HILL OF THE DAY - The Hill coming up from the Rifle and Archery Range
Each day this week, we've been giving you a closer look at the five most challenging hills in camp. At long last, after five days of calves achin', lungs burnin' trudging up the most challenging hills in camp, we finally come to #1 - the biggest, baddest hill at Camp Geiger - the hill that leads from the Archery and Rifle Range back to camp!
you start a steady climb the increases in elevation as far as you can see. About a hundred yards up you start to see a cross road marked by a red flag and your subconscious begins lying to you, assuring your legs you are almost there so they don't just give up and quit all together.
The thing is, once you reach the red flag you're ALMOST half way home. Also at this point, the hill starts to climb at a little steeper grade. Now the burn has moved from your calves to your knees and you start second guessing all those Tuesday nights you sat on the sofa with a pint of Blue Bell watching "The Biggest Loser" going, "Wimps. I could do that." Somehow, you reach deep into your well of determination looking for the resolve to go harder and push on.
Each day this week, we've been giving you a closer look at the five most challenging hills in camp. At long last, after five days of calves achin', lungs burnin' trudging up the most challenging hills in camp, we finally come to #1 - the biggest, baddest hill at Camp Geiger - the hill that leads from the Archery and Rifle Range back to camp!
This barrel of fun is easily the longest hill in camp requiring 261 adult steps top to bottom and more than 400 for the smallest scouts. Topped with jagged gravel, this hill is both long and steep with two curves that never quite let you know how much further you have to go.
From the bottom next to the archery range, there's a 75 foot flat walk to give yourself plenty of time to get psyched up for the task at hand. But once you hit the end and turn left...
you start a steady climb the increases in elevation as far as you can see. About a hundred yards up you start to see a cross road marked by a red flag and your subconscious begins lying to you, assuring your legs you are almost there so they don't just give up and quit all together.
The thing is, once you reach the red flag you're ALMOST half way home. Also at this point, the hill starts to climb at a little steeper grade. Now the burn has moved from your calves to your knees and you start second guessing all those Tuesday nights you sat on the sofa with a pint of Blue Bell watching "The Biggest Loser" going, "Wimps. I could do that." Somehow, you reach deep into your well of determination looking for the resolve to go harder and push on.
You just start putting one foot in front of the other and pushing through the gravel until you round the final curve and bear down for the last 75 yards straight up hill. As you reach the top, totally winded and fumbling for your water bottle, all you can think is "thank God, I'm not one of the boys." They have to navigate this hill in about 5 minutes to get to their next merit badge on time and they never complain. Let's hear it for young legs!
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