Thirty years ago Louie Anderson was the leader of a group of Cub Scouts, Den 7: "The Owl Patrol", consisting of himself, neurotic Richard, ladies' man Belz, smooth talking Franklin and surfer dude Tim.

Although an accomplished troop, they fail in their attempt to earn the coveted "Arrow of Light" badge by camping on Mount Whitehead, getting lost and having to call their mothers for help.

Belz is a famous fashion designer, Richard is a dentist, Tim teaches surfing and Franklin is a therapist with a radio show.

Their attempts to woo two attractive ladies instead earn them the ire of Ginger and Marsha, the Grunskys' wives who are vacationing there, and the two scouts barely escape.

The Owl Patrol tries to flee the mountain, but realize that their engine has been stolen by the Grunskys, who only agree to return it if their status as Cub Scouts is restored.

Fleeing through the woods, the scouts tumble down a hill and discover their missing pack, the loss of which led to their failure thirty years ago.

It contains a map, compass, and other survival tools, and the troop decides that this is fate giving them another chance to "beat this goddamn mountain."

The other scouts trick Duke with a prank the Grunskys pulled on Richard when they were kids, baiting him with a dollar on the ground and suspending him from a tree with a snare trap.