Smoke Leads the Way: My Backyard Campout. Nov. 11-12

Open this picture up on a large monitor and you will see it.  The boys are sleeping in their bags around the fire.  The smoke originates from the fire that the boys are huddled around.  The boys are in a circle around the fire as if it is a life force of some kind.   I set my sleeping bag up in a recliner camp chair next to my house and I watch the smoke raising from the fire.  At first it is all spread out and blowing whichever way as campfire smoke does, but after a little while it condenses and forms a more solid smoke path.  I am also noticing that the big dipper is nice and bright.  After a little while the smoke is arching toward the top of the big dipper, and as most people know the top two stars in the dipper point to the North Star.  That is when I grabbed my camera and captured this.

Sometimes you sit there and in the weirdest times profound thoughts hit you.  The boys in a circle around the fire and the smoke originating from the center of them and trailing toward the North Star.  The North Star is a constant and a direction.  People have been using it since time began because it is reliable, firm, and always shows you the way.  The only time at night you cannot see the North Star is when clouds come in front of it.  In our lives there are a lot of times we let those clouds come in and block the path we are supposed to be on.  This night the stars were clear and the path was clear as was highly suggested by the smoke.  I took two things away from it:  The first, what a powerful reminder to me that God is watching over me and letting me know that I am on the right path with these boys. The second was that it is a reminder to stay on the right path and do my best to keep these boys on it.  When you see things like this you recommit and gain energy.  This is something I needed as I sometimes struggle with keeping everything together.

This was an impromptu campout as I had originally planned to be gone that weekend.  I had filled my elk tag sooner than expected though, and with Kaleb's urging and help we threw this together.  What a fine young man Kaleb is and I appreciate that he feels the need to keep things going.  In some sense, he has been a right hand man.  He was definitely put on and preserved on this earth at this time for a reason.  I hope he can find his calling in life and fulfill it the best he can.  He also just got his Eagle Project finished.  Congrats to Kaleb.


Another funny snapshot video of the boys around the campfire.  If I had enough memory on a card I would record the entire evening but that would take hours and tons of memory.  These snapshot videos are a nice way of catching the essence of what is going on.  Those present were Kaleb, Carson, Chase, Zach, Antonio and Kiowa.  The funny thing is they all showed up to my house on either a 4-wheeler or side by side and parked by my Wildcat.  I wish I would have taken a picture of that.  They also had a lot of fun with glow sticks and at one point wanted to ding dong ditch David K. but they didn't quite make it.  We roasted hot dogs and then in the morning we cooked breakfast on my stove.  Kind of cheated a little but hey it was thrown together at the last minute.  The frost was thick on our bags in the morning but nobody froze.  Another funny thing is Zach and Chase both showed up without a sleeping bag.  Lucky I had a couple.

Horseshoe Canyon Sept. 9 and 10

Andrew L. all bundled up in the morning.  I'm pretty sure I had that same sleeping bag in my outfitting days.  

This is the camp-out we were on before we helped Bridger with his Eagle project.  I'm really behind getting these camp-outs up on here.  We decided to go to Horseshoe Canyon to camp based on Zach's suggestion that we could go help his family go round up cows.  I really don't think they would like a bunch of scouts chasing the cows around but it is a good place to camp.  I got out some butterfly nets so the boys could capture some insects for their nature merit badge.  It turns out they used them to catch minnows in the creek instead.

Those who came were Zach, Carson, Kaleb, Tucker, Antonio, Chase, Kiowa, Beau, Josh, Andrew.  Aaron brought Alex as well.  We camped in the same spot that we had camped a couple years earlier when the 11 year old scouts had freaked each other out so bad that they started singing primary songs in the middle of the night.

