Adam's Cabin

July 15-16, 2011

Every year we try to do at least one real campout experience where the boys hike and backpack everything into a camp deep in nature.  Last year we went up Adam's Canyon where we hiked to the large twenty foot natural waterfall about 2 miles in.  The weather, however, turned bad and we were pummeled by wind and rain.  We were so soaked.  On the way home some of the scouts almost got blown off the mountain when a torrential wind storm hit.  As leaders we were proud of our young priesthood holders when they gathered us in and asked to say a prayer that we would all get home safely, and that we did.  Regardless of the weather and strain of the hike, it was a good experience of surviving in the wild (if you can call the mountains of East Layton 'the wild'?).

So naturally when it came July again Brother Flynn elected to return to the same area we had so much fun hiking and camping last year, only instead of going back down into the canyon, he elected to hike the ridge line up the mountain to Adam's Cabin.  It was a much longer hike (6 miles round trip) as well as much more rigorous hike.  Unfortunately, how rigorous we would only find out after it was too late.  

At the beginning of the hike at the base of Adam's Canyon

A short time after we had climbed the initial switch-backs to the top of the first mountain hill we encountered a terrifically steep hill which our GPS compass told was the direction to climb.  Dauntingly we began to grapple up the mountain side slipping on loose gravel and holding onto the varies desert weeds to prevent falling over backwards.  At such a steep incline it did not take long for the boys to start dropping like flies under the scorching sun, weight of their mis-sized & overweighted packs.  One by one the leaders had to come to the rescue and relieve the younger and smaller scouts of their loads.  Little by little we managed to inch our way up the mountain.  I swear we must of taken a break every five feet as a scout or two with faces glowing red and lips frothing of dehydration needed a rest, or pack adjustment, or adjustment of their shoes, or work out a stomach cramp, or just to turn around and admire the view!

We continued to encourage the scouts saying, "this is the hard part, once we get over the ridge it will flatten out and be much easier".  Of course, once we got the the top, we discovered that we only arrived at the base of the next big incline toward the next peak.  This cycle of promises continued over and over for several hours, and we continued to be wrong over and over.  It never got easy and it never stopped going up.  At one point Mikko Willey, exclaimed, "All you do it lie to us, it's never gotten easier!"  "No really, this time I'm not lying, just over that ridge up there between the rocks, it get better", I replied.  In my defense, it did get better for a few hundred feet, but then ascended up again.

About half way up the mountain the Cooper brothers (Cameron & Brady) began have some serious hiking problems.  They both started developing blisters on the heals of their feet that made climbing the steep terrain unbearable.  Travis Willey & Lindsay Workman provided first aid to help patch them up and helped carry Brady's pack.  Although, their pace fell off from the front of the group, they never complained and kept trudging forward.



It quickly became clear we would not make it to the cabin as planned tonight.  This posed a small problem, because this hiking trail was amoung the most unhospitable trails I had ever hiked.  No where did we see any suitable area to camp.  Sharp rocks, ant hills, dense scrub oak and cliffs were abounding. As the sun began setting we knew light would soon be gone so we decided to go off trail and discovered the worst camp site we have ever stayed at in the history of all campouts, but at least it was doable.  We set up camp, a few attempted tents, but most slept under the stars.



We all ate our make-shift dinners, but the best was Brother Workman's dinner: Blowtorch hotdogs!  Followed by Blowtorch Smores by the Zack Reynolds and his dad Jeff.

Blowtorch Hot Dogs

After a near sleepless night, we woke up to a crisp summer morning and the rest of the hike.  We had only gone about two-thirds of the way, but this time we could leave our gear behind.  We continued up and up as the trail grew progressively tighter (signs that most hikers have given up by this point) until we finally arrived at the last peak. The GPS said we were within 50 feet, but the cabin was still not in sight.

Where's the cabin?

I make this look good!

Lindsay and Justin Larsen climbed  up onto a large rock where they said they could see the rooftop nearly buried in trees a little ways off.

We forged through the remaining scrub oak that separated us and our final destination.  As the boys trailed in they seemed to exclaim in unison upon seeing the small dilapidated cabin,

"THIS TOTALLY WASN'T WORTH IT!!!"

The boys explored the cabin and immediately began lighting things on fire!

We made it to the top!

 Having been there, done that, we turned around and headed home.  Although, it was a lot easier to hike with gravity, hiking down a steep incline was murder on your toes jamming into the front of your boots.  We made double time coming down and enjoyed the view of the valley of Davis County.

About half way down.

We didn't take a final group photo when we all finished, because we were a sorry bunch by this point, but we did finish.  It was quite an accomplishment and probably the toughest hike some of these boys have ever been on.  We were all very proud of each of them.  In reward Brother Reynolds offered to take the boys to Maverick to get slushees and cold drinks.

PS.  For as much as we were worried about the boys at times, it was us leaders that could hardly walk for the next several days!