You see, at this past weeks ‘Troop Feast’ they showed everyone what they’ve learned over the last few years about cooking – and they did an awesome job as well!

.

Yes that is actually a shot of 2 – count em 2 – of the elusive High School Scouts! Yes they are still very active in the troop as they should be. However, I wonder what brought them out in such numbers this wonderful evening??   hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm……maybe a bunch of other, younger scouts making FOOD??!!!

The amazing thing is that they choose to cook some really difficult items. It wasn’t just boiling water and cooking eggs, but their culinary skills ran the gamut from eggs and bacon to a pumpkin pie! I was waiting for Beef Wellington and a Souffle, but their choices were just as good!

That looks like a like some seriously specialized cooking going on there (ok, that is Ramen noodles one of them is making, but the other ones is baking a CAKE!!!).

They certainly enjoyed eating it all:

I also think this was one of our larger turnouts of late and they had lots of fun:

They even cleaned up the room spotless!!!

 I must say that their parents seem to have taught them well!!! (Nah, it must be the Scouting program!!)

I have asked them to make a meal for their families and report back. I’m sure they will not disappoint!!

YIS

Mr. C

Aren’t you jealous? (you will be when you read this during a Chicago winter!).

I’ll bet you are also asking yourself why you didn’t decide to come with us on this campout, right?

Ok I can probably answer that.

But that’s not how this day started! Our trip to the Indiana dunes was an exercise in futility from conception.

Initially the thought of going to the Indiana Dunes came from my own experience going there with Mr. Weiss and Troop 275 back in 1976 or 77. We made our merry way there alright, but back then you usually did not have to make reservations to camp in most places. Se we were quite surprised that the rangers wanted to know what name our reservation was made under? HUH, reservation? Ten to twelve scouts waiting in a hot car ready to hang out at the beach and now ………well you get the picture. Luckily right at the same time an Angel of a man (a local farmer) overheard our dilemma and offered us the use of his farm field to camp in – which was only a couple miles away.

With that in mind we decided to plan a bit more in advance than 1976. However, the IDunes are a VERY popular place and they have very few campsites. It also turns out that there is a “State Park” with in the Federal one which also has campsites – many more. However, 2 months in advance and this was ALSO booked. Whew, wish I had that farmers name and number!

After a bit of searching and calls, it turns out that there are several reasonably priced private campsites not too far from the Dunes, and one of them had a Pool, fishing pond and lots of RV’s!

As you probably know, the boys are happy if they can have nothing more than a tent, a campfire and some s’mores. So this was more than enough!

Interesting fire ring right?

So, knowing how bad weather can be a real joy killer for some of the boys, and knowing that a storm was coming, we prayed for it to pass over quickly – after we were asleep. However, the forecast called for rain not only that night but the next day as well. I don’t think we have had too many campouts where it rained all day and we had nowhere to go indoors. This wasn’t looking too good.

We were able to get breakfast together before the storms:

 Pancakes and bacon…yum!

But my dear readers, a storm was on the horizon. Our plan was to hike for a while and then hit the beach and it appeared that the storm had other ideas for us.

So while we had plenty of clear skies while cooking, Mother nature had other plans for our day time activities – and she let us know right as we were about to leave for a hike. Rain wouldn’t normally be  a problem for us on a hike, but since it looked as if the storm would pass, we thought we might be able to kill some time in the State park animal center. This was a great idea – thanks GM – and the boys loved it. There were all kinds of animals and reptiles that we were able to view

and even touch!

There was much to learn and see.

However the storm was only getting worse.  At one point the boys thought they might be able to go out to see the pond however the storm was so bad that they only got a few hundred feet before their bravado was soaked. This was really kind of depressing as no one really wanted to go hike in the rain and if it didn’t stop  there would be a lot of bored scouts sitting around.

So we decided to try to eat lunch under an outdoor shelter. We killed some time there, and right as we finished it looked like It would clear up.

It sure did. And with our swimsuits on, we witnessed an amazing transformation of the day. As we hiked through the lush forest we came upon an idyllic spot that made you think you were in Paradise.

I can’t remember a camp out that ever looked so inviting!

The water was a bit cool but remember this is Lake Michigan and this was still August. This is about as warm as it gets all year. And that certainly did not stop the boys from jumping right it.

And then, almost on cue, they decided – after they were bored with swimming, that they would try their hands at “rolling down the sand dune”.  Go figure!

Yes this is the hill they wanted to roll down. How do you tell a 12-year-old they can’t do something stupid like that? (ok I know the answer). And in all actuality, the hill was HUGE – it looks tiny in the above picture.

Wanna roll down this?

The boys did. OVER AND OVER AND OVER………

It’s a strange desire I must admit, but the thrill apparently doesn’t go away…. When the  bone banging and headaches got too intense from this, they decided to enjoy the therapeutic delights of “sand burying”…

Another odd activity choice.

I will say it would certainly make my job a lot easier if this is what they wanted to do all the time. Not so sure about the sanitation or hygiene, but it would reduce stress all over!

Before we knew it, it was time for dinner and all the fun at the beach had to come to an end.

They did manage to get back to the campsite and enjoy the pool for a little while – not something we normally do either, but enjoyable nonetheless.

So we then had our usual campfire and cobbler where by Mr. G was once again accused of being the cobbler thief during our game of “Mafia/Killer”. That game never seems to get old. The cobbler was delicious this time as well – cherry.

Next day, since we were so close to Niles, the boys could sleep in late, make breakfast and still be home early. The weather was good as well and so no need to hurry. After a quick police line we were on our way.

Don’t you wish they could be that neat and tidy at home??? (We’re trying Mom and Dad!)

For the most part, even with the bad weather, we had a great time and all of them wanted to come back the next year!

Troop 175 Scouts in attendance: Jimmy C, Danny C, Mark N, Tony G, Frank S, Matt S, Matthew Z, Mark T, Eric B, Milton M. Michael B,

We left ON TIME from the SJB parking lot with Mr. Dave B pulling the Troop’s trailer ( thanks again Mr. B).  AND we only made one stop for gasoline & snacks & you know what?Since we did leave on time we actually arrived around noon and had to wait till 1pm to see for the staff.

Once there we met “Locks”; our Troop’s Ambassador. We then had our medical checks and went to orientation.

