The Boys Go To Camp Steiner

Mark, Brayden, and Valentin went to scout camp at Camp Steiner last week. The camp is located in the Uintas above Kamas, Utah on Mirror lake Highway. At 10,400 feet (3,200m), Camp Steiner is the highest Boy Scout camp in the United States. They left Monday morning and returned Saturday.

They were able to participate in many fun activities including fishing, swimming, canoeing, sail boating, archery, rifle shooting, shot gun shooting, etc. Because Valentin and Max (one of the other exchange students from Germany) were at the camp as guests, they were able to roam the camp and participate in anything they wanted. Soon, they were known by all the camp advisors and became quite popluar among all the scout troops attending.

Troop 96 soon became well known as the one with the German boys and as Troop "SECHUNDNEUNZIG" which is 96 in German. On Friday morning they made up their morning cheer with the German boy starting the cheer in German, then the American boys repeating it in English. It was a very creative German/English cheer, so they were voted the Troop with the most spirit and ended up taking the spirit stick home.

Valentin and Max were also known as the best canoeing team for the Mountain Man Relay on Tuesday for the trial run they place 6 seconds behind the 1st place winners. Then on Thursday the troop placed first place over all, with a camp speed of 13 minutes (the staff usually runs it in 12 minutes). Rumor has it that troop 96 is the fastest recorded troop to run the relay.

Brayden ended up running the Iron Man which is the same course as the Mountain Man just run alone. He came in 1st in his age group, he thinks, because the staff didn't announce the winners, and Mark and Brayden didn't see any other boys his age ahead of him and with a better time. He had to run, shoot arrows, shoot the BB gun, and row the canoe for the relay. Brayden came home earning about six merit badges. If it weren't for the near freezing lake water and massive amounts of mosquitos, you could have blamed them for having too much fun at a scout camp!