1/29 Dry Creek 5 mile hike:

On January 29th, 2022, Troop 123 went on their first hike for the hiking merit badge! It was a steep but beautiful 5-mile hike at Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park. We started the hike around 9:00 when it was still cool out and the trail was well shaded. We did a count-off at the parking lot, handed out blue cards, and then got started with the hike. It was a very steep hike to get to the top and everyone had to take multiple breaks. Along the way, we saw many cows and the trail was covered with mud. One time, there were a few cows blocking the trail so we had to detour a little to get around them. We walked for about 3 miles before stopping under a shady tree for a snack. As usual with our troop of very experienced tree climbers, everyone climbed the tree.

One of the best things about the hike was that the scouts separated into two groups, and each group walked with their arms linked together pretty much the entire time. So the adult volunteers had to rip us apart sometimes. Something that our Troop could improve on for this hike and upcoming hikes is RSVP’ing and notifying adults when you have to cancel last minute. When scouts don’t do this, there is a lot of confusion, especially between the leaders. Overall, the hike was very enjoyable for everyone and a great start to the hiking merit badge!

- Ruhi Shah