Last week I was listening to a survival podcast, and this episode was based on the story of 2 hikers in South America. Late afternoon, these guys were out exploring an oxbow lake when they heard the unmistakable sound of a jaguar.
The jaguar is the world’s 3rd largest cat, and the largest in the Americas. They can be over 6 feet long and weigh over 200 lbs. In other words, this is not good.
With nowhere else to go, they climbed a tall tree growing on the edge of the oxbow lake. And waited.
For the rest of the day and into the night, they waited for the jaguar to leave. It didn’t until the next morning.
So, they took off their belts, and strapped themselves to the tree, strapped their packs to the tree, and started talking.
Into the night they talked about whatever came to mind. And without realizing it, they became very good lifelong friends. And had a story to tell forever.
Something about sitting in a tree all night hiding form a jaguar will do that to you.
This reminded me of you guys some, Now, we’re not hiding from jaguars, but we are often hiding from rain, from the cold, or suffering through a long backpacking trip (coming up in April)
That’s how you guys bond as a troop too.
Huddled into cars at Vilbig waiting for the lightening to pass, or under the cover at a climbing tower in New Mexico.
Overturned canoes, and wet socks down on the Brazos or at Broken Bow, burned pancakes on the beach, lumpy sticky spaghetti pretty much anywhere.
Or sob hill on day 2 of the backpacking trip. Going uphill this time.
These are the things we remember from our adventures, embrace them, they only make you stronger, and your troop stronger. You’ll have a story to tell, and some good friends to tell them with.