Klondike Derby March 3,4 2017

This year we decided to go up early to the Klondike to get a better camping spot than we had last year.  Last year we left town around 5 and ended up with a muddy spot as it was packed already with tents and trailers.  This year we ended up putting our tents up in the snow behind the parking lot which was not a bad thing, but our cooking area was sloshed with mud and slush.  Overall it was a decent place to be.

Those that came were Josh, Antonio, Kiowa, Chase, Gabren, Kaleb.  Logan Walters came with his dad Mike to help us as well as myself and Andrew for leaders.  Zach did not spend the night but came up in the morning.

Some of the boys really did not want to go but I was able to change a couple of their minds.  Those that did come had a lot of fun.  I am about 11 months behind in writing this and my memory is a little dim.  We did do really well.  Josh and Gabren and Antonio had snow cave but I think they really spent the night in my pickup as there were crumbs and boy smell the next morning.  The other boys slept in tents.  Usually there is a lot of chatter in the night but the boys went to sleep fairly early.

We did not take first place but they learned a lot and did their best for the most part.

Some of the reason this has taken so long to post is because of all the videos I took this time.  Most of them are crash videos as the boys are sliding down the hill (some of them painful) but there are some learning videos and some videos showing their accomplishments.

I'm sorry I don't remember much about the details but there is a one really funny thing I remember.  Antonio was just in the middle of telling everybody how he always goes to a campout prepared, when all of a sudden his mom shows up in a car and hands him his sleeping bag while he is still talking.  Hahahahaha talk about timing.

I hope you enjoy this post as it is has many videos and photos.  The funniest videos are the crashes, the out of control crashes, and Antonio's front and back flips.

Josh and the snow cave

Entrance to the snow cave

Gabren

Inside the snow cave

Dinner was cooking a can of soup or stew over the fire.

The boys' tent up in the deep snow.  Made a nice cushiony spot

Kaleb and Andrew on the left

Not our camp

At the top of the famous sledding hill.  Zach, Kaleb,  Gabren and Josh

Gabren watch out for that tree

Logan and Mike

Logan

Kiowa

The main event.  Pulling the sled in a race.  Gabren left, then Zach, Kiowa, Kaleb and Antonio.  Logan is our rider

Usually one or two of the boys lay in the snow after the race.

Josh and Kiowa.  Antonio up on the left and Mike in the back on the right

Getting tangled up in knots.  Ryan Webster teaches them some new things

Josh, Kiowa, Antonio, Zach and Kaleb

Everybody's favorite.  First Aide

The boy's tent at night

This campfire was not very warm

Gabren bright and early

Sunrise.  Our wall tent is on the left.  the other tents are another troops.  The snow cave is just below me and the other boys' tent was behind me

I set the timer and took a photo of myself as I usually am not in any photos

Josh showing me how to get out of the snow cave

Andrew

Again to Horseshoe Dec. 1-2 2017

The boys' tent

We had so much fun the last time we went to Horseshoe Canyon camping that the boys decided they wanted to go to the exact same spot.  It took a little effort to get there as it gets dark early now and Aaron was having trouble with his 4 wheel drive not wanting to do what it was supposed to.  We met at the Fox Creek Parking lot at 5000 S.  Those who came were Kiowa (Old Reliable), Chase (Chewy Chocolate Chumpy Chunky Chewy Chase or just Chumpy), Gabren (Gabrenator) and Josh (Tall Mr. Teapot).  Leaders were myself, Andrew and Aaron.  We missed Dalton, Zach, Robert and Bowdy.

There was as much snow there this  time as there was the last time we were there but at least this time it wasn't actually dumping wet snow on us.  As there were only 4 boys they decided to set up just one tent.  We had brought the wall tent but it didn't look like it would get very cold so we didn't worry about setting it up.  Josh ended up sleeping in his dad's truck.

The highlight of the trip was dinner where we had decided to do tinfoil dinners.  We got the fire going and after awhile had enough coals to cook them.  They smelled really good.  Tinfoil dinners have really evolved.  I did not have much time to put much effort into mine.  I grabbed some hamburger out the freezer and whacked a hunk off it, then opened a bag of frozen hashbrowns and dumped that in.  The only other thing I could find was green beans in a can so I opened that and put a few of those in with a big lump of butter.  It turned out good, but the boys' had shrimp and steak, bratwurst, potatoes in ranch dressing with chicken etc.  As mine was frozen I had to wait longer to let mine cook and my stomach was growling really bad, especially after Kiowa gave me a bite of his.  It was really good and made me only hungrier.

Around the campfire I gave 2 scoutmaster minutes.  The first was a scripture in Revelations about being hot or cold and not lukewarm.  If you are lukewarm the Lord will just spit you out.  It basically means, are you truly committed to doing what is right?  And to stop sitting on the fence.  Be true both at church and when you are not at church.  The second minute was about the need for them to prepare now for missions as there are a lot missionaries that come home these days.  If they are committed and prepared they are less likely to come home if they go on a mission.

The boys went to bed fairly early and only talked until around 10:30, not the usual 5 am business.  It was so quiet and peaceful there.  The clouds were clearing off and the moon was coming out making it very bright.  It was a beautiful night.  After me and Aaron and Andrew had stood around the fire talking until 11:00 pm about we decided to go to bed.  I had brought my bivy sack and so just put my pad and sleeping bag in it and slept in the snow.  I was quite cozy.  Aaron and Andrew used the insulated tarps and just slept in them.  I woke up in the middle of the night and the stars were out and the trees were all silvery.  Wow, that makes sleeping in the snow all the more worthwhile.  I dreamed coyotes were running through the camp but it turns out they were just yapping somewhere as they do.

I woke up about 6:45 and laid around as I didn't want to get out of the warm coziness.  I could hear Aaron tromping around already and then he turned on his diesel pump, which sounded like a squawking dinosaur, to get some diesel to get the fire going.  So I reluctantly crawled out.  After the fire was going I woke up the boys and we had a good "Mountain Man" breakfast.  The funny thing, we decided, was the mountain men probably never used sausage, eggs, hashbrowns and tortilla shells to make a breakfast.  We cleaned up and went home after that.  Aaron had to take his truck to his shop and get his 4 wheel drive fixed but other than that things were uneventful and it was a very enjoyable campout.

Aaron's tarp

My bivy sack over by my truck with the kitchen in the foreground

Andrew rolling up his tarp that he slept on.