Then came the “WAIT”

Our turn for swim test/tags. This usually takes FOREVER, but in the end the boys all were tested and got their swimmers tests done.

It turns out this 4th week of camp had almost three times the usual number of people: about 500 scout or about 650 people: scouts, leaders and staff. Lets just say it was FULL.

After orientation, we finished setting up our campsite once again “Sioux A” where we have stayed for at least the last 10 years.

It’s a lovely site and right next to the parade grounds.

We then attended the Flag retirement for the day:

 [never say “Announcements” or else … ask your scout to sing the Announcements song]

All Troops attended the evening Fire bowl with the Napowan staff and it was great fun.

We were all tired enough to sleep well, but what would Napowan be without a major drama? In years past it has been, a tornado, hail, lightening, various injuries, bad behaviors, fights etc, so why should 2011 be any different? Like clockwork, this time coming right on the first night, Napowan did not disappoint. A strong rain storm, complete with thunder & lightening came to visit like a long-lost Aunt or Uncle at 3:30AM! Woken from his sound slumber, a groggy Mr. Connolly had to walk from tent to tent, checking in with all scouts and leaders to make sure all was well and pass out words of encouragement - sorry no Teddy bears, this is Scouting ya know!

So some of the bolder scouts decided that they could not sleep either than and left the safety and comfort of their tents to sit under the canopy and hope that the storm would pass….we only wish we were so lucky!! While there are no pictures of this, the stories will likely last a lifetime. Oh and yes we did indeed survive till the next day

So then Monday was not only a groggy, but also a soggy morning. Troop 175 stood together in the Parade Field for Flags and messages. We went and sat together at an assigned table at the dining pavilion.

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Our troop’s “hopper” served breakfast: pancakes & sausages. Cereal and milk were always a breakfast option &/or extra.

Wake up Frank!

The scouts reviewed their schedules, and then got into ”buddy mode” so that they could travel to their activities for merit badges.

In case no one has mentioned this in years past, while the food at Napowan isnt always the best, it’s not usually the preparation that causes problems. Usually it’s the selection. As in , “eeeeewwww, I’m not eating that”.  To me, this is where your son has no choice but to try out some different foods and usually they find that they like them. If not, there is always PBJ’s or salad – cause you know how much teen age boys love salad!! (Hey, they do end up eating it)

After the fun on Sunday night most of the scouts sat around the campfire the next night, talking about TV shows and movies, including many things that you probably hear about all the time and still can’t figure out why these things intrigue them, but I digress….Or they spend most of the time either teasing each other, or chasing away our unwelcome guest  – the raccoons!!

Napowan also has events at night, things like the Hillbilly Hoedown, and Haunted Flintlock, Hula Night at Aquatics. It’s all good fun. I didn’t know they had snuck in a tatoo night!

The ealy part of the week finally had some dry weather and the scouts of troop 175 were able to get over to Flintlock and work on some merit badges.

 Interesting merit badges of the week:

Leather work

Rocketry: (no one got blown up)

Pioneering:

First Aid:

(Tough love; we had to teach him a lesson!!! Just kidding)

Many scouts went to the lake, and had some fun working on the ”burying” merit badge

The boys did some kayaking, canoeing or small boat sailing.

As usual our resident “Fire Expert” ( translation – pyro) Matt S along with soon to be Eagle  Scout Tony G made a huge campfire at the campsite. No pictures (please send them if you have them)

Mr. Dave B helped others set up hot dogs in a pot on camp stove w propane. It was a cool evening. Most of had long pants & sweatshirts to wear. Some camp staff stopped by a while.

We had a staff member come out and give us a talk on Disability Awareness. This was very useful and the Scouts learned much. Later that evening all the leaders were treated to separate dinner in the dining hall: steak, salad, corn on the cob & ice cream, while the camp staff “hopped” for the scouts’ pizza dinner at the dining pavilion. Most of our scouts returned to our campsite for the evening; however a few went to Ninja night or pirate night.

We did a round of Thorns and Roses-Buds. Most scouts talked about their individual merit accomplishments and all appeared to have had a good week.

Several leaders met at Leaders’ Lounge before Flags. Troop photo by Napowan sign after breakfast.

At 8pm on Friday the troop hiked over to “Firebowl” for farewell week celebration with skits or songs from each Troop. Fiddle, a camp staff leader, shared his personal story of scouting and trip to Alaska. He had received a USA flag there and wanted to “retire it in the fire ceremony that night.

The camp staff did their traditional farewell in the darkness, singing traditional song and existing while still singing refrain.

Scouts woke up gradually, wore class B shirts, except for Frank S who wore his uniform. Frank S was the morning chaplain at Flags. Many scouts received certificates and recognition for contests and completing C.O.P.E., including several from our troop: Tony G, Mark N, Jimmy C,

Locks, our Troop’s ambassador, stopped by; visited us at our campsite & helped us pack.

The scouts did the police line for Leave No Trace.

We happily left the kybos & mosquitos behind; or did we?

Another Great year at Camp Napowan.  See you  next year !!

We began our adventure at the Metra Station:

(BTW you can click on any of these pictures to get the original)

On the way down to meet the rest of the NWSC Philmont contingent  at Union Station – where we withstood the first minor speed bump of our trip. This one was quick and innocuous in comparison to all else we faced – The “Great Picture Taking” – requests for a picture on each and everyone’s camera ( likely 15 or more. Not sure how you did it Bob!). Man, were we hot sitting here – but we all made it!

Great looking bunch of people  -  right?

Amtrack was a great idea for a couple of reasons. One was that we would be able to interact a bit among all our crews. The boys played rummy and cribbage along with consuming loads of junk food and enjoying the scenery.

Another reason was the acclimatization that we would get from moving into the mountains a day earlier. And this extra day would give the leaders more time to plan……

(I swear that I did not take this picture!!!)

We did enjoy some delicious meals on the train – dinner and breakfast were excellent.  Despite the previous pictures, there was not a whole lot of sleeping going on that night. The train can be quite noisy and people walk around quite a lot. But this was still a great idea and a cool way to travel for the kids.

First stop around 8 am was La Junta CO, where we had planned to stay at the Koshare Indian Museum in their “Kiva” which is quite famous -

 http://www.kosharehistory.org/ .

