[at-l] "Strange" pack items

[dfaddleton@mindspring.com (David)]

What a neat story . . .
I simply love hiking with kids!

> I brought a small group of hidh school kids on a weekend hike through the
> Kinsmans in the White mountains of NH.  Rachel was wearing several layers
of
> clothing which I tried to encourage her to cut back on before we left the
> Kinsman Notch parking lot.  She refused.  She also informed me that the
> stuffed spidermonkey she was carrying on her backpack was going to be used
as
> her pillow.  As we hiked Rachel would suddenly fall or callapse to the
> ground.  I or someone else would help her to ger feet.  But she constantly
> smiled and laughed as we headed for Eliza brook Shelter.  It was quickly
> evident that Rachel was goin to be the slowest hiker in the group.  I
usually
> send a strong hiker leader with the faster members of the group and I walk
in
> the back as the sweep.  Well I was about two hours later then the fast
group
> getting into camp with Rachel.  Rachel found a nice spot in the shelter to
> put her sleepingbag.  Then she turned to me and said, "Mr. Cloutman, Where
do
> you think I should put my Television?"   She was wearing all of her
clothing
> because there was no room in her pack for clothes.  The TV, CD Player,
> Walkman, tapes and CDs were taking up too much room.  Plus a ton of snack
> food in addition the the hiker food I had packaged for her.
>
> Rachel learned more from that hike than any student I have ever brought
> hiking.  She is still into hiking and is about the best lightweight packer
I
> have ever worked with.  She learned all the lightweight tricks herself.
> Rarely does her pack get over 20 lbs for a multple day hike.
>
>                                             Art
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