We had to brave more patches of poison oak than you could shake a stick at (and believe me, with this many boys, there was plenty of stick shaking), but we made it to the top of Mt. Pisgah today. Seven Daring Boys’ Club members, and one not-quite-four-year-old little brother, made it to the summit with the encouragement of the four grownups along (and the promise of yummy snacks). For the boys keeping track of the climb for one of their summer challenges, the summit is officially at 1531 feet above sea level, rising 1060 feet from the Willamette Valley floor below. (My GPS showed us starting at 485 feet and reaching 1538 feet at the top. You can choose either one, but you get to do the math.)
The boys learned how to identify poison oak (“leaves of three, let it be”), and some of them identified a few trees along the way (oak, cedar, and Douglas Fir). Mostly they just worked hard to get to the top, and then they scrambled back down the gravelly trail so fast it’s a wonder we didn’t need to break into the stash of bandaids in my bag. Hopefully no one got into the dreaded poison oak. I was celebrating our successful avoidance when a friend told me this afternoon that it can take up to five days to show up! Yikes.
Keep climbing boys and you’ll earn your Mountaineering Challenge reward at the end of the summer. 
Congratulations to the seven daring boys and one little brother who made it to the top of Mt. Pisgah. That shows a whole lot of perseverance and determination. Your club is a great idea. If I were that age again I’d join up in a second. I’ll keep my eye out for more articles and adventures.
I’m glad you had fun with the catapults, boys—you do them justice. Good luck with your club!
-AV
Thanks for your encouragement. We’re definitely having fun. The loved the catapults! Thanks for the great designs.