Friday

This is the End, Beautiful Friend

Well, here we are, rolling down the Highway. The Alleghenies lie behind us; ahead, miles and miles of seemingly endless road. I now sit shotgun in Dr. C’s car. Behind me is Colin, the “cool kid” who is busily cramming vanilla wafers into his mouth. Next to him sits Hank, who is, of course, dead asleep. We have the trailing attached to the back, meaning that we are the last car in our lovely little caravan. Directly in front of us is Big Blue, with Mr. R at the wheel. Behind him sits Hunter, most likely smiling pleasantly as he thinks of his adventures here in West Virginia. Next to Hunter is Luke, probably relating some scientific facts or expressing his love of the Caverns which we were fortunate enough to see this morning. In front of Big Blue drives Big Daddy Sackful, with Gummy in the shotgun, who are almost certainly both thanking their lucky stars (as am I) that we were able to get our gear down before the weather took the severe turn that it has Behind Mr. S sits Young Will, proudly practicing his knots and wondering what kind of awesome adventures our next trip will bring. Next to Will sits the Jake the great, rubbing his bear wound, rocking out to KISS, and slurping the Mountain Dew that will refill him with boundless energy by the time he gets home (sorry, Mrs. Z). As for my Dad, he’s at Lake Cumberland right now, blaring John Denver over the speaker and laughing at his own wit. What a strange bunch of males we are! Yet together, we form a band of brothers who have laughed together, cried together (from laughing), and have hiked trails, braved the West Virginian Wilderness, and taken time to laugh some more, whether at ourselves or one another. Before this week, I only really knew a few of the guys who were going on this trip really well, now I’ve learned enough about them to give them humorous and sometimes embarrassing nicknames. Let us not forget, however, all the people who were unfortunately unable to come with us on this trip. Most notably, our fellow Scouts: Matthew, Kevin, Omer, Jack, Brennan, Wiley, Geoffrey, Paul, and all the adult leaders. We have missed you and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.
And now, with the last stretch of the road just ahead of us, I would like to present my list of the top biggest hits of the trip – the songs we used as blog names as well as other songs.
1. Sweet Surrender – John Denver
2. Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting – Elton John
3. The Lumberjack Song – Monty Pythong
4. When the Saints Go Marching In – Elvis Presley
5. I Can See for Miles – The Who
6. Locomotive Breath – Jethro Tull
7. Wheel in the Sky – Journey
8. The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
9. Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
10. Baba O’Riley – The Who
11. Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver

Well, there you go. Listen to those songs, and you can get a feeling of how we felt at various points during this trip. Hear the songs, feel the feelings, and know what it’s like to be a member of this year’s Troop 820 Summer Trip to West Virginia. That’s all I got. We’ll see you soon, we’re just a few hours away. As always, keep it real.

Louie

The Long and Winding Trail (and the Blog Post to Match)


This post is coming to you from the one and only Colin C (shown above, prancing about) who will relate to you in his own words the events of yesterday.

“Well, we woke up in the morning and we had a simple breakfast of cereal and poptarts. Then, we got ready to go and went to Seneca Rocks, the Discovery Center. And then we watched this video on the trail, went to the bathroom and went on a hike up the rocks, about a mile and a half. We had many tempting shortcuts that Will was eager to take, and when we got to this overlook spot and we could see for miles and miles and miles and miles. Then we hiked back, it was a little bit shorter than hiking up, obviously. When we were done with that, we went to Spruce Knob, which is the highest point in West Virginia, to have lunch. After that, we went to the overlook spot and then we went on the Whispering Trail and it was about a half mile long. From there, we could see a 360 degree view of West Virginia. After that, we went back to camp, collected some firewood, and some of the Scouts headed down the river on rafts. The rafting trip lasted two hours for many reasons: because the current wasn’t as fast as we thought it would be, and we passed the campsite. Lucky for us, Mr. R, and Jake were fishing up the river and they saw us. So we swam ashore, got in their car, and headed back to camp. When we got back, Louie and Mr. Z were preparing dinner: the big burrito pigout. And when that was done, we feasted on big burritos. After that was done, we started a big fire and about the time when it got dark, we had Skit Night. Hank did some magic tricks, Louie acted kinda gay, and Luke, Hunter, Will, and I did the famous “Viper-Man” skit. And after that, we had some marshmallows, roasted them, and went to bed. Oh, and there was the Nicknaming Ceremony… I almost forgot about that.”

