Back to Normal

Just 1 week after I visited the Dr., I am feeling like new.

My aunt asked me if I had a good time and I said yes. She asked if I would to it again, and I said yes.

After the hike

I have had a bit of a tough time since the hike. The first days after the hike my legs felt like they were going to burst. I think it was the fact of the sudden no exercise, and the decrease in elevation.

The next couple of days my right knee began to swell, and I had pain through my whole leg. I went to the orthopedist, and the good news is that I don't have any major damage. I have water on the knee from overuse. I received a steroid shot in my knee and a sleeve to help with the swelling. I am also putting it up and putting ice on it.

I think that it will just take a bit of time to get back to normal.

Photos of Trek

You can find all of the photos I took of our Philmont tip at the following link -

http://picasaweb.google.com/KarenPlanoPics/2009Philmont?authkey=Gv1sRgCJCg_Jnltu3TTw#

I hope to get the photos from the other photographers and create a DVD. If you have photos, get them to me.

Thanks.

On our way home

From Journal -

I woke up at 4:40 am. I was cold most of the night since I didn't use my sleeping bag. The boys all made it to the continental breakfast at 5:454 am, on time after making a pack line at the Welcome Center. Breakfast was a pastry, fruit and juice/coffee. It was enough to keep us until lunch in Amarillo at the Golden Corral.

Lunch was nice. The place was huge and was able to handle all of us and their regular crowd. All of the boys filled themselves. I had a salad (good to have some fresh greens) and a little bit of different types of dishes.

I think that lunch took a bit longer than planned, since we were not allowed off the bus on 6 hours back to Dallas. We stopped in Whitcha Falls for a driver rest, and we were a bit upset we could not get out. However, they did provide water for us, so we were ok.

We got back to the Council Center at 8 pm. It was great to see our loved ones. Unloading of the buss was easy, and after out "after" picture we all headed our separate ways home.

This will be a trip that we will not soon forget.

Our last day on the trail

From Journal -

It is our last day on the trail, and it is also our our our scouts' 15th birthday. The crew wanted to head out of camp by 6 am to beat our sister crew down to Cito TurnAround. Our crew leader signed us out of camp at 6:20 am. The hike started out with a steep climb. The whole hike was a little more strenuous that we had anticipated. But we made it in about 2 1/2 hours and we did beat our sister crew, but not by much.

When we got down we celebrated by shooting of Alka-Seltzer rockets and singing happy birthday. Mr Culver also got to lighten his load a couple of pounds by giving the birthday boy a 2 lb bag of M&Ms.

The little yellow bus came to pick us up and we all cheered!

Back at base camp they were very well prepared for us and the checking back-in process went very smoothly.

We were all very excited to use the flushing toilets, eat real food and take a hot shower using real soap and shampoo. I also did some clothes washing so that we would have something clean to wear at the campfire and for the trip back home on the bus. A storm blew through and it even hailed. I was happy to be in the protection of the laundromat.

For dinner we treated ourselves to a dinner in Cimarron at the St. James Hotel. It had just reopened after a renovation and had a very nice dining room. Most of us had 1/2 lb cheeseburger. The staff was all very nice and appreciative to see us.

After dinner we walked into town but all of the shops were closed (it was approx 6 pm). The Cream-ee ice cream shop was open so Mr. Culver treated the crew. The place was really slow and I didn't even get mine before we had to leave to catch the bus back to Philmont. We thought we had missed the bus, but it actually came late.

Back at camp we prepared for the early departure tomorrow. At 8:30 pm we headed to the closing campfire. It was a very nice program. We got to bed at about 9:45 pm.

To Harlan

From Journal -

Today was a very nice morning. The boys were to wake up at 6 am to leave camp by 7. I anticipated our hike to be 5-6 hours. We left w/o eating breakfast a little after 7 am.

The hike out was a bear. It was about 500' climb in 1 mile. I had a very hard time to keep up, and had a hard time to breathe. The boys were nice to wait for me :-). We had breakfast once we reached the top of the mountain.

After breakfast we were a bit confused because the trail sigh to Harlan did not match the trail on the map. Our navigator decided we should follow the map and we all agreed.

It was very evident that the trial had not been used in quite awhile. We continued on and after awhile the trial disappeared. It took us awhile to figure out were we were on the map. Thank goodness we had the GPS.

We had to make our way down a ravine over boulders, over a fence and then back up to the road we were supposed to be on . This caused us about 1.5 miles and 2.5 hours added to our hike.