We also stopped at “Old Bents Fort” which is a trading out post just off the Santa Fe trail.

 We swam in the La Junta Pool and had a good nights rest then off to the train again and on to Raton, NM to catch a bus to Philmont.

Unfortunately, a couple of our “Orange Crew” members got sick with a 24 hour bug right as we got on the bus. This was not a good omen – especially at a Dairy Queen!! But we all made it to Philmont right on time – ready to begin trek 15.

Little did we know that we would spend the next 24 hours sitting around waiting, waiting and waiting for all our forms to be processed, plans approved and equipment procured.

We made the best of it.

Luckily we had some help from our Ranger Richard :

 Richard was a soft-spoken guy – who “makes” his own knives. But he knew his stuff and helped us immensely.

The view from base camp was very scenic -

After all this preparation, we FINALLY headed out to start our trail – by getting on a school bus and being dropped off at the “turn around” where it proceeded to rain, lightning and thunder!

 Richard did point out one bright spot – since the Scouts who attend Philmont are all so smart and attentive to detail, there would be little smell from the latrines. This is because we were not supposed to be disposing of any “liquids” in these latrines and consequently there would be little smell from the ammonia present in those ” liquids”. I knew this would be a great thing for our crew and I thought, “why don’t they do this at Napowan?”

Well, lets just say that this one was the ONLY KYBO that didn’t smell!

 Not to digress in to extraneous matters, but we were also told that the only way to get rid of our “liquids” was by finding a “rock” – not grass, not brush, not a tree, but only a rock. Oh and make sure you put the seat down when you are done!!!!

Speaking of rocks, one of our first stops was “Lovers Leap” a huge outcropping on the side of a mountain.

What a view!!

The camp site here, was a huge open meadow and quite pretty.

Tents were put up quickly along with bear bags;

All this time Richard was keeping a close eye on us.

As he rightly should have, because our two sick crew members were still a tad sick – they spent some time at the med site in base camp – and were diagnosed with a 24 hour bug. Since both of their first names were “Dan” the other boys named this disease “Dangivitis” and all were deathly afraid of getting any wiff of it!

Right after our first Philmont dinner of  Beef Stroganoff ( my son has asked Mom if she could make it here at home, so it must have really been a hit) Richard informed us that Philmont has the highest concentration of Mountain Lions in all of New Mexico, and the highest concentration of these creatures in all of Philmont was right where we were camping that night ( there is a pamphlet from 1956 that mentions Mountain lion hunting as one of the programs. Now wouldn’t that have been fun??) For the most part they would not be attacking us while we slept, however if one of us had to get up and use a “rock” in the middle of the night, we had better take a buddy with! Great words to go to sleep with!! As an “older” person, it’s not so easy to avoid that middle of the night visit to a rock, so I had to wait till sun up – as I am sure some of our other leaders had to do!

Richard also taught the boys how to put up a bear bag, to keep our food away from the bears at night and especially away from us while we slept.

The hike on day 2 was a bit more strenuous than the previous day’s.  We did get a great view near the top of Uracca Mesa.

Here’s the Mesa itself:

The Urraca  camp ground  was a great place to stay. When you enter a staff camp they usually tell you all their camp details in a short and usually boring talk. Urraca did this in a song

You can watch it here:

 http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=urraca&init=quick&tas=0.7484389146090571&ref=ts#!/video/video.php?v=258605077486512&oid=210841495623558&comments&set=o.210841495623558&type=1

Unfortunately at this point we had ANOTHER scout down with the 24 hour bug – Jason. He barely made it down the trail to camp.  Then at camp, four more got it – Tim, Evan, Carter and Andy B. Things were looking pretty grim for the old “Orange Crew” at this point.

Nevertheless, for the remaining crew members, Urraca was loads of fun. They had “Challenge” events that we all enjoyed – trying to pass the “Stick of Life” in one direction and at the same time passing the ”Stick of Distraction” in the other.  

He couldn’t do it!

Other events included keeping 8 of us on a 1×1 platform with only 5 parts touching for 5 seconds. Having all of us squeek through a web of rope without touching; getting all of us to balance on a teeter platform without either side touching the ground – using no words!

And most importantly, was trying to get the whole crew over a 12 foot wall.  All of us made it except for Drew, since he had to jump on his own without any help from us. We just weren’t strong enough to lift him up by his pinky!!! All of these took a bit of work, but with some teamwork, we made most of them.

The nighttime campfire was excellent. Great songs, jokes and skits!! – Urraca camp 2011 is on Facebook – “like” them.

We also found out that the screaming from what we thought were ravens, was actually from Magpies. According to the staff here, if the Magpie said your name, this meant that you would die the next day.  Luckily we didn’t really hear anything sounding like one of our names, but that didn’t stop anyone from shouting them out like a bird.

Alas, after all was said and done, we tried to settle down and get some sleep for the day, but the staff decided that they needed to check out our sick boys and took us back to the cabin at 1130pm. Lucky for us, none of our kids needed an IV like the scout from our “Sister” Blue crew. He had to go back to base camp. Not fun for him or his crew. Our guys got some meds and slept the night through. The only problem I had with that was the fact that all four of them had basically no food and could barely hold down water, yet they were going to have to hike about 4 miles with us early the next day. Oh well, the ranger ASSURED us it was all down hill…………

Urraca was also our first encounter with the “swap boxes”. We were told that if we put something in, we could take something out. Thats the idea, but the reality is that most of them are overflowing with food and the Rangers told us to take whatever we wanted. There usually wasnt much you would want but if you looked hard enough there was always a gem – one of the highest in demand was the “Spicy Buffalo or Garlic Chips”.

So the rangers don’t always tell the truth?????!!!!!!! My @&#$@ it was all down hill!!…………. The first 45 minutes was UP the Mesa again and then we got a short downhill – (and stopped at the cool observation point again)

Right after this was taken we got lost  – seems our “Navi-guesser” missed a trail and we were headed to Toothache Springs instead of Crater Lake.

No problem, we found our way after just a little misdirection and then sat down for a great lunch. The rest of the day’s hike was anything but DOWNHILL!

Switchback number 1 of MANY!!!

We made it to Crater Lake in our weakened condition just in time for the program to end….but we made it nonetheless.