To clarify, my “acting kinda gay” was my performance of the Kenny Lust sketch from Monty Python’s Flying Circus; it was a routine I have performed at almost every summer trip to an increasingly enthusiastic audience. I would also like to complement Colin’s performance in “Viper-Man,” it was riveting, to say the least. Also, Colin mentioned the “nicknaming ceremony”; I am proud to announce that this has been the first official nicknaming ceremony since the Land Between the Lakes Trip. Although nicknames have been awarded sporadically, this has been the first official ceremony, in which the Senior Scouts on the trip (in this case, basically just me) give nicknames to the other Scouts on the trip. This year, I went a step further and gave the adults nicknames, as well. The nicknames were as follows:

Hank H (Previous Nicknames: Guppy, Pecos Bill) – “The Minstrel Boy”
Hank has a natural love of song and consistently tries to get everyone else to sing along with him, even when his original tunes are being written on the spot. His over-enthusiastic demeanor and somewhat annoying love of strange songs remind one of a medieval Minstrel; the 17-minute epic song “The Minstrel Boy” by Joe Strummer is his namesake.
Colin C (Previous Nicknames: The Tick) – “Sir Prance-a-Lot”
With someone as quirky as Colin, there are quite a few possibilities for nicknames. I could have named him for his love of Beef Jerky, his strange voices, or his absolutely adorable relationship with his father (and Mr. Z). However, his frantic prancing across the lovely meadows and forests of West Virginia win out as the most entertaining feature of someone who kept everyone thoroughly entertained throughout the trip.
Jake Z (Previous Nicknames: ) – “Buddy”
Jake never stops smiling. Even when he gets himself into ridiculous situations that generally end with physical pain, he always has a bright and sunny personality that either rubs off on you or (more frequently) annoys the heck out of you. His poor luck yet sunny disposition remind me perfectly of the character Buddy from the film Elf. It is truly a perfect fit.
Will S (Previous Nicknames: Gopher) – “Daredevil”
No one does ridiculous things quite like Will. Whether its putting three-days-old wild berries which are most likely inedible on his cereal or creating brand-new hiking trails which are almost certainly doomed to end in scraped knees, Young Will is always looking for a thrill, even when it’s not in his, or anyone’s, best interests.
Luke R (no previous nicknames) – “George”
Intelligent yet headstrong, a planner yet someone who always sticks to the facts, Luke reminds me far too much of the character George in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Always entertaining and full of ideas, Luke has been awesome to have on this trip and I look forward to watching him mature as he travels the long road to Eagle.
Hunter K (no previous nicknames) – “Lenny”
As cliché as it may seem to name a pair of best friends after the stereotypical relationship of George and Lenny, Hunter’s sweet-as-honey, yet down-to-earth personality make him the living representation of this much-loved character. Although Hunter is, of course, a great deal more intelligent than Lenny, his gentle nature and unique friendship with Luke make Lenny a very accurate description of him.

And now, for the adults…

Dr. C (Colin’s father) – “The Scratchy Pounder”
Over the course of this week, Dr. C’s facial hair has come in very tough and bristly. His son lovingly refers to it as “scratchy” as he rubs his grubby fingers all over his angry father’s face. The second part of the dentist’s name derives from a statement he made while Colin was performing this action (for the millionth time): “Colin… I am going to pound you!” His frustration and articulation was too perfect to avoid giggling at. The Scratchy Pounder strikes again!
Mr. Z (Jake’s father) – “Gummy”
Read the first post. It’s too perfect to replace.
Mr. S (Will’s father) – “Big Daddy Sackful”
A true stroke of genius from Jack C, who was unfortunately unable to attend this trip, Big Daddy Sackful is one of the greatest nicknames I’ve ever heard of. Like Gummy, it’s too perfect to replace.
Mr. R (Luke’s father) – “Mighty Joe Blue”
The first part of the name, of course, comes from the film Mighty Joe Young. The second part comes from the name of his massive van… Big Blue. Mr. R has been a fantastic asset on this trip and, like Luke and Hunter, I look forward to working with him in the future.
Mr. H (Louie and Hank’s father) – “Calypso”
Even though he wasn’t present for the naming ceremony, my father’s insatiable love of John Denver spurred me to name him after one of his most catchy and well-known songs.

