Troop and Crew 583 Campout
at Falcon State Park - between Zapata, Texas and Roma, Texas
May 16-18, 2008
Falcon Campers - from the Troop - ready to leave on the campout
Falcon Park website.
We arrived at sunset, and began pitching tents in the last bit of sunlight.
The new Scouts had opportunity to perfect rapid tent pitching.
It began to sprinkle on us as we pitched the tents, and drizzled for several hours.
Crew Advisor views the morning.
Scouts making breakfast.
The Crew and Troop went on a hike around the park in the morning, then, after lunch went fishing.
Fishing in Falcon Lake. The ground was soft.
The lake is lower than it was a few months ago, but higher than the disasterous low levels 10 years ago.
No luck with the fish, but the dead brush ate some of the gear.
Temporary shelter building practice
A 9.5 x 9.5 foot light tarp held up with 2 hiking poles. Set up to make a wind shelter and shade.
The hand straps linked together to prevent the lashing from slipping
Two milspec ponchos snap together and may form a tent.
Crew camp, with bear bag hanging
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Found on the morning hike - What seems to be a red tick actually feeds on insects. It is 3/16 inch or 5mm long.
Our local expert, identified this as
a red velvet mite (Trombidium spp.).
As larvae they are parasitic blood suckers, feeding on other arthropods (grasshoppers, cicadas, etc.)
as nymphs and adults they are predators, feeding of small arthropods and their eggs.
Thanks RM for the identification.
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We took a second hike in the late afternoon. It was getting warm.
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It has been very dry and much of the brush in the park does not seem to be alive.
The mesquite does have green leaves.
Falcon Dam, on the Rio Grande (called Rio Bravo in Mexico) - dedicated by President Eisenhower in 1954.
Note lake level has been higher within the last 12 months.
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A cottontail rabbit, doing what they do well... running. - - - - - - - - a Bat condo.
Order Lagomorpha - Family Leporidae - Sylvilagus spp. - - - - - - - - There are certainly enough insects.
The park has a garden area where native plants are cultivated and labeled.
A small Texas Ebony tree with mature beans and flowers.
The small flowers on the Ebony
The Horse Crippler cactus - Echinocactus texensis It has large pink to red flowers in Spring followed by red berries.
Guapilla a prickly bromiliad. Hechtia glomeratas
Breaking camp and packing up on Sunday morning.