'Twas a chilly evening that we gathered together at the church house parking lot in anticipation of our drive to
Harriman State Park. But the boys were well packed and we were off in a dash, racing into a dark cloud bank as we headed north. We lost the last rays of sun as we came up the Ashton Hill, and as we made our way into Island Park the snow began to fall.
The warmer weather earlier in the week was both a blessing and a curse. The road were clean and dry, but as we pulled into the parking lot we noticed that there wasn't much snow to ski on. So we proceeded on the road in towards the Railroad Ranch, and were able to drive directly to the yurt parking area. From there it was a little walk to the Cygnet Yurt where the majority of the boys would be staying.
But it was locked! The
Wyethia Yurt, where the leaders and their sons were staying was accessible, but the Cygnet was inaccessible. After checking to see if the park staff was in residence to let us in (no one home there), we returned to use our scouting ingenuity to get us in. With some effort we were able to get in the door, discovering in the process that the lock itself was likely frozen or jammed, likely the ultimate cause of our troubles.
The boys set to getting dinner ready quickly and before too long our "Pasta Bar" was open for business. We enjoyed farfalle, spaghetti, and penne with alfredo, red sauce, meatballs, chicken and broccoli. In addition the boys attempted to recreate their "Harry/Hairy Buffalo" drink, but
Flavor-Aid was found to be a poor substitute for the usual Kool-Aid. As a result it was referred to as "hairless buffalo" for the remainder of the trip. Regardless, hopefully everyone got their fill. A rousing game of
Slamwich followed, as the boys enjoyed cookies for dessert.
We then read aloud the classic story of wintertime camping
To Build a Fire by Jack London. This provided plenty of opportunities to discuss the importance of the buddy system, radiant versus conductive heat loss as well as the all important skill of learning to build a fire. In short order we were practicing these skills in our activities the next morning.
After a warm night in the yurts, we awoke to a small skiff of new snow on the ground - just enough to ski on. A breakfast of bacon and French Toast was expertly cooked and consumed. After all was packed and cleaned, the boys received some elementary ski instruction and then were out to slip and slide on the sometimes snowy, mostly icy ground. We made a short trip alongside Silver Lake and then turned back to the yurts and home. Everyone enjoyed the stay, and we look forward to a similar adventure next year!
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