In an unprecedented move, the Scouts decided to give me a name as well…

Louie H (Previous nicknames: Trailmix) – “Wolverine”
I can only speculate as to why my fellow Scouts decided to name me after the Marvel Comics character. I have two theories: One, I am quite an outdoorsman and actions such as walking upstream against sets of respectable rapids probably seem extremely hardcore to them (even though to many Scouts my age it would seem quite normal), hence reminding them of the well-respected X-Man; Two, and far more likely, my facial hair has flourished in these outdoor conditions, and, since I haven’t shaved in over a week, has taken upon itself the distinctive look which Hugh Jackman had while portraying Wolverine in the movie series. Regardless of why, I am humbled and very much honored to have been named after such an impressive character by the other Scouts.

Well, it looks like we’re just about to head home. First though, we’re going to stop by Seneca Caverns. Stay tuned! More to come later!

Keep it real

Louie

Thursday

The Bear Necessities

It is with a curious combination of pity and admiration that I inform our readers that Troop 820 has experienced its first injury on this year’s summer trip. For all you worrying mothers out there, let it be known that your anxiety is for naught, as it was certainly nothing too serious. In fact, it’s actually a very good story. It all started at the river yesterday afternoon; Luke, Will, Jacob, and Mr. S were going for a bit of easy-going rafting. There are several points of decently choppy waters, even though it is consistently shallow enough for every member of the troop to stand (yes, even Young Will). I had departed from the area earlier, for I had a meeting with destiny as I grappled with those rapids. As epic as that may sound, the injury was not my own. I certainly had an adventure braving the fast-moving waters on my own, but Mr. S told me the story of how our very own Jake Z saved the lives of everyone present. Jake, Mr. S, Luke, and Will were continuing their pleasant journey down the rapids when one of them spotted a very angry-looking grizzly bear standing at the waters’ edge. As a side note, grizzly bears aren’t native to West Virginia, or the entire eastern United States for that matter. Perhaps the reason this particular grizzly was so angry was because it felt horribly out of place in a land so foreign to it. Regardless as to what this mighty creature was doing in the middle of West Virginia on the shores of the Potomac River, it was very peeved and equally ferocious, a combination which generally means bad news to a troop of innocent rafters. Fortunately, Jake had had previous experience with vicious bears which are thousands of miles away from their natural habitat with absolutely no explanation as to how or why they got there. Last year, in Yellowstone, he found himself caught in pitched battle with a giant panda, a relative of the grizzly bear which is native to East Asia. His father told a similar story in which he matched himself against a rather irritable polar bear which had wandered into his family’s garage; he was barely three years old at the time. Despite all of his past experience fighting angry bears which are horribly lost with no logical explanation, this particular grizzly offered him quite a resistance. He tussled with the furry beast for several hours, during which he took a blow to the leg, leaving a decently large gash on his left knee. In the end, Jake stood victorious, but the cut on his knee had to be treated quickly. Mr. R, being an experienced E.R. nurse (how very manly) was able to bandage the knee up properly, but he realized that stitches would be needed. Brave, noble Jake accepted his fate and went with his father and Mr. R to the local hospital. Mind you, in West Virginia, the word “local” usually refers to a radius of roughly 200 miles. Due to some speedy driving and potentially illegal maneuvers on Mr. R’s part, Jake made it safely to the hospital within an hour. With no trouble, he was bandaged up and all was well. They returned later that night. Mr. S says: “If it hadn’t been for Jake, I don’t know if I would have made it out of there alive.” Colin adds: “Aside from my father’s dentistry techniques and Louie’s facial hair, that was the manliest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Mr. Z: “I’ve never been more proud of Jake in my life. I wish that all of you parents out there knew what it’s like to have a child like my boy Jacob.” Jake shrugs these compliments off in an ever-so-masculine manner, saying: “It’s just another day for me.” For Jake, it may be just another day. But for us, it was a truly unique day that we shall certainly never forget.

