Dear Families,
This past weekend we backpacked to The Goldstrike Hot Springs, which is on the Nevada side of The Colorado River, just below Hoover Dam. On Friday morning we woke up and had our End of Week Review that we do before we leave for our adventures. This is where we go over our weekly intentions and set new intentions for the weekend. Two of the boys had family visits last week so we had a lot to talk about during that group. We then got packed, made food bags and prepared to leave. It was a three-hour drive or so. We got there around 5:30 pm, and started our descent down the gulch as it began getting dark. The trail was three miles starting with a gradual decline that went into some down climbs with ropes on steeper sections. Once we arrived at the campsite, we set up and got right into the hot spring for a nice soak.
On Saturday morning we woke up to some canoe tours pulling up to check out the hot springs from the river. A couple guys, who were up early, meditated in the hot springs. It was a beautiful spot with really cool jagged rock walls that towered above us, and the Colorado River just below the gulch that the hot springs sat in. After breakfast some of the boys went to The Sonic Cave which is a cave with a hot spring in an old mine shaft. It was safe but dark and very cool to explore. To get to the cave we had to wade through the side of the river. After getting back from the cave, a small group of boys and a guide went on a scramble up one of the sides of the gulch. It was a really exciting climb and we ended up going up the top of the canyon walls. From the top we were able to see the Hoover Dam. We felt so accomplished! After climbing back down all of the boys went into the hot springs for a nice long soak, which was great after the exercise. Afterwards we ate dinner, and regrouped for a Recovery meeting. We read a short story from the AA big book and shared our perspectives and how we related. After the meeting we had one last soak before bed.
On Sunday Morning we got up early, and made breakfast. We then got all of our belongings packed up, and took one last soak before or climb out. The hike out was fun, ropes and scrambles and everyone crushed the hike. We started our drive back, and to our surprise about halfway back, we got a special treat of In ‘n Out Burgers. After that we got back on the highway and about an hour before reaching Flagstaff it started snowing. We drove through the storm all the way into town. We went to Young Peeps, a meeting in a church in Flagstaff, before we got home. On Monday morning we woke up, did our community group discussed questions, comments, concerns, and feedback, and ended with affirmations about the trip and week before . Then we cleaned up and started our normal Monday routine.
With Love,
The Boys
