With winter come the seasonal
activities designed to get the kids outside and continue the
teaching. The Yukon Race puts a group of kids in front of
a dogsled fitted with what one might carry on a winter
excursion. The event involves testing the kids skills and
recognizing the teams that do best.
We took the kids to Chestnut Ridge
for a day of practicing, and to inventory the sled contents and
plan for next weekend.
Put a reasonably warm day with
sunshine together with lots of snow and you're bound to have a
snowball fight. We started out our day with one.
This activity would permeate the day and the activities the
following week. This picture shows the calm before the
storm.
   
We moved to the picnic shelter for
our base of operations. Alex proved a front-wheel drive
vehicle can go the same places a well equipped Jeep Wrangler can
go. Carey followed us in with the Scout trailer.
And the snowball fight
continued...
 
We spent some time catching up and
then planning for the day.
    
We've been here in warm weather.
It's quite different but just as pleasant this time of year.
     
   
At the time I didn't see much
going on and held a silent concern that the boys were not
getting engaged in their practice. But looking back, there
was plenty going on. One of the scouts was setting up the
axe yard and showing the younger boys the routine.
 
 
Tom arrived and got busy making
tinder for the fire making station next weekend.
 
The Matthews brothers and Nick
Yohn got a fire started and used some coal in the mix.
 
The adults enjoyed a good chat.
  
 
 
Work on the fire continued...
 
Ted made some tinder.
And of course the sled was run...
  
And crashed into the snow man...
And run some more...
And more...
Then the gang lapsed into another
snowball fight. The snowballs got MUCH bigger...
  
After that we regrouped in the
pavilion and reviewed expectations for next week's event.
   
     
When we had finished, we packed up
the trailer and everyone get ready to leave.
Alex found that perhaps going
where well-equipped Jeep Wranglers go wasn't the same as getting
back out again. Everyone pitched in and got him back on
pavement.
Next, Carey opted to follow the
loop road around to the upper exit thus avoiding the need to
turn the trailer around. Preceding him on the same route,
I found that the uphill curved section was a little tough to get
through but by the time I got back he had already started out.
Soon he was hung up where I had barely made it through. I
went back around and with a tow strap was able to coax his truck
and trailer up the hill onto the flat stretch and make it back
to pavement. So I snuck a little four-wheeling into the
weekend!
   
   
  
  
  
 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  
   
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