Another cold shower to start the morning. Curt did the equipment shakedown suggesting sharing tooth paste tubes, and soap among several buddies. Bringing only one or two pairs of underwear (use it once frontwards, once backwards, then inside out both ways then exchange it with your buddy ;-) Everything that we didn't need was stuffed in a pair of lockers and we dropped our valuables off at security. We met the bus at 10:00 and it took us to Cimarron Turnaround. We passed a crew waiting for the bus. The driver was going to kid them by slowing down and then driving by (they get picked up after we get dropped off) but was nice that told them that she would be back to pick them up later.
Once we got off the bus, our ranger training continued. We learned Philmont bathroom etiquette: "red roof inns" and "bomber pilots" are only for number two. No number 1. Number 1 should be spread around as much as possible (this leads to considerable debate about how the ladies handle the spreading function) or a rock should be used. Guys quickly learned that when using a rock, they should be pointing down wind and the rock should be down hill or slanted down hill. After some map orienteering, we get a crew picture. Also joining us was John McCormick, a good friend of Rich's, our third advisor. John was taking a day off from Logistics where he worked. John is from our area and worked at Forrestburg Scout Camp last year.
We hiked to Cathedral Rock camp and stopped at a site next to a stream. Ranger Curt showed us how to do lunch and continued our ranger training including the 5 "W"s, bear bag training, water purification using Polar Pure iodine crystals and compaction of garbage. The 5 "W"s were used to select your tent site. You have to consider wind, (rain) water, widow makers, and wow. A widow maker is a large dead branch that could drop on your tent if it broke in the wind.
Some were not too happy to learn that if you open it, you have to eat it because you cannot leave any food around (unless you want to bear bag it and pack it out 12 days later). The spreadables were not too popular, although I thought they weren't bad. (I can just hear the cringing going on as members of crew 1 read that line.) Naturally, I could have all the spreadables that I could eat and finished more than one half-consumed can on the trip. Curt showed us how two cans of spreadables, a box of crackers, 4 dried beef packages, and 4 power bars and drink mix packages could all be compressed into a single spreadable's can and stuffed into a single spreadable's box.
After eating, some members of crew 1 headed to the red roof inn. Curt suddenly jumped up and said, "Oh yea, I forgot to tell you," you need to take a stick and remove the spiders from the inside rim first if you want to keep your private parts free of bites.
Curt stayed behind to watch the packs so that we wouldn't have to hang the bear bags, while the rest of us hiked to Cathedral Rock. Up the hill from Cathedral Rock, was a reservoir and a meadow. Crew 1 stopped here for a group shot under the rock.
For dinner we did one pot cooking and dessert was provided compliments of Curt. Thanks Curt. Ranger training continued with cleanup at the sump. Curt impressed the other rangers with his training skills when our crew had only two little rice kernels of solid matter for the yumyum bag. The day ended with a thorns and roses session where everyone got to say what they liked and didn't like about the day.
