Day 1 - Saturday:
65°, cloudy, mist
Click thumbnails for enlargements

Does this line of trucks ever end?

Met at the church at 7:30 am.  Regrouped at the Payless Cashways on the edge of town.  Two hours later, we stopped at a gas station so everyone could take a bathroom break and load up on sugar and caffeine. (Oh, goody).

Arrived in Woodward around lunchtime.  Some of the younger lads decided they would like a gourmet meal, so they chose McDonald's.  Most travelers had remembered they were supposed to bring a sack lunch, thereby saving their taste buds.

Not far northwest after lunch, we ran into some trouble.  How long is that line of trucks ahead of us?  With the resourcefulness and modern use of two-way radios, the adults helped each other know when the way was clear to pass each of the 12 semis and travel trailers making up the harvest convoy.  Finally, 15 miles and 30 minutes later, the last of us made it around.

Onward to Wyatt Earp's town of Dodge City.  After stopping in Mineola for fuel for the vehicles and boys, we head west young men and woman.  Coming into Garden City all but one ingenious adult take the scenic business route through town.  Mr. Grimes, having been the last in line the entire day, gets his revenge by taking the bypass.  Passing the Kansas/Colorado border, several notice a sign on the south for Camp Amance, a Japanese/American internment camp, but there's no time in the schedule for a stop.

We arrived in Lu Junta around 6:15 pm (now on Mountain Time) to find Mr. Grimes (the slow-poke) waiting on everyone to show up!  Almost, but not quite too late for supper, we trek across the campus of Otero Community College to the cafeteria for spaghetti.

After dinner we returned to the Koshare Indian Museum's Kiva where we would spend the night as guests of Boy Scout Troop 232 and Venturing Crew 2230.  The Kiva is fashioned after a Hopi Kiva.  Hopi Kiva's were originally dug into the ground, covered with logs and people had to enter down a ladder through a hole in the roof.  This one is above ground and has doors and is part of the museum complex.  The museum has one of the top three Indian artifact collections in the world.  And tehy let Scouts in here?

We will be sleeping in the Kiva with a Venturing Crew (Troop 289, Don Ayers).  Sleeping under 40 tons of interlaced logs held together by 7 nails (to meet building codes).  We were told to arrive about 7:30 to get a good seat.  In the meantime, we looked around the museum and gift shop.  The weather is starting to look bad with thunderstorms in the area.  Before the show starts, a full-arced rainbow appears.

At the beginning of the Koshare Indian Dancers' show, the announcer tells us two clans are represented: the Kiowa and the Sioux.  Different dances of different tribes are demonstrated.  The Koshare are the clowns of the Pueblo Indian culture.  (It's worth noting that ALL the dancers are Boy Scouts.)

All the dancers have to do research to make sure their dress and dances are historically accurate.  They make their own costumes, learn the dances, memorize the songs & chants, all while maintaining their school grades and Scout rank advancements.  Their chiefs have to hold Eagle rank.

The Koshare Indian Dancers were founded by James Francis "Buck" Burshears in 1933.

After the show, we brought in our sleeping gear, got as comfortable as we could on the wood floor or concrete seats.  Most were asleep about 10:30 pm.

NEXT: DAY 2