We finally got to Harlan. The leader of the camp was very entertaining. They had coffee at all times on the porch. They also had alot of games for the boys to play.

The activity here is shotgun shooting and reloading. We skipped the reloading and went straight to shooting. I was happy, because I even hit 3 out of 5 clays.

We had a great campsite - #3. It reminded us of Slippery Falls because it had alot of rocks to climb and sit on. We decided not to go to the burro racing. Instead we celebrated the birth of our country with RWB glow lights and by singing patriotic hymns.

On to Dean Cow

From Journal -

I had a great night's sleep. The ground was flat and the temp was just right. The boys wanted to leave camp by 7 am so that we could get to Dean Cow before 9 am to get in the rock climbing.

The boys did a very good job at accomplishing this. We even had time to eat some breakfast before we left.

The hike was a very easy 3.7 miles downhill. We got into camp at about 8:30 am (first ones in). We set u[p camp just before it began to rain. The boys did rock climbing at 10 am. Another scout and I washed clothes and showered (a great treat).

The boys were not that thrifty when it came to showers and clothes washing. An advisor from another crew was very rude about it. They unfortunately were camped right next to us, and so I avoided them when I could.

The advisors coffee was nice. We talked with the advisors of our sister crew. The boys tried to break the wall climbing record of 10 seconds. They also played several volleyball games.

Beautiful sky

Today we also did an exercise to try to get the boys to understand the impact of negative comments. Each person filled 2 Nalgenes and all were placed into a backpack. The boys then felt how heavy it was. We then went around the group to say positive/nice comments, and removed the Nalgenes. Some very nice things were said. I hope it works, and wish we would have done it earlier in the trek. But I guess better late than never.

Tomorrow it is our 8+ mile hike. I hope my knee will hold up. Almost time to go home.

Challenge Events and on to New Dean

From Journal -

I had to readjust several times during the night since I had a downhill slope. I was woken up by the yellow jackets at about 5 am. I got out of my tent at 6 and took a trip to the Red Roof Inn. There were 3 bucks grazing. I was able to watch them for quite awhile.

Three bucks at dawn

This morning the crew did the challenge events. They got progressively better in solving the puzzles. However, they really did not gel until the very end. They all had fun.

Trying to all get on the platform

Getting through the Spider Web

Giant ring finger

Getting across the chasm
Searchlight escape

The hike to New Dean was led by our Eagle scout. He did a great job planning the route. We made the 4.7 miles in 2 hours. We stayed at campsite 2 which was a big field. The wind was blowing very hard when we set up camp, but the boys did a great job and got everything set up in 45 minutes.

After camp set up the boys went exploring and I took a nap. Dinner was chicken & rice which was our best yet. We had Chips Ahoy for desert.

Cooking dinner

I went to bed at 8:30 pm since I was so tired.

On to Miranda and Head of Dean

From Journal -

Packing up today was a giant mess. Everything was wet and muddy. We got out of our camp ok and made good time to Miranda where we picked up the programs of blackpowder rifle and the tomahawk throw.

Crew at black powder rifle shooting

It was cool since we got to shoot a personal things. I put a hole in the bill of one of the boys' hat. The raner then put some really big holes in peoples' stuff. At the Tomahawk throw two of our scouts stuck a double throw.

We then hiked to Head of Dean Camp. It was first downhill where we made great time. However, the 2nd half was tough with uphill. We made it into camp at about 4 pm. We had a nice time relaxing in the afternoon. Mr. Culver, the crew leader and I took a sponge bath and washed out our socks and shirt. We felt so much better and the flies didn't seem to bother us as much either. The were horrible on the hike from Miranda.

We were able to take advantage of the Advisors' coffee. There were quite a few folks there and it was good to chat. The camp is nice with basket ball, cards, checkers and several other games for the boys to play.

Sleep was ok, but we were all on a downhill slope.

Baldy!

From Journal -

Today is the day, we are climbing Baldy. The boys were mostly out of their tents by 4:45 am. It had rained over the night and so everything was wet. we managed to get out of camp at 5:30 am as planned.

The hike to Baldy town was only about 1 mile uphill. We met a couple of other crews there. We filled up water and had breakfast before we made our ascent.

