Stiched Up and Ready to Go {Camping}

Completing a mandatory pre-departure medical visit for stitches, we hastily finished packing and headed out.  It was slightly odd leaving without Zachary, who opted to stay home from the camping trip in order to attend the annual ordination Mass at St. James Cathedral in Seattle Saturday (5 new priests!).

With an extra seat in the van for our drive to Leavenworth, we invited Ezra to join us for the extra camping day/night as his family would arrive Friday.  We went a day earlier than the rest of the troop to secure extra campsites for the overflow campers from our Webelos den.

Leaving a bit later than we had hoped, but happy to be on the road, we encountered a 5 mile back up on Hwy 2 which had been closed due to a serious traffic accident. It felt like a line up for a summer ride on a state ferry, with the stopped travellers hanging out on the side of the road making the most of the long wait times. Our guys passed the time tossing footballs and it wasn't too long before the creep began and we were slowly let through the accident zone (which was completely cleared by that time).

We arrived at camp just in time for dinner and a campfire. Luckily, Ezra had packed a headlamp AND a flashlight (we all forgot to pack flashlights), so he loaned the flashlight to us so there would be a light source in each tent. In the morning Joseph and Ezra visited the troop's group site and marked out the creek-side campsite for their patrol, the Burning Bullfrogs.

Our Friday at camp was spent waiting for the rest of the troop (and pack) to arrive. With a quick trip to Leavenworth for ice and charcoal (and cold treats thanks to Tim!) we were able to make a cell phone call to Zachary who sent our headlamps (and a few other forgotten items) with a family who departed Friday afternoon.