A week of living in this little "village":
A week that that included several bear sightings and the pillaging of the girls' tent--twice.
A week when aforesaid bear was not content with rummaging through our things--he had to take Kelly's entire backpack up the mountain behind our campsite, claw through it and examine all of the contents. After consuming several granola bars, he grabbed the sleeping bag, took it farther up the mountain and shredded it royally.
A week of nicknames (inside my head mostly but not entirely) that began with "Harrah", ended with "Rambo" (Mark's nickname for Kelly) and included: Moose, Spike, Rye, Pocahontas, Bee, Cap'n, Mountie and Bush.
A week with a few trips to the First Aid Hut as well as to the hospital in Pueblo. Dehydration, allergies, a swollen ankle, a serious fall, a skinned shin or two and an emergency appendectomy were some of our medical issues.
A week when the boys accomplished much: merit badges, advancement requirements, Totin' Chips, Fireman's Chips, 25 miles on a backpacking trip, the 50-miler award, several 20-miler awards, a climb to the summit of one of the Spanish Peaks for two of our guys and a "beginner's hike" that lasted 6 hours, covered 7.6 miles and ascended to an altitude of almost 8900 feet.
A week when aforesaid bear was not content with rummaging through our things--he had to take Kelly's entire backpack up the mountain behind our campsite, claw through it and examine all of the contents. After consuming several granola bars, he grabbed the sleeping bag, took it farther up the mountain and shredded it royally.
A week with a few trips to the First Aid Hut as well as to the hospital in Pueblo. Dehydration, allergies, a swollen ankle, a serious fall, a skinned shin or two and an emergency appendectomy were some of our medical issues.
A week when the boys accomplished much: merit badges, advancement requirements, Totin' Chips, Fireman's Chips, 25 miles on a backpacking trip, the 50-miler award, several 20-miler awards, a climb to the summit of one of the Spanish Peaks for two of our guys and a "beginner's hike" that lasted 6 hours, covered 7.6 miles and ascended to an altitude of almost 8900 feet.
A week when good character shone: big guys helping little guys, boy scouts respecting authority, no complaining about the peas that showed up at dinner three days in a row (cleverly hidden in raman noodles, tuna casserole and vegetable stew), diligence and perseverance as they hiked and climbed and attended classes daily.
A week of stories and legends--around the opening campfire, around the fire in our campsite and on the "Legends" hike.
A week that included some scary moments: the bear incidents, of course but also the startling appearance of a fawn who bolted of the woods, practically knockng us over before he dashed into the woods on the other side of the road, scary "animal" sounds at night (some of which were later determined to be of human origin), rodents nibbling on things under the tent platform and one who actually popped up his head between the floorboards. And not to forget the very scary time when one of our guys went home after dark to the wrong campsite.
A week when food was mostly a positive topic of conversation and a highly anticipated event. Bonds of friendship were forged over slices of bacon. And we all knew who we could count on to be at the front of the line for dinner and who would be first in line for seconds.
A week with an abundance of wildlife: pronghorn antelope, mule deer, hummingbirds, chipmunks rabbits and bears. And an abundance of Colorado wildfowers: bluebells, columbine, queen anne's lace, daisies, clover and Russian thistles.
A week at camp where every day ended with cups of coffee (or cocoa) and our last day ended with a beautiful rendition of "Taps."
A week that will be forever in our hearts and memories.
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