The climb was very tough. We had to climb 2,447 ft over about 5 miles to get to the top. The first part of he trail was through a forest. The trail was quite steep. There were several crews on the trial going quite slowly but making progress. We decided that we would allow the faster boys to make the last part of their trail at their pace.

Another scout and I needed to take it slowly. Two other scouts agreed to walk with us for safety. We took ti very slow and steady, but only arrived 20 minutes behind the other part of the crew! We all made it up by 10 am, and were quite proud.

The views on top of Baldy were fantastic! We stayed on top for about 3o minutes. We took photos

Our crew at the top of Baldy

and the boys blew bubbles.

It was good we got off when we did since a storm came through a bit later. The most difficult part about the hike was from all of the rocks created by the mine blasting. It was really tough on the feet.

We were supposed to go to French Henry to do the programs there, but because of the weather we decided to skip it. It was a good decision on our part. We got back to Baldy Town to buy snacks, write postcards, and pick up food. We just got to the trading post porch when it began to hail.

We were quite surprised how much food we will have to cary. We have all the food for the rest of the trip.

We had a big surprise coming back to camp. Everything was soaked. Mr. Culver's tent we discovered had the wrong rain fly so he had 1" water in it. The crew gear was all wet, including the toilet paper. We got all of the things cleaned up and dinner cooked. It will be another early night.

One of the scouts is not feeling too well. I think he is a bit dehydrated. My knees are holding up ok, but are swollen. Mr. Culver is also having problems. I hope we will all hold up for the rest of the trip.

One of the scouts did not take his medicine today and we will have to make sure that does not happen again. Two other scouts decided that they could take their own trail. I hope the crew will continue to grow together and act a coherent group.

The campsite only had a latrine (overflowing) with no roof, and was treacherous to get down to the stream for water. The bear bag line was shared by 3 crews with full food. I will be glad when we get to another.

Mail was passed out and enjoyed by all. I was very impressed on how our crew leader handled today. He really motivated the crew to get the wet stuff cleaned up with no blame, but using it as something to learn from.

We were told by another scouter that there was a bear wandering down the path next to our campsite. We are glad we are folloiwng bear procedures.

I just hope that the boys can stay motivated for the rest of the trek since climbing Baldy was the target for most.

Ute Meadow

From Journal -

My camera began to work again - yeah

I think our bad luck may be behind up I woke up this morning to a beautiful day. The sun is warm and will dry out our things.

We didn't end up leaving camp until 11 am. We decided to take the burro with us to Ute Meadow, unload the food and then take the burro to Miranda. I don't think this was the common route and I felt sorry for Juanito because he ad to go over s0 many rocky trials.

Downed sign

We only had 1 minor detour since the boys did not see the downed sign. We only went about 1.2 mile before we found our mistake. Oh yeah, there also was a mishap at finding the burro pen at Miranda. In any means we followed our plan and got Juanito dropped off. Some are very happy to be rid of Juanito. I thought he was alot better than he could have been. At least he didn't try to run off nor refuse to move.

Part of our crew with Juanito

The campsite we have at Ute Meadow where we will stay for 2 nights is not very nice at all. We have very little room to set tents and it is a muddy "washed out" area. The good news is that the boys are getting better about setting up camp.

The night was cold and the hot chocolate from breakfast was very good. We got to bet at 9:30 pm since we plan to get up at 4:30 am to get an early start for Baldy.

A long day to Pueblano

From Journal -

This had to be the worst day of our trek! Josh and I had to get down to help cook the chuck wagon breakfast by 6am. It seemed to have rained overnight since our tents were soaked and sand was stuck to everything. Our clothes that we had washed and hung out were soaked.

At least we had a hot cooked breakfast of pancakes and sausage. I was so proud to see that the boys made it to breakfast on time. However, they didn't look too happy. I heard there was alot of talking back and our crew leader was very frustrated. It was a good opportunity for a crew discussion

After breakfast we needed to pick up our food and burro. We messed up and picked up the food first, so we missed the burro instruction completely. We had to wait for all of the other crews to leave before we could get set up.

It took while for us to get our burro and all the equipment seemed to be messed up. We however got everything in line to go. A couple of the boys shoveled up the corral for some cookies.

We hit the trail after having lunch at 12:30. The burro took quite a bit of coaxing and we were going quite slowly. We had a nice break in a beautiful meadow where Greg shared a devotional.

We had quite a few stream crossings and one scout chose not to wear his waterproof boots so his feet were wet.

