Zion

As I was growing up, I knew that one week of every summer was going to be devoted to scout camp. I never looked forward to scout camp, but that didn’t stop my mom from making sure that I was packed up and ready to go every single year. I usually knew what to expect and my assumptions usually weren’t too far off. Merit badges, campfires, kayaking, setting up tents, hiking, swimming, hot dogs, marshmallows, and night games. Usually, one week was too long to go without taking a shower, but I will say that scout camp did provide some great memories.

One scout camp, in particular, was very memorable. This scout camp was memorable because it didn’t involve tents and tinfoil dinners but condominiums and Café Rio. My scout leader, Scott, had a great way of connecting with kids and help make scout camps a good time. Scott owns a house in Saint George, Utah, close to Zion National Park and he decided that camping was overrated. We all agreed. No tents were packed as all 17 of us made our way down to his house in Saint George.

Upon arrival, we all were very hungry and so we decided to head into town and get some grub. In n Out Burger, Chick Fil A, Café Rio, and Subway were all in the running but Café Rio ended up winning out that night. After a long drive, a sweet pork burrito had never tasted so good. That night, we all grabbed our swimsuits and walked on over to the crowded community pool. We laughed as we watched Max and Tanner try to hit on some girls in the hot tub without too much success.

That night we found some ice cream in Scott’s freezer and then hit the hay. Scott called this a condo, but it wasn’t a condo. With marble countertops, nice furniture, a bison faux mount, and big televisions it was a full-on house.

The next day we went to one of the most incredible places in the western United States, Zion National Park. Angels Landing is a hike in the national park that is known to be a bit dangerous. At certain parts of this hike, you must hold on to a rod that goes down the middle of the trail. If you don’t, you may fall off the cliff on either side. I guess our scout leaders thought we needed to be toughened up and so they decided this was the perfect hike to start with. I will say, it really wasn’t as scary as I and my scout leaders made it sound but it still was no leisure walk. At the top, however, was an incredible view.

The next day we loaded up the mountain bikes and drove down to Sand Hollow where we rode our bikes around some awesome trails all afternoon. It doesn’t matter what the activity, it is always interesting doing things with a scout group because you get a wide array of skills and abilities. A few kids took some falls, and others looked like they were training for the next mountain biking pro competition. Eventually, we all made it to the Saint George Temple, located in the heart of the city where we whipped out some chips and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

This was unlike any other previous scout camp. It felt more like a vacation than a camping outing. We got to do all of the fun outdoor activities while still enjoying showers, air conditioning, beds, and good food. The next year I think I found myself back in the middle of nowhere hitting the mosquitos off my face in a tent, but shoutout to Scott for making that scout camp a memorable one.