A Hike in Starr County, Texas

The Troop 583 hikers met in the Hall at Holy Spirit Parish the evening of Friday, 10 November 2006
to group, inspect packs making them as light as possible and distribute gear to be used in common.
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We slept at the Parish Hall so we could get an early start.
At 5:00 AM we rose, got coffee and drove to Rio Grande City in Starr County.

At the Whataburger in Rio Grande City there we had breakfast.
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        Troop 583 Scouts            Venture Crew Members

Then we drove to the South Texas College campus and parked near FM 3167. A security guard chatted with us.

We put on our packs and headed North down the road.

We divided into 2 groups

the rabbits who hared on ahead and

the tortoises here getting properly saddled up
and who walked at a more leisurely pace.... about 2.2 mph.

The weather was almost perfect. Mild breeze out of the north, mostly overcast and tempreture in the mid 60's.

We saw a fair amount of litter along the roadside and some roadkill. Included 1 coyote, 1 small snake, a frog and a spectacularly large walking stick (insect).

The rabbits had several rest stops, this one was the last at the Monastary.

and the tortoises had one. The Scoutmasters trail mix was delicious - see bag in hand.

He who made the trail mix.

We arrived at the Monastary gate
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and hiked another .7 miles to the Monastery proper.

(click on picture above for tour of the Monastery)

Packs were lined up and leaders were ferried back to the vehicles to bring them up.

The others ferried the packs to the camp area about .3 miles south of the main Monastary building,

near Presa Placida (a large stock tank type lake which has been much diminished by drought.)

We had lunch, eating what we had carried in,

then set up camp.

The younger members set up on the ridge.

The lower part of the camp.

A meditation after tent pitching.

Then we headed up to the Monastery graveyard with hoes, rake, mattock, hatchets etc. and
cleaned up the rough growth as a service project.

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We headed back to the campsite and cooked supper - ate the dried camp food which we packed in.
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The stove running rich - - - getting better.

Most of it was delicious. (Red Beans and Rice was a little bland).

The scouts retired to a picnic table and played cards.

The adult leaders had coffee and chatted until all went to their respecive tents and slept.

Breakfast the following morning.

The next morning there was no dew so tents were packed away early.

Scoutmaster with coffee - a good sight.

We had a meeting where we discussed lessons learned.
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We packed up in vehicles and drove up to the Monastery and participated in Mass.

The campers, ready to go home. Picture taken in Monastery patio.
Scoutmaster Gamez must have taken this picture - he is not in it.

Then we drove home. Half stopped in RGC at the Whataburger and had lunch, the others drove straight home.

Those who lunched arrived at the gathering place (Garza Elemenatry School parking lot) at 2:15 PM.