Scoutmaster Musings

11 weeks until our crew leaves for backpacking in the Cloud Peak Wilderness area in Wyoming. We had our first meeting last night to list all the 'stuff' that needs to happen before the actual trek, and I think it might have been a bit of an overload for some of the guys. :-)
There are 8 scouts and 2 adults going so we're working on finding the best logistics for travelling. That's the biggest challenge for us, everything else looks like the scouts will step up and take over. Here's a short list of the tasks to be distributed by the crew leader:

• menu, food purchase, and repackaging
• t-shirt design and manufacture
• campground reservations in-transit
• training: LNT, cooking, water filters, first aid, map/compass, flag etiquette
• define route
• schedule practice hikes
• proper packing
• reserve flag lowering spot at Mt. Rushmore
• write newspaper articles

So, there's enough work to go around. :-) Luckily, we kept information from last year so we're not starting from scratch this time.

Five of the eight scouts have already attended a 2-hour Leave No Trace workshop that I presented and they are demonstrating LNT skills on our two campouts before July.

There are some special first aid concerns for this trip - altitude sickness, dehydration, and hypothermia are all things we need to be aware of and keep an eye out for.

The practice hikes start next week!

Scout On