The boys had a lot of fun catching minnows and chasing each other around.  We cooked hot dogs for dinner.  Everybody wanted to sleep out so we did.  Zach, Andrew and Josh decided to clear out the floor of the trailer and slept in that.  Carson, Kaleb and Antonio slept on the ground around the fire.  Tucker and Beau had their cots which, since I have known them, have always needed a crow bar to pry them together.  Those cots are tight.  Chase and Kiowa slept in the back of Aaron's pickup.  They also slept on a screwdriver all night which I am not sure how they didn't feel it.  Andrew L. slept on the ground off aways and I slept out in the meadow.  I had brought the cover off my Wildcat and wrapped it over me to keep the frost off.  Aaron slept on the ground on the other side of his truck.  About 11 o'clock Tom showed up to give Andrew some clothes but didn't stay.

I took a snapshot video (at least that is what I call it) of them all before they went to bed.  Its pretty funny.  I will post the link here.  You got to watch it as it is hilarious.  Carson is so cute in the end as well.

As usual, in the night I was awoken a couple times.   One was because some of the boys wanted to brawl with the boys in the trailer.  I guess they feel they are coming of age and need to prove something.  And the other time was because Beau threw up.  What is with all the throwing up lately?

Carson in yellow, then Kaleb and then Antonio on the ground.  Tucker on the right and Beau on the left in the cots.

After eating bacon, eggs and pancakes for breakfast we hustled and packed up and got down the mountain so we could help our good man Bridger with his Eagle Project.  You can read about that in an earlier post.   The next few photos are when we were hustling out of the mountains to get to Driggs.

My favorite picture of the day.  Tucker using my phone to take a picture of the Tetons.  In the meantime he captured himself and Kaleb also taking a picture.

Photobombed by a guy standing by the road.

I'm the driver

Not sure what I'm doing there.

"Mamacita ow ow!!"

Beau in his pj's

What a dirty windshield

Really Rainy October Campout Oct. 14-15

Kaleb, Dalton, Carson, Antonio, Zach, Tucker, Beau, Bowdy, Josh, Kiowa were present.   Me and Andrew L. met them all at the parking lot with the trailer and off we went.  We were a little crowded for space since Aaron had to be at a game for a little while and would come up later.

I was a little bit disappointed that the rain was coming down so much.  We had gotten an invitation from Vern Woolstenhulme to camp by his pond and fish in it.  He has a lot of nice fish in there.   The rain was coming down so much that nobody really tried to fish.

I had suggested we put up the tent before it got dark but I gave them the choice to play now and pay later or get it up and be safe.  As in typical boy fashion they chose the play now and pay later option and boy did they pay.  The rain was even worse when it was dark and they finally started getting on the tent.  It was difficult to set it up in the rain and the dark.  As we were in a pasture there was also some cow pies to avoid.  The tent was also broken in some spots and so we had to fix it in the dark.  Fortunately, Ryan Webster came up as we had been talking about doing board of reviews during the campout and helped us put up the tent.

A few of them fished but Tucker was the only one to catch one.  It was a really pretty Brook Trout and was in its spawning colors.  Dinner was bring our own cans of soup or whatever to cook on the fire.  Tucker cooked his fish and ate most of it which helped him complete his fishing merit badge.

We ended up tarping both of the tents as water was just pouring in.  I had set my little tent up on the bank of smaller pond and was out of the standing water and muck.  Andrew L. had put his tent back in some taller grasses and was safe as well.

We ate some dessert  provided by Ryan and went to bed.  At night I was awakened by coyotes howling and yapping right outside my tent.  I was also awakened by Kaleb when their tent collapsed on one side.  I groggily got up and came out and helped secure it.  Zach had gone home earlier as he was sick and sometime while I was helping Kaleb with the tent Bowdy left.

Breakfast was pancakes and then we packed everything up and went and helped with scouting for food.

Scout Camp Day 5: Its Hot and We are Tired

I must admit that I did not have a lot of ambition to accomplish much on Friday, the day before going home.  It seemed like everybody was in the same  mood.  We didn't play as hard or work as hard on merit badges. 

