A cold Scouting memory — 1988
The longest and coldest night of my life thus far occurred in December 1988 when we took our Scout troop up to Wasatch State Park in Midway for a snowmobiling experience. We camped in tents and snow caves at a campsite in the park, and the thermometer read -36 degrees Fahrenheit at 10:30 pm. We probably would have returned home that night, but we found a heated restroom and let all the Scouts sleep in it. We brave and stalwart leaders slept in a tent with a little propane heater. What a miserable night! I had 5 layers of clothes on, a sleeping bag, and 2 blankets, and I still froze all night long. The heater was located right next to my head and it emitted an aggravating whine all night long. There was absolutely no hope of sleeping, so I laid awake all night shivering and listening to my three fellow tent mates snore. Other highlights of the trip included a can of aerosolized “Fart Spray” brought by one of the Scouts, and a feat by one of the scouts in driving his snowmobile off a 20-foot embankment, requiring two hours of backbreaking work in knee-deep snow to get it back up to the trail. It was a memorable trip, to say the least.
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