AZ Pack 618: June 2015

The following notes about RC

have been collected over the years by prior Cubmasters. I know that this is

longwinded,

but hopefully you’ll find it helpful.

Here are the biggest changes from years past:

* BRING A TENT!

* Arrive 1 pm.

* Boys 10 and older need a $5 fishing license, even if they only want to catch crawdads.

If anyone has questions (or suggestions for additional notes!), please contact brett.carlson@gmail.com.

Payment

Full payment is due by May 15. You can no longer pay on arrival , so please settle up with the council

soon if you still have a balance due. You can make online payments through

http://www.doubleknot.com , or you can call the council office at 602.955.7747 .

Medical Forms

Remember that both scouts and parents need to have recent physical exams signed by a medical

professional, and you need to have completed health & medical record forms with you upon arrival. You

should have received blank health & medical record forms with your RC

confirmation email that you can

complete and bring with you. I will attach another copy to this email.

The form requires a signature from a medical professional. If you aren’t able to see your regular doctor

before camp, you can get a walkin

“camp physical” at Walgreens or any urgent care.

The rules say that you are not supposed to have any meds at all in the campsites . If the signed medical

form indicates that you or your son regularly take medications, the nurse might ask about them at checkin.

Technically, the nurse is supposed to keep them and bring them to you at mealtime.

That said, the nurse has always been more than reasonable about working with parents on meds. If you or

your son regularly take medications, please do not stop while you are at RC.

It’s a physically

demanding environment away from home, so it’s a terrible time to go cold turkey on your meds.

Cell Service (or lack thereof)

ASSUME THAT YOU WILL BE COMPLETELY OFF GRID WHILE YOU ARE AT CAMP. Phone and data

service is improving year by year, but it’s still spotty in the camp. Last year a few people had service in the

campsites, and a few more had service in the parking lot. Boys may not use electronics at all during camp,

though, and it’s a great opportunity for all of us to put the phone away for a few days. Even if you do

have service, you will not have electricity to charge your phone, so please leave it in the car or in the tent. If

you use your phone as a camera or compass (as I do), please leave it in airplane mode while you are

around the others. I find it greatly relaxing to be away from the news for a few days, and nothing ruins the

mood more than a bunch of people texting, Facebooking, web surfing, etc.

Food

Food is adequate cafeteria fare (corn dogs, mac & cheese, etc.) oriented toward a Cub Scout palate. It’s not

great, but it’s not bad. Kids and adults get the same prescooped

portions of the same food, and there is

very little room for customizing (e.g., couldn't get pasta without sauce). If you or your kids are very picky

eaters, you might want to bring some backup food or snacks.

Every meal had a hot entree of some sort. Every breakfast had hot and cold cereal available. Every lunch

and dinner had a nice salad bar and soup available. Fruit and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are

available 24/7 at a separate table. Water, coffee, tea and hot chocolate are always available.

The food is prepared and served by a commercial catering service, so they are very aware of allergens

and safe food handling practices. While they do discourage special food orders for picky eaters, they will

try to accommodate special diets for allergies and other medical conditions. If you have a specific concern, I

would encourage you to contact the camp director directly.

Camp Attire

They ask that boys be in Class A uniforms at checkin,

while performing flag ceremonies, and at dinner

every night. Adults do not need a uniform or any other special clothing. Adult leaders are not required to be

in uniform, but we typically bring our uniforms and wear them when the boys are wearing theirs.

I like to see the boys in full uniform (including pants, neckerchief, hat and socks) when they do the flag

ceremony in front of the whole camp. Otherwise, though, I recommend leaving the neckerchief in camp so it

doesn’t get lost.

Scouts who just graduated from Bear to Webelos can wear either the blue uniform or the tan uniform. If you

wear the blue uniform, you can still wear your webelos neckerchief and hat.

The camp staff will give you a tshirt,

hat and totem (necklace) at checkin,

and everyone is supposed to

wear at least one of those items when they are not in uniform for security reasons. I burn through at least

two tshirts

per day, but they seem to use the same shirt design every year, so I bring all my old camp shirts

to reuse

while I’m there. (I’m not wearing the same shirt for four days, I promise!)

We typically wear our yellow pack shirts for the RC

Challenge on the last day. Our pack has shirts for sale,

you can get one from Scott MacPherson.

Camp Geography

The camp itself is at the base of the Mogollon Rim in the pines, on the shore of Christopher Creek. It’s a

great setting, but it is rugged. There is a lot of walking involved, including a lot of hill climbing and walking

on gravel and dirt paths. Kids (and adults!) are typically very tired at the end of the day.

