We followed the longest hike on the trek with easily the laziest day on the trip. Stephen let us sleep in until 8, then we got off to a slow start, eventually on the trail around 10. To Abreu, at 7,185' around 10:30, where we visited their famous Cantina for an ice-cold root beer. I bought a round for the boys, and it was good to be able to celebrate our trek. It tasted wonderful after a week and a half on the trail; we slotted this well, so it was one of the last activities and a great refresher after a long walk. Part of me really wanted a second one, but given how differently we've been eating these last two weeks, my system was already telling me that one was enough. I feel for Jacob, who had four!
Left Abreu and by noon, at our last camp of the trek, Zastrow--and for the first time since last Tuesday, we're below 7,000 feet (6,960', to be precise). They had a large room in the main cabin that celebrated the BSA Wood Badge, but that didn't impress the boys as much as the array of board games and card games to play. I sat on the front porch and watched the white clouds against the bright blue sky one more time. Lunch ~1:30 and then to set up our campsite one last time on the trail. Jacob volunteered to build a fire immediately, so we had one going by 3pm in 85-degree weather.
My thoughts are definitely turning to home again, as I find myself wondering more how things are going at home moreso than in the beginning and middle of the trek. I can't wait to hear Sarah's stories of Jeremiah Project, too, and I wonder how Fergie will react to our being gone two weeks--probably a bit perplexed, because no matter how much I try to shower in the next couple of days, the trail will still be with me, I'm sure.
Our last trail dinner was an impromptu chicken pot pie; turned out pretty well. I have to say, the food's been generally pretty good at dinner, but I'm definitely getting tired of only cold breakfasts and lunches. 12,755 steps and 6.02 miles brings us to 194,563 and 99.9 miles total, so we'll definitely go over 100 miles, and likely 200K steps, tomorrow on the way to the bus.
After dinner, the staff hosted a baseball game (with a duct tape ball) on a field, which the crew engaged in with energy. The crews each had a chance to bake a dutch oven cobbler as well, and our boys chose vanilla cake with pineapple filling, which turned out pretty well. Then after a closing round of thorns and roses came astronomy with their reflecting telescope before to bed one last time on the trail.
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| The fireplace is all that remains of the former cabin at Old Abreu. Spooky! |
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| Still following the Rayedo River, but it's definitely getting bigger. |
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| Mr Johnson hiking past six-foot-tall black-eyed susans |
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| A round of (root) beer for my men, barkeep! |
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| I think this was #3 out of the four he drank |
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| Adobe wall and the Abreu cabin |
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| The Rayedo near Zastrow |
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| Still making a tight dining fly after 11 days on the trail! |
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| 713-L-4 took the baseball seriously: stretches for warming up beforehand |
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| Play ball! First inning, Sean pitching |
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| Waiting for the pitch |
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| Second inning, David brings the heat |
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| Waiting to connect |
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| Our pineapple cobbler, fresh from the coals |
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| All the crews at Zastrow having cobbler |
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| Us and our sister crew chatting over dessert |
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