We hiked 3.7 miles before our crew leader discovered we were on the completely wrong trail! We had to go all the way back to Ponil to get on the correct trail.

The boys were a bit more motivated as was Juanito (our burro) and we covered the first mile back in 18 minutes. However there were a couple of boys that were very discouraged or in pain so were moving slowly while several boys charged on. We got separated.

We all got back to Ponil where we took care of our feet, catered up and had about a 45 minutes break. We started out on the correct road again at about 4:30 pm.

The hiking was steady and we were able to make it into Pueblano at 7 pm. The boys were elated to see Chase (our guide). He asked "what took you so long?" Our crew leader did a very good job along the way to motivate the boys We were all very pleased that we were given a very close campsite (finally).

We still had to set up camp and put the burro up for the night. There was a bit of a mess up with the bear rope according to the boys. The tarp set up went smoothly and we did an assembly line for dinner prep. This was actually the best way to cook dinner and we would use it from now on.

We did our Roses-Thorns-Buds during the re-hydration, and even said grace before our meal. The food was much better when it was fully hydrated.

The clean up went smoothly and we all got to bed by about 9:30 pm. It will be a good night's sleet since we won't get up until 7 am in the morning!

The boys are starting to come together as a crew.

On our own to Ponil

From Journal -

This was our first real day of hiking. We went to Ponil over Harts peak. The first part was very difficult, though we all made it with no issues. We met our sister crew at the top. we hiked at a good pace and made it Ponil in 3 1/2 hours.

Our campsite was a beast. To get to it we had to hike through a dry wash and up the side of the mountain. we were the one on the top. We don't know why we are so unlucky.

At Ponil they have branding. We all had a good time doing that. Another bit hit were the showers and place to wash our clothes!

Ponil also has the Cantina where we saw a good show about Clementine and enjoyed root beer for $1 with .50 cent refills.

We were treated to a chuck wagon dinner. The food was good. Right after dinner it began to rain.

Before dinner we played horseshoes and Josh and I won!

Unfortunately my camera stopped working :-(

Indian Writings

From Journal -

The Crew ready to go




We woke up early this morning to try to get on the trail and get to Indian Writings to do the 8 am conservation project. It took the crew 2 hrs to pack up camp - about the usual for first days according to our Ranger.



The hike was not bad at all. however, we missed cons by 10 minutes. But there were alot of other things to do including the petroglyphs tour

The Petroglyphs tour




and the archaeological dig.

Digging (boys like to play in dirt)
Sifting




These were both enjoyed by the crew.



The conservation was not that exciting. We re-claimed a trail. It was 2 hours of picking the ground then breaking of the dirt and mixing in animal dung.

Working hard


Good looking crew


Our campsite was the furthest away. We had to share the tent location with our sister crew. We had a very nice Roses-Buds-Thorns with our Ranger. We would all sleep very well.

Our First Day on the Trail - 6 Mile Gate to Anasazi

From Journal -

Our first day on the trail! We had breakfast and cleaned our our tents and lined up our packs at the Welcome center. We had to go to the Tooth of Time store and buy some rain gear for a two of the scouts.

Our bus came and picked us up to take us to Six Mile Gate.

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On the way there we were entertained by our Ranger with alot of stories of the area.

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When we got to our drop off point we were introduced to the Philmont Red Roof Inn.

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We hiked past a T-Rex footprint which was not as exciting as the boys had imagined. We had no problems on the hike but it was quite hot. We found a very nice campsite next to a stream.

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The boys learned hot to setup camp and put up a bear bag.

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The highlight of the day though was playing Frisbee. The boys are all doing well, and looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Base Camp

From Journal -
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At base camp, just off the bus
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The first thing on the agenda was breakfast. It was ok, but not great. After that our Crew Leader and I checked in. We were a bit early so they didn't have our tents ready.

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Next we met our guide - Chase. He did a great job showing us through the different steps - Trek Plan, Health Check, Photo, Logistics. He has his hands full with the boys' 10,000 questions, but he handled them well. He did get a bit onto them for moving slowly and nog being together. We got all of othe crew gear distributed. We are all fully packed.

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Chase with the boys
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Our crew leader at logistics

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Dinner was quite good - or maybe we were tired and hungry. After dinner was chapel service and the opening campfire. It was raining quite a bit so the campfire was shortened.

