Scouts hike and help
Troop 1945 stands with their guide as they finished their project. From left to right, front row: Carolyn, our guide, Kenneth Maughn, Dusty Shepard, Josh Jones, Taylor Hayes, Justin Jones, Joseph Salois. Back row: Gordon Terry, Russel Harbin, Adrian Dodson, Brad Jones, Brent Bowman.
Josh Jones and Dusty Shepard fold a flag during one of the flag ceremonies.
POLSON — Teamwork is one reason Boy Scout Troop 1945 was able to hike away from their service site two hours faster than it took them to get there.
After one member’s ankles were sore, the rest of the troop distributed his gear so the group member could make it back with the least amount of pain.
“It was really great to see the leadership and teamwork of the boys,” troop master Brad Jones said.
Teamwork also helped the group complete their service project.
From Aug. 1 to Aug.7, seven 11- to 14-year-old boys and four leaders packed in to the Bob Marshall Wilderness near Twin Creek to clean up 2.5 miles of trails in the wilderness. The project was in conjunction with the Boy Scouts Centennial.
“It was probably the best camp we’ve had with the boys,” Jones said.
The group removed overgrown brush and rebuilt part of the trail that had been eroded.
“We did anything to bring the trail back where it was safe,” Jones said.
The Scouts backpacked their own equipment to the campsite and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation had two mules bring in food and tools.
At the end of the project, the foundation was impressed with the completed project.
“They had low expectations with the group of our age,” Jones said. “They were really impressed with the final product.”
The boys were well prepared as the troop camps often, so nothing was overly difficult for the troop.
“We did have to bathe in the creek and it was pretty cold,” Jones said.
Jones said the boys’ favorite part of the entire trip was the flag ceremony.
“Afterwards we asked them what they liked the most and it was unanimous,” he said.
Every morning and evening, the troop put the flag up and brought it down. On the last night, Aug. 6, the troop retired the old, worn out flag.
“They enjoyed the reverence of it,” Jones said.
The trip gave members a taste of what a full-scale backpacking trip would be like on a smaller scale.
“This gave them a good idea of things like carrying their own packs,” Jones said.
The weather and surrounding inhabitants cooperated with the troop. It only rained a couple times and deer were the only curious creatures.
“There were deer, snakes and a lot of squirrels, but no sightings of bears,” Jones said, even though the group saw bear tracks over the mule tracks on the hike out. “They didn’t find the need to find us.”