Week in Prescott

We spent a week in Prescott, AZ to drop off Bengt at Embry-Riddle.  He is studying Cyber Intelligence and Security and is trying Air Force ROTC so we had to be there a few days early.

Unfortunately, his dorm is still under construction so him and his roommate are in the lounge area of existing suites but they are making it work.

We had time to checkout some of the sights in town:

• Thumb Butte Hike
• Watson Lake
• Highlands Nature Center hike
• Zoo
• El Gato Azul - wonderful tapas
• Thumb Butte Distillery - don't miss their sage gin
• Some interesting spots on the road 

 

Two guys in the lounge

Our Air BnB near downtown

Controlled burn on Thumb Butte

Thumb Butte

Desert View Tower

Mountain Springs Monument

Desert Tower Monument

Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial

Freshman pep talk

Watson Lake

Congressional Award

Bengt earned the Bronze Congressional Award and got to receive the medal from Congressman Darrell Issa!

Bengt and Congressman Issa

Crowded Beaches

Never seen Moonlight beach so full.

Crowded Moonlight

Midsummer Books

Great World Religions: Islam by John L. Esposito
The Gold Hunters: A First-Hand Picture of Life in California Mining Camps in the Early Fifties by J. D. Borthwik
The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed the Middle East by Abraham Rabinovich
The the Edges of the Earth: 1909, the Race for the Three Poles, and the Climax of the Age of Exploration by Edward J. Larson
World War I: The Definitive Visual History by R. G. Grant
Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition by Paul Watson
Foundations of Economic Prosperity by Daniel W. Drezner

Weekend Activities

• Passed my Security+ exam!
• Jyoti finished her Baldrige review!
• Super fun BBQ at Mission Bay
• Great night at La Costa Wine
• Embry-Riddle kickoff dinner with the Molitor's at Chief's

Summer Camp at Emerald Bay

• Kayak around the bay
• Bike to Two Harbors
• Burgers on the Beach
• War Canoes to Parson's Landing
• Hikes to Eagle Pass, Red Peak and a 3am hike to Silver Peak
• Buffalo Run
• Awesome scouting!

Boat ride over

Arrival

Doctor's Cove

Commons

Waterfront

Emerald Bay from the bluffs

Beach

Scuba center and aquarium

Parson's Landing

Sunset at Parson's

Kauai 2018

• Queen's Bath
• Turtle Cave
• Captain Andy's
• Sleeping Giant hike
• Waimea Canyon
• Polihale Beach
• Anini Beach
• ATV adventure
• Golf cart tour
• Surfing lessons at Anihole

Napali Coast from Captain Andy's

Trail up to Sleeping Giant

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon Lookup

Turtle Cave

Captain Andy's

Weekend Activities

• Africa Thriving gala
• Chateau Morilak wine tasting at 2Plank

Jo's Birthday Weekend

• Eagle project at Silverado senior care
• Rotary Club Encinitas Wine Festival
• Erin Sealy Pig and Pinot Wine Dinner at La Costa Wine

3 Peaks

I completed my second 3 day A16 3-Peak Challenge!

Mud Caves and Agua Caliente

We headed out to the mud caves again.  It was pretty hot already but the big cave was nice and cool inside.  We went all the way through and ran around a bit on the top.
To clear off the dust, we headed to Agua Caliente County Park.  As we pulled into our site, there was a large herd of bighorn sheep in it!  We counted at least 15 animals.  The scouts had a great time enjoying the pool.

Short Book List

• The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors by Dan Jones
• San Diego County Mammal Atlas
• San Diego County Parks: Over 100 Years by Ellen L. Sweet

Camporee

After a 5 year absence, the troop headed back to the Camporee.  It was again held at O'Neill Lake in Camp Pendleton.  I was part of the planning and helped organize the field events.  I think the longer range planning made the event much better run than in the past.  Our scouts had a great time and one patrol even took 2nd in the orienteering event!

Morning flags

Fire fighting demonstration

Campfire setup

Books and Lectures

• Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills by Professor Steven Novella
• Head for the High Country by David Caffey
• NavCivGuide by Thomas J. Cutler
• Sink 'Em All: Submarine Warfare in the Pacific by Charles Lockwood
• Condition Red: Destroyer Action in the South Pacific by Frederick J. Bell
• Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose
• History's Greatest Voyages of Exploration by Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius

Easter Weekend

• Great hike in Pine Valley Cree Canyon
• Easter lunch at mom's

Pine Creek

See the car that drove off the bridge?

Nelson Canyon

Amazing flume wall

Long Valley Peak

Eagle Court of Honor Weekend

• Big weekend started off with Bengt's Eagle Court of Honor
• Jaya's 20th birthday breakfast at Claire's in Solana Beach.
• Open House San Diego - Barrio Logan and East Village

Dixon Lake

Butler Canyon Loop Solo Backpack

The guidebook really had this one wrong!  I started up Butler Canyon and after 4.5 miles started looking for the "saddle-shaped boulder" and the trail up the slope; neither was found.  I scrambled up the cliff and hoped to see the way to the playa but saw more canyons.  Good thing I had my GPS and maps.  I found a strenuous cross-country route to the playa (which I think was a different one than that mentioned in the book).  After going over a low saddle, I found a good spot for camp among the cacti and rocks.  It was really windy at night but I was cozy in my quilt and home-made micro-fleece buff.  Next morning, with rain possible, I got an early start and traced my way down a drainage into Box Canyon.  This lead to Coyote Creek where I filled up on some water.  Unfortunately my Sawyer Squeeze was completely clogged so I had to add some tablets I keep as a backup. A few more miles of walking got me to the turn-off for Alcoholic Pass.  The trail up the pass was steep but nice.  The views of Borrego Springs were great.  After cresting the pass, it was easy going down an alluvial fan to the road and back to my car.

Butler and Rockhouse Canyon Junction

Butler Canyon

Where's that trail?

Camp among the cacti

Coyote Creek flowing strong

Alcoholic Pass register