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[at-l] My Trip with the Boy Scouts

I just returned from a great week of backpacking and white water rafting =
in=0ANorth Carolina.  My group consisted of 11 scouts and 7 adults.  To m=
inimize=0Aour impact on the trail we split into two groups, one hiking De=
ep Gap to=0AWesser and the other Wesser to Deep Gap.  One group was using=
 the Kimsey Creek=0Aand Long Branch Trail for a 40 mile hike and my group=
 was supposed to do the=0Awhole 51.7 mi AT section.

The participants were exposed to LNT techniques and were educated on the =
need=0Ato leave shelter facilities for solo hikers and smaller groups.  I=
 found that=0Akeeping away from shelters is no great sacrifice and we app=
reciated the extra=0A10 degrees of warmth by tenting each night.

Two surprises caused me to reevaluate how to get enjoyment out of the wee=
k.=0AFirst was the fact that upon completing our first day climb of 5.7 m=
iles south=0Afrom Wesser, I lost 40% of my group.  Three of the boys were=
 either sick or=0Adispirited at the enormity of the effort required while=
 carrying 6 days of=0Afood up hills they had no previous conception of.  =
Because our next day was=0Aalso a tough 11.1 miler that they were not in =
shape to tackle, I let one of=0Athe adults volunteer to lead this group b=
ack down to Wesser the following day.=0AIt was a shame that they had not =
prepared as I had advised them.

The second surprise came on Tuesday afternoon when I was informed that al=
l=0Afive of my remaining companions had voted to take the Long Branch/Kim=
sey Creek=0Ashortcut.  I=92ll admit to being extremely disappointed that =
I would thereby be=0Adenied the opportunity to climb Albert Mountain and =
Standing Indian Mountain.=0AI was a real BEAR -- not a Solar Bear -- to b=
e around at the campsite that=0Anight and for the first few hours on Wedn=
esday=92s hike.  The other group met up=0Awith us Tuesday night and were =
having a great time -- none of the problems my=0Agroup was confronting.

Then on Wednesday a magical transformation took place.  Freed from the ne=
ed to=0Akeep pushing the group to put in the big miles, I decided to rela=
x and hike=0Aslower and take in the sights and sounds of the trail.  Beca=
use we finished 25=0Aof the 40 miles in our first three days, we would ha=
ve leisurely half day=0Ahikes the last three days.

I=92ll write more in depth about some of these experiences later, but let=
 me=0Acover them here as a series of vignettes:

Studying the habits of the Hoary Skipper moth, especially the way they ex=
tract=0Asalt from a hiker=92s ripe clothing.

Reading the register at Rock Gap Shelter, most notably an entry from Earl=
=0AShaffer that allowed me to explain his accomplishments to the Scouts. =
 By=0Abeing able to read the entry and having now hiked the Trail for 4 d=
ays, the=0AScouts could finally begin to understand the meaning of a thru=
-hike and=0Adefinitely connected with what Earl had accomplished in 1948 =
and were even=0Amore impressed that someone in his 70=92s could attempt a=
 thru-hike.

Panning for gold with a Frisbee on the Nantahala River.

Seeing two hummingbirds.

Skipping rocks and watching Scouts looking like drunken sailors as they w=
aded=0Adownstream while navigating the rocky stream bottom barefooted.

Trail Magic: Sharing a hot Stovetop stuffing meal with section hiker Twin=
k who=0Asent her stove home and was therefore most appreciative.

Eating tasty wild strawberries.

A boy on the opposite river bank skipping rocks in my direction.  A=0Arho=
dodendron thicket obscures his view of me.  Some rocks come within ten fe=
et=0Aof me, but I was in such a state of connectedness with nature that t=
o talk=0Awould have broken the spell, so I just continued my musings and =
trusted in the=0Amagic of the moment that I wouldn=92t get struck.  (I di=
dn=92t.)

A round, half submerged rock on the opposite shore catches dappled sunlig=
ht in=0Asuch a way that it becomes a UFO with pulsating lights along its =
perimeter.=0AFive minutes later, a cigar shaped neighbor joins in and an =
imaginary invasion=0Ais underway.  A chipmunk then scampers over them and=
 ruins the illusion.

In conclusion, I went into this trip with one set of expectations and had=
 I=0Aheld onto them at all costs, I would have missed the many special gi=
fts the=0Atrail bestows on those who go slow with all senses on full aler=
t.  By=0Aadjusting my expectations, I was able to walk away from the week=
 with a full=0Asense of satisfaction and accomplishment even though I had=
 not accomplished my=0Aplanned objectives.  Maybe there=92s a lesson in t=
here somewhere.

Happy trails,

Solar Bear

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