This weekend a lean, mean, scouting machine of 5 scouts and 5 adults once again braved, with trepidation, the site of the R-Brrr-C rain, mud and snow bath from early this year. This sequel turned into a spectacular adventure of crawdad fishing, cold water splashing, 5-Star dessert eating, campfire story-telling, singing, fun in the sun. Friday night they first had to endure a large community of cub scout fathers and sons camping next door, who somehow after 11PM couldn’t figure out how to turn off & lock their fleet of trucks quietly, or softly close the metal doors of the kaibos. Saturday morning, however, dawned bright and beautiful. Eager scouts went scrambling after crawdad immediately after breakfast, but had to settle for a great morning of hunting rather than catching, as the cold-blooded crustaceans were not yet out and about in the freezing water. There also was no sign of Dershnelda, the Russian radioactive snapping turtle, purported to live in the R-C pond. After lunch, included in a hike to Box Canyon, the boys attempted to store up ‘chill’ to last them a summer in Phoenix by splashing around in Christopher Creek’s pools, and sticking their heads under waterfalls in a headache-inducing act of derring-do. But by now the sun had been out for hours, so it was back to the crawdad holes under the mega-sycamore tree for more hunting. This time, victory! The ant-flavored hot-dogs appeared to be a hit for bait, as did teriyaki slim jims, and before you knew it, we had a pot-full of this invasive species that the R-C ranger literally begged us to take off his hands. The adults had as much fun (and success!) at ‘bagging the big ones’, and multiple 4-5 inch mini-lobsters were removed from the creek. An excellent dinner did not, however, consist of shell-fish, and the evening again consisted of great conversation, but also a most-excellent cherry cobbler and s’mores around the fire. Heard from the scouts this trip: discussions of the stars overhead and the Zodiac: ‘Cancer, why name a constellation after a disease?’ I’m a Capricorn.’ What’s a Capricorn?’ I don’t know, I just am one.’ ‘What’s a ‘pisscuss? ‘Haa Haa – that’s Pisces, dude!’ ‘We went on a hike to Box Canyon last year and saw hyenas….or was it deer?’ ‘I’m just going to chug a granola bar, and then I’m ready.’ ‘Do you think they will all be crawdads, or will there be crawmoms?’ ‘What if the sun fell into the Bermuda Triangle and just disappeared?’ And best of all – the confounding mystery Friday night of the missing tent stakes was ultimately solved. During camp tear down, the bag was found under the tent, prompting one scout to say: ‘I thought that lump under my pad was a really big rock!’ This weekend will be hard to top, but we will give it a shot next month at the Lava Tubes outing!
