June 30, 1997-Day 7:

After breakfast and taking down our tents, we decide to stop by the "lean to" before departing camp to participate in the tomahawk throw. This is an opportunity to throw a tomahawk, or "hawk" as the mountain men say, some 30 feet to strike your selected target, usually a hat or neckerchief, and stick the "hawk" in the stump. Each person gets four throws. Chris starts us off by sticking the "hawk" three out of four times. Everyone else does their best but no one can tie, or beat, Chris. I, however, am the last to throw. Having stuck the "hawk" seven out of seven times during my last trip to Philmont, the pressure is on. Keeping my record perfect, I stick the "hawk" four out of four throws.

We then thank the staffers for a great time and hit the trail. Leaving camp we stop by the burro corral to commiserate with the animals over the long trek ahead. They however don't give us much solace, and after a few fond hugs, we continue on. The next mile is almost all up hill, and as before, we stop every few hundred feet to catch our breath.

Eventually we get to the top of the mesa and continue on to Head of Dean Camp. Upon our arrival, everyone seems to be scurrying about. Seems several bears have been in camp and one just hassled a group of guys hiking up from Dean Cow. The staffers board their four wheeler to chase the offender away while we check in and get assigned a camp site. After camp is set up, we meet one of the staffers to participate in the "Dean Challenge."

This is sort of an advanced "COPE" course stressing teamwork and helping the crew learn to work together to solve problems. It isn't long however before another bear enters the scene and all of the staffers are again hot in pursuit. None of us are able to get our camera's out in time so a rare opportunity is missed. On this night, we don't have to convince anyone that anything that might even remotely smell tasty be put into the bear bags.