KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Griffin the Scout is a 10-year-old boy scout whose curiosity and love for adventure led him to the Nevada desert to do a "pre-storm probe" ahead of the viral Facebook event.
"Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us" is planned for Friday, September 20. Griffin and his dad, K.W. Henley, decided it would be best to go out to Rachel, Nevada, where Area 51 is located, the weekend before the planned event to stay safe and get the lay of the land before the crowds show up.
"We were just wanting to go ahead of time and see what it's like before it gets stormed," Griffin said.
Griffin the Scout, which is an alias for the fifth grader to protect his actual identity, wanted to create a Facebook page and YouTube channel called "ScoutTrek" to show other people places they might not ever get to go.
“It’s almost like you’re going along on an adventure with somebody else but you don’t actually get to go there,” Griffin explained.
He prepared extensively for his journey to the desert.
"A scout is prepared, so we got sunglasses, two gallons of water, and a slushy," Griffin said in a video.
This Knoxville fifth grader saw little green men, visited the famous Little A'Le'Inn, and of course picked up some trash along the way.
"Even though the desert is a deadly place, it's still part of our world and we need to keep it safe," Griffin said.
His dad is his cameraman and bodyguard.
"Everywhere that Griffin the Scout goes, Griffin the Scout's father goes as well," Henley explained.
When asked whose idea it was to do the "pre-storm probe," Griffin and his dad collectively agreed it was a decision they both had a hand in, although not everyone was convinced.
"His classmates didn't believe he was going," Henley said. "But I don't know that I would have either"
The duo filmed every aspect of the trip-- from the airport to the desert. They even approached the South Entrance of the U.S. government base, but decided against going in to honor the Scout's Oath.
"According to the scout law, a scout is trustworthy, so I will obey the scout code and the U.S. law," Griffin admitted in a video.
The Area 51 adventure isn't the only thing the duo has filmed, though. Henley explained he started filming Griffin and his adventures a while back, but didn't start posting the edited videos until recently.
Griffin is a member of boy scout pack 718, which meets at Woodlawn Christian Church.
His main goal is to help other people explore, learn about the world and teach how to live an honorable life.