Troop 583 campout
Alolph Thomae Park
on the Arroyo Colorado, Cameron County, Texas

The Troop decided to camp out at Adolph Thomae park which is a well developed park
just upstream from where the Arroyo Colorado empties into the Laguna Madre
and just a few miles downstream from Camp Perry which is on the other side of the Arroyo.
We had some camping advancement activities to do, and the Scouts wanted to try their hand at fishing on the piers in the park.

The campsite - arroyo in the background.
At this point it is mostly a saltwater stream. -

This Scout learned how to hold a blue crab and not get pinched.
We got some small crabs, but no fish.

The Scouts who needed to cook for rank advancement had their chance.
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- Picture of a turkey running fast, just before he ducked into a brushy area. -
Early in the morning a Tom Turkey peeked out from the othe side of the road - to see if it was safe.
He went back into the brush then led a small group of wild turkeys across the road.
They ran behind the restroom building then cut across the open grassy area and dashed disapering into a brushy area near the Arroyo.
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The mosquitos were fierce, even walking down the middle of the paved park road.
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It had rained for several days about 10 days before our camp out. Which was just right for a major mosquito hatch out.
They were absolutely fierce. Those campers in travel trailers who winter in this park every winter for many years told us that they had never seen the mosquitos so numerous.
The netting on the tents was really tested and those who had difficulty sleeping hearing the hum of the little bloodsuckers outside the tents did not sleep well.

Toward the end of Saturday we took a vote. All that we needed to do for advancement had been done. The fish were not biting... for anybody even the semi-professionals on the pier.
We voted to pack up and head home, saving some of our blood for ourselves.

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We asked about a service project when we arrived.
The park rangers provided us with some large trash bags for an area clean-up.
We did leave the camp area better than we found it.

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