Sunday dawned clear & warm - a beautiful day to hike in. We got up at 6 AM, ate breakfast, and were on the trail by 7 AM. The crew is finally starting to gel. We took a short 30 minute stroll to P.J., and... HOT SHOWERS! We spent about an hour cleaning up, and then Scott C. lead us in a short worship service. P.J. is in a pretty meadow, with the Rayado Creek running through it. There is a small staff cabin set back from the trail. I think that I could be happy living there with Beth for a LONG time. Anyway, we stopped at the trading post, and the guys loaded up on candy and junk food. We also got some A. P. (All Purpose) paper, dropped off some trash, and picked up some items from the "swap box". You can leave food that you don't want, and take any that you do want. Then we hoisted up or packs, and started up the trail for Beaubien.

We made the 1 1/2 to 2 miles to Beaubien in just over an hour. Beaubien sits in a large meadow, ringed with hills. There are several buildings, a stable, and lots of camp sites. We were met at the main cabin by Trish, one of the camp staff. She offered us Gatorade, and then told us about the history of Beaubien, what there was to do there, and then took us up to our camp site. We set up the tents, had lunch, and hung things out to dry. Then at 1 PM, we met at the stable, and went horseback riding. It was really interesting seeing some of the Scouts from back East. Their reactions to the horses ranged from awe to outright fear. Everyone that rode had to wear a helmet, and then the wranglers brought us our horses. They showed us ho to get up on the horse, how to ride, and how to get down. We road in a long line for about an hour, and were done around 3 PM.

A light shower hit just as we returned from our ride, but nothing like we had experienced in the past few days. It seemed to me that the woods were getting back to normal, but I suspect that below the surface dampness, everything was still a tinderbox.

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing cards, throwing horseshoes, or just relaxing. At 4 PM there was a worship service. Later in the afternoon, the guys from our crew got into a quick football game with another crew. It got a little rough at times, and Scott E. got stiff-armed by one of the other guys. From the sound of things, we thought that it might turn into a free-for-all, but things were quickly brought under control, and everything turned out fine. At 8 PM there was a campfire, again without the fire. The staff sang songs, told stories, and closed with the Philmont Hymn. The campfire program was ok, but could have been a lot better. Some of the staff really needs voice lessons. After everyone else had gone to bed, I spent some time just sitting and looking at the heavens. What a glorious view! No need to get to bed early, as tomorrow - Monday - is our lay over day.

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