Boy scouts work toward 50-miler badge

MOSES LAKE - A group of kids pushed their bodies to the limit in

late August.

"My body was still recovering a week after the trip," said Adam

Merrill, 13.

MOSES LAKE - A group of kids pushed their bodies to the limit in late August.

"My body was still recovering a week after the trip," said Adam Merrill, 13.

Seventeen scouts from the Moses Lake Boy Scout Troop 67 and a 14-year-old female Venture Crew 69 member took a 50 mile canoeing trip from Lake Roosevelt to Spring Canyon.

The trip went toward a special 50-miler Boy Scout badge. For many, it was their first canoeing and camping trip.

"I think if I were to do it again, I would like to work out my arms a lot more beforehand," said Merrill.

Each member was paired up, using a total of 13 donated canoes. Two canoes were designated for food. Each scout carried a 40-pound backpack full of food.

Parent chaperones were given a motored boat to chaperone the adventure.

"On the trip, it seemed like the kids gained a lot of self confidence. They learned how to be independent. It was very primitive camping," said Jennifer Merrill, one of six adult chaperones.

"There wasn't an mp3 player or television or Internet or anything," said Chris Vidrine, 13.

The young adventurers kept busy by learning how to entertain themselves without the use of technology.

"Looking at the stars late at night was really cool," said Bryce Mathyer, 13.

Each day was jam-packed with activity.

The journey took five nights to complete. Each night the scouts pitched their own tent, cooked their own meals and washed the dishes.

"We were pretty tired every night," said Vidrine.

The canoeing trip took months to prepare.

To earn their 50-miler badge, the scouts had to successfully plan, research and execute their journey.

They had a choice between hiking, biking or canoeing 50 miles to qualify for the badge. They wanted to challenge themselves in an activity that they knew would be hard to finish.

"We biked before and that was really easy, and hiking seemed like it was something we could do all the time," said Adam Merrill.

"It was a lofty goal they set. But they all worked together and planned for it," said Jennifer Merrill.

The trip was paid with money from last year's fund-raiser. They prepared for the trip by doing a lot of canoeing exercise around Moses Lake, especially learning how to flip their canoes over.

But nothing quite prepared them for the actual trip.

"The wind was a really big problem for us," recalled Mathyer. "The canoes weren't going the way we wanted to go, and it got really frustrating trying to go straight."

He said the trip taught him how to persevere.

"In the end, it's determination that keeps you going. You cant give up. There were times when I didn't think I could go any further, but I just stuck with it,"

Other scouts got something different out of the trip.

"I learned the value of teamwork. It's really important that you work together and help each other out when they need it," said Vidrine.

The group was treated to a tour of the Grand Coulee Dam and a laser light show after the journey was completed.

"I got a sense of accomplishment when we finished the trip," said Adam Merrill.

Scout members will need an additional 10 hours of conservation work in order to complete their 50-miler badge. Members have already done a few hours of community work.