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We ended the evening with Roses-Buds-Thorns. Nothing surprising from the boys. Josh (our replacement Advisor) did very well and I am glad he came along. Bed time came at about 9:30 pm for me since breakfast will be at 6:30 tomorrow morning. I want to get up and shower so it will be an early morning.

The Long Bus Ride

From Journal -

Today is the day! I spent most of today making sure the boys and I had all of our gear packed. 5pm came quite quickly.

Everyone was at the church on time, but took a long time to get all of the gear into the cars and go to the restroom. We left the Church at about 5:30 pm. I rode with the Lawrences and mentioned that I forgot to make sure that everyone had their boots. Sure enough, one scout had forgotten. Luckily we were able to pick them up and get to the Council before the bus loading. I was amazed at how well the loading of the buses went with nearly 50 people per bus and 4 buses. I have never seen such neat pack lines.

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Loading the busses

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Ready for our adventure

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We rode with a crew and two other troops. The kids were well behaved. The "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: movies kept them quiet. The bus stopped first at a rest stop at 10:15 pm, then in Amarillo at a Truck Stop at 1:15 am. the folks at the store really geared up for the ~200 folks the descended upon them. We had one more stop at 3:30 am. Most folks stayed on the bus. We finally arrived at about 6:30 am.

It was difficult for most folks to sleep on the bus. It was cramped and just uncomfortable. One of our scouts was not feeling well and threw up 3 times. Luckily I had him prepare by emptying a ziplock. Good thing. I hope that he will be ok on the Trek (he just returned from Summer camp in Colorado and got a bug from the lake water).

The day has come!

This evening at 7pm we head off on a bus to Philmont. We are packed, trained and ready to go. I will be writing in a journal so that I should have some great information to share when I get back. Wish us luck.

Cleburne State Park - Fossil Ridge Trail

This past weekend 4 of the crew and I hiked 5+ miles along the Fossil Ridge Trail in Cleburne State park - http://www.trails.com/trailguide.aspx?trailid=XMR018-047. We left at 7:30 am for the 1.5 mile drive.
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It was a very nice day with a temperature in the 80s.

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The boys at the Cedar Lake Spilllway

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The trail was as described at the link above. It was rocky and had some elevation changes. When I asked, the boys indicated it was "challenging".

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Along the rocky trail

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Though the moys were mostly talking and not paying much attention to the environment around them, they did see a snake along the side of the trail. It was swishing its tail acting like a rattlesnake, but it was not a poisonous snake at all. We watched as it climbe into a tree. It was amazing how well it could climb.

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You can see the body of the snake at the bottom of the picture, look at the tree trunk about 1/4 of the way up. It has a yellowish color.

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The head of the snake is exactly in the middle of the picture. It was keeping an eye on us.

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The hike took us a bit less than 3 hours. On the way home we stopped at an Applebees and had lunch. I was glad the hike was over, since when we left the restaurant and headed back home the temperature had climbed into the 90s.

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I was a bit concerned on this hike to see how my knee would do, especially because I forgot my hiking poles at home. I actually had no pian at all. I guess it wasn't enough downhills or miles to make it act up. I was happy.
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My boys and I

3 More Weeks!

We have just 3 more weeks until we board the bus for Philmont. I can't believe it, and now I am really asking myself what it is I was getting myself into.

I have most of my equipment and the crew gear secured. Just a few more things that I will work on this weekend.

I have also been working on getting all of the paperwork done, and to become familiar with the trek. Mr. Latimer has provided information and tips that will really help.

Starting today I need to exercise every day. This evening I took a 6.6 mile walk around the area. This weekend the boys and I will take a hike around Cedar Lake in Cleaburne State Park. I am looking forward to it because it will be a test for my knee. I have a drs. appt on Wednesday so I should be able to tell him more of the symptoms. I hope to get some treatment or at least pointers that I can use on the trek.

10 miles in the desert

I visited my mom in Tempe during the weekend. While I was there I managed to get in a 10 mile walk around the neighborhood. I started at 7 am and it took me a litttle over 2.5 hours to complete. The sun was very intense.

It was fun looking at houses here, because they are so different than the houses here in Texas. Most of the yards had a desert landscape which was interesting. I walked through two parks and followed a couple of trails. The shade of the trees along the path was quite nice.

I was happy to get in the 10 miles as preparation for the trip.

Preparation Campout

There are quite a few things that I wanted to have the scouts practice before our trip to Philmont. Set up a campsite Philmont style, cook over lightweight stoves, hang a bear bag, purify water, sanitation, etc. So I planned a campout at a local state park (Purtis Creek State Park-http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/purtis_creek/). It was close, had a trail we could hike on, and had primitive campsites that we could use.