ALTERNATE VERSION: Jake slipped near the water’s edge and cut his knee on a rock. See how boring the truth can be?

Wednesday

The Wheel in the Sky

Wheel in the Sky

We are proud to announce that Will’s father, Mr. Chad S, made it down safely at about dusk last night. We are equally happy to announce that today is Mr. S’s birthday. Hopefully the blogs will be more regular from this point onward, as Mr. S is the usual blogmaster for our troop; there should hopefully be more pictures from this point onward, as well. This post comes to you from the mighty Young Will, who will relate to you the events of today thus far.

“In the morning, we had a special treat: eggs. And cupcakes, which were for my dad’s birthday. Then, Louie took his second bath of the trip… and nobody else has taken any. Then we drove out on our way to rafting. But, as we said earlier, nothing goes as planned for us. The water was too shallow, so we could only ride duckies for the next two days. Fortunately, with former experience in a duckie, we didn’t go. Instead, we decided to go the Blackwater Falls, since we had all of our swimming gear with us still. But again, nothing goes as planned, and we weren’t allowed to swim at Blackwater Falls. We did, however, go down to see the falls and while down there, we found we found some graffiti which said: ‘Will was here.’ Of course, it looked like my handwriting. Next, we went up to the Gift Shops and then went to the Blackwater Falls Lodge to go to the bathroom. From there, we headed toward the Wind Farm, stopping at Mt. Storm Lake. We all saw these huge windmills.” Luke added: “they’re like giant wheels in the sky”

An excellent summary from Master William. Well, we are now over the hump with the trip; four days preceded this one, three days will follow. So far, our trip has been a memorable one. Who knows what the next few days have in store? We’re on our way back to the campsite right now. Keep it real.

Oh, by the way, Mr. S was able to add some slideshows of pictures from previous days. Check ‘em out.

- Louie

Tuesday

I Can See for Miles / Locomotive Breath (A Two-fer!)

I would to apologies on behalf of this post for being so terribly long overdue. Its lack of punctuality certainly will not go unpunished, I can assure you; it will clean up after dinner tonight.

Here’s the First Post:

I Can See for Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles

Today’s blog comes to you from my own brother Hank, who will relate yesterday’s events in his own words.

“We woke up… well, I woke up, I was the first one up today, and I got out breakfast. Then we sat around and talked while Louie took a bath in the river. Then, after everyone was done with their hygiene stuff and packing their day-packs, we set out on our daily adventure. On our way out, my dad got a shortage of air on his tires. We had to stop at Mr. Shreve’s store to fix the tire. After the tire was fixed, we went back out on our adventure. We stopped at the Seneca Rocks Visitors Center, where we learned about the Seneca Rocks and how they used it for combat missions in World War II. We went to the Canaan Ski Resort and we went up the highest ski lift that I had ever been on. When we got to the top we hiked to another mountain called Bald Knob, a.k.a. Mr. Z’s Knob (“or, a.k.a. not Mr. H’s Chest Knob,” says Will). After looking at the gorgeous panoramic view (see pictures) we hiked down the seemingly endless miles of trail to the cars. From the cars we stopped at a picnic area and had a lunch which was similar to yesterday’s, and then we came back to our campsite and helped clean up Mr. H’s car. Mr. H left to go back to work at home. After he left, we got our bathing suits on and went floating down the branch of the Potomac river that we have close to our campsite. We came back and then Mr. R and his son Luke and friend Hunter came.”