Friday just felt like it should be a nice lazy day.  Mostly I just observed the boys and asked if they needed help on anything they wanted to work on.  I felt like it would be good to just give them the day and let them decide how to do it.  I have the feeling that the other leaders felt the same way.  Some of the boys did a little work on merit badges but mostly it was kind of a quiet enjoyment of the area, as I think everybody was realizing it was the last day and that they had to go home tomorrow.   Rather than running or boating, the boys were walking and talking.   All week most of them did not touch their kayaks but actually a few of them got in and paddled around slowly.  I did not take very many photos, unfortunately.  I took a nap up in the trees about mid day and felt kind of guilty and selfish that I disappeared, but I got over it.  It was probably 10 degrees cooler in the trees than down on the beach.  

The activity of the boys was also slower as there were more people on the water, it being a Friday.  Their attention was quite drawn away whenever a boat came by with a girl water skier.  And if that boat stayed in the area there would be no luck even talking to them.

 I am proud of the three boys who stuck through the Environmental Science merit badge.  One criticism I have of regular scout camps is that I feel like some of the harder merit badges are signed off way to easy.  Environmental Science is one of those merit badges which seem to be almost given away and that is the reason I signed up to be a merit badge counselor.  It is a hard merit badge and even though I felt like I was being really lenient it was still hard on them.  But they did learn something.

I am also proud of all the other boys that got merit badges.  I think they all got at least one and some of them 3 or 4.  Its definitely a lot harder to get merit badges doing it this way and so I think next year we should go back to Treasure Mountain.  We may want to even consider Island Park Scout Camp.

Paddling in the kayaks.  Tucker helping the little boys.  I can't tell who are all out there but Heber is to the right of Tucker and Quinn is in the bright green kayak.  I'm sure Alex is one of them and it might be Andrew or Kiowa out there.

Andrew L.  helping Tucker get out

Such a nice lazy day with blue skies and fluffy clouds.

Heber and Alex playing on the dock.  One of the highlights was catching the minnows that found their way inside the docks.

Tucker

Looking down the shoreline.  Our flags are in sight.

Holding down the canopy.  We did not want to have another episode of that thing uprooting again.   The wind started whipping  hard and you could really feel the canopy starting to lift up, even with us heavy weights on there.

Brad, Andrew, Mike, Me and Aaron on the canopy.  Josh, Andrew S. Carson and Quinn are the boys in view

Aaron takes them out one more time

This is where I took a nap.  The grass was so lush and the shade so nice.  What a view.

Nap place without my foot in there.

Still seeing wolf tracks

Notice that this one is on top of some of the boys' older footprints

I wouldn't say its a large wolf but again you can tell its a heavy animal.  I've seen tracks much bigger than that and I knew they were wolves.  But if it was a dog I am sure we would have seen it.

Some more boys out in the kayaks.  I am unable to tell who they are.

I started taking a walk around the shore to an area that looked like a Spring.  When I got over there the water was kind of warmish.  I have heard there are hot springs in the lake and this could possibly be one.  You actually cannot see it in this picture as it is behind me. 

I should have taken a photo of all the moose, elk and deer tracks over by this spring.  And I should have taken a picture of the spring as it was kind of unique but instead you get a view of our camp from the spring.

After I got back from my walk around the lake we packed up and did clean up.  We spent the afternoon getting gear together and putting things away.  We loaded things into the boat and took a couple trips to the dock and loaded those things into the trailer.  Things such as the canopy, stoves, coolers, and anything that we didn't need for breakfast the next day was taken and packed into the trailer.  All that was left was just personal stuff.  I should have taken a photo of how the camp looked after having only a few tents and no canopy and cooking areas.  It started to feel lonely and sad.  I wonder if the land is sad now that there are no longer going to be boys and their laughter.  I feel that the earth is a living being of some type that was made to take care of man to allow him to fulfill his purpose on this earth.  As we learned in Environmental Science we need to take care of this earth.  I do not subscribe to the idea that man needs to stay out of wilderness and not cut down trees and not hunt and not use the land.  We just have to use the land wisely as God intended.  Use it, enjoy it and not take more than is necessary.  We learn this as Boy Scouts.

