In my new callilng as Varsity Coach, I've got a great opportunity to work not only with my boys, but with their friends in Scouting.
Last weekend I took the Scouts to Antietam National Battlefield (hailed in previous posts as one of my favorite spots in the world) for a hike and campout. Two weekends ago the weather was gorgeous: 70 degrees, sunny, light breeze. The weekend of our hike, however, was not so much: 48 degrees, cloudy, cold and windy.
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| Our group (minus photographer) at the cornfield, site of some of the fiercest fighting of the battle. Yes, it is as cold as it looks. |
But we still had a great trip. We hiked the entire battlefield, tracing the battle's timeline as we walked across fields, over hills, and through valleys over the course of 10 miles. There were very few visitors (most likely because of the cold), so we basically had the park to ourselves for most of our trip. That allowed time and quiet space for us to consider all that had happened on that hallowed ground: brothers fighting alongside brothers; so much noise and smoke and commotion and confusion; and ultimately, so much bloodshed and death. We also considered how those soldiers must have kept themselves together, relying on each other as they hiked from battle to battle, just as we all rely on each other in our day-to-day lives.
I had a great time hiking with Colin and Carson and all the boys, and sharing stories of not only the history, but their stories of everyday life.
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| Hiking across Burnside Bridge. I'm standing to take the photo where Georgia marksmen stood firm to hold back Union advances across the creek. |
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| The boys -- Colin second from left, Carson far right. |
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