July 30: Trail Peak

July 30 was our 'layover' day, meaning that had two consecutive days at Beaubien and therefore didn't need to break camp or haul heavy packs. This doesn't mean it was an easy day. First we had five hour, eight mile round trip hike to Trail Peak, where we visited the wreckage of a WW II-era B-24 crash and paid our respects to the memory of the air crew who perished on that spot. Afterwards we had our three our conservation project (mandatory if you want to get the Philmont arrowhead patch). It was, to tell the truth, uninspiring: three hours moving chopped up tree banches from point A to point B. Boy, we learned a lot about conservation there, like conserving our energy after what had already been a rather grueling day. Afterwards was one of the highlights of the week: a 'chuckwagon dinner', which essentially consisted of canned stew plus shortbread cooked in a dutch oven, followed by pound cake topped with canned peaches. It may not sound like much, but after half a week on the trail it was an inspirational moment.

It didn't rain! All day!