In November 2021, our scout unit visited Zion National Park.
Main focus of our outing:
- 10 mile hike towards the hiking merit badge
- Scout cooked meals for the cooking merit badge
- Basic skills for our newer scouts
While Zion is full of hiking trails, there are not many over 5 miles in length. So, planning a 10 mile hike took some creativity. Multiple trails were used to complete the necessary distance, but the goal was accomplished.
Since our scout unit was too few for a group site and too many for a single site, we reserved two adjacent sites. This left the scouts on one site and the adult leaders on the other. Next, the kitchen was set up at the scout site with the dining area and campfire ring at the adult site.
When out in nature, I love observing animals and insects. I was not disappointed on this campout. While at our campsite, there were multiple visitors. A couple more spotted while hiking around the park.
A visit from a White-crowned sparrow
A pair of deer out on a hike
A wasp eating a butterfly
Deer trying to claim a campsite
Beautiful rock formations
Standing under the rock formations takes my breath away. The magnificent size of the cliffs. The plant life hanging on to a tough existence. The textures and color palette of mother nature.
Sunbathing like a lizard
I love sunbathing on a chilly afternoon. Sitting on a hot rock while the unit was out hiking was peaceful and relaxing. Joking that I was a cold-blooded lizard and needed to warm myself. Rock hopping as the afternoon went on; moving from sunbeam to sunbeam. This, a much needed afternoon of anxiety relief. As the sun was setting, I greeted the hikers with a campfire, hot cocoa, and treated them to dinner. Then, as we enjoyed dinner together, they filled me in on stories of the day’s adventures.
Laughing while social distancing
