Scoutmaster! And he should be thanked. The fortunate ones who completed the Quest will now forever remember bits and bytes. They will chisel in their own memory banks one or two instances of good luck, or newfound spirit about themselves, and this wonderful land west of the Mississippi. They will look back and be proud that they trudged up and down the mountain trails, for views of grandeur, and inward reflection of their own pride in the accomplishment. They will remember the countless crazy conversations with their buddies, and the new ones they made along the trek. They will now understand the criteria for organizing several age groups together: mentoring has in its essence both youthful want of knowledge, and in its flip-side, pride in the ability to pass on its wisdom. What started as four years of difference in ages ended as one Troop, one crew, one set of Scouters. Thick beards or baby faces made no never mind. So we end the trek as a whole. A whole lot of good times; a grand amount of exuberant delight; and newfound passion for the mountains. We are proud of our accomplishments. We are better off for it. We can now pass along the appeal of the West to others. And hope they too find their own wild places. [SWQ Scoutmaster Minute: Mr. B] I would like to start with three very important Thank You's. First, thanks to all the adult leaders who spent two weeks of vacation time to make this trip possible. Special thanks to Mr. V. for his convoy management, keeping all his ducks in a row, and to Mr. P. for his outstanding work on the trek website. Next, the trek was fortunate to have tremendous youth leadership. Thanks to Andrew for his brilliant work as SPL, despite the fact that Mr. L. and I kept moving the schedule around under his feet. Also thanks to the four crew chiefs for leading their crews through this series of challenges. The last thank you goes to my partner and good friend, Mr. L. Our year and a half of planning paid off. Your work with the chaplain's aides on the church services was wonderful and inspirational. And you truly are the hardest working man in show business. The objectives of the BSA program are to develop youth leadership and citizens of character. On this trip we achieved these goals through three methods: exploration, challenge and friendship. Exploration: We explored the habitats of man from the cow towns of Kansas, the ancient Indian cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde, to the modern resort town of Durango. We explored the diversity of the western landscape from the dry desert sandstone and red rock arches of Utah to the high mountain lakes in the Rocky Mountains. This exploration of America helped us understand its impact on our country's history and character, from Thomas Jefferson's vision of manifest destiny to Theodore Roosevelt's rugged individualism. Challenge: There were many challenges presented to the members of Southwest Quest. The trip itself was one big challenge. We offered to give you as many experiences as possible in sixteen days, if all were up to it. This isn't a challenge that 30 out of the 32 people could accept -- everybody had to perform -- and we all did. The crew chiefs had the biggest challenge, motivating their crews to fix dinner when everybody else was resting, to climb 1,600 feet of elevation in one day's hike, to get up and pack their tents when it was 34 degrees at 6 o'clock in the morning. They all met this challenge while forming tight-knit teams of close friends. They are all true leaders. Friendship: It has been said that high adventure trips don't build character, they reveal it. After 16 days together what was revealed? Trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness and cheerfulness, all leading to friendship. Because you are my friend, you encouraged me to make it through the Balcony House and Fiery Furnace hikes, and to get to the top of the Great Sand Dunes. Because you are my friend, I could ask you to take some weight from my pack so that I could make it up the next mountain. And, because you are my friend, you could sleep next to me in a tent even through I hadn't had a shower in 7 days. Parents, we now return these young men to you. They are a little older, and a little smellier. But they have a new sense of ability and confidence, which they very rightfully earned through their accomplishments. They have all performed to the ideals of the Scout Oath and Law, and I am very proud of them. Thank you.

View from Alpine Visitor Center A friend surveys the Continental Divide  (Andrew photo)   Top of Tundra Trail in 60 mph wind   Crew 1 poses for a departure photo   Crew 2 leaves from the Dunraven Trailhead for the Mummy Range (D. Engel photo)   Crew 3 ready at the Wild Basin Trailhead   Scouts were not completely removed from modern culture   Finch Lake at sunrise Tuesday   Pear Lake Tuesday morning   Denver prepares for the plunge into Pear Lake Only the best facilities (scenic privy at Pine Ridge Camp)   A camp visitor samples Mr. B's trail mix   Wednesday morning hailstorm (other crews saw worse)   Mr L and Wes admire their hailman (D. DeLaby photo) A truly unique trail sign   Crews 1 & 3 exchange notes Wednesday morning Long's Peak (14,255 ft) and Mt. Meeker appear over the ridge   Gerard attempts to rise after 5 minute rest (Andrew photo)   Crew 3 enjoys a swift stream (D. DeLaby photo)   Crew 3 dines in comfort (D. DeLaby photo) The bear bag gets hung in dense pine branches   Denver, Jimmy & Steve pump water from Ouzel Creek   Horses have the right-of-way ('cause they're bigger than hikers)   Day hike through snowdrifts toward Bluebird Lake   Snowdrifts start to resemble glaciers, hmm...   Crew 1 at 11,000 ft with Bluebird Lake & Ouzel Peak Mahana Peak also looks over Bluebird Lake   Spring skiing at its sloppiest (Andrew photo)   Descent back into Wild Basin Mr. B reconnects with his crew (after antibiotics & a motel shower)   Mule deer contemplates a marmot Dinner at Ouzel Lake, under Copeland Mountain   Beef stew with appropriate condiments Sunset over Mahana Peak   Friday sunrise, 6:00 am   McGriddles satisfy the survivors at Friday brunch   Crews reaquaint themselves with technology The SWQ trek prepares to depart from Estes Park   Go kart racing in North Platte, Nebraska (D. DeLaby photo)   Breakfast in North Platte, Nebraska (after hot showers)   Back at Northville's First Presbyterian Church   SWQ trek organizers congratulate the participants   Happy families reunite with their scouts and scouters