During the last weekend of April, Cub Scout Pack 660 of Miami Lakes, chartered to Miami Lakes United Methodist Church and affiliated with Miami Lakes K-8 Center, enjoyed a scouting adventure.
The scouts camped at Tanah Keetah Boy Scout Camp in Jupiter where they successfully hiked the famed “Mike Machek Trail.”
This 5.5 mile-long hike allowed the scouts, and willing family members, to experience a little of every South Florida ecosystem. They hiked on sugar sand, over highlands, through a Pine Forest, across an arid desert, around gator lakes, and into muddy hog wallows and swamps.
Along the trail were 40 markers, each corresponding to a lesson about the area or species in their area. It was hot, and hard, especially navigating through ankle deep water and mud holes.
As a result of their efforts, the scouts, ages 10, 8 and 7 were awarded Machek Trail badges. The adventure continued off the Trail as the area’s famously fierce raccoon tried nightly to steal their food, armadillos and hogs circled their site, while deer, snakes, alligators and many birds of prey were seen on the trip.
The scouting adventure is open to all boys ages 7 to 11 (1st through 5th grades) in Pack 660 which meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. at Miami Lakes United Methodist Church under the leadership of Cub Master Sean Schwinghammer.