Back in camp as evening is falling.  We had a gorgeous sunset which was satisfying.

Getting dark and we say goodbye to this view.

A close up of the clouds when the sunset hit them heavy.

At the campfire that evening we had a good discussion on diversity.  This fulfilled part of one of my Woodbadge goals and one of Andrew L.'s goals as well.  Andrew led the discussion and never a finer discussion was had around a campfire.  We talked about each other's talents and how each contributed to make us a stronger group.  We complimented each other and thanked each other.  We went home a stronger and more cohesive unit than we had been when we came.  After prayer we went to bed thanking the Lord for all his blessings and being grateful for the experience we had had this week.

Scout Camp Day 4: Fun and Silliness but Great Accomplishments

Day 4 started the same as Day 3.  We got up and we ate breakfast and did a flag ceremony.  As usual I took photos while everybody was getting up.  I think I took the most pictures this day.  If I'm not careful I can end up taking hundreds of photos in just a little while.  Its kind of an addiction I think.

Flag ceremony was great again.  This time for the Scoutmaster's Minute I read the story about the man who gave a ride to a little boy in his Corvette.  The boy asked the man to drive to his house.  The man thought the boy wanted to show off the car to his friends, but instead the boy came out of the house carrying his crippled little brother.  He promised his brother that someday he would like to buy him a corvette just like this man's.  The man was taken aback and humbled.  If we put all other needs before ourselves, this would be a much better world.  We had a great discussion.

Merit badges started off again and we were able to make good progress.  The most progress of course, was made on the water.  It was definitely a lot more dreary to work on photography, nature and fishing than to go play in the water.  We did give them a very generous amount of free time however.  The hardest merit badge to get through was Environmental Science, but three of them stayed on course even though it was boring.  We had a great discussion on bees and the differences between the drones and worker bees and queens.  Who would have thought that bees were so interesting.

A highlight of the day was when each of the leaders' younger sons got to come over.  Quinn is my son, Heber is Andrew's son and Alex is Aaron's son.  They are all 9 years old and were going to stay with  us the remainder of the camp.  We picked them up on the dock and brought them over in Aaron's boat.  Quinn was showing off while coming over and his hat blew off and he almost lost it.  Once they arrived it wasn't long before they were borrowing kayaks and paddling around in our little lagoon area. 

One of the funniest moments of the day was when Chase had to go to the bathroom while riding a tube and couldn't wait to hold it.  Us on the shore heard a "Hurry I can't hold it" while Aaron was slowing the boat down for the smaller kids who were in the  kayaks.  Then it was "Oh no I really can't hold it" and we saw Chase slide off the tube into the water.  The ensuing conversation between a bobbing Chase in the water and the other kids in the boats and the kayaks was hilarious.  I will let you guys use your imagination.

The second funniest time was when I made donuts.  My wife was the one who brought the younger boys to the dock and when she did she brought me the things to make donuts.  I had thought the week before that donuts would be a nice surprise.  And it was.  I cleaned up one of the tables really good and spread out the dough.  I had a lot more flour than I needed so I left it in a bowl.  Teresa had also sent honey, powdered sugar, chocolate, maple and caramel frosting, regular sugar and a few more toppings.  They turned out really good, much better than I thought they would.  I had several nice comments and now I think the boys might be starting to like me.  

