Originally Posted by
pilgrimskywheel
Yup - great pics TW! I'm guessing the BSA has never required a pre-hike reading of Jack London's To Build A Fire?
Here's a hot one - speaking of felonies! When I got to a totally empty shelter somewhere below Mountain X-ings back in Jan. 2012. I had timed it just right. The sun went down and after getting settled into the shelter I lit a humongous fire. I was enjoying a hot cocoa and life in general as just then here come ALL of troop 46 up the trail. I heard them first, and it sounded like seagulls who's flock has just discovered a dead dolphin had washed ashore. There was more than 20 of these cats, 4 dads, 2 moms, and 3 or 4 Eagles who looked to be of high school age. Of course, they all dog piled up into the shelter. I moved down and obliged as they over filled it, and constructed a tent city of an impressive number. They built their own fire, and set up a dinner tent off the corner of the shelter completely taking over the picnic table. As things began to settle down to a dull roar - I observed all this a little disconcertedly from the shelter now teeming with kids - the dad's, with the Eagles in tow approached me. I thought: "Nice I'm going to be invited to second supper for my troubles!" Wrongo. The mothers had put them up to kicking me out of the shelter as they did not want strangers who had not undergone a thorough back ground check sleeping in close proximity to the troop and would I be so kind as to pack up and camp someplace down the trail. This is the part in the show where I start laughing, and then deliver my most politic: "Hell no I won't go speech." Which consists of: "Hell no!" Upon discovering I was a vet on an early start thru-hike who had never been convicted of a felony in his life, they had me give a short speech about the Army and long distance hiking to the troopers. All, in all - fart jokes aside - we had a hell of a night! I had spent the last of my cash short of about 6 bucks on chocolate bars back at the lodge, and cleverly parlayed this into an astonishing good trade for all the Mountain House meals I could carry. At dawn, after hearty handshakes and high fives, I watched bemused as troop 46 lumbered off grumbling, cold, soggy, and overloaded into the thick winter fog - miserable and headed home a day early! The End