We are outta here! Day 9 was very stressful so saying goodbye to Dan Beard and our burned out meadow campsite was easy. The hike to our next camp was our shortest and other than climbing out of "Death Valley" it was pretty much downhill losing 1000 ft in elevation. We were on the trail early to avoid the heat and we easily reached Philmont's newest camps Metcalf Station before noon. Being so early we wondered if we could push ahead but the itineraries can't be changed or we could mess up another crew. We were the only group in this turn-of-the-century railway station so we got the best site which featured a nice canopy of trees over the eating area. A shallow stream trickled between the meadow where we set up our tents later in the afternoon. The first course of business was lunch, staying out of the heat and catching up on much needed rest from Day 9!
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| Pretty much downhill now |
Most of us tried to sleep but the heat even in the shade was getting uncomfortable. The drop in elevation also made a better environment for flies so when you did get comfortable there was always something flying around your head. Only a couple of us made it the station to check out the telegraph and other items of interest from the era and I was not one of them. I would have liked to have driven some spikes on the railway tracks they were building but the heat beat me again. Before dinner we thought that were going to get hit by a storm but it passed so we felt like dodged a bullet.
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| Metcalf Station |
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| Setting up for the show |
The evening show by the camp staffers is usually off in a little amphitheater but since we were the only crew in camp they asked if we would like to stay on the porch and we happily agreed. The staffers brought around an old wagon to set their instruments on and it also provided a nice backdrop. Lanterns set on the ground and on the wagon provided the necessary light as evening approached. The staffers put on an excellent program with songs about Casey Jones, John Henry and life on the railway. Then it got even better. The band introduced themselves and asked if we had any requests, which we did, and they proceeded to play for at least another 90 minutes. They were very accomplished musicians and we were in for a treat and our best evening on the trail. We sang with them at times and they said they hadn't had a crew like ours all summer. I think they would have played all night and I'm sure they enjoyed the diversion from their normal routine as well. As we walked back to the campsite the skies were clear and some of us stood near our tents and took in the amazing star filled sky. What an amazing night.
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| Stories and songs about railway life |
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