I am a triplet, so life in my family definitely has its challenges. I have had to solve problems in my home life. But I have also had to overcome challenges and teach others how to conquer their challenges in the Boy Scouts of America.  

I have just attained my Eagle Scout rank, which involves outdoor skills and leadership. If you have ever had an interest in learning what scouting is, then you should know that you don’t need to have a lot of money to participate. You also don’t need to be experienced in the outdoor skills that you will learn. You just have to desire to take part in the most awesome adventures you can imagine and learn how to attain what seems unattainable. 

One of the most life-changing experiences I had was on a High Adventure scouting trip. They're called High Adventures because the experience is exhilarating, builds character, and teaches leadership.  

There are four national Boy Scout High Adventure bases. These bases include The Summit, Northern Tier, Sea Base, and Philmont. I have completed The Summit and Philmont. In my opinion, and the opinion of many other scouts, Philmont is the hardest one. It is mostly geared toward hiking and camping. Additionally, it is the first High Adventure base ever made.  

Our trek number was 27 out of 35. 35 is the toughest and one is the easiest. So, our trek was pretty strenuous. We covered 125 miles in total. Our troop had two other sister crews who were attempting to trek the Philmont, too. When it came time to go to Philmont in late June, our crew took a train to New Mexico. That's where the base was located. 

On the first day, we went over safety skills and procedures. Then we set off with our assigned ranger, who taught us skills like hanging up bear bags. We needed to know how to protect ourselves from bears and other wild animals. Putting “smellables” in a bear bag was something that would protect us. Any type of item that smells, such as food or toiletries, would need to stay far away from our campsite to keep the bears away. 

The ranger completed his task of preparing us. He left on the third day. We were now on our own. We continued our trek for several more days. On the sixth day we took turns pulling the burro, also known as a donkey, that carried our 50 pound backpacks. Yes, it was an actual burro. The idea behind this experience was to teach us how the settlers from hundreds of years ago would have traveled. While the burro did help by carrying the gear, it actually made the trip slower. 

We finally made camp late in the evening. We knew we would not get much sleep because we had a big adventure planned early the next day. 

I woke up at 5:30AM. I could see the sunrise as I licked my dehydrated lips. In New Mexico, especially at high altitudes, this happened because of the climate. I could make out the noises of kids unzipping their sleeping bags and realized that I had to get ready as well.  

However, not every scout was eager to start the day. That scout happened to be my tent mate, who was sleeping like a log. If it wasn’t for the movement of his chest as he breathed, one might assume he was dead. I gave him a generous shove and spoke in his ear. “Get up. You need to get up,” I told him. The only response I got was a soft grunt. 

I unzipped the tent and a gust of wind slapped my skin. Our sister crew had left their camp already. I was baffled as to how they were able to wake up and get ready before we even got out of our tents. But then it struck me. They were all motivated, older scouts. In fact, two of them were my triplet brothers. Compared to our crew, they were much more mature. 

It was time to slip on my sweat-soaked hiking socks and boots for another day’s work. These socks and boots weren’t your everyday footwear. They were Smart Wool socks, which had multiple layers and extra support for hiking.  

I strolled toward the center of our campsite to meet some of my crew. I suggested that we take down the bear bags from the night before. A couple scouts volunteered. We lugged our bags back from the bear line to our campsite and emptied them of all of the "smellable" food and toiletries that we would need for the day. As some of the scouts organized the food, I returned to my tent. I was not surprised to find that the sleeping log was still asleep. 

“Matthew!" I shouted. "Get up now or we won’t have time to make it up the mountain by noon!" 

He budged a little and said, “I’m getting up.” 

I wasn’t convinced, but I also wanted to pack up my bag so I would be ready. I went back to the campsite. The only things I kept in my pack was food, water, clothing, rain gear, and sunscreen. So, while lighter than my normal pack, it was still heavy.  

As I was finishing packing up, one of the scouts asked, “Where’s Matthew?” 

"Still in his tent,” I answered reluctantly. 

Everyone was furious. We marched to my tent with a mission. We literally picked up the tent and shook it while we tried pulling Matthew out of his sleeping bag. He sat absolutely still as if to mock us: he was up, but he still wasn't doing anything to get ready.  

I heard the sound of boots on the ground and turned to see one of our adult leaders, who happened to be Matthew’s father. We all left him to do his business. I don’t know what he told Matthew, but within the next five minutes Matthew was out and ready to go. We wanted to leave by 

5:30am, but it ended up being 7:00AM. I knew we had to hurry to get up that mountain.