It was the summer of 2023. Troop ID-0412 had just finished scaling Borah Peak, the highest point in Idaho at 12,662 feet. Just a year before, they’d tackled Mt. Adams in Washington, a 12,281-foot volcano. The crew sat around by the river, airing out sore feet by the fire and jubilantly reflecting on their shared accomplishment. That’s when one of the adult leaders asked, “Well boys, what’s next?”
Everyone quieted down for a moment—the bar had been set awfully high.
The leader continued, “You’ve done Adams, you’ve done Borah…” he paused, grinning at the expectant faces around the fire, “now you gotta try Mt. Rainier!”
The suggestion was met with an immediate outpouring of enthusiasm. “Let’s do it!” The boys were all ready to start planning right then and there—which was good because, even for a seasoned and adventurous Troop like ID-0412, Rainier was an ambitious goal that would require at least a full year of preparation.
Jereme Roodhouse, the Troop Adventurer Advisor, recalled that from that moment on, the Troop set its sights on preparing for Mt. Rainier. “You have to realize,” Jereme explained, “our weekend trips are already pretty much High Adventure trips. High Adventure is normalized for them. Growing up in North Idaho, their conversations in the car are about who shot an elk and rock climbing, so when it came to summiting Rainier, the boys weren’t worried about a thing.”
Standing at a towering 14,411 feet, Mt. Rainier is one of the most challenging and technical climbs in North America. Often used as training for climbers aspiring to tackle Mt. Everest, summiting Mt. Rainier is no small feat. It requires extensive physical and technical training, as each expedition member must learn to use specialized equipment and function as part of a rope team. Every member had to be willing to entrust his life to others—which required a lot of trust.
For boys and men today, one of the greatest challenges is finding meaningful connections. In order to form deep bonds, men must do something together—preferably something hard. In working together, men learn to trust each other, enough even to be vulnerable. This is a challenging but crucial part of being a thriving, godly man.
“It’s one thing to say you trust a guy, but it’s another to be part of a rope team with him at 14,411 feet above sea level, overlooking a glacier.” Jereme explained, “Rope teams are the only way you summit a glaciated volcano. We had two rope teams of five. Each member of the team had to demonstrate their ability to self-arrest and perform crevasse rescue in the event that another member fell into the glacier. Each Trailman had to know how to manage not only his rope system but also be aware of the systems of his team. Other skills included building snow anchors, rigging a Z pulley, and basic first aid.”
After months of planning, training, and anticipation, a crew of five youth Trailmen, several adult leaders, and a guide from Climbers for Christ set out to summit Mt. Rainier. Their day began at midnight, headlamps and moonlight guiding the way. The boys kept up constant conversation, encouraging each other and singing as they made their way up the mountain.
Hours later, they came to a point called Disappointment Cleaver. At 12,300 feet, it’s a significant checkpoint. Right before reaching this point, they crossed a glacier where cracks could be seen forming. It was on this glacier that each boy realized the reality: if anyone failed to do their job, someone could get seriously hurt or, possibly, even die. “Clipping in across this handline and stepping over your ropes while communicating with people ahead and behind is hard because you’re tired and nervous,” Jereme explains.
For one boy, this point was particularly challenging. As they began crossing the glacier, Keegan thought back to the previous year’s expedition on Mt. Borah. On the way down, they’d come to a point called Chicken-Out Ridge, a steep, exposed part of the descent that required teamwork and a cool head. Keegan had found himself struggling, as his fear of heights and exhaustion caught up with him in the worst spot.
“Hey, it’s alright. We got you, Keegan!” was all he heard as his fellow Trailmen and adult leaders, roped up for safety, performed a rescue and helped him safely to the base. Keegan apologized, but his brothers dismissed it immediately. “We got you, man!” they reassured him with firm pats on the shoulder and warm smiles. When the plan to tackle Rainier was set, Keegan knew he had to face his fear of heights and go with them.
Fast forward a year, and there Keegan was, over 12,000 feet above sea level, about to cross a glacier and trying not to think about that ledge. He took a deep breath, feeling a hand on his shoulder. “You alright?” his friend asked him.
“I’m great!” he replied, smiling. As they crossed, Keegan didn’t flinch this time.
Reflecting on the moment, Jereme, Keegan’s father, said, “Their investment in faith, community, and willingness to do hard things is incredible. It really can’t be understated. We lack rites of passage for young men today. This has been huge for me personally as a dad.”
The men and young men forged on. When they reached the summit, Jereme recalls, “I turned a corner and thought, ‘Alright, time for another break.’ But after looking around, we realized it was actually the top!”
They enjoyed the well-earned views from the summit before making the trek down. “The climb down is the most dangerous part,” Jereme explained, “because you can easily get excited and complacent after reaching the top. But the boys kept their heads in the game. We didn’t get back until 7:30 p.m. It’s an ultra-marathon from midnight to 7:30 p.m., but we did it!”
Jereme explained that, because of the boys’ training and their tight bonds, they never reached what he would consider a “crisis point.” “Some boys love climbing, some don’t. They knew each other well enough to anticipate each other’s needs. They were constantly encouraging, singing, and sharing gratitude. They’re just the most inspiring group to be around, and I’m so happy my son is a part of that. I hope they stay together forever. They knew their mission was to glorify God and love on each other. ‘Hey, if we summit, that’s great. But even if we don’t, it’s all worth it and to God be the glory.’”
Established in 2014, Troop ID-0412 has been part of Trail Life almost from the beginning. In a decade, they’ve established a strong Troop culture. Roodhouse noted, “We truly embody the Trail Life ethos and impact young men and their families in North Idaho. Since I’ve been with ID-0412, our Adventurers have climbed Mt. Adams, trekked 50 miles through the North Cascades, summited Mt. Borah, navigated nearly 50 miles with 10,000 vertical feet in Eagle Cap wilderness, and now we can add Mt. Rainier. Our young men have gained confidence, endurance, patience, and fortitude through the Trail Life program and our adventures together. I even credit my son’s life to the training of Trail Life. Last year he had a serious leg injury and was able to stop the bleeding and calmly manage the situation because of Trail Life training.”
It’s clear that the men and young men in this Troop are forming bonds that will last a lifetime. They’re finding brothers and mentors who will shape them into the men God wants them to be. This is only the first decade for ID-0412. Great challenges still await them, but with God’s help, their exemplary use of the patrol method and embodiment of the Trail Life spirit will continue to forge godly men through outdoor adventure.
In recognition of this High Adventure, Troop ID-0412 was awarded a Trail Life-branded trailer as one of two winners of the inaugural Trail Worthy Adventures grant program.