And then to make matters even worse we had to hike up a HUGE hill just to get to our campsite. I think all would agree that this was probably one of the hardest hikes on the entire trip outside of Mt Phillips and Big Red. And then to top that off it RAINED!

But the rain did subside and we were treated to an excellent campfire by the Crater Lake Staff.

We learned all about “Nine Pound and Bertha ” and had a great time.

We did the program the next day, which was Pole Climbing.

 The next day’s hike was quite the doozy. As we  left for “Fish Camp”, we knew that there would be a few hills to climb but we had little idea of what else  was to come. After about 1 hour of hiking it started to rain and then pretty soon there was some thunder and lightning. And as we came into this clearing we heard and FELT a lighting strike right at our feet.

A quick poll showed that NONE of us ever had been that close to lighting. Scary ! We had to sit in lighting position for 3o minutes before it was safe.

Fish camp was a welcome sight after that episode. This is one of Waite Phillips favorite cabins in all of Philmont. He supposedly made sure all his guest got to visit here.

Lots of mini bears here – (chipmunks).

We also had our first stream crossing not long afterwards.

And our first real encounter with the wild creatures of the Ranch….. 

Yep, COWS. They didn’t want move either. I don’t think any of us knew that the females had horns as well. When they are feeding their young, you don’t want to get near. This was probably one of our scariest encounters with the wild life in that regard.

The rest of the hike that day can only be described as arduous ! We probably hiked 4 miles up and down hill to Fish Camp and then at 4 pm we had about 4 more miles to go to get to our camp for the night – Bear Canyon

 Pretty campsite, but right at the edge of this lake there was a deer skeleton. And check out the hike we still had to make..

Seemed like these inclines would never end. It didn’t help that Blue Crew told us that there were active bears at the camp and we would need to make sure we had all our smellables put away. We heard some growling in the middle of the night for sure.

Bear Canyon  – this was a VERY tight campsite.

Next day was a trek to Beaubian with a stop at Phillips Junction in between. We killed about half the hike – in good time I would add due to our improved health – with a game of “Name a Sponge Bob Character”. When I thought of doing this, I thought it might kill 5 minutes or so. It went on for almost a hour. The winner was Tim D with the “Striped Sweater Guy”, beating out Drew with “Nosferatu” and I might add the “Hash Slinging Slasher”. Who would have thunk it??!!

At Phillips Junction we were able to get all kinds of goodies in the trading post and pick up more food.

We also had a challenge event. If you could do 20 push up on the set up below or 20 chin ups, you got a pudding cup. Unfortunately none of the youngsters were able to do either, but they did have a lower hurdle for the old folks and we were able to crank out a few for a pudding cup.

We had another contest for the pudding cup. This time it was name that Merit Badge. Dan W. won it. For everyone else here are some that we forgot ( all oldies but still merit badges at one point):

Clerk. Electrician, Fireman, Gardener, Marksman, Master of Arms, Seaman.

The three amigos from Troop 182 found their Harmonica skills and entertained us for the rest of the trip

Next stop Beaubian and  2 day lay over.

Beaubian is one of the most majestic places in all of Philmont. It’s kind of hard to believe you are up at almost 10,000 ft. But it truly is stunning  (the great weather certainly also helped).

It is a horse ranch and where we were scheduled to do our conservation project.

(Drew’s horse appeared to have a “man crush” on one of the other horse and made it hard for him to sit still!!)

As always seems to be the case, the horseback riding was fun, but just too short. The boys absolutely loved it!

For our conservation project, we had to chop some wood and cut down some trees:

TIMBER!!

A couple more great things about Beaubian – Showers, Hot food , Horseshoes and “Rope the Log”.

This is where the Honey Badgers team came about ( YouTube “The Honey Badger”  – “We don’t care”) . As a combo of the Blue and Orange crew we almost beat the staff at roping  the log (thanks to Jason for finding the ringer “Bo”).

The Chuckwagon diner was excellent -

While no one had to deal with the “bug” anymore, we did have one more casualty. Dan popped his knee out and had to be sent back to base camp to recuperate. We were all praying for his speedy recovery. Oh and right as we turned in for the night, the staff came walking around looking for a bear. Someone reported seeing one that night!

We had a very easy hike the next day to Crooked Creek.

Crooked Creek is a re-enactment of an 1875 homestead. All the staff are (supposed to be) in character.

 The porch talk was not sung like Uracca, but they did tell us we could hypnotize chickens, and what would our lives be like without ever trying that!!!

Everyone had to try it!

The only water we could get here was from the creek:

We also killed some time visiting the burros – the boys named them Jorge and Gonzalo.

We also visited the Cow. Not sure about his name.

Thinking I knew what I was doing, I tried to show Bob how to milk her. Little did I know that she had other plans and then tried to kick me (she missed!!).

  We decided to part friends. Later, the staff set her up to be milked properly ( note, her back leg is tied up!!).

Crooked Creek was also the home of the cow pie throwing contest. No one seemed to want to take any pictures of that one!!

This was also one of the larger campsites and also had the most level ground.

I think it might have gotten down into the 40′s that night - we were up near 10,000ft. 

The next day was another very easy hike to Clear Creek campsite which was not very far or all that much different from the previous. This was a fur trading outpost with the staff in character also. 

We were treated to a demonstration/explanation of beaver trapping  -

Interestingly enough, none of the “Orange Crew” volunteered to help the trapper!!  One of our members did say they wanted to try to eat “Beaver Tail”……. YUCK!

We also got another great surprise – Dan made it back from base camp all better and ready to continue on! What a relief!!

Here he was relaying why you would not want to have to spend a day alone at base camp!

The boys did some Tomahawk throwing – a few of them were dead on experts! (What are you teaching those kids ?)

Later we went off for some BlackPowder rifle shooting. Everyone could put out a shirt, hat, bandana or some other personal article for target practice. Somehow, the Blue Crew procured an Orange crew shirt and shot that to pieces – (we’ll get you for that!!!)

Everyone got 3 shots and it all went well until Andy  came up to bat. We were using percussion caps to ignite the shot and no one had any problems until Andy. Six or seven misfires later – after shouts of “This never happens to me” - he hit it right on and put a hole in his hat! Great job Andy!

