Cochise Stronghold - Kartchner Caverns

January 2008



Our January outing was a campout at Cochise Stronghold and then a trip to Kartchner Caverns. We did a lot of research in order to make sure we planned this campout on the coldest weekend of the year - and boy did we plan well! I can't name all the people in this picture but we had a huge turnout, including cub scouts from Pack 118 who joined us for the weekend.
Our camp site at Cochise Stronghold campground. Low temperature on Friday night: 23 degrees.
Peak noise level on Friday night: 20 decibel (before arrival of Boy Scouts from Texas at 12:30 a.m.)
180 decibel (after arrival of Boy Scouts from Texas at 12:30 a.m.)
Here is the Raccoon patrol carrying their tent down to set up in the wash - I think they missed the lecture on safe camping spots

Don't worry, our parents signed the waivers and we know how to swim!
Mr. Weber gets help setting up his tent from a couple Scouts :)

We love our tent, it has a self-opening door and a heater!

Marci is smiling because her tent is the "Best Western"!		Mr. Pendleton gathers everyone together to go over the plan - we can choose either a 10-mile hike or activites around camp.


But first some lunch for everyone - grilled cheese sandwiches and hot soup!

Mr. Frantz makes a bow and drill to teach Casey how to make fire like caveman... or like Peter Bigfoot.
After lunch, we all pack up and head off on our hike, a 10-mile round-trip hike into the Cochise Mountains.



Hey, only 9.5 more miles to go!
Cochise Spring



Half Moon Tank - does this mean we are halfway done? NO!!
Being in the last group, we are starting to run into people already on their way back to camp - here's Robin and Tim McCormick.
And here's another group - Kevin, Jim, Dave, Connor, Mike, and James
We knew it was bear country, but we had no idea that Lowland Gorillas were seen this far north! Or maybe it's just the Suns gorilla on a holiday weekend, trying to escape his fans.
We made it to the end! The end of the first five miles, that is. Now we just have to climb back up that mountain and back down again. I hope there is some baked ziti waiting for us!
We smell baked ziti!




After dinner, we all enjoy marshmallows and skits and stories around a very warm campfire!





This ringtail is just waiting for someone to drop a marshmallow on the ground!
And the low temperature last night --- 22 degrees! Brrr! Thank goodness it has warmed up to 23 degrees already by breakfast time.
We'll just sit here by the fire while our dads cook breakfast for us.

After breakfast, we all pack up and drive to Kartchner Caverns for our tour of the Big Room. 		It's hard to believe what a beautiful cave is hidden inside these mountains!
We all enjoy the visitor center while we wait for our tours to start, and some of enjoy it more than others!



This 80,000 year old sloth was discovered in the cave by the original explorers..

No, no, those are Cub Scouts, this is the sloth!
The inside of the Big Room is incredible!
Mr. Walborn wasn't paying attention when they told us not to climb on the stalacmites.
Hey Gary, you can take your sunglasses off inside the cave!
A big thank you to Mr. Moorehead and Mrs. Hutchins for planning this awesome outing!!!