We met at the church at 7 am and headed to the park. It is located about 1.5 hours SW of Plano. Mr. White and 8 of the 10 scouts from the crew attended. That morning there were thunderstorms that came through and I quickly tried to go through how we could still do this training in a downpour. Thankfully though as soon as we got to the park the rain subsided. We had a few sprinkles, during Saturday, but didn't really feel it due to the heavy cover from the trees.

The park was quite nice. It has a lake that is known for fishing, and there were a few boats. However, the area was very quiet. There were a few other campers in the primitive area - another boy scout troop, a cub scout pack and a few high school kids.

I was very proud of the boys. Mr. White had a good talk with them about attitude and they all took it to heart. They went through the sessions very attentative. They picked up the topics quite well, and I think they even had a good time.

Mr White and I got some training in making the 1 mile loop several times (I did 7 miles, he did a few more). I was a bit disappointed because I was really sore. I guess it shows that if you let up for some weeks that you loose your shape. I must do better in the coming weeks.

Sunday morning it began to rain. Most of us had our tents put up before the rain. However some of the stragglers didn't, so had to dry out their tents at home.

Sunday after we packed up we saw that the trail and campsites could use some policing. We got permission from the park ranger and got in 1.5 hours of conservation.

On the way home we stopped at Dairy Queen for Blizzards (Mr. White treated). It was a good way to end the weekend.

A real test

For a real test of what it will be like at Philmont, Mr. Mullins planned a backpacking trip for the troop to Beavers Bend State Park. This is at the SE corner or Oklahoma next to the city of Broken Bow. We planned to drive up on Friday evening, hike in on Saturday, camp then hike back out and return Sunday afternoon.

We had 6 adults and 13 scouts attend the trip. It started off very well, and we made the 180 mile trip in 3:15. This was great time, and we were lucky to have no traffic. We didn't need to stop on the way. It is nice with a smaller group. In the group we had 8 scouts going to Philmont, one working on his hiking/backpacking merit badge, two brand new scouts and two first year scouts.

When we arrived we found all of the sites occupied with RVs and campers. So we hit the trail and hiked .75 mile to a campground. The trail was well marked and we made it in good time. There were a few equipment problems with one of the new scouts (bakcpack too big, too heavy and broken hip belt clasp. I was really proud however if this scout because he kept on going with no complaints.

The next morning we discovered we were in a very nice location, near a stream and in a wooded area. We packed up and hit the trail. We hiked together for a few more miles when it became evident if we were going to complete 10 miles that we needed to split into the philmont backpackers and the younger scouts. We split into 2 groups one with 2 adults and 4 scouts, and the other with 4 leaders and 9 scouts.

Our group had a plan to hike and set up camp (about 7 miles away) then do a hike w/o backpacks to complete the 10 miles. The trail was challenging. It was well marked, but it was quite steep in several places. The trail led across the hills so we were either going up or going down. The ups were just a bit tiring for me, but the downhills were brutal. My left knee acted up again after about 5 miles (I was even wearing my knee brace). We were averaging only about 1.5 miles per hour. The scouts handled it ok, but a couple of the adult leaders were in very bad shape.

We got to the campsite and set up camp. We were right next to a stream, so we had a great water source. It was also a great source of enjoyment for the boys. The cool water felt great on hot, tired feet. Two of the adults went off with the boys to complete the additional needed 3 miles. One of the adult leaders and I stayed and looked after the camp (and yes, ok - we did rest). The group that went off hiking were expected to return in about 2 hours, but they were back in around 1. They found that the trail became more rough after about 1 mile, and the signs said for expert hikers only. The scouts and adult leaders were tired and so came back to the camp.

Back at the camp we cooked dinner and talked about some of the things we would be facing at Philmont. We also talked about our 7 mile hike out the next morning. We were scheduled to meet the other group back at the parking lot at 12:30. We needed to break camp and be on the trail by 7:00. The boys agreed that they should get up at 6:20. We all were in bed by 9pm.

The next morning Mr. Lawrence started waking up the boys at 6:10. It was still dark, and was a bit damp due to the fact that it was lightly raining on and off all night. It took a while before the boys were up and packed up. the complaint from the tents was "but it is dark and it is raining". After a bit more prodding we were packed up and on our way. The time was 7:20.

