[Rebelbase]

Did a backpack trip once where an overweight, out of shape kid was with us. We ended up spliting up his gear and carry it between all of us. I spent the last two hours of the hike a mile behind everyone else with my hand in the middle of his back pushing him up the mountain. He made it.

[Myrddin]

My first Scout troop was in Springfield, VA. I attended my first meeting on Wednesday, May 29th, 1968. There was a hike scheduled for Saturday, but you had to be a Tenderfoot to participate. The next day was Memorial Day. I went to the Scoutmaster's house and passed all my Tenderfoot requirements. It was quite an evening of "cramming" for the test. The hike on the C&O canal was a blast. It was 10 miles of mosquito infested green water.

My first and only scout camp was at Goshen, VA in July 1968. I made 2nd class, earned the swimming merit badge and mile swim patch. After summer camp, I pressed forward to finish my First Class requirements before moving back to San Diego. I joined Troop 857 in Chula Vista and made Eagle in April 1972.

We had a few out of shape kids in both troops. Fortunately, the "shakedown" hikes were structured such that the leaders didn't have to split equipment or physically move them along. By the time we were going up Mt San Jacinto or San Gorgonio, everyone was in pretty good shape. The 30 mile "Camelback" through the Cuyamaca mountains and much flatter "El Camino" hikes were good preparation. The real hiking fans took the 14 day Sierra Trek including a climb to the summit of Mt. Whitney. My lungs weren't up to that level of exertion.