I would like to add a quick note to Hank’s summary, and that is that Mr. Shreve’s General Store, located about a mile or so up the road from our campsite, has been owned and operated by the kindly Mr. Shreve and his wife for fifty-three years; surely, this is one of the last old-time general stores in existence, and stepping into the old building is like stepping back five decades. Also, as Hank said, my father had to depart from the trip in order to return home to work. Next, Hunter K and Luke R are going to relate their experience on the drive from home to here.

Luke: “We sat there. We watched Hunter’s favorite movie, It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Then we watched my favorite movie, Armageddon.”
Hunter: “We saw a sign that said ‘Hunter Access.’ On the way back, we’re going to take some pictures. Mr. R kept calling the cows ‘West Virginia bears.’”
Luke: “I was scared to death about the cliff that we were right next to.”

In all, Mr. R sums up the ride by saying “It was kind of boring, really. Not too exciting. I was glad we didn’t get lost. I did miss one turn, but we figured it out right away. Only had to make a couple of bathroom stops” (lucky you, I say under my breath). Well, better late than never, I always say. Last night was another good one, a bit colder than the previous few nights. And a good deal dewier. But hey. We had pancakes this morning, so it’s all good.

And now, for the second post (yes, this is a two-for-one deal!):

In the Shuffling Madness of the Locomotive’s Breath

Today we headed over to the Cass Scenic Railroad, a state park of West Virginia. The drive is supposed to take about an hour and a half, but it took us two hours as a result of what Dr. C referred to as a “scenic route.” I find this to be a bit of misnomer; a more accurate name would be the “we are desperately and hopelessly lost route.” Upon arrival, we hopped aboard the Shay 5 steam locomotive, an antique which serves as a relic of the bygone era when the railway dominated the American economy. A two-hour ride, which included a stop at the Whittacre Station, served as a marvelous scenic view of the beautiful state of West Virginia. Upon returning to the Cass Station, we were quite dismayed to discover that our very dear Dr. C had sadly misplaced his car keys in a location which was unknown to us… and him, as well. The unfortunate keys were lost out there in the cold, lonely world, with nobody to look out for them and no pocket to keep them warm. After several hours of frantic searching, Mr. Z and Mr. R decided it best to take the Scouts to a local pizzeria place for lunch, seeing as the sandwich materials we intended for lunch were locked in the back of Mr. C’s car, and it was going on four o’ clock. When the train finally returned at 4:30, Dr. C gave the train cars one last desperate search, and was stupefied to discover his keys sitting sobbing quietly underneath a garbage bag. All were ecstatic to see those happy little keys safely in their owner’s hands again. What an adventure! Right now, we’re on our way back to the campsite, ready for an excellent dinner and good night’s sleep. Until next time. Keep it real.

Louie

Monday

When the Scouts Came Marching In

This post is coming from the mouth of our very own Jake, brought to you by me, in his own words.

“We woke up really really really really really really early. We ate breakfast, which was cereal and oatmeal. We got in the cars and started driving to Harper’s Ferry. We there around 11:00… (Hank says 10:00, but oh well) um… and uh… uh… we went to the Visitor’s Center. We uh… what’d we do?... um…. We rode a bus to downtown Harper’s Ferry. The bus was awesome. It had neon blue seats. When we got to downtown, we walked around and the first place we went to was the armory. Then we went to the coffin maker and he taught us how they would treat for the dead after they died in the war. Then we crossed over a foot bridge, which is also the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail. When we got down from the bridge, we hiked the Appalachian trail, and while hiking we saw the Shenandoah-Potomac canal. We learnt how a lock works and then we hiked the Appalachian Trail. We saw tubers and rafters in the canal. We walked back to :Harper’s Ferry and had ice cream. Then we took the awesome bus back to our cars and ate lunch: turkey sandwiches with chips and Rice Krispie Treats. Then we rode the cars back into town where we watched the cool gun show where the guy shot off guns and told us about how the guns were made at Harper’s Ferry. We went to a bookstore after the gun show. Then we drove to the Appalachian Trail visitor’s center then we drove back to our campsites. When we got back, Hank started grilling goetta dogs and hot dogs and then we had a prayer service where we read different prayers from different religions. We ate an awesome dinner consisting of goetta dogs, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, chips, and mac and cheese. Then we sat around the fire and went to bed.”

