This past weekend Chris, the boys and I went to Lost Valley Boy Scout camp for the weekend. We were told it would take approximately 2-2.5 hours to get there, but since Chris works with someone very active in scouting and this camp, he asked him about it and was told 4-4.5 hours if you’re lucky. So I, oblivious to all this, have not finished packing or even buying what we need, and instead am spending my Friday morning volunteering in Vicky’s classroom. Chris called my cell about 10:30 and I almost started crying. I left the school and raced to Target, where I apparently bought too much stuff, then raced back home again to pack. Unlike last time, this time I managed to remember everything we all needed.
Picked up the kids from school, dropped off the girls at girl scouts, where Vicky would be spending her weekend because she had Jr. Skills Day Saturday, and then went home to put everything in a pile for Chris, who arrived shortly. After a lot of frustration on Chris’ part with the quantity of what I packed, we got everything in the car and headed out. Traffic was horrible from the second we got on the freeway until we got off it, about 2 hours. We got off in Temecula and went to eat at McDonalds, then started the fun part. We headed up Hwy. 79 past tons of farms and ranches and such.
We saw an amazing rainbow; you could see both sides and where they touched down. It was hazy and sprinkling so the pic isn’t so good. Turned on Chihuahua Valley Road then took that to the dirt road that would ultimately lead us to camp. All we needed were the ability to tell which unmarked dirt road let to camp, and the endurance and courage to stay on the chosen road long enough to get there.
We chose logically, figuring the wider road would be the one to camp and the smaller the private road. We were wrong. After about half a mile the road dead-ended, so we reversed, (lost guy who had asked for help and been reassured this was the right road to camp behind us) and went back to the little road, and began our journey up that one. After bumping, rocking and slamming up this rocky dirt mountain lane for about 20-30 minutes, we finally see a marker saying “Mile 1, Trustworthy”. Chris said oh, that’s Boy Scout writing, this is it. He was, as it turns out, correct, but still, I was not all that reassured. We had been told it was 11 miles up the road, so we had some time to be traveling up this road. It must have been how the pioneers felt, traveling in horse-drawn wagons across uncharted country, bumping along at the slowest pace. At any rate, we did make it after over an hour, through completely
burnt out forest and felled trees due to beetle bark infestation. It was stunning scenery, straight out of some Halloween movie that you don’t want to be stuck in.
We got there, checked in, and headed to our campsite, where we had reserved a cabin. I couldn’t find an open cabin so I asked where to go and was told we were moving sites to the other side, which was fine with us but sucked for those who had already unpacked. Got in
our cabin, which had
4 bunk beds and a heater and electricity, and set up. Having the cabin was the best thing ever, it was very cold, very windy, and wet at times, and with the cabin we were warm, dry, and able to watch DVD’s and make coffee. YAY! First night was basically just socializing and we were in bed by 10, although I was awoken around 11 by our den le