The next day’s hike would be up the Famous Mt. Phillips at roughly 12,000 feet. I’m sure a few of the boy’s we’re a tad bit concerned – as was I. This was a tough hike, but a beautiful day to start :

This was supposedly the steeper side to hike. I wont argue with that:

Try that next time you are out – oh yeah, add 50lbs to your back and about 40% less oxygen!  We all got a work out:

And lucky for us, the weather remained perfect for the rest of the day!

The view at the top was most certainly worth the climb:

 

This was one of the highlights of the entire trip! Unbelievably awesome!!!

We made it down the “easier” side, to Red Hills camp, which was unstaffed. We got in before noon, so it was a short hiking day. This camp was nothing fancy, but since we had lots of time, the crew played some games – Mafia, Killer (like Clue) etc and had a blast. This was also the site of the great Spicy Buffalo chip negotiation – ask Tim and Dan W.

The next day was to be our longest of the trek – or second to longest. And it started off with a bang, having to climb a smaller, yet just as difficult Mountain called “Big Red”. This was probably harder than Mt. Phillips, just not as long.

We had about an hour of this type of incline before it flattened out. One of our Scouts did start to get sick right at the top, but he made it through after a brief rest. This day we also got lost. We completely lost our trail as well. Somehow we just missed out and had to search for it again. We found it and made our way down – on the only trail shown on the map I might add. Note the dotted line in the middle heading to the right.

We ended up at the X (below).

Philmont needs to update their maps. We were going straight south for over 30 minutes and clearly there is no indication of that trail on the map. And it was a defined trail too. When we got to the road, there was no continuation of the trail on the other side. Uh Oh! Not a problem. The Blue crew was in front of us and they had made the same side trip and found the  trail up ahead after some bushwacking. That was their redemption for shooting our shirt!

We still had a long day ahead of us, but again, we had great weather.

Late in the day we encountered another of Waite Phillip’s lodges – Hunting Lodge -

This was also one of his favorite places.

Too bad we weren’t spending the night there – I later heard that they have the best Cinnamon and Butter biscuits at camp – however they had really stinky water here!

We still had another 2 hours to get to our final camp – we decided to stop at Clarks Fork to cook our dinner so that we didn’t have to carry extra water to our dry camp.

On the way there, we found a new friend:

Note Mr. Rattlesnake in the middle of the picture. He was sitting just off the side of the trail and 4 people passed him up before anyone noticed him. He started rattling, but as we backed up, he went off to hide in the brush. No problems. He was a little guy anyway. Still, very cool to see him.

We stopped by the Cimarroncito reservoir and then finally made it to our campsite around 745 that evening. That was one long day.

We only wanted to get to sleep for the hike before us the next day. This was to be a long one as well, with a climb up Shaefer’s Peak and the Tooth of Time. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Our final day was almost as strenuous as the previous. Some of us would likely say that it was harder. We began with a climb up Shaefers Pass which meant an elevation climb of about 1400 feet. This was pretty tough.

Apparently, the escalator was broken!

Shaefers Peak gave us a great view also

Next stop, the Tooth of Time. Little did we know that the path there was anything BUT a trail:

All rock, almost the entire way

This was probably the best we had – and it didnt last.

We toughed it out:

It wasnt too far till we reached the Tooth and very quickly we started our ascent.

It wasn’t easy

But well worth the view:

VIDEO HERE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUa2PG_10wE

Stop by next time you are in NM – oh yeah, the hike up is tough! So was the hike down:

VIDEO HERE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WDlppZ5n0o

It was a beautiful day and clear as could be but that was not to last too long……

As we came back down the Tooth, we put our packs on for the hike into base camp. Little did we know what was to come. Before the weather tuned on us we did pass some very interesting rock formations:

The rain started coming down rather strong at this point. This is the last picture I was able to take before I began to worry that my camera would get ruined (it didn’t):

While we were only a few miles away from base camp, we could not have been farther from home. As we began our descent from Tooth ridge, we started off into open meadows, with very few trees for cover. And then the drizzle became a down pour. There was nowhere to hide and the temperature dropped a good 20 degrees in minutes. We could see lightning in the distance and heavy rain right behind it. Then the HAIL hit. First little pebble sized, then thumbnail sized. It just didn’t stop. And then the lightning started – right next to us. We had several strikes where we counted less than 5 seconds afterward ( on one of them, I counted 2 seconds). Standing on the side of a mountain with metal poles in ours hands was not very wise and we stopped to get in the lighting position for some time.  Thank goodness that most of this lasted less than an hour and rather soon we were headed in to the end of our journey.

This is what passed us. What you can’t see is the pitch blackness to the left.  Since they had been in drought conditions for some time, the trails were all hard pack. This rain created nothing but flooding and puddles – which we had to walk in most of the way down (my shoes took about a week to dry out).

One crew in front of ours had a scout with hypothermia. Yep, it got that bad.

But we made it in to base camp around 3 pm and the crew was ecstatic:

We all made it back safe and sound!!!!

One of the boys wanted a picture of those who didn’t get any Dangavitis:

We might have survived that illness, but the WHOLE crew survived some tough times at Philmont. And we all came back happy – and hungry – to tell you all about it. It was a wonderful trek and I am sure we would all do it again in a heartbeat! I’m sure that I have left lots of stories out - all worth telling – but I’ll leave that to all you to relay to your friends and families for many years to come.

It was my sincere honor to take this trek with all of my crew mates - your sons and husbands. I hope this brief post gives you some things to talk about and perhaps years from now it will help inspire you or another young man to venture to that wonderful place known as Philmont.

Thank You Waite Phillips !!

For Food, For Rainment, For Life, For Opportunity, For Friendship, for Fellowship, we thank thee O Lord

- Philmont Grace

White Pines is always a very popular event. I am not quite sure why.Maybe it was the idea of a canoe trip. Maybe it its the time of year – the first campout after school is out and the boys realize how utterly bored they are? Maybe it’s playing in the creek? Maybe its hiking or fishing. Maybe the great menu the Scouts planned? I know it certainly is not to see the nuclear plant on the way there:

Whatever it is, this weekend was certainly a hit and probably will cause the boys to tell all their friends to come back next year.

It is so much fun that this time we decided to see what it would be like if we left early – like 3 pm early. We had 2 teams go this time - one early and one late. Getting their early was nice since we were able to get the tents set up before the other scouts arrived, and we were quickly able to start a campfire.