Truly captivating words from our very own Jake Z. That was, in essence, a fairly complete summary of our escapades yesterday, although I would like to add that the “different religions” Jake mentioned were in addition to usual Catholic prayers that we were raised on: St. Francis’s Prayer, The Lord’s Prayer (a.k.a. The Our Father), and The Serenity Prayer. The prayers from other faiths were chosen especially by yours truly as a means of comparing the similarities between the Catholic religion with which the Scouts and parents on this trip are familiar, and religions which may seem slightly more foreign; namely, that of Buddhism, Native American religions, and the Disciples of Meher Baba, three religions which, at a first glance, may seem extremely different from Christianity but have more similar teachings that you might realize. The delicious dinner Jake described was cooked by Hank (assisted by Mr. Z, Mr. H, and Dr. C) and was an excellent ending to an eventful day. All slept well, largely due to exhaustion (chopping wood for a fire can be more tiring than you would think). We arose refreshed and ready for a new day, and after I took a quick bath in the river (which felt marvelous, thank you very much) we were on our way to Seneca Rock’s for today’s adventure. What will today bring? Well, who knows? But right now it appears that we might have another flat tire… I better go see what’s the deal. Keep it real.


Huh. That rhymed…

Louie

Sunday

Saturday Night's Alright (For Sleeping)


Day 2

As always with Troop 820, things haven’t quite gone in accordance with our original plans. After a quick blessing from Reverend Eli of Lakeside Presbyterian Church, who was kind enough to take time out of his day to offer his prayers to us, we set off on I-75 (although we would switch to an east-bound road later). Although in comparison with previous summer trips things have gone quite well, it goes without saying that we’ve had our share of troubles, most notably a sudden flat tire on Dr. C’s car. With some swift action, Luke and Mike were able to fix the car while Mr. Z took some lovely photos of them hard at work. Oh, don’t worry, he helped change the tire too. In fact, he and the other two adults were quite proud of themselves as we drove away on four sets of good wheels, only to receive a slightly embarrassing blow when they discovered that a convenient tire shop was hardly a quarter of a mile down the road. But despite the half-hour spent on the side of the highway fixing the car, the drive was quite a memorable one and several stops were made for sight-seeing. Several more were made due to the weak bladder of a certain scout who will remain unnamed for the present. Some fantastic photographs were taken at these various stops; these are posted to be shared. We checked in last night at about 8:00 and were greeted quite warmly by the couple who jointly run our camping grounds; they professed a strong liking for the Boy Scouts and were more than happy to have us here. The campsite they are allowing us to use is very nice, albeit a few annoying pests (and by that I mean actual insects; it is not a metaphor for certain overly-hyper Scouts). All slept well on the first night; we had hot dogs cooked by master chef Will at about 10:30 – bit of a late dinner, I know – and we were long asleep by 11:00. All slept well, despite a dull growling coming from the tent adjacent to mine. It was either my dad or a bear, and although it sounded more like the latter, past experience tells me that it was the former. It also rained a little bit at about 4:00, but that’s nothing for veteran scouts as we. We’ve braved worse before, maelstroms of every shape and size including snowstorms, windstorms, and thunderstorms. A little rain never hurt anybody… right??? Well anyway, everyone is up and moving and we’re heading off to Harper’s Ferry within the next five minutes. That’s what Dr. C says, but then again he also said that half an hour ago. Oh well. No rush. Keep it real.



Louie

Saturday

Lost and Alone on Some Forgotten Highway...

