Scaling the Mountain

August 29, 2024

One of the things I have been learning more and more as a Royal Rangers leader is how much boys need to be challenged. They need to do hard things. Last year, I took my two sons on a hike up Medicine Bow Peak, which is one of the tallest mountains in eastern Wyoming. At 12,010 feet in elevation, it can be a challenging hike. Even though it is 3.4 miles round trip, it is a class 2 climb according to the Yosemite Decimal System. In just 1.7 miles, we climb 1200 feet in elevation. However, we easily traversed the hike in three hours. After the hike, I started thinking about how this would be a great experience for our Royal Rangers.

I did some more research, and we planned a camping trip to the Snowy Range. We camped in a federal campground near the peak and got up the next morning for a trek to the top. It was crowded, with lots of hikers of all ages coming to test their skills on the peak. While we were there, we spotted two bull moose sitting in the bushes near the trailhead. The alpine beauty was breathtaking. As we started on the trail, there was a clear mountain lake to our right. Snow fields were scattered around us, and the boys excitedly anticipated some play in the snow.

As we began to ascend, some boys found the hike truly challenging with a couple of boys wanting to quit. In situations like these, you want to assess for safety. At that elevation, altitude sickness can be a serious concern. So, we slowed the pace, took plenty of breaks, and made sure the boys were drinking plenty of water. We put the boys who were struggling at the front of our group to set a slower pace. It taught some of the boys patience and built confidence in the boys at the front because they were leading.

As we began to ascend higher and higher, the formation of the land became clear below us. We could see for miles the beautiful landscape of the Snowy Range. In the final stretch, our group reached a nice snow field, where the boys found some relief from the hot day. A cool breeze accompanied us as we made our way to the summit. It was a gorgeous site as we surveyed the land around us. Smokey conditions did impede some of our view, but we were able to see plenty. Of course, getting to the top is only half the hike, we also had to descend, which can be just as challenging as ascending. Some boys pushed hard to get to the top, but now lacked that motivation for the climb down. With great encouragement from our leaders and a steady pace, we made our way back to the trailhead.

What I enjoyed most about this hike is how some boys really pushed themselves harder than they were used to. The climb wasn’t easy and required more than what they were used to for a hike, but they did it. They were richly rewarded for their effort, not with badges or accolades, but with the accomplishment of their hard work!