Campsites have water nearby, but not electricity. Each site has an outhouse nearby; more modern facilities

(including showers and running water) are always available near the dining hall.

The sites have fire pits, but fires (including oil lanterns and all other open flames) will almost certainly be

banned by the USFS for the whole month of June. The camp has a gaspowered

fire pit for the large

campfires, but I would not expect to have fires in the sites. We should be able to build fires when we family

camp in September.

Driving to Camp

Camp RC

is just over two hours away on Highway 260 east of Payson, near mile marker 271.5. It's

about 2 miles past Camp Tontozona on the right hand side of the road. Last time I was there, construction

forced all traffic into the westbound lane just before the turn. It's pretty well marked even during

construction, so just watch for the signs. The camp is on the south (right hand) side of the road. Proceed

down the gravel road to sites 7 & 8, as noted below, and check in as soon as you arrive. If you get to the

"Christopher Creek Loop" turnoff, you went too far. Watch out for the two photo radar stations as you pass

through Star Valley unless you want to spend a Saturday in traffic school.

Checkin

is now at 3 pm . There’s really no need to get there early, but in 2014, early arrivals were allowed

to go directly to the site and begin setting up. Last year there wasn’t anything on the schedule until the 5

pm orientation hike, so if you arrive at 3 pm or even a little bit afterward you should have plenty of time to

check in and set up without missing anything.

Note that there is a Walmart just past the 87/260 intersection in Payson in case you forgot anything, like a

fishing license. There is also a Walmart on Shea Blvd. in Fountain Hills on the way out of town.

Stuff to Bring

The camp confirmation letter that you received has recommendations about what to bring on the back. In

addition, we’ve collected the following recommendations over the years regarding other gear to bring:

∙ You will need to bring your own tent. The camp form says to bring a 2 man tent, but I have no desire

to spend three nights with another person and all our gear crammed into something that small. A four man

tent is much better. I plan to use a fourperson

7’x 8’ dome tent that can accommodate two cots; you can go

bigger or smaller as you prefer. Lots of tents that will match all budgets are available from Amazon,

Walmart, Big 5, REI, etc etc etc. If you need help selecting a tent, just ask.

If you buy a new tent, I strongly recommend putting it up once at home so you can verify that all of

the parts are there.

∙ Jacket, fleece or sweatshirt . It gets colder at night especially for star gazing. Last year the temps

were about 90 by day, 55 by night. Kohl’s Ranch is probably the nearest weather station, and it’s a good

idea to check the forecast before you leave.

∙ Cots are highly recommended (if your tent is big enough). If you buy a new cot, make sure all the

parts are in the bag before you leave for camp. In lieu of or addition to cots, you can bring an air mattress.

Air mattresses can and do puncture, though, so I prefer cots.

∙ Garbage bags . I like to bring a giant garbage bag for laundry, and a smaller garbage bag for trash in

the tent.

∙ Squirt Guns(???) . In the past, the last day was an allout

squirt gun battle, and people definitely

brought some heavy firepower. This year, the rumor is that BSA policy no longer allows squirt gun battles. I

haven’t heard anything official, so I plan to bring a supersoaker to leave in the car just in case. Last year

they sold really nice Super Soakers for $1020

at the camp.

∙ Cooler . I like to bring an ice chest with a big block of ice to keep some drinks and snacks cold. They

do have a trading post that sells drinks and snacks, including Coke and Pepsi products, Icees, candy, chips,

etc. Last year I brought two big blocks of ice that lasted through Saturday night. You can buy ice at the

trading post for $1.50/bag.

∙ Coat hanger for class A uniform. Scouts have to put their uniforms on every day for flags, so there's

lots of changing in and out, and a hanger helps keep track of all of the parts. ***HIGHLY

RECOMMENDED!!***

∙ Lawn/Camp chairs . There are picnic tables in the sites, but camp chairs are more mobile and more

comfortable.

∙ Fishing licence and fishing gear for the stream (see below). Adults and boys 10 or older need a

fishing license, even for catching crawfish . Kids 9 and under do not. Youth licenses are only $5, and you do

not need to buy a separate trout stamp anymore. You can get a license online here , or at any sporting

goods store. You can get a fishing license at Walmart in Fountain Hills or Payson (along with bait ) if you

forget to get one in advance. They do not sell fishing licenses at camp, so be sure to get one ahead of

time.

∙ Water bottle or pack . “Drink and pee, drink and pee, it’s what you do at RC.”

Lots of people use a

day pack or fanny pack or a Camelback (water pack) for walking around all day. I use a Camelbak, but they

do provide ice water at all the activities, so if you just have a bottle, you can refill frequently and be just fine.