We did find a new friend this time around:

It was just too bad that we didn’t have any scary “cat stories” for the campfire that night.

He was a big hit

\

We played a game called “killer” or “mafia” as the boys term it – thanks to Drew for this one. It does not involve violence nor any simulated killing, but rather requires the narrator to get up in front of the group and explain how a member of the community had been killed – kind of like Clue – and then they try to solve for the perpetrator.

Suffice it to say that this game can go on for a VERY long time. So long, that we were asked by the ranger to keep it down after 11 pm.

Well you might think that meant the boys would have gone to bed early, but at 12, 2, 4 and 5 am some scouts STILL could not sleep. Gee, I wonder why….Yes apparently he was the houseguest that just wouldn’t leave. Turns out that he is owned by a local farmer. But sorry guys, we could not take him on the canoe trip with us!!

Speaking of canoeing, I was a little shocked when I got a call from the outfitter that night. When they identified themselves, I thought, OH NO, now there’s a problem. But it turns out that she wanted to know if we could use 2 kayaks instead of canoes. You can only imagine the response to that one!!! YESSSSS….Mr. Cieply, can I be in the kayak???!!!!!, etc etc.

The sleep deprived scouts and leaders didn’t seem to have a problem getting up bright and early the next day. It must have been that they wanted to enjoy the great campsite?

The trip started off with only a few little hitches, but we were on our way rather quickly:

 Cool kayak huh!

Surprisingly we had little trouble navigating the river and even got to see an Eagle – sorry my camera was put away (anyone else get the picture)

Oh yeah what a tough guy with that paddle.

Buh Bye!!

Take that!!

Eat my dust

There were some very scenic areas here. The eagle’s nest was right over here:

Oh yeah, the weather was great!

WHAT SHARK Mr Cieply!!!!????

Ok we’re cool!!

Well as you might see in the picture below,  a young strong Scout paddling away, taming a mighty river.

However, I don’t think I have ever heard anyone scream that loud before when encountering a spider in their canoe …but I digress……

One of our older Scouts was Senior Patrol Leader for the first time, and while I thought he did a great job, the boys reaction was just as positive.

(Harry in red in the middle – with someone trying pull a Ninja move on him!)

I do have one small complaint about his leadership skills though. He set a less than perfect example when he almost ruined a perfect canoe trip by losing his shoes on the river.

But lo and behold it is always better to be lucky than good. A good Samaritan dropped off his missing shoes almost immediately after he got to the end of the trip. What luck!!

He was so happy!!

He clicked his black slippers and WHOOSH we were back in Kansas. Where he even taught the younger Scouts their Totin Skills.

 As for the Cobbler item in the title, the Cherry Cobbler we made on Saturday was OUTSTANDING. If you want to replicate it at home I highly highly highly recommend you go over to Aldi - yes Aldi - and get their White Cake mix, along with a can of their Cherry Pie mix and put this all together in a pan. Mix it up with a bottle of 7up, Cook till done and add whip cream….all I can say is YUM!!

And apparently, one of our boys was not too happy that he was denied seconds…but then again he didnt have the pie cutter!!! The name of his town that night -the town that encounters a “murder” by the killer, was Mr. So and So is a So and So ville….(because he took the last of the Cobbler). Sorry pal, but thems the breaks!!!

Oops wrong story.

Although any trip with the Scouts of Troop 175 is an adventure. And it’s always a good one. The trip to Baraboo and the Circus World Heritage weekend was no different. This was a very pleasant weekend trip and as always the boys had a great time. The weather even cooperated with us for most of the weekend.

As we got ready for the opening flag ceremony on Saturday morning there was much excitement and fun in the air as we walked over to the school with all the other scout troops to pay homage to our country and celebrate the 25th anniversary of this Baraboo event.

I wish that I could report that everything was perfect; that your Scouts never had a better time in there young lives. That because of this trip, they will all succeed beyond their wildest dreams in life, but alas this it was not to be so. Many of them did not listen to their Scoutmaster and other leaders. So this was somewhat of a camping trip but also way to teach some life lessons. One of the first ways to tame a Scout is to make him more obedient. Here, one of ours thought he was going to be able to pet a freindly little donkey.

But there were different plans for him. Just like the little wooden boy’s in Pinocchio who were sent to the island of “Lost Boys”, this Scout met the same fate…….

Hopefully these donkey spells have already worn off and this Scout is returning back to normal. If he acts stubborn and makes any sounds similar to “he haw”, please let me know and I will call Gepetto to see what he can do.

I wish I could have stopped it from happening, but it’s really up to you Parents to reign in your unruly Scouts.

 Perhaps like this:

Now I know that some of you parents had asked me to drop your Scout off to become a permanent member of the Circus, so I had to talk to this guy first:

He told me that your permission slip would be just fine and that we could get started right away with them going to work. I did let them play a little bit before they would forever join the army of Clowns, Lion tamers and Elephant riders. Kind of like a last supper:

But unfortunately this could not last forever and the boys were finally brought to their future home:

I must say that they had no idea what they were going to be doing. They did seem to take to their new roles very quickly and you can see how they learned these tricks rather fast:

I was amazed how they all fit into those little doggy costumes. And look at the Scout from our troop driving the stage coach. He did such a great job ( he looks really familiar in that monkey suit).

One of them really studied their “Acrobat Merit Badge” . He was a crowd pleaser.

Those crazy circus people were really good at putting your Scouts to work. This must have been one of our older boys. They put him in an Elephant costume and look what they taught him is such a short time.

He is quite the performer. Maybe we can get him for the Red and Black?

Well, for those Scouts whos parents didn’t commit them to a life of Circus traveling, we did go back to the camp site for some Scouting fun.

That’s one old scout. I think he was a clown that followed us back from the Circus.

Oh the life….

Just to top off all the odd events and occurrences for the weekend, there was an event offered that only the bravest of Scouts could participate in; something that would show the world their courage and resilience. It involved the risk of death that normally we would not allow in Scouting, but we thought this would give those remaining boys a chance to redeem themselves so as not to be sent to live and work with the Circus next year. It involved an ancient act, one so dangerous, that only the powerful Knights of old would engage in – Dragon Slaying!

See the dragon below as he rears his evil hind quarters at the camera.

