Philmont Trip Day 2

I went to bed early last night—nine-ish—and planned to sleep as late as possible. But sleep often eludes me and last night was no different. I woke up 4:54. I still had nearly two hours before my alarm went off and I was intent on going back to sleep, but after about a half hour I gave up, got out of bed, and took a shower. I then grabbed the book I’m reading and went outside. The mountain air was cool that early, so when I started to feel cold I withdrew into the lobby. I am afraid I have a cold. I woke up congested and the congestion is not clearing up. Airplanes are petrie dishes for germs so I am not all surprised that I might be sick. Hopefully, I’ll feel better as the day progresses.

I was in Colorado Springs roughly eighteen years ago for a writer’s conference. I went in hopes finding an agent who might be interested in representing my work. I left without an agent, my self esteem taking a huge hit. I was so  depressed and so convinced that my writing wasn’t good that I gave up writing for a good five years. Now, I am back in Colorado Springs and I am in a much different place in regard to my writing.  Persistence paid off. My first book is published and awaiting its release in two and a half months.

The scout who was not feeling well yesterday has made a full recovery. He was at breakfast and looking like his usual self. Following breakfast, our tour guide took us to Garden of the Gads. The rocks there are similar to the ones we saw at Red Rocks yesterday. Beautifully sculpted rocks, the result of water—Colorado was once underwater—and wind, thrusting up from the earth. We took a three mile hike with plenty of stops for pictures. The scouts enjoyed scrambling up the rocks at various points, and were very agreeable to the adults taking pictures. I am pleased to see how well they appear to be getting along with each other. No one seems to be left out or made to feel they don’t belong. They even call out to each other to join in for pictures.

We are all wearing matching shirts that were gifted to us by two of the scouts on the crew. The shirts say Philmont and identify us as belonging to a troop in Somerville, NJ. It makes us visible and approachable to others from New Jersey and people familiar with scouting. Several tourists have come up to us asking if we are from NJ, and then telling us where in NJ they live. So as not to embarrass Gary, since we are traveling with the scouts, I’ve had to nod—despite the discomfort—and state that yes, we are from The Garden State. (I’m sure Kati is getting a good chuckle as she reads this because I never say I’m from Jersey.) One family we met was excited to read Somerville on our shirts because that is their hometown.

Other tourists are excited to see Philmont because they or family members have been there. They’ve all told us what a fantastic experience we will have. One older couple stopped us and the husband said he was at Philmont twenty-eight years ago when he had the pleasure of going with both his sons, both of whom are Eagle Scouts. They are traveling from Michigan, which is where they moved in retirement. I asked where they live because Michigan is one of our favorite states. They said the upper peninsula and asked if I was familiar with it. I replied that not only do I love the UP, we’ve detoured there twice at the end of summer vacations in order to revisit and swim in Lake Superior.

We drove to Manitou Springs for a picnic lunch which was followed by a half hour of free time to wander around. The scouts went off on their own, as did the adults. I remembered it being quainter, but it was crowded and not terribly appealing.

We took the Cog Railway up to the summit of Pike’s Peak. It is a long and slow journey, but the views are pretty. We saw marmots scurrying around on the rocks strewn across the landscape. As we neared the summit, rain turned to snow. At the peak, the scouts raced inside to buy donuts and hot chocolate. I headed to the view points and peered through the fog at the mountains in the distance. It was cold, as one would expect in the snow. Once the scouts had loaded up on sugar, they came outside for pictures, and luckily, not only did the snow stop, the fog partially cleared. The scenery was gorgeous. I can only imagine how much more spectacular it would be on a clear and sunny day.

Dinner this evening was much better. The tour company gave me a vegetarian meal which was decent and everyone else said the mashed potatoes and chicken nuggets were better than what was served last night. Maybe I don’t have a cold. After being out all day I feel better. The scouts are now back at the water park. They were playing basketball in the pool but now they have moved on to the slides.

Tomorrow we will have an early start. Breakfast is at 5:45 and then we depart for Philmont at—I think—6:15. Since I now use my phone as a camera and I intend to take many pictures, starting tomorrow, my phone will be on airplane mode to preserve my battery. Therefore, you will not hear from me for a week. However, I promise a full detailed report when we return to civilization.