Hiking Merit Badge- 10 mile hike (4/5/2025)

On the 5th of April, our troop decided to embark on a 10 mile trek at Ed R. Levin County Park. Let’s just say… this was not the relaxing nature walk we imagined. What we didn’t expect was the scorching heat, barely any shade, and trails that felt like they just kept going up. From the start, the

sun was blazing, and it only got hotter as we climbed. Most of the trail had almost no tree coverage, and every step felt like we were roasting from the inside out.

There were definitely moments when it felt easier to just sit down and quit—water bottles were getting warm, sunscreen was melting off, and sweat was dripping down our backs. A couple of us seriously considered just laying in the dirt and waiting for a breeze. But somehow, we kept going. We pushed ourselves, took breaks when we needed to, and reminded each other that we could do it.

Even though it was one of the most inconvenient hikes we’ve ever done, it taught us something valuable: perseverance isn’t always pretty. It’s not about smiling through it or pretending you’re fine. Sometimes, it looks like trudging uphill, drenched in sweat, regretting every decision that brought you there—but still not quitting. And at the end of the day, we finished the hike. We made it through the heat, the dust, the complaints, and came out stronger (and way sweatier) than we started

     -Rhea Tandyala & Tanishka Jha