After days of ascending, it was nice to leave Baldy Town on a long gradual descent. We hiked through beautiful landscapes: aspen groves; breath-taking meadows at Camp Miranda; creeks and valleys. We climbed muddy switchbacks behind burros to get to Head of Dean Camp. Our route there had been scenic, but after 7 miles, we still had a way to go to our camp.
I played some basketball with Griffin and Duffy after lunch, and then the boys began a COPE teamwork challenge. They were presented with physical challenges requiring communication and coordination, and discussed their on-trail communication breakdowns.
The final leg of our hike took us through Camp Santa Claus to Mistletoe, a hike measuring 5 miles. When we came to Santa Claus, we were able to look back and see Mt. Baldy, looking very distant after a day's travels. Unfortunately, a mile out of the camp, we found ourselves descending a steep and unexpected valley, and quickly realized we had taken a wrong turn. Now facing the pressure of impending darkness, we pressed on. Along the trail, we came across our sister crew, 708-L from Frankfurt, KY, who had followed the same false trail. Together we all tried to find Camp Mistletoe, but the entrance trail was still under construction and poorly marked. Just as darkness fell, we bushwhacked up the hill to where the GPS indicated our camp should be. To the strains of Battle Hymn of the Republic, both crews stumbled into the first campsite we found and hastily setup camp and made dinner in the dark. A shared campfire seemed a fitting end to a tough day. We covered an unexpected 14 miles.
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