OTTUMWA — After 6 miles of mud, branches and gravel, the kids were still laughing and smiling. Which was good, because they still had miles to hike.

“It’s rugged, no question about it,” said John “Chappy” Griffith, chaplain for Boy Scouts of America Troop 11 from Ottumwa.

About 25 people — scouts, parents and siblings — had turned out Saturday to hike the Chief Wapello Trail, going from the chief’s grave site in Agency to the Boy Scout tepee in Ottumwa Park.

“We’ve had steep slopes, muddy banks, river crossings,” Griffith said.

“It was challenging at times,” confirmed Michael Gates, the Boy Scout who is the senior patrol leader.

The oldest scout at age 15, Gates found some of the younger boys needed to be encouraged. But spirits remained high.

During a break below Garrison Rock, at least one adult leader admitted slipping and falling multiple times during the hike. When a leader said even some of the spry young scouts had slipped, one of boys said good-naturedly, “Yes, but we get up faster.”

Griffith said the scouts were encouraging each other when the going got tough, with words ranging from serious support to a joke to take weary minds off the more difficult parts.

“The [hike teaches] teamwork,” he said. “We practice the buddy system [so] you’re never out of sight. You help each other with putting on your backpacks, listen to their bad jokes, share food.”

Gates said while some scouts will go on a major hike because they need to do so for advancement, he wasn’t in that position. So why the arduous trek?

“Just for fun,” he said.

“For some of us, we’ve never hiked this trail,” Griffith said.

In his mind, that appeared to be enough of a reason to hike it.

“For others,” added Griffith, “it’s a very historical trail.”

In fact, their snack break was taking place within view of what two historically minded adults believed to be the oldest road — or at least the oldest wagon trail — in Wapello County. Above that was an elevation from which settlers and soldiers could keep an eye on the winding Des Moines River. Near that was a pioneer cemetery.