On our way up Brendon pointed out the incredible variety of ecosystems that were observable. At 9:30 we reached Stonewall Pass. It was a rough hike up a jeep trail with a fairly steep grade (no 8% rule here). In fact, Paul got the heaves once and was really suffering. I think the guys began to realize that this was not to be just any hike. Larry and I had warned them of that many times, but the reality of the situation had arrived.

This was a very pleasant spot for a rest stop and breakfast. We gathered in a pine grove at the edge of the meadow, just inside the gate. The menu was cereal, nutri-grain bar, and banana chips. Blake and Dave Wiesenfeld fired up the stoves to heat water for hot chocolate, tea, and coffee. I broke out my special blend of hazelnut coffee with cinnamon. Oh wow, was that a treat. There we were with a gorgeous view, resting from our first climb with happy tummies, and I savored my first cup of trail coffee. Now thatís what I call a good thing.

After breakfast we had our first Thorns and Roses session. It didnít reveal anything surprising, for we were just getting warmed up. However, it did set the tone for our team-building on the trail. We then spent a little time poking around the area and enjoying the views, one of which was a great shot of the Tooth through the pines. That was a Kodak moment, so Brendon took a crew picture for us.

We got back on the trail at 10:50. It had been a rather long stop, but we were in no hurry today and some of the guys needed the rest. We still had a bit of a climb ahead of us. At 11:35 we reached the gate just below the top of the mesa and a spectacular overlook of Abreu and its surrounding valley. We took the opportunity to take more pictures and enjoy the scenery, then got back on the trail at noon. It was hot, very dry, and dusty.

At 1:00 PM we finally reached Urraca camp, after a downhill hike that we knew we would have to do in reverse the following morning. We checked in at the staff cabin and gladly drank the bug juice that was offered to us. Given the time, the crew decided to do the challenge events program right away, then have a combined lunch/supper meal afterwards. That seemed like a reasonable idea at the time.

We formed a pack line, grabbed our essentials, and headed off to the challenge course at 1:15. Dan was the staffer who led the crew through the course. He was a good facilitator and he made the event fun for the crew. Larry and I were the designated photographers and cheering section. It started to rain a bit and we heard thunder in the background (thatís what we call a bad thing), but the crew was able to accomplish four of the challenges. They warmed up with the Trust Ring, where one of the Scouts stood with his eyes closed in the center of a circle formed by the rest of the crew and was gently nudged around the ring (you had to be there).

The first of the challenges was Through the Tire, where each of the Scouts had a simulated handicap and the crew had to pass each member from one side of a suspended tire to the other. That was entertaining to watch. The next event, On the Block, was much simpler. The entire crew had to stand on a single relatively small block, which required not only balance but also cooperation. Bridge over Jalopeno was next, where the challenge was to build a bridge by laying planks across preset blocks ñ while standing on the planks. Finally, there was Swing Over Jalopeno (is there a recurring theme here?), which involved getting the entire crew to swing from one side of a simulated barrier to another (no monkey business).

It was good that the crew had the opportunity to work on these challenge events early in the trek, for it gave them an extra opportunity to develop teamwork and trust in each other. Not only that, but they had a good time on the course as well.

The rain cut the program short, so we ambled back to the staff cabin, gathered up our gear, and at 3:00 we set up camp at site 9. However, it wasnít until 4:30 that we finally got to eat our combined lunch/dinner meal for the day. Somehow, we were issued 2 dinner #6 meals, and the guys decided to make both! We had Cup-a-Soup (2 packets each), beef stroganoff (enough for 20 servings), and a whole mess of Oreo cookies (no problem making them disappear).

The crew is still very disorganized and taking way too much time with their camp chores. Brendon was being patient with them, however, and I was trying very hard to do the same. At least the rain had stopped. There was just a light overcast now. We finally finished dinner at 6:00. This was a very slow crew. At least for the moment, however, they were very well fed. At 7:10 Larry, Brendon, and I left the crew to do their clean-up drill and hang the bear bags. We headed over to the staff cabin for Advisersí Coffee (thatís a wonderful Philmont institution that helps preserve the sanity of the adults).

The guys wandered over to the staff cabin at 8:00 and we all went to the campfire, which was far better than the one I attended here in í94 but not nearly as good as Curleyís performance at Beaubien in 1988. Afterward we had a spiritual reflection (complete with an inter-denominational hymn) led by Tim Lingelbach and a good Thorns and Roses session.

Blake reported that he had misplaced two of our bear bags, perhaps at the Kodak moment site overlooking Abreu at mid-day. There wasnít anything we could do about it at the moment, so we made a note to look for them when we passed by that spot tomorrow on our way to Miners Park.