Linville Gorge was the first Scout campout I ever went to. It was so much fun, and I feel like that was when I got what Scouts is really all about.

We started to hike down into the gorge in the morning. We took breakfast with us and ate it as we descended. We had strapped pots to our packs, and when we got to the bottom we stopped at a fire ring to roast hotdogs and boil mac and cheese. We waded in the river after lunch for a little while until it was time to head back up. Hiking back up was a lot harder than hiking into the gorge. I got over 30,000 steps that day! When we were about halfway up, I started to fall behind and everyone else made it to the top before me. But when I got to the top all the scouts started cheering for me! It was a really great experience for me. We also cooked way too much meat when we cooked dinner, which was pretty funny. And when we went to the swimming hole the next day the water was really cold, but it was still lots of fun.

Yours in Scouting,

Gretchen, Tenderfoot

February 2023