The craziness started after almost all the donuts were made and the boys decided to have a flour fight.  The guilty culprits were Kaleb, Dalton, Zach, Kiowa and Beau.   I am not sure who started it but somebody took a pinch of flour and threw it into somebody's face (whom I  think was Kaleb), which then that person took a handful and threw back and then it started.  The white cloud was so great that you couldn't tell where the smoke from the fire started and the flour cloud started.  They blended well together.  It wasn't long before the powdered sugar and regular sugar was added to the projectile list.  I also think the salt got taken and some licorice was even flung.  Andrew L. was sitting all nice and polite in the canopy while this was going on and it wasn't too long before they noticed him.  They dumped a pile on his head.  Fortunately his hoodie was on.  I had my camera and told them I couldn't be a target because it would surely ruin my $10,000 (they actually believed me for a few minutes, that it cost that much haha) piece of equipment.  But they did find a way to get around that by sneaking up behind me and pelting me in the back.  Its ok because I plastered whoever it was in the face.  My memory thinks it was Kiowa who was guilty there.

If you look closely those are deer butts in the middle of the night

Aaron's Tent with the moon.  This was taken with a point and shoot camera but its not too bad for that reason

Carson tells Brad he'll take care of the fire

Andrew's lips were so dried up that he could barely blow his horn.  This is the last time he blew it.  I certainly appreciate his effort.

The Bald Eagle is back

Zach what did you lose?  I say that a lot

Gathering for the morning meal

Gabren, Zach and Aaron

Zach says "Yeah, my sister is always kicking my butt on the 4-wheeler".  Gabren does his best to console him.

"What the sun is up?  I slept with my sunglasses on so I can't tell"

Carson says. "I wish my girlfriend could see me in my uniform.  Then she will never break up with me."  Dalton says, "Wait, I think I buttoned my shirt uneven"

Kaleb perks up when he hears the word "girl" mentioned.  "There's girls here?  I better get up!"

Beaubiwan Kenobi, Jedi Master, carries his scout shirt so that he can leave it on a chair somewhere later.  The focus in his gaze is amazing.  Great things are going to happen today.  Meanwhile in the back Gabren is still trying to counsel Zach with his sister problem.

Zach says "Gosh all she does is spin donuts and whooshes right by me like I'm standing still.  Gabren is empathetic but incredulous "But Zach she's a girl! What are you letting her do that to you for?!"

Chase, not quite awake, thinks.  "If I close my eyes maybe the bad man will not see me."

Oh its only Chad.  I'm not scared now.  

Kiowa starts a mighty stretch.  

"I'm pretty sure a buck was walking around me all night.  You should have seen his horns!"  Little do they know there was a bunch of does around them most of the night

"I haven't changed my contacts for three days!"

"Ouch this contact is stinging my eye.  My hands are cold!"

Tucker, Aaron, Andrew and Andrew starting breakfast

Leave no trace exercise.  Everybody line up side by side and walk straight and pick  up any garbage you come across.  Incredibly straight line guys, but at least we were clean.

Gabren, Carson, Kiowa, Chase, Dalton, Beau, Zach, Kaleb, Josh and Andrew

Add caption

Pancakes for breakfast under the watchful eye of Tucker

Kaleb feeling accomplished and in the zone like Michael Jordan.  Carson bragging about his girlfriend while Dalton is thinking "yeah right".  Kiowa is back there looking for tracks while Chase is contemplating if he gets raw fish today.

Tucker and Beau learning to cast a fly rod

Tucker and Andrew L. as we are heading to the dock to get the younger boys.  We let Tucker take a few practice runs

Kiowa's little frog friend.

Thats Chase off the tube and in the water after announcing that he couldn't hold it any longer.  Notice the boys out in the kayaks which is why Aaron had to slow down.  You c an see Chase's little head in the water.

Aaron circles his boat not believing what he is hearing.

Lots of giggling and laughter.  I got a video with my phone of most of the conversation.

Tucker and Chase in the water.  Josh by the tube.  Kiowa in the back left kayak.  Quinn in the bright green kayak with Heber in the blue and Alex in the gray one.

The excitement over, the 3 younger boys move off on their own.  Uh oh, they are headed to the secret spot!!  Don't tell Carson or Dalton

In case anybody is wondering Kiowa can swim like a shark.

