Wolverines start to graduate.

John,

This is a preface to a post that will take place in June 2010 when I go on my last outing with my first three Wolverines as they are soon to all be in the Teacher's Quorum/Varsity program.  As of this date, Jemesa Snuka has already advanced, Kasey Lester will be advancing in only one week and Ryan Turner will advance in June, just days before I go with all three to Catalina Island for a couple days of SCUBA diving.  It is with mixed emotions that I went with them on a Varsity overnighter in the mountains east of Roosevelt Lake just outside Globe, AZ.

Roosevelt Lake in the distance.  

We left the valley around 2 p.m. for the east side of the lake and continued up into the surrounding hills.  We found a place a few miles off the beaten path for cooking and camping.

The next morning we got up, had breakfast, broke camp, and headed up the road farther to the trailhead.

The first part of the trail was simple switchbacks as seen here to the left.  Sunny, but temps were only in the high 40s and low 50s, with a slight breeze.

After half an hour of hiking we came across a series of mine entrances.

My first three Wolverine graduates:  Kasey, Ryan, and Jemesa.

There are a lot of memories in this picture for me.  Each one of these boys have been with me more than two years as I worked with each of them in the 11-year-old program as well as in the Deacon Scout program.  Even with Kasey being gone for one school year he has been with me for more than two years, Jemesa about two and a half years, and Ryan for the full three years.  As there were none older when I first got started, they are the first three that I will send on to the Varsity program.  I have to keep reminding myself that they do grow up and they do have to progress.  Part of that makes me very proud. The other part makes me very sad.  It is quite the juggling act of emotions right now, but in the end the positive feelings will win out.

Some of the terrain we covered.

Getting off the beaten path, following a hunting trail.

Blazing our own trail down into the canyon and along the running creek.

The switchbacks were looking pretty good about this time.

Regrouping and getting our bearings.

Getting stuck in a briar patch.

The hike was not a long one, maybe 2-3 miles, but it ended up being more technical than the switch-backs we started out on.  At one point we ended up in the middle of a briar patch that spanned a couple hundred yards and tried to snare us with each step.  We had to not only try to stay on top of the thorny vines, but as we took a step forward we had to make sure we did not snare ourselves with the strong, crisscrossed vines and falling forward.  Jemesa got caught at one point, but was able to fall backward.  As painful as that was, falling forward would have been exponentially worse.

All in all it was a great hike.  More difficult than they were used to, and not as tough as they will encounter in the future.  

My first three Wolverines have progressed quite far already: two are now Eagles and one has only a handful of merit badges to finish in the next three months before he does his Eagle Project this summer.  

It will be fun to watch them as they progress further.  I just wish I could be there as they go.  But I know it doesn't work that way.

With that in mind, good night.