Because we were not able to get in the 10 mile hike, we decided to go for one of the other backpacking requirements of 15 miles over 3 days. So for the hike back we added some additional (easy miles) going through a nature hike area. The hike back went rather quickly. We would have made it back exactly on time, but we had a bit of an unintended side hike.

This was a great event to let everyone see their level readiness for Philmont. I felt really good about my physical condition, and the condition of most of the scouts that will be going to Philmont. Now I just need to keep up the training.

Hiking the Ozarks

For our spring break we visited my Aunt and friend in Cabool, Mo. They live on a farm where they raise lambs and cattle. They have a number of other assorted animals - cats, dogs, chickens, guinea hens, etc. It is always nice and relaxing to visit them. It is a nice environment with good food and company.

During our time on the farm we decided to get in another 10 mile hike. There are plenty of country roads around to check out. My Aunt drew us a map of a set of roads to follow that should get us our 10 miles. It seemed easy enough to follow.

On this trail Ingemar joined us, as did Kato one of the Great Pyrenees. The hike started off with a bang when Kato decided to play chicken with the car coming up the road. The folks around here know Kato, so no harm done. We hiked passed a road off to the left, but didn't see a roadsign at the cross, so continued on. The weather was very nice. It was sunny and in the 70's. It was actually hot in the direct son, and we enjoyed the spots of shade along the way.

We hiked about 3 miles when we came to a paved road. This didn't seem right, but we headed along it for a bit until we met traffic. Kato stood out in the middle of the road and wouldn't budge. The two cars had to go around. We thought uh, oh, these cars don't know his anctics. Then two motorcycles rode by (we held onto him). We called the house and asked if they could come pick him up. He was breathing very hard, and would not drink any water. During our wait for Kato's ride we took the time to look around. We were on top of a nice hill and had a great view.

Kato's ride arrived. After a bit of doing, we got Kato into the back of the truck. We discovered that we were on highway U. Oops. The road we passed is the one that we should have taken. We decided to hike back since hiking on a 2 lane highway did not seem fun.

We hiked back to the correct road, and took it. Of course we found the street sign, it was on the opposite side of the road. We hear they like to hide their signs here. "If you don't know where you are going, you shouldn't be here." We found the other roads as well, and made it back to the farm. The total milage was 9.7 miles, and with the mile that the boys hiked around the farm before we started, we called it 10.

I had a great time on this hike with the whole family. I got to sepend time with each member talking about things. Nothing in particular, just talking. It took us about 3.5 hours total, and there was some "hurting" felt, but I think that everyone had a nice time.

Urban Hiking at its finest

I needed to get in some more miles for the walking competition at work. Also, it doesn't hurt any for my Philmont training. I couldn't get the boys interested so I didn't want to go far. However, the neighborhood is getting a bit boring, so I decided to check out some of the Plano biking and hiking trails.

After a bit of hunting on the Internet, I found a set of trails that intersected and could provide me enough distance to get in 10 miles. These were the Bluebonnet trail, Chisholm and Preston Ridge trails. A map of these trails can be found at - http://pdf.plano.gov/parks/Bluebonnet_Chisholm_PrestonRidge_Legacy.pdf

I drove to the Plano Dog Park off of Spring Creek Parkway west of Custer. Here I found the Chisholm and Bluebonnet trails intersect, and there is parking.

I decided to do the Chisholm trail both directions (one way is 5.5 miles). I started going southeast. The trail was a wide cement pathway that was on both sides of a creek. I selected the east side. The trail goes past parks, lakes and ends on 15th, East of Alma. It actually comes out right behind On the Border restaurant. It was a nice walk, and I felt safe the entire way. There were families playing at the parks, and there were several bicyclists on the trail. The neatest thing about the trail is that it goes under each of the major streets (Spring Creek Parkway, Parker, Park, Alma) so that you don't have to stop to cross them.

I headed back northwest and rested at Big Lake Park. It was neat to see all of the seagulls at the lake. I passed through the dog park and continued on the north part of the trail. There sure were alot of dogs outside the dog park. I don't know exactly what they were doing. It sort of looked like they were socializing. I don't think the actual park was open. There must have been about 50 dogs in different groups. But no fights :-)

The north part of the trail ends at Legacy just west of Independence. There were more parks and very nice homes that I passed. When I hit Legacy, I turned around and headed back to the car.