See here the brave knights attempting to slay the beast. Notice the one being knocked over by its powerful blows!

Another Knight helping out.

And finally a group of powerful knights were able to slay the beast.

Unfortunately, none of the Brave Scouts from 175 even ATTEMPTED to slay the beast. Perhaps next year after a bit more training and rank advancement ( I understand there is talk of a Pork taming merit badge in the works).

There was one last chance for the bad scouts to redeem themselves. This is not something we often do, but this time, instead of putting them in the village stocks or even having them spend time in the community jail, we found another, better alternative…..

Speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

Yes this was a great adventure!

Any parents who would like their Scout back, should call the Circus World Museum. I’m sure they are being treated well and certainly trained well. If you didn’t get a chance to send your Scout away, please let us know and we will make sure to get them a spot next year.

See you at the White Pines – (Remember, Canoe trip!!!)

IT SNOWED THIS PAST WEEKEND!!!

Let me say that again

IT SNOWED THIS PAST WEEKEND

………..While we were on a Campou! That is the first time I have ever seen that happen.

Troop 175 has long endured difficult weather; the “cracker barrel” tornado of 72, the “monsoon merit badge”  known as Philmont in 79’ and more recently, the Hailstorm hike of 08’ (amongst many others I am sure). Never have I seen snow on a camp out. And of course any of you who have spent some quality time at the Lovely Lakota lodge will attest, the weather just does not like this place! From Biblical infestations of mosquitoes (worse when Mr. B is there), to cold miserable rain, thunderstorms, lightening,  muck and frost.

But SNOW? Really?

I think the only worse thing I can remember is probably MY first Camporee at Lakota when I was about 11. The weather wasn’t much better, but I do remember walking up to opening flags with our patrol flag and promptly sticking in a hole in the ground for a rest. Thirty seconds later, a hive of angry yellow jackets came buzzing out to find the invader who they angrily reminded to watch his space about 15 times.

OUCH. I think I would rather have a little snow.

I did recover rather quickly, and ironically the second worst memory I have of that – other than Dad packing it in to go home that night because of the cold – was eating what could only be termed a “yucky” Waldorf salad for lunch.

So with that I can tell you that this trip seemed cursed from the start. Right as everyone arrived, so did the rain and the lightening sirens as we were getting ready. To top it all off, we were then delayed by a major accident right at the DesPlaines toll booth.

I asked the boys if they wanted to work on their first aid merit badge at that point, but found no takers. 

Surprisingly the normally 1 ½ hour trip took 3 hours and by 8:30 were we just about ready to set up our campsite. The winds were so intense that one tent, which was fully staked down, was bending almost in half. That wasn’t a good sign; especially with a patrol of new scouts!  There were indeed some frightened scouts. But luckily the rain ended, the tents were put up and the boys put to sleep.

About the Camporee; this year’s theme was “Saving Princess Peach”.

Question:  Parents, without asking your Scout, to what does this refer?

A tootsie roll if you get it right – ask your scout for it, that was their reward.

The theme was used to enhance a lot of familiar scout games, like the walking 2×4,

 Shooting games,

obstacle courses,

hoop ball,

first aid races, knot tying and much more. All of it was based on the “Super Mario Game”. Ask your Scout and I am sure he will tell you he had a great time, except for the weather.

We did see a few of the boys walking around without rain gear. And I can tell you that when there is a light mist of rain for extended periods, your clothing will get just as wet as if it were a 1 minute downpour.  When it’s cold and drizzling, they need to stay DRY!. Snow, on the other hand…………..

The highlight of the evening was the OA (Order of the Arrow) tap out.

Troop 175 had 4 Scouts inducted into this “honor guard” of Scouting. It is quite the spectacle to watch the entire process. It begins with the OA members walking to every campsite and “calling out” the troops.

 They walk while in costume while beating drum.

Pulling up the rear guard was our own OA “Brave” John K.

After reaching all the campsites one by one, they make their way to the fire bowl bonfire in silence. With about 300 boys behind them they begin calling out the new inductees.

This is done by asking an OA brave to walk up to each new member point at them and shout ‘YOU’.

They are then escorted to the Great OA Chief and sent away to learn their fate. We are all then asked to leave in silence.

The troop had its own campfire and it was actually quite fun. All the while I noticed the troop next to us getting ready for bed and saw they had lights out by 930. I can’t remember ever going to bed that early on a camp out and as Scoutmaster, I did somewhat envy the discipline that they exhibited getting all 30 of their scouts to sleep that soon.

 All for naught though.

You see, as it was said later the next day, “old age with its wisdom and treachery beats out youth with its speed and vigor all the time”. Turns out they didn’t listen in their haste to get their site set up and thought the next morning’s ceremony was at 8am instead of 9am – as I was pretty certain it was. So while we continued to work at a leisurely pace and took down camp, they marched over the to the ceremony and back, wasting a good 45 minutes. We, beat them out of there afterwards, And while it wasn’t a race, it was good to know that we can work very well together as a team!

Your Scouts had a great time and this year they did indeed win an award – the Bowser Shoot Out (they also won the Memory game, and the Video game trivia contest, but apparently so did everyone else! The biggest prize was a Pineapple! (Ask your Scout what they were doing here, cause I have no idea)

In retrospect, I would suggest that while this might have been a difficult trip for some of the Scouts, I truly believe that experience is the ONLY effective teacher. I highly doubt many of these boys won’t be thinking about the cold they experienced. Next year they will have to weigh that against all the fun we know they had when they decide to attend. If you can remind them that they CAN be warm and dry even in bad weather such as we had, they will surely say yes.   

OK so you now know about the video games.

GREAT JOB TO ALL THE SCOUTS AND PARENTS WHO ATTENEDED.BARBOO, HERE WE COME!!!!

Once upon a time there was a scout troop that actually made it to its weekend camping destination on time!

That must have been many many years ago before I joined Scouting!

