MICHAEL'S NEWSFLASHES & MEMORIES!!!

SUMMER 1992 - To flashback to this moment, I had never been to 2,700 feet before.  Backpacking in the Utah Uintah mountains, our goal was even higher.  Assistant Varsity Coach Steve Robbins and I led a group of 14-18-year-old young men on a 6-day trek to the highest point in Utah. These young men quickly earned their name as "The Lost Boys" on this trip. This photo was snapped by me with a disposable camera as Steve was deciding what gear he wanted to take for our final ascent.  Getting to this point was rigorous and the oxygen was much thinner than I had ever experienced. I was just recently moved to Utah from near seas level Southern California. We started this trek at 9'500 feet in the parking lot, yet in Southern Californ...

It was a great experience walking into the historic Alpine Tabernacle in American Fork, Utah yesterday afternoon and see about two thousand people there to commemorate 92 recipients of the 2015 Silver Beaver Award. The event was hosted by the Utah National Parks Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The UNPC is the largest of the 273 councils in the BSA and therefore they award the most Silver Beaver awards annually and put on one of the largest reception events. Looking down the list of recipients I was humbled as I knew a great deal of them and had worked with many of them in teaching, training, and other outdoor events in the past 29 years of my Scouting service. The 60 page booklet issued to all attendees was impressive. I was sitting t...