Chones Expedition (Girls beware...)

Rus Reporting here:

This Blog is being hijacked to report on the Chones Expedition.  Several months ago our ward did a fathers and sons campout at the infamous Cedro Peak,  10 miles from town.  Now I am a big fan of camping, of taking my boys out and especially of cutting few corners for times sake; however camping at Cedro Peak is almost as effective as camping in the backyard.  Most the folks show up for dinner and smores and then head home to sleep in their own beds.  I was quite disgusted with the venue, seeing how Cedro Peak was actually in my home ward growing up, and has zero draws or attractions to it.  Thus I decided that my boys needed a chance to have some adventures and grow up with some stories to tell other than "do you remember the 9th time we went to Cedro Peak for fathers and son?  No, No, No, that was the 6th time we went there for the ward campout?  You get my point.  If the boys were to have fun stories to tell I would have to create a catalyst for adventure.

An annual boys trip is born:

So we need an expedition name, a destination, and some things to do?  Chones has long been NM slang for boys underwear... What better name can be had for a boys only adventure than one that automatically exclude girls.   The Chones Expedition it is. 

Our original destination was the Gila Wilderness, then NM had record rains and flooding, muddy roads, washed out canyons, evacuations, so off to the Jemez it was.  As for what to do, that just comes naturally to the Payne boys...

Who gets invited to such an event?  Any friend of the Payne family, but there is a single qualifier: the boys say you have to have a weiner.

 

 Hiking up the East Fork of the Jemez River

 The trail has about a half a dozen different bridges that the boys just loved. 

 If you stand in the middle and jump up and down the bridge starts to bounce and makes for some happy faces.

 It actually started to rain as we were out hiking, it does that every time I am up this canyon.

 

We found this cool gnome's house, Jacob said it looked like human eating a snake while holding a rock with his feet in the air.  Can you see it?

After the rains cleared up we took some time on Saturday and went and played in the Rio Del Los Vacas.  Everyone got wet.  The dads had a rock skipping contest, I am pretty sure I won of course! (This picture is of Beau before he fell in the water.)

 The boys climbed to the top of the mountain next to camp. We had a pretty stellar view.  I think we will need to head up here when the aspens turn colors

 

 

 We explored strange new places (This wasn't our latrine, we just found it out in the woods.)

 And had to show our cousins

Roger brought his camper, it was very nice to have.  The boys would go on a hike or adventure and Roger would hold down camp.



All the boys had BB gun shooting competitions. A couple of proud hunters here.

There was a rock outcropping just above camp that entertained boys for hours.

 

Other activities included:

• The Chones Spit and Whittle club, we only had 2 cut fingers and one stabbed toe.
• Fire tending with the largest stick you could find, no injuries reported
• Fighting bad guys, no good guys were injured
• Mountain climbing
• King of the Mountain
• Soda drinking (boys would just make the rounds until one of the dads would say OK)
• And a slue of other activities that will not be admitted to in front of the mothers...

Keri made us a pretty awesome camp flag that we hung next to the road. We had no less than a half dozen folks stop just to check out the flag.  (Keri wanted to buy the biggest pair of whitey-tighties she could find, but unfortunately had to make due with a size M)

Jason, Luke and Wesley Payne

Scott, Jacob, Sam and Cameron Brooks 

Galen Pearce, Rus, Jacob, and Beau Payne 

Roger, Rus, Jacob, Beau, Russel and Jacob Payne

 

And we're already planning next year's adventure...