Mothers and fathers, friends and family, sisters and brothers, grandparents and relatives of all sorts, I give to you a warm greeting from Boy Scout Troop 820 and Highway I-75. Allow me to introduce myself as Louie Hehman, the senior scout of this trip and your humble scribe, the recorder of events and relater of occurrences as seen through my eyes. This year, the young men (and, in several cases, the not-so-young men) of Troop 820 are setting our sights eastward as we head toward that lovely gem of a state that is West Virginia. So, we’re looking eastward to a state with the word “west” in its name, and yet for some reason we are heading south on I-75… What a fascinating trip this has turned out to be within its first few hours!
As we continue driving southward despite my insistence that West Virginia is most assuredly not found south of Kentucky, I find myself quite amused at the veritable potpourri of weird and wonderful people who I am honored to join on this grand excursion. To my left in the driver’s seat is my own father, the great and wise Luke Hehman. Standing at six foot three and covered in a mane of bushy blonde hair, Luke is a true beast of a man, sporting a striking pair of sideburns and seventeen years old as of yesterday… wait… no, that’s me… In actuality, Luke is quite a bit older than that but still going well for a fellow of his respectable age. In his defense, older men have certainly done less; he’s been around the block more than a few times… and yet he is still driving south when West Virginia is east of us. Behind me sits Jacob Z, a sporting young lad in his low teens. Jake is the biggest KISS fanatic in the state of Kentucky, although he insists to the contrary. Jake has been a member of Troop 820 for two years. He is a veteran of last year’s trip to Wyoming, and now is quite excited to test in West Virginia the skills he mastered out west. Jake is a Second Class Scout (“very, VERY close to first” he says before reciting the Preamble to the Constitution). Next to Jake sits my own brother, First-Class Scout Hank. Hank has been in Troop 820 for four years, and is proud to be going on his fourth trip (the first three being Canada, Land Between the Lakes, and Wyoming). Hank’s favorite word is “cheese” and while in Land Between the Lakes, he was able to earn the nickname “Guppy” from the Eagle Scouts. Behind Hank is young Master William, who joined the troop at about the same time as Jake. Rather than being fairly excitable as Jake is, he prefers the term “straight-up pumped.” Will also attended the Wyoming trip and is ready to make his name as a seasoned Second-Class Scout (“I’m almost first, too” says Will as he pops in his earphones).
These are the current riders in my car, but there is another carful of equally intriguing characters driving in the car riding just behind our own. Or at least they were twenty minutes ago. Anyway, riding in the other car is the world-renowned dentist Dr. Michael C. Dr. C has been involved in the troop probably since before many of you were born. His eldest son earned his Eagle Scout several years ago and Dr. C was involved ever since his firstborn was a lowly Tenderfoot. Dr. C is one of three people going on this trip who were fortunate enough to attend the famous Alaska trip five years ago (the others being myself and my father). Prior to that, he had been to the Black Hills and several other major trips with Troop 820; hence, he is the most experienced member of our merry band. Sitting shotgun in Dr. C’s car is Jake’s father, Mr. Z. Mr. Z is generally happy fellow who has been involved in the troop since his son’s joining. Mr. Z is a true Theodore Roosevelt of a gentleman, a born leader and outdoorsman who “speaks softly, but carries a big stick.” The authorities have been alerted to his presence amongst our company, as evidenced in Wyoming when he was frisked by local police due to his abundance of pockets. In summary, he is a hardened criminal with pocketfuls of used gum-wrappers. He is revered by his cell-mates as “Gummy.” The other rider in Dr. C’s car is the doctor’s own son, Colin. Colin joined the troop at the same time as Will and Jake, and is known as the designated “cool kid” of the trip. Colin will also serve as our Senior Patrol Leader on this trip. Other Scouts will be joining us later in the week, i.e. Will’s father, a.k.a. “Big Daddy Sackful” courtesy of the Scouts who went on last year’s Wyoming trip. Around the same time as Big Daddy (who is the usual webmaster for this blog) arrives, Mr. Richard R and his son Luke will also join us, along with Hunter. Luke and Hunter are both newly-joined Scouts and are certainly excited for their first summer trip. More in-depth coverings of their characters will be given later, but for now I think I’ve rambled on enough. I should be going anyway. I’ve got to convince my dad that West Virginia won’t be found off of I-75. KEEP IT REAL.