Adventure and faith are at the core of Trail Life USA
For Gus Moore, it is difficult to pick just one thing that he enjoys the most about his involvement in Trail Life USA, a faith-based program that invites boys to ignite a thirst for discovery and high adventure. Indeed, once he started naming things, it was difficult to stop.
“I love spending time in the woods and hanging out with my friends, making forts, growing closer to God through devotions and eating marshmallows,” said the fourth grader. “And building fires, orienteering and carving.”
His enthusiasm is shared by the other members of local Trail Life Troop 515, which formed about three years ago and operates in partnership with First Baptist Church of Ellijay. The troop number not only is reminiscent of Gilmer County’s main thoroughfare, but it also is a reference to Ephesians 5:15, which states, “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise” (NIV).
The local group currently is made up of about 20 boys and is geared toward equipping the young men to make good decisions.
Josh Fonger, whose son is a member of Troop 515, described the organization this way: “Christ-centered, leadership development through outdoor adventures with a band of brothers ... what could be a better use of time for growing young men?”
His 16-year-old son, Luke, added, “Life’s short and eternity is long. Turn off the video games and join Trail Life!”
A nationwide program
Founded in 2013, Trail Life USA is a Scout-like program that operates with a mission “to guide generations of courageous young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others and experience outdoor adventure.”
Currently the nationwide organization is made up of more than 65,000 members and 1,350 troops, according to traillifeusa.com.
It’s motto, “Walk Worthy,” is derived from Colossians 1:10, which reads, “that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (NKJV).
The scouting program offers a number of hands-on experiences for young men from kindergarten to 12th grade.
Elementary-aged Trail Life members complete a slate of activities known as the Woodlands Trail. Along the way, they delve into seven “branches” to learn more about sports and fitness, outdoor skills, hobbies, science and technology, values, life skills and heritage.
Older boys are known as Navigators and Adventurers, and as they progress through the organization, they continue to develop knowledge and skills in such areas as aquatics, ropework, citizenship, emergency preparedness and camping. The top Trail Life honor, which is similar to becoming an Eagle Scout, is the Freedom Award.
A Christ-centered focus
The troop members are not only learning hands-on skills like fire building and first aid; they also are being mentored in their spiritual journey.
As stated on the organization’s website, “Trail Life USA is not just an outdoor program that incorporates a Christian experience. Trail Life is at its core a Christ-centered program that utilizes the outdoors to draw boys and their families into a closer relationship with their creator.”
This focus on faith is engrained on all aspects of the program.
Local troop leader Doug Moore was excited to find an organization that partnered his passion for the outdoors and his Christian beliefs.
“I look at it as a mission … The ultimate thing we’re really hoping these boys will get is a relationship with Christ,” explained Moore. “Not every kid’s going to want to get the awards, not every kid is even geared toward that, but we want them to build a love for nature, a love for God’s creation, a love to be steward of what God’s created for us and a love for Him. Those are some of my personal goals of Trail Life.”
The local troop members open each meeting by praying on their knees.
“I love the reverence that they show,” Moore said. “The boys are all in on being reverent and respectful.”
The troop’s meetings also begin with a devotion led by one of the boys. Moore explained how they might talk about “something they’ve been studying with their father or something they learned in church.”
He continued, “Seeing them lead devotion is one of the sweetest moments. I love that.”
Positive role models
Scouting played a pivotal role in Moore’s upbringing. He described it as “life transforming” and credited his time as a Scout with helping him build the confidence to speak in front of people.
As his father played a “very instrumental” role in encouraging him to become an Eagle Scout, Moore also saw firsthand the impact of positive adult role models and the importance of mentoring. Now, he sees Trail Life as an opportunity to give his son those same experiences and to create a space where fathers can teach their skills to the next generation.
“The thing I love about Trail Life is it’s an opportunity for young men to be around other godly men,” stated Moore.
“The troop follows a male-led mentorship model, where boys are guided by Christian men who serve as strong role models,” adds a troop press release. “While women play supportive roles, direct leadership is entrusted to men, helping boys grow into confident and faith-driven men.”
Building character, leadership skills
In addition to laying a spiritual foundation, a strong emphasis is placed on helping the young men hone their leadership skills. As part of this, the older boys in the troop play a role in leading the meetings. The boys also complete service hours in the community in order to advance in Trail Life.
“The goal that we really want is for kids to learn problem-
solving and decision-making,” continued Moore. “We want to raise boys with integrity, that if they say they’re going to do something then they can be reliable and dependable … We want to push them to high adventure. We want to take them backpacking on the AT (Appalachian Trail) and stretch their boundaries, but let them know (how to do it safely and smartly).”
As a dad, he has enjoyed watching how participation in Trail Life has had a positive impact on his son. Seeing his fourth grader have the confidence to set up their tent and arrange their camping gear on a recent troop outing was “a very cool moment,” Moore said.
‘An unconditional place to grow’
During one recent meeting, the troop members gathered in a field to complete a model rocketry project as part of an exploration of different hobbies. After some failed launches, one of the rockets successfully blasted off and soared high into the sky.
Moore cannot forget the looks in the boys’ eyes as they saw how far the rocket flew.
“They just couldn’t believe they had a part in that,” he recalled.
Even the part of the rocketry project that did not go smoothly was a springboard for a teachable moment as it offered a conversation starter for the importance of perseverance and learning from one’s mistakes.
In this same vein, Moore hopes Trail Life can be a place for young men to experience success, as well as learn from failure. Troop 515 is committed to creating “a safe environment to fail where it’s not going to be catastrophic,” he explained. “There’s a ton of value in (offering) a place where they can have an unconditional place to grow and ask tough questions.”
This same process of moving from discouragement to success was seen when a group of the older boys in the troop recently completed an orienteering challenge. They started on a piece of property adjacent to a stretch of national forest in Fannin County. Using their compass navigating skills, they completed a bushwhack to look for the Benton MacKaye Trail.
Moore recalled how the young men went through “different levels of doubt and frustration and achievement” over the course of the exercise. He described the experience as one of the “confidence boosters” that he enjoys seeing play out in the lives of troop members.
Get involved
Troop 515 meets the first and third Sunday of each month during the school year in the student center at First Baptist Church of Ellijay. Church membership is not required to join.
To learn more about the local troop or to find out how to get involved, contact Doug Moore at traillife515@gmail.com or 706-273-6265. Scholarships are available if needed.
Written by Whitney Sherill for Times-Courier's 2025 Information Please Magazine