The total trip was 11 miles, and I finished in just under 3 hours walking time. Not a bad day.

Cross Timbers Trail

Today we got a real taste of what it would be like at Philmont. Several scouts from our Philmont Crew and 3 scouts working on 2nd class and the hiking merit badge took a hike at Cross Timbers Trail under the direction of Mr. Mullins. This is the first time that the boys and I got to try out our backpacks. We had them loaded at 20-25 lbs. The weather was in the high 30's low 40's and it was windy. The nice thing is that the sun was shining.

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This was a tough trail. It had alot of ups and downs, but the most difficult part is that the trails were washed out in places so there were alot of tree roots and rocks exposed on the trail.

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The good news was that we all made it. Though, there was complaining by some of being hungry and wanting lunch about 1 hour after we started the hike. The designated crew leader (Mike L) kept them on the path. He did a great job at leading us, and only had a couple of times of having no idea where we were on the trail.

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At lunch Mr. Mullins had the boys play two team building games. The boys had a good time with it, though would not admit it.

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I personally strained the muscle in my lef knee so going down the hills was painful for me on the last 5 miles of the trip. I discovered I do need to wear my knee braces for hiking as I do for skiing. Also my GPS died in the middle of the trip, so I need to monitor it better to see if I just had bad batteries, or there is an issue with the unit.

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We ended up doing 11+ miles, had no major injuries, had no lost scouts, began the team building process so it was a successful day.

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Some pictures at lunch are included below.

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Alex's mega sandwich

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.Team buliding exercise
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More team building exercises
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Nick finishing his lunch while team building

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The trail home
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You can see more pictures at

http://picasaweb.google.com/KarenPlanoPics/Feb28CrossTimbers?authkey=Gv1sRgCLef8oD3jaX9Vw#5308267932207730962

Fort Worth Nature Center & Preserve

Sunday - Feb. 22nd we planned another 10 miler and decided to go to the Forth Worth Nature Center and Preserve. It is located near Fort Worth. It was predicted to be a cold morning, so we decided to get started after lunch. We got the the trail head at about 1:30 pm.
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Alex & Oliver at the trail head
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We took the Canyon Ridge trail that has quite a few changes in elevation. The Trail is 3.25 miles and it took us about 1.5 hours to finish. The scenery was nice and changed quite often from a wooded forest to a grassy plain. It was interesting to see all of the prickly pear cactus along the trail. The picture below is of one of the several steep parts to the trail. At least they had stairs for us.
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Stairway to ???
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The Nature Center was built by the CCC. There we several remnants of their stone work in some of the roadside bridge edges, some latrines some benches and the ramada that the boys are standing on below.
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Remnants of CCC Structure

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After the Canyon Ridge trail we hiked for a bit on the Riverbottom trail. We made a bit faster progress because it was mostly flat, but still quite wooded.
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The Nature Center closes at 5 pm and there were signs all over indicating to watch your time because they close the gates and you can get locked in. So, we hiked back to the car along the curving road to make sure we made it to the car in time. When we got back to the car we had 30 minutes, so we hiked out to Greer Island. There is a neat little road leading across the water to the Island that is wooded and had nice wide trails. There were several people walking, bird watching and alligator seeking (I guess there have been several spotted in Lake Worth lately).
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Our time was up, and so were we, so we headed back home. Taking your boots off never felt so good.
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Oliver and Alex, ready for the ride home.
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This was a nice place, and I wouldn't mind doing again, but with a bit more time and my walking poles (which of course I had forgotten).

10 mile hike

The boys and I took a 10 mile hike around the area. Most of it was on a concrete trail, but we had a bit throgh the woods and the Outdoor Learning Center. My boots are really starting to feel good. I didn't have any pain, and really no bad hot spots. We averaged 3 miles per hour (a bit slower than my normal pace), but the boys each had some hurts. One with his knee, not much to do except advil, one with his feet, we need to get better inserts with arch support.

You can see some of the scenery we saw on our trip.

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At my work we are having a team contest to see who can walk the most. This past week, I have made it a point to do between 3 and 5 miles per day (vs. last week of 1.5-2 miles). I feel so much better after the 10 mile walk today than the 6 mile walk last weekend. I think that I am getting the hang of this.

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Next weekend we will do a backpacking trip with 1 overnight to the Dinosaur National Park. We woll get another 10 miles in. The boys are getting some good work in towards their hiking merit badge.