St. Paul’s troop hikes Colorado's Pikes Peak

On July 12, six scouts and from St. Paul's Troop 332 and their chaperones hit the road to Colorado for a week-long adventure.

Among the troop's activities was a hike up Pikes Peak, a mountain in the front range of the Rocky Mountains.

Scout Mason Wesley, 11, said the hike up Pikes Peak, near Colorado Springs, was more difficult than he expected.

"It was getting harder to breath as we were getting higher," he said. "We didn't see that much wildlife and it was pretty cold. Once we got past the tree line we saw a marmot."

It was "pretty scary" going up the boulder field, Mason said. "There was cliff, and it was getting pretty foggy. We could see about 20 feet down."

The scouts hopped aboard Pikes Peak's cog railway for the descent down the mountain.

Troop leader Heidi Benson said the trip helped the scouts earn requirements toward a camping merit badge. To earn the badge, scouts must choose two other outdoor activities, such as hiking up a mountain, to be completed during the camping experience.

Benson said the scouts gained self-confidence.

"It's self reliance," she said. "The scouts have to plan all the details, they have to plan and cook all the meals. It's really different when you're camping far from home."

The scouts gained more hiking experience in Colorado with hikes around Garden of the Gods and North Canyon Park.

They also toured the Air Force Academy, the U.S. Olympic Complex and the Dinosaur Resource Center.

