Philmont-Tuesday

There was so much to do at Philmont that I want to write about each day.

Andrea went to the bulletin board for us and signed our family up for the Sunrise hike to Lover's Leap. Tuesday we arose at 4:00am and met the other hikers at 4:30 where we got a 'trail breakfast' to carry with us, and people carpooled to the site. We drove up the mountain with our friends, the Maughan's. The hike was considered moderately easy--1 1/4 miles--but it was all uphill, and at high altitude, and I considered it to be a fast pace. We had our flashlights. It had just rained and the trail was kind of muddy, and at times I took my time because the rocks were a bit slippery.

But the view was gorgeous. The essence of the legend is that a cavalryman fell in love with an Indian maiden there. They were both banned from seeing "the enemy". In their sorrow over their warring people they jumped off the ledge together. The Great Spirit turned them into hawks mid flight, who have a nest nearby.

That afternoon everyone had a free schedule, so the Maughan's came with us to the Kit Carson Museum. Kit Carson built the house (In 1856?) and it's on Philmont land. We had a very interesting tour of the hacienda.

Andrea listens to our tour guide who played the character of the man who bought the home from Kit Carson in the 1850s.

Then we went to the Boy Scout trading post to buy souvenirs, and into the town of Cimarron. There we looked at jewelry and trinkets and an art gallery.

At the side of the gallery we became part of the art.

That evening we all went to the handicrafts building. Dave stenciled himself a leather belt, I made some jewelry, and had also glazed a Pueblo Indian vase for Kara. (It has 2 openings and the bride and groom each drank from it representing unity.) Julia made jewelry and Andrea glazed a gecko and helped Dave with his belt.

That night we had homemade cobbler (like we had made in Dutch oven cooking class) and ice cream. We missed the dance and live band and the showing of "Follow me, Boys". There were lots of activities going on all the time--and yet it was very relaxing out there in the quiet desert.