Me vs. Boy Scout Troop 337

On Friday we left for a 5.9-mile backpacking excursion starting at Douglas Springs Trailhead, with our destination being the campsites at Douglas Springs. The Scoutmaster, three Scouts, and myself (playing the role of the Assistant Scoutmaster / Token Second Adult Acting as Supervisor) left the meeting point at 2 PM sharp. It was a relatively uneventful hike, with the Scoutmaster being the slowest of the group -- but that turned out to be due to the five gallons of water he decided to bring along, "just in case." About a mile into the trek, he had jettisonned about half of his water, and we continued. The early part of the hike was punctuated by many bathroom breaks by our intrepid Scouts, as well as rest breaks to rest bones and muscles that weren't used to going this far at one time.
At 5:00 PM, the sun started to set, and it was apparent that we were not going to get to camp before nightfall. Flashlights were produced. Cries of "are we there yet?" alternating with "how much longer?" and "what time is it?" echoed through the Rincon Mountains. Alas, our destination was never to be found, as by majority vote, we stopped hiking shortly after 7:00 PM, where a clearing large enough for two tents and a small campfire was located. We camped the night.
In the morning, a hiker came by, and we asked him, jokingly, to tell us on his way back how far the Springs campsite was. We ate breakfast, had a couple of Scout activities, then packed up and commenced the return trip. We had a few factors to our advantage on the return hike: 1) it was downhill most of the way, 2) we knew where we were going, and 3) we could see Tucson from our vantage point in the mountains. After a few minutes, our hiker friend passed us and let us know that the campsite was about 6-8 minutes from where we camped. Ah well.
After much pausing and cajoling our young Scouts to set a good pace so we could reach the trailhead before our rides arrived, we arrived about three hours after breaking camp. It was a good experience, and we were able to bond as a troop.
I've discovered an enthusiasm for Scouting that I didn't know I had, as well as a love of camping. It was a really cool experience, even if my pack wasn't packed the most strategically, and my legs got torn up a bit on the trail. I hiked 12 miles in less than 24 hours. That's pretty good stuff for someone who was the oldest on the expedition, and hadn't walked a large distance in a long time. All in all, a great way to spend my weekend.