Possibly my favorite scene of the day is watching these three boys who looked like they were in heaven.

Quinn, Heber and Tucker is their guide.  Tucker watch that you don't go to the secret spot!!

Dalton, dazed and confused about what that camera is doing pointing at him.

Quinn and Tucker

Gabren and Alex.  One of these days Gabren will grow

Andrew is reverent and Josh looks at the fire

Zach says "Here Beau let me tie your shoes for you."

Chase all wet and exhausted from his bathroom dip in the lake.

Gabren and Alex hot for minnows

Heber and Quinn have lost Tucker and Alex and so they paddle by themselves for awhile

Heber and Quinn getting accustomed to the kayaks.

Just a nice shot of the shoreline.

Heber is always serious

"Oh no, can't hold it, can't hold it, can't hold it, hurry legs!"  "I'm not going to do what Chase did"

Ahhh, all better

Heber, Quinn and Alex eating dinner.  It was great to have this floating dock so handy.  We had to push it out into the water a couple times as the level was dropping but it was awesome anyway.

There's that dang camera

The Yacht Club eating dinner.  This is where you go if you want to talk about girls if you can't go to secret area 1 and secret area 2.

Stop taking photos!

We'll just eat harder.  Alex hides.

Quinn and Alex are now both reacting.  Heber is oblivious, either that or he doesn't care.

Put you tongue in boy!

What a peaceful sight.  The American Flag was great to have along.  We took good care of it.

Some nice fresh donuts cooking.  I can still taste them.

We made weird shapes with the left over dough

And the flour fight starts.  Not sure who did this but it was either Dalton, Kiowa, Beau or Zach.  Those 5 then commenced to rampage and pillage each other while involving me and Andrew L.

"Who hit me in the face, you got it in my eyes!"

My licorice stogie

Dalton surprised by the camera

"Take another shot, I need one for my girlfriend"

Zach joins the fray

Kiowa and Zach

"Hee hee nobody has got me yet"

Zach there's something on your face

"Oh I guess somebody did get me"

La la la

Dalton circles to find the best advantage

Kaleb enjoying some licorice and a face full of flour

Kiowa you got clean too soon

Bam, he's covered again

Not sure what Kaleb is up to here

Sideswipe

Kiowa lives up to his name.  It looks like war paint.

"Hey, stop photographing me!"  "But you kinda look like the dog from the Little Rascals."

Nice clear picture of the pole

Dalton overjoyed for some reason

Blurry flour face

Andrew L. takes a load on his hoodie, shakes it off and finds a safer zone

Zach gets pelted as Kiowa runs off

"Hey, remember when I got my face painted all white when we were painting  kayaks?  This is so fun to do it again!"

"Maybe if I rub it in it will be good sunscreen"

Still rubbing

"I'm coming to get you Zach"

"Hiyi yi yi Hi yi yi yi"

Time for a group hug.

Beaubiwan Kenobi pops into the camera frame showing off his delicious donut.  Before long he too will be plastered.

"I'm covered the most.  No I'm covered the most.  No I'm  covered the most."

Time out

"Yay, time for a group hug again.  Lets share flour particles"

"I love you Dalton.  I love you too Kaleb.  I love you Kiowa.  I love you too Zach."

Look at the powder flying

That's getting to be a long hug you guys.  Time to break it up.

I'm so happy I got to play with flour

Beau uses camouflage and like an abominable snowman, steals another donut.

What a smug look

"Oh no its in my ear"

Wink Wink

"Stop taking pictures!"

Kiowa thought he should get a pic of me too

Here's my flourey back

Time to wash off

And the end of the day is near.  Time for campfire and stories.

We had a great day and a great campfire.  We mostly told scary stories.  I told the story of Hugh Glass and then told some stories about some haunted houses that we had seen when I was in Alexandria, Virginia.  We all slept really well except those who were scared of the scary stories.