‘Feet’ of strength
Midwest City Scouts go on 37-mile hike across Panhandle
A Midwest City Boy Scout Troop recently hiked the Oklahoma Panhandle and learned lessons about perseverance, partnership and the perks of Gatorade.
Some members of Troop 267 took a 37-mile trek earlier this month to fulfill a hiking merit badge, which is one of the badges Scouts can use toward Eagle Scout requirements. Eagle Scout is the highest rank Scouts can achieve.
Aidan Herman, 11, one of eight Scouts who completed the hike, said one of the rewards of the task was enjoying a bottle of grape Gatorade. That refreshment was also followed by a sense of relief and satisfaction.
“I feel accomplished,” he said. “I feel proud of myself.”
Leaders with the troop said they are impressed with the Scouts’ feat and the support and encouragement they showed to one another during the journey.
“As an adult leader, it’s definitely the proudest moment I’ve had in Scouts,” said Clayton Moore, an assistant Scoutmaster who also served in the Scouts when he was younger.
The Scouts started working on the badge in October, and some of the requirements include one 5-mile hike and three 10-mile hikes that were done on separate occasions. They chose to do the additional 15-mile and 20-mile hike requirements for the badge during three days in December, said Darryl Snow, committee chairman for the Troop.
They followed a route taken by another assistant Scoutmaster who hiked the area himself with the troop many years ago, Snow said.
The group, which included Scouts ages 10 to 14, walked across three states and used State Highway 23 as the corridor. The highway runs from the Texas state line through Beaver County in Oklahoma and to the Kansas state line.
The Scouts also exceeded the hiking requirements for the badge. They started the journey with a 22-mile hike from the Texas state line to the base camp at Beaver County Fairgrounds, Snow said. The next day, they walked 15 miles to Kansas. Some leaders also took vehicles to serve as rest stops for the group so they could refuel with snacks and water along the way.
The young men said there were blisters, body aches and fatigue, but they passed the time by talking, listening to a radio and checking out the scenery. They also enjoyed meals of hamburgers, hot dogs and macaroni and cheese that the leaders provided for them.
Moore, who hiked with the group, said the experience also was a lesson in mental preparedness. He encouraged the boys about how far they’d come and talked about how setting their minds on finishing the hike could help them reach their goal.
“We did this as a group,” Moore said. “We pushed each other.”
Alex England, 12, said one of his favorite moments was when the group reached the end of the hike at the Kansas state line and took a photo. Alex said he feels a sense of accomplishment about the experience.
“I’ve done things that most people haven’t done,” he said.
Ryan Wilson, 12, said he also feels a sense of achievement about completing the hike.
“I was glad that I finished it and I was able to do it.”
Ryan has also set another goal for himself now that he’s hiked 37 miles. He wants to participate with his mom in a half-marathon.
Ryan and the other Scouts who completed the hike will receive their hiking merit badge during a ceremony in February.
Moore said he believes the Scouts can take life lessons away from the experience, such as knowing mentally that they have the willpower to finish a tough task.
“I’m really proud of all of them,” he said.