But lo and behold that indeed happened this past weekend as Troop 175 embarked on its first camping event for 2011. If this weekend was any indication, it’s going to be a great year!
Part of our fairy tale success came from the fact that almost everyone was at SJB and READY at 4pm. Great job scouts and parents. Leaving around 4 pm seemed to make a huge difference in the amount of traffic we encountered – we made it to Elgin in only about 45 minutes with very little traffic ( Andy B, you would be so proud!!). Because of this, and because we only stopped for a very quick potty break, we actually got to the site under the suggested time – 3 ½ hours.
No, we did not have any encounters with a cow this time (we were ready this time Mr. B), BUT there were reports of deer crossing right in front of a few of us near the cave. That is always dangerous and reminded me how cautious we have to be when driving with the precious cargo that we are entrusted with. But I digress….
Another seemingly beneficial aspect of our early arrival was that we were one of the first group’s there and we ended up getting a spot in the upper part of the cave where it isn’t so cold (just wet. The tarps are a must). We were in the “ToadStool area” ( fits in with the fairytale story line, we just needed to find Alice and the Mad Hatter)

This was a very tight fit and a few of us had to sleep in a narrow area that had 3 lights running all night long –but since it was about 15 degrees warmer than the spot we had last year, I think we made out ahead!

Tents work well too here.

One of our spelunkers.

Lately I have been trying to come up with scary stories to share at campfire, most have been dull, but some have been scary and sometimes too scary. Since we didn’t have campfire, I tried my best as I noticed this odd looking fixture above our heads.

I tried to tell the story of 4 finger Jim, who hid out in the cave while on the lamb from the police. During an Earthquake, he was stuck between 2 huge slabs of rock and his hand became forever encrusted in a stalagmite . They didn’t buy it, but I still thought it looked pretty neat.
Eagle cave really feeds you well – quick and efficient also! These boys don’t look hungry do they?
Our day was quite full after breakfast. This year we brought some ice fishing gear. This was a big hit as the boys had to cut holes in the ice with a manual auger – sorry I couldn’t bring the power one but the gas would have made the drive up very smelly. While we only managed one fish, the act of using a large metal corkscrew to cut through a thick foot of ice seemed to be quite appealing to most of the boys. Next year I’ll find a way to get the power auger up there.

And we brought a sled. The neat thing about this was that the scouts could sled down a decent sized hill right next to the lake. They did manage to get a bit wet from rolling around in the snow and snowball fight we had as we left.

In the afternoon, another troop even came out and staring playing football on the frozen lake!

After a quick lunch of Sloppy Joes, we warmed up by doing some further cave exploring. Eagle cave management plants a bunch of stuffed animals in the cave for scouts to find for a prize – a great enticement for them to search. While the cave is quite large, you can probably explore most of it in a few hours, so we had a little time to kill. We did a bit of orienteering and then headed back to the lake, caught another fish and headed back for dinner. Since most of the scouts were a bit cold after all that time on the lake and sledding, the early dinner of fried chicken at 445 was a needed break.

Evening was once again a lively round or two of bingo and then a night hike and bonfire.

All in all it was a long and enjoyable day. Great weather, great activities, great company, and great food. I always enjoy it – especially when it’s not too cold!!
Once upon a time, Troop 175 lived happily ever after? (let’s hope so!!)

Next up – the Red and Black on Feb 27th. Hope to see you ALL there!.

Even though they might have looked at cooking somewhat grudgingly in the past, I can assure you that almost EVERY boy I have encountered in the troop, has enjoyed the experience when it came their turn to cook. And it didn’t even matter WHAT they were cooking. Having to take responsibility for feeding other people, and showing those same people that they can do the job and do it well, is something that all young boys relish (whether or not they admit this is another matter).

Another GREAT thing about cooking, especially on campouts, is simply the fellowship and bonding that goes on between the boys ( Ok, they probably enjoy making a mess too!!) But there really is nothing like hanging out with people you like being with and performing a common task that everyone else will benefit from.

If you haven’t asked your Scout to do this already, pick a day and ask him to plan a meal and cook it with him. You’ll be surprised how eagerly he’ll want to help, and how much fun you have doing it with him – OR consider asking him to help with the upcoming Thanksgiving meal. I’ll bet he’ll be glad to join you.

We were really lucky this past Monday when we had a friend of a friend , who also happens to be a manager at Red Robin, come in to talk to the Scouts about food preparation and safety and even brought a few samples to show the boys how Red Robin makes such a tasty burger. They even learned the special Red Robin “Wrap”. Thanks Katie!!

FINALLY:

The next Scout meeting (in the PMC) on November 22nd will be the final one involving cooking and it will be our Troop Feast. Each patrol has a meal they need to prepare for all of their members and a few extras. They can each invite one extra person to enjoy their handiwork. Lets see if they can get one “Non” Scout to come join us!

 Next up -

Eagle Cave is fast approaching on January 28th. Mark your calendars now, cause you wont want to miss it! (Look at the blog post from last year,)

Ok, BP said it, not me, but I do agree with it the sentiment!

 To be honest, this is really what scouting is all about. OJT – On  the Job Training for Scouts.

Whether this is on a campout or at a Spaghetti dinner, this is a time for the boys to step up and learn. And learn they did. not  just about cooking, but leadership, time management and even how to have fun!

They did all this at our spaghetti dinner this past weekend in the St John Brebeuf PMC. This annual dinner was probably going on when I was in a Scout at SJB - 76-81- and I’ll bet not a whole lot has changed. Except, we now get the use the wonderful PMC.

Looks like an Italian bistro doesn’t it?

Nowadays, the meal costs a little more – only $5 for kids and seniors, $8 for adults-  but the food is still awesome!

I know I said that the Scouts did a lot of the work – but we would not have been anywhere without Mrs. V’s help. Here she is getting ready to make some of her delicious sauce.

It wasn’t long before we had the scouts preparing the meals themselves:

Scouts and knves..hmmmm…I guess they should be required to have their Tot’n Chit card here right?

The boys really did work hard

And they seemed really happy to be doing it!

If you weren’t able to make it this year, mark your calendar for the second or third weekend of 2011.

Your local scouts, working hard! (caught ya boys):

They sure can eat.

Thanks again to all the local Merchants – Riggios, Produce World, Catering by Design, Jimmy John’s and McDonalds in Morton Grove. The program relies on their generousity and we would be hurting without it. Next time you need some produce, a quick lunch or dinner or even have to have an event catered, think of these places and show them your appreciation by patronizing them (tell em thanks too!).

Thanks to ALL the others parents and friends who helped out. You make it all work! Great job

Yours in Scouting