Always Be Prepared!

It was late March and the snow was deep at the top of the best hike in southern Utah, The Subway in Zion National Park. I had been on this hike many times and knew that as we worked our way closer to the valley floor below, the snow would dissipate and then the real fun would begin! Despite the cold, this reconnoitering trip came off without a hitch and the following week we returned with a brand new Venturing Crew made up of BYU college students.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the first half of the hike. We descended to the canyon floor some 800 feet down a windy trail and made our way boulder hopping and crossing the river as we traveled several miles to the cascading waterfalls. Spring was in the air with a crisp breeze and we had remained dry and warm so far. As we entered the actual "Subway" part of the hike we saw rounded walls that were shimmering with the mist rising from the torrent of water flowing through it. The water was wall to wall, about 18 inches deep, and was approximately 35° F because of the snow melting two miles upstream.

I posted myself at the base of a short scramble and spotted the students as they made their ascent and continued on up the canyon. After several students had made it to the top of this wall, I took a step back to call the next one up the river. Unexpectedly, my footing slipped and I vanished into a deep pot hole that was filled with freezing cold water over my head. I remember looking up at the next girl in line as she stared down at me through the water. She was helplessly trying to figure out how to get me out of the churning water while I frantically kicked against the current to get to the surface. After what felt like hours I was able to get to the top and take a breath, but then the real challenge began. The walls of the pot hole were covered with a thin layer of green algae that were so slippery that it was impossible to get a good grip. Thinking quick, the nearest student stripped off her backpack and threw me a strap. This extra help enabled me to pull myself up and roll out onto my side like a beached whale. I was soaked to the skin and my gear was completely wet with everything ruined, including my radio. We were miles away from any outside help.

Before shock and hypothermia set in, with the help of several students we worked our way downstream. We could see one ray of sunshine shining down into the canyon from the 2000 foot sandstone walls towering above. We had to get to it! As we came around the corner we saw Michael Chang, a good friend of mine and another of the leaders on this hike. He was a true Boy Scout and was prepared with every needful thing, plus some! After removing most of my wet clothes, he wrapped me in an emergency blanket and cracked a small heater inside. Several of the class members gathered around and prayed for me that I would make it out okay.

I truly felt the hand of the Lord warm my body and my heart that day! 

The sun began to dip below the canyon walls and we were still hours away from the cars. Wet, cold, and with it getting dark, we had to move fast. It was slow going and we didn't make it back to the car until well after dark.

The moral of this story for me is: Be Prepared, or at least be with someone who is!

Thank you to Michael Chang and that Venturing Crew for saving my life by doing things for me that I could not do for myself.

WAHOO Mountain Man Rendezvous

A veteran Scouter came to visit with me recently and explained how he thinks we need to "up our game" as a Scouting movement. He believes that in order to create men who are tough, men who have understanding, and men who can survive in a changing world, we need to do a better job teaching our boys how to do things that are difficult. In his mind, Scouting had lost some of those things, but I am here to tell you that we are still in the game! Sometimes it is just a matter of taking advantage of the opportunities available.

Scouting can absolutely teach our boys what they need to know to be great men!

There is something about Scouting's high adventure activities that challenge our boys to bring out the best in a themselves, showing them who they are and what they can do.

• Have you ever rappelled over the edge of a huge cliff while thinking to yourself, "I hope this gear holds me!"
• Have you ever gone toe to toe with your peers in a shotgun shooting contest to see what you were made of?
• Have you ever sat on a trading blanket and learned negotiation skills from a master mountain man?
• Have you ever stared up at the stars in wonder and thought, "I am sure there is more than me in this great universe!"
• Have you ever cooked your own dutch oven dinner and competed against other troops for the best of the best dinner?
• Have you ever tested your skills in the cross-cut saw?

"WAHOO"
Big Rendezvous Event

June 5th - 7th, 2014

In just a few weeks, Varsity Scouts will converge on the Beaver High Adventure Base to enjoy a challenging (and exciting!) weekend at the WAHOO Mountain Man Rendezvous. Don't miss this opportunity to bring your Varsity Scouts to the Beaver High Adventure Base without the time and financial commitment of spending an entire week.

"The greatest generation" did not become the greatest by having an easy childhood. They were constantly challenged to grow in strength and understanding as they faced the difficult things in their lives. Let's take advantage of the opportunities Scouting provides in our day in order to challenge our boys to become the strong and capable men they were meant to be!

Register for WAHOO today: http://www.utahscouts.org/event/1530171

P.S. I will be helping with the rock climbing section… Come and join me! It will be a lot of fun!

It's Not About Rock Climbing...

Imagine yourself overlooking a vast expanse of the Arizona desert, standing on the top of a sheer cliff, 200 feet above a rocky gorge below. You peer over the edge and your heart skips a beat. Beside you are some of your closest friends, encouraging you to step to the edge of this rocky cliff and jump...

I recently returned home from teaching a rock climbing course at a BSA National Camp School. This course was designed to train Scouters who will go on to oversee high-adventure rock climbing courses as Climbing Directors at Boy Scout facilities throughout the nation.

They not only learned the ins and outs of rock climbing, but they also learned why we do rock climbing and rappelling in the Boy Scouts of America.

Throughout the course we taught and trained the participants concerning all of the aspects and skills needed to climb and rappel safely and how to teach these skills to Scouts and their leaders. A lot was learned throughout the week, but each participant ultimately came to realize that the true point of our training was to learn how to connect the games of Scouting back to the lives of those we teach. As important as it is to be proficient in rock climbing when teaching this skill, the real reason we do high adventure in the Boy Scouts of America is to help youth to overcome their anxieties and fears in life so that they can become everything they hope to be. 

My personal story of overcoming fear through Scouting began when I attended a Boy Scout camp in Southern Utah as a boy. I was the nerdy kid in the troop who couldn't even look someone in the eye and talk with them because of the fear I felt inside. At this Scout camp I was challenged to scale what seemed to be an incredibly tall rock climbing wall. Hesitantly I tried, and very quickly I found out that not only could I do it, but I was actually really good at it. I even became the fastest climber in the camp that week! This realization was a turning point in my life. Once I found out that I was good at rock climbing, I knew that I could do anything else I put my mind to!

So once again, imagine yourself standing on the top of that 200 foot cliff with the world beneath you... This time you are filled with confidence and assurance. Trust in your gear, trust in your partner, and trust in the Lord! The great cliffs in our life can be our steppingstones to the future.

If we can translate rock climbing into better Scouts, better husbands, and better fathers, together we can change the world!