The Shadow Scout Team

REPORT #1 This Dirt Time Tracker weekend's focus was Scout Skills. The Group was split into 2 teams: novice and shadow scout. On the shadow scout team, there was Cole, Felicia, Ian, Cezary, and Myself (Cory). We were to go out Saturday morning, and not be seen by the others until lunch on Sunday afternoon. We got up at sunrise on Saturday and headed out, bringing with us no more than our food, clothes, a few goodies for traps, sleeping bags, and a tent 'borrowed' from Anthony's car. We set up camp in a nearby swamp on an island and camo'd up for the day in the swamp mud. It proved to be too runny, so we later reapplied the mud with more clay content further southwest of our camp. Despite the large amounts of mud caked onto our bodies, it did not aid us in the mosquito - if I may, epidemic. Where the mosquitos were not so much a problem to those wearing clothes. I was wearing no more than my briefs and that proved to be a huge lack of foresight on my part. The day was spent setting up traps for the leaders and the novice team for later that night, as well as doing reconnaissance on the house and surrounding area. Although the mosquitos were bad, when it got unbearable, we climbed up high in the trees and it provided us with a mosquito-free rest zone. Mid evening on Saturday I got sick from the mosquitos and dehydration and went in for the night. Sunday morning brought some surprises for those sleeping in the house. I woke up to a Canada Flag on one of the skylights, and in it's place on the flagpole, was Anthony's wool sweater. Chris was missing his staff, and a few other small things were changed around by the Shadow Scout team. On my walk with the novice team that morning we came across the camp site that they raided the previous night, and to show the novice team they were always there, it was trapped very well. Arriving back at the house, we heard that the shadow scout team had been there while we were gone and I jumped on the advantage to find them before the novices. With a bit of scout deception, I alluded that where I found one of the shadow scouts was clear, and later helped him get out without their noticing. This now led into a hunt outside the house where we found 2 of the shadows, and without anyone's knowledge, the remaining 2 were in the other half of the house showering. We debriefed over lunch and shared insights, constructive criticism, jokes, and revealed a few mysteries to each other. I consider this weekend one of the most exciting and definitely the most challenging of the series so far! Report by Cory Revesz

 

The Novice Team's Scout Pit.

On the move in Scout Team Formation.

REPORT #2 This weekend rocked my world. It was full camo for a day and a half, mosquitos in the bushes, reverie in the trees and sneaking in those places where nobody sees. It's scout training bebe! The shadow scouts and I woke up in the dark on Saturday morning. It was close to 6:00 and time to sneak out and find camp. We left without a word at dawn and went into the woods, actually the swamp. Why the swamp? Because nobody goes for leisurely walks into the swamp and we didn't want our camp to be found. We found an Island made up of humous soil, mud and an old decaying stump. We went right to covering ourselves with mud, clay, leaves and ash. Stayed that way for the rest of the weekend too. We smeared it everywhere, even our ears. By breakfast I was ready to call it quits - excuse myself on back pain or whatever. Anything to get me out of the swarming mosquitos and all the uncertainty. It turned around. By the end of that day, I was a fierce predator drifting through the darkness as silent as a shadow and it was exhilarating. The first objective on Saturday was to camo into an area then wait and break position and appear when the group was in our jaws. I was up a tree 15 feet and in full view. I just sunk in and nobody saw me as far as I know. It was cool to be in such an open place and yet be overlooked. On Sunday morning I was feeling bold and I knew that the scout team would be coming my way so I stood right beside the trail, tight against a tree. The whole group passed by, in wide-angle vision as was their exercise, trying to feel the shadows' intent. One guy looked back and spotted me. If Dave and Peter saw me they didn't say anything. Then again, they're pretty tactful. There were times when laying low in the thicket wasn't bearable because of the buzzing and biting mosquitos so we climbed high and stayed high. There in the trees where nobody seems to look we watched the goings-on. The trees do have eyes. Does any one look up? A scout camp screams, attention! Mostly the importance of paying attention became very clear here. Even more profoundly though, the importance of accepting discomfort is sticking in. No pain no game right? Moments of hell and frustration periodically gave way to rapture this weekend. The sting of 100 mosquito bites followed by a cool summer breeze. The pain and train of a weasel walk in the thick of it and then the wonders of near invisibility. This stuff builds character. We should be named after the trees. Thanks to everyone who took part in this challenge. The Dirt Time Trackers Scouts. Report by Cole Clare McLaughlin

 

A Trip Line with an in-line Popper on it.

The Novice Team ready for their evening Mission.

David and a young Scout in training.

The weather was fabulous and the participants really had their games faces on.
Everyone who participated had a great experience.

See you in September for our Annual Family Camp-Out Gathering!