Crew 1 broke camp and started on a trail that led to a dead end near some camp sites. Once oriented, we hiked along the ridge of Rayado Canyon along the southern most boundary of Philmont. We made a brief stop for breakfast along the way. John McCormick joined us for this walk also.
As we hiked, a rock wall rose above us on one side and it was cool and shady. The trail went through a "key hole" opening and there was a great view of New Abreau and Uracca Mesa where we were headed today and tomorrow. It was really hot on the other side of the key hole. It was even hotter when we hiked to New Abreau down in the valley. Fortunately, there were cold root beers in the nice cool cantina.
At the cantina, we met Matt again. He told us that the quart of water that we gave him at Commanche camp was a real life saver. He said that when he reached the top of Black Mountain on the way to Black Mountain camp, he got disoriented and hiked about 6 miles East onto Shaffers Peak and had to hike back to Black camp along another 6 mile trail. Notice in the picture, the cantina is made of adobe bricks. That was one of the programs at New Abreau. Crew 1 made 2 adobe bricks and had a mud fight with the remaining mud before washing it off in the stream - the only approved bathing in a stream on Philmont. (Philmont uses streams as sources of water.)
The evening program was burro racing. We had a hot tip not to take the white burro. One of the two brown ones was heard to be a winner. The first race, we were neck and neck all the way down the hill with another burro until ours just quit and started walking. After that, it was down hill. One burro just took off on the side of the trail. Another wouldn't move at all.
We challenged our sister crew to a root beer chugging contest. The amount was one quart. If we won, they had to say New Jersey. If they won, we would have to let them say Joysey (with the Jersey City accent) and would have to say it that way ourselves. Adam was elected on our side. Fortunately, Adam took our sister crew by two gulps. Most of the sister crew kept to their word and said New Jersey correctly. (At Uracca Mesa, they would tell one of their own crew members to say it right.)
A group of girls came into the cantina that evening for drinks. I was outside in the cool evening air watching a thunder storm in the distance. The girls ordered their drinks and came out to sit at a table outside. I overheard them say that it would have been nice if the boys opened up some seats so that they could sit down and have some interaction. I mentioned this to Don, and after we got back to camp, he mentioned this to the boys. A few of them changed their t-shirts and said they had to go to the "red roof inn." When they returned, they said that the girls left just when they got there so they only stayed a little while and talked to the staff.
Clark and Rich stayed by the stream to look at the stars. They started singing every song they knew. When the boys returned, someone from inside Mike's tent joined in the singing. They also added percussion. After a while, I think it was during Rich's solo about Noah's animals, the tent got quiet so the singing stopped. In the morning, Don asked me if I heard that singing last night. Yep!
Today's quote from Justin: Daylight come and I wanna go home. Tally man, tally me bananas.
