It was another great time at Family Camp. We reserved a very nice group campsite at Jacob Lake Recreation Area in Arizona this year. It had a great covered gathering area with tables, water and bathrooms and many level areas under the ponderosa trees to camp and play. We used it as a base camp to go on some other nearby adventures that we did earlier in the day and then came back to visit, play games and eat some really great meals. We were a little worried it might be too hot, but weather at camp was perfect and it even got cold at night. This year we had Paul, Bean and me, Lou, Ellie, Afton and Joel, Jay and Brynn and girls - Madi, Tahlia, Essie and Clara, Ferf and Torin came for part of the time, Derek and Kaebri, Tasia, Zade and Trigg (Tasia had to leave early for work), Juge and Lance and Eden, Noah, Sarai and Zion (Eden had to leave early for work), Supe and Beacher, Jem and Kaia came for part if the time. We missed quite a few, but it was still a blast. Our total was 30 overall. Paul and I brought our camp trailer. Derek stayed at Jacob Lake Inn to be able to use his C-PAP and his kids camped. Juge and Lance brought their camp trailer. Supe and Beacher brought their truck camper. The rest stayed in tents. Oh, Juge and Lance brought their kitten, Pippin, and he just hung out in camp and charmed everyone. So cute.
Monday morning after everyone got ready we went over to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and saw the sights. It is such an awesome place and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We went to the Lodge and some of the overlooks nearby it and then we stopped off for a picnic lunch overlooking the canyon.
Next we went to the cave near where the Widforss Trailhead begins. Here's the history of it. "James T. "Uncle Jimmy" Owens, a former Texas cowboy and Yellowstone buffalo warden, was requested by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to transfer to the North Rim to manage predator populations in the newly established 727,000-acre Grand Canyon National Game Preserve. Owens spent the next 23 years at the Grand Canyon and . This cave, however, was not his residence. Owens actually lived in a cabin on the rim during his tenure as a game warden. He is thought to have smoked meat in this cave. During this time, Owens and his dog, Pot Hound, claimed to have eliminated over 600 mountain lions between 1907 and 1919 as part of the preserve's wildlife management strategy. This predator removal had significant ecological consequences. The deer population exploded from approximately 10,000 in 1906 to between 30,000 and 50,000 by 1922. The overpopulation led to widespread overgrazing, affecting both livestock and the deer themselves. The landscape bore witness to these changes, with quaking aspens and just about anything else the deer could reach suffering severe defoliation. The effects of the deer overpopulation suppressed foliage regeneration for over a decade. Much has changed since Uncle Jimmy's time on the North Rim."
After that, we went on to Crown Point and Imperial Point overlooks. It is all SO GRAND! It was quite a day! As long as people were fed in a timely way, they all stayed happy and had fun riding in each other's cars and just hanging out visiting with the cousins. Then it was back to camp for games and good food.
Tuesday morning we went over past the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument to the Historic Navajo Bridge and the little visitor's center there. We all got to look down upon the mighty Colorado River. Unfortunately there weren't any condors there this time. Then we moved on to Lee's Ferry and had a picnic lunch at the Lonely Dell Ranch. It was pretty hot. There were some ripe plums in the orchard that we could eat. After we were all fed and very hot, we went on down to the Colorado River and had such a fun and very cool beach party playing in the sand and enjoying the very cool river waters. It was so refreshing. Then it was time to head back to camp.
That evening after dinner we celebrated my birthday with singing, presents and cake! It was lovely and the cake was good and the presents too! It was my 70th! What a great place to celebrate it with so much family and in such a beautiful place and just relaxing! We also gave Derek his late birthday present another evening. It was for his #48! I forgot to say that in the morning that day Brynn presented me with my "birthday crown and sash" and said I was supposed to wear it all day...and I did! People probably wondered about me when they saw me all decked out, but it was fun!
Wednesday was check out day, but we had until 1 pm, so after breakfast and getting packed up some we took a little side trip to see the historic ranger's cabin and the actual sink hole of Jacob Lake. Then we went on a short drive to find a climbing site that Supe wanted to check out, and it was a cool place and a great camp spot for future use.
Then we headed back, finished packing up and had lunch with lots of leftover lunch stuff. That worked out very well for Brynn and me not to have to worry about trying to take it home and try to keep it cold.
It was a GRAND Family Camp! Next year will be #22. Lou and Bryan will be in charge! Looking forward to another great one then!!!
We missed Bryan and Brady, Brynnli, Tavin, Kennis and Koen, Moss, Christie, Brenden, Eliza, Kai - 11 people.
