Back from Summercamp

I drove up to Camp Geronimo yesterday morning. Driving through the Sonoran Desert up highway 87, I took this photo out the window.



Here is an example of a forest of saguaro cacti, again taken out the window of my truck.



Once you hit Payson, you're magically transported from desert to woods. The road into Camp Geronomo is dirt and washboarded. The photo below doesn't do justice to the nasty ride you take driving in.



I arrive at the camp just before noon.





I found Russell in the dining hall (where the food was not fit for human consumption).



We did the Totem to Totem hike...



...then continued on the West Webber trail...



...to this crystal clear 5' deep pool.



Here is what a forest fire looks like several years later.



Of course, I had to go up for the one meal our troop had KP. Here's Russell dressed for action.



And yours truly.



We serve the food, and we mopped the floors.



We gathered for the friday campfire (this photo taken the next morning). Yes, there is a swimming pool for swimming merit badge. There isn't much in the way of lakes in Arizona. The one they use for the boating merit badges you wouldn't want to swim in.



Although the day was hot, after dark, it got cold fast. When the fire was finished, we walked back to our tents (photo also taken next morning). It was so dark you couldn't see anything without a flashlight.



Because it was that dark, there were so many stars visible that city folks have trouble identifying constellations. But man, it got cold at night. I was pining for my old mummy bag from my days as a scout back in Wisconsin. Even bundled, it was a miserable night.

I stumbled across one of our guy's Tote'n'Chip card in the trading post, so we got to watch a lovely song and dance routine of "I'm a Little Teapot" as we waited for the commissioner to check us out.

We tried to caravan back but got separated. The guy pulling the trailer and I left last, but we arrived back at the church first. We were not told everyone else was stopping at McDonalds. As it turned out, between the two vehicles we had 8 boys. The highest ranking boy was a First Class, most of the others were Tenderfoot or Scout. The little guys unloaded that whole trailer. By the time the older boys arrived, the trailer was already empty and the troop stuff mostly in the storage shed.

No yard plants tonight since this is already a photo-heavy post.