SCOUTING TRIP

THE ANTICIPATION was almost unbearable. One morning last July, as a light drizzle fell on Mather Campground at the Grand Canyon's South Rim, Boy Scouts of America Troop 65 from Wood Dale, Illinois, was doing last-minute preparations for an epic rim-torim-to-rim hike. The day before, the boys had been blindfolded and ushered to the edge of the South Rim, where, once the blindfolds were removed, they laid eyes on the Grand Canyon for the first time."

It was astounding," said one of the Scouts as he watched adults divvy up ramen, dried fruit and cheese crackers into backpacks.

Now that we're finally going into the Grand Canyon, I'm nervous and kind of scared."

Composed of 12 boys, ages 13 to 16, and 10 adults, the group had been preparing for nine months for the 50-mile trans-Canyon hike. During 300 miles of training, they shouldered heavy backpacks

The troop's initial goal was to raise $1,000 for the project, but by the time the Scouts reached the Grand Canyon in late July, people back home had pledged $4,500.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Peter Wedemann (left) and Sam Nearing lead Troop 65 Boy Scouts toward the Grand Canyon's South Rim to get their first glimpse at the Seventh Natural Wonder. Jeff Jakalski guides a blindfolded Nick Mercado to the rim for his first look at the Canyon.

while slogging across sand dunes around Lake Michigan. And when a long winter drove them indoors, they hiked in a gym. Now they were about to do the real thing: hike down the South Rim, up the North Rim, down the North Rim and back up the South Rim.

"Our total elevation gain and loss on this hike will be greater than climbing Mount Everest," said Troop 65 Scoutmaster Rich Zollner. "But I'm constantly reminding the boys that this is not a race - it's an adventure."

For most Scout troops, a Grand Canyon rim-to-rimto-rim hike is ambitious enough. But Troop 65 set the bar even higher. "We didn't just want to take from the Canyon," said Zollner. "Part of what we're doing with this trip is giving back, and also, hopefully, improving the reputation of Scouts in the park."

In addition to months of physical and mental preparation for the expedition, the members of Troop 65 went from door to door in their suburban-Chicago community to ask people to pledge money for every mile the Scouts planned to hike in the Grand Canyon. The funds will go toward replacing 33 picnic tables at Indian Garden Campground that are splintering and falling apart. The troop's initial goal was to raise $1,000 for the project, but by the time the Scouts reached the Grand Canyon in late July, people back home had pledged $4,500.

After a day of acclimatizing and preparing at Mather Campground, the Scouts began their descent of the South Kaibab Trail at 3 a.m., with the goal of reaching Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon by 9 a.m. Because the troop was hiking in July and August, when temperatures in the Canyon's inner gorge can reach triple digits, the Scouts would stretch the trans-Canyon journey across seven days, always hitting the trail by 3 a.m. and breaking up the ambitious route into manageable stretches. The pre-dawn starts left plenty of time each day for splashing in the creek at camp, playing cards and taking well-deserved afternoon naps. In addition to the cautious itinerary, Troop 65 minimized problems on the trail by keeping the weight of the Scouts' backpacks under 18 pounds. Each Scout carried only a sheet, a tarp, food and water. While it was the first time most of the Scouts had

been to the Grand Canyon, Troop 65 has been doing a rim-to-rim-to-rim hike about every four years since 1967. For Zollner, 67, who has been the Scoutmaster off and on for 30 years, it was his 10th trans-Canyon trek. Over the years, he and other adult leaders have perfected how to do the ambitious trip safely. "Their approach of minimalist backpacking and taking adequate time to cover a lot of ground is exactly what we like to see," says longtime backcountry ranger Bil Vandergraff, who over the years has participated in numerous park rescues of less-prepared Scout troops, as well as evacuations of injured hikers. "They are doing everything right."

Six days after setting out from the South Rim, Troop 65 reached Indian Garden Campground for their last night of the trek. All the preparation had paid off, and the difficult hike had gone off without a hitch. And two big surprises awaited them. As a way of showing appreciation for the troop's hard work, park rangers baked cupcakes for the kids and had them waiting at the campground, located 4.8 miles below the South Rim. The Scouts also learned a donor from the Grand Canyon Association was so inspired by their efforts that he offered to match the funds the Scouts raised. In all, $9,000 would be donated toward the $35,000 picnic-table project thanks to Troop 65. "Plenty of Scouts come to hike Grand Canyon, but this is the first time we've had a troop raise money for the park as part of their trip," says Helen Ranney of the Grand Canyon Association. The association, the park's nonprofit partner, manages fundraising efforts and is spearheading the replacement of Indian Garden's shabby benches with tables made of galvanized steel that will be flown to the campground by helicopter. "What these boys are doing inspires others to support the place they love," Ranney says.