There is drinking water available in each campsite.

∙ Flashlight for you and your son. You don’t need anything fancy, the cheap LED lights that you can

get in checkout lines are perfectly fine.

∙ Pajamas, pillow and blanket . Some people like a light blanket for on top of the sleeping bag. It will

get down to about 50 degrees or so at night, so exposed skin can get cold. I generally believe in travelling

light, but this isn’t backpacking, so if you need something to be comfortable, go ahead and bring it.

∙ Earplugs . I’ve never heard it myself, but I’m told that we have some snorers in our pack. And there

are occasionally odd noises from the nearby campground. Light sleepers might want to consider earplugs.

∙ Pocket knife (Bear scouts & older only). Tigers and wolves may NOT carry knives at all, and camp

staff will confiscate them if they see them. Other boys may carry knives if they have earned their Whittlin’

Chip card. The knife safety class that they provide is woefully inadequate, so please watch your son and

ensure that he knows how to use a knife safely if you let him carry a knife.

∙ Sun screen and bug repelle nt. We didn’t have bug problems last year, but sites closer to the creek

did. I don’t know where we will be located, so I plan to have repellant with me. Sunscreen is a necessity.

∙ Coffee mug . If you're a coffee drinker, bring a thermal coffee cup with lid for transporting coffee from

dining hall to camp. If you want to be the most popular person in camp, bring a stove and make coffee to

share!

∙ Small broom for keeping tent clean. The amount of crud that accumulates on the tent floor by day 4

will amaze you. (Another good reason to use a cot....). If you don’t have a broom,you can probably just

borrow one from someone as needed. Some folks also bring a small carpet to use as a welcome mat and

thereby control dust outside of tent.

∙ Sunglasses

∙ Lantern (batterypowered!)

or similar flashlight, optional but very handy for the tent at night.

∙ Long pants It

gets cool at night, and you're supposed to have long pants to wear horseback riding. I

think they let someone ride with shorts one year, but just in case...

∙ Wristwatch . Each day has a fairly tight schedule of activities. If you normally rely on a cell phone as

your clock, you probably won’t get any reception in most parts of the camp, and there is nowhere to

recharge batteries. So I prefer a wristwatch.

∙ Shoes . The flyer says bring an old pair of tennis shoes. I'd say bring a pair that you don't ever want to

wear again. Ever. Open toed shoes are not allowed in camp, but I like to have a pair of sandals or crocs for

wearing around camp or in the creek.

∙ Swimsuit, water shoes and towel for “fishing ”. There is no pool at camp and the creek is pretty

shallow for swimming, but “fishing” for crawdads involves wading in the creek. Some kids get really into it,

and it is much easier to clean them up if they are in a swimsuit.

Fishing

***Note that the state laws changed in 2014, and everyone ten and older now needs a fishing license,

even for catching crawfish! I’ve never seen a game warden in camp, but the fine is expensive if you get

caught, so I wouldn’t risk it. You can get a license online here , or at any sporting goods store. If you

forget a license, you can get one at Walmart in Fountain Hills or Payson en route to camp. Youth licenses

are only $5, adult licenses are $37. All licenses now last for a full 12 months, and they include trout, urban

fishing and multipole

privileges, so it's a pretty good deal. Kids 9 and under do not need a license. You no

longer need to purchase a separate trout stamp or multipole

stamp.

One of the most popular freetime

activities is crawfish catching. A simple stick or pole (we used a piece of

PVC one year) with 58

feet of fishing line and a hook will work, or you can use a regular fishing pole. I just

tie a swivel leader to the end of the line and then use a small trident hook for holding the bait.

More important than the pole, though, is a net with a long handle (maybe 3 feet long) and a fine mesh that

doesn’t allow the crawdads to slip through. Think butterfly net (or pool skimmer!) rather than a traditional fish

net. Once the crawfish grabs the bait, you can hoist them out of the water and catch them in the net; most

times the bait will still be on your hook.

The best bait I saw last year was bacon, but crawfish aren't fussy; anything greasy will work. I usually bring

a bag of jerky to use as bait. If you forget bait, you can always buy Slim Jims at the Trading Post.

Trout were plentiful in 2013, but nonexistent

in 2014. If you want to catch trout, I recommend getting up

early before the kids start tromping through the creek looking for crawdads. The guy at the fishing station

once told me that he uses #8 hooks for trout, and he alternates between PowerBait and salmon eggs

depending on what seems to be working for a particular day. He says trout bite best just after sunrise, then

it trails off throughout the warmer parts of the day.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions. See you all there!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Wednesday, June 3, 2015