Pictures from the Annual Knights of the Altar Boys' Camp

Make My Monday

First: The Campsite and What They Do There

Gabey, standing on the dock near camp, watching a gaggle of little campers testing for the leak in Dan's air mattress.  (Yes, the old-timer counselors do, indeed, bring air mattresses with them -- and get really irritated when they spring leaks...)

The canopy that covers the altar for morning Mass.  I think I envy this experience more than anything.  

The choir.  I would love to be a bird on a tree nearby listening to this choir...

Here's the campfire site.  Usually the campers have a big bonfire every night, but this year, due to the forest fire danger, they built a big support on two tripods and hung lanterns from the crossbar.  They tell me it wasn't the same, but it worked in a pinch.   You can roast mini marshmallows on twigs over lamplight...

Then:  The Customary Trip Down to Blue Mesa Lake and What The Boys Do There

Always gotta have some volleyball going - but take a closer look at this game...

See?  It's actually mud volleyball...  What could make a bunch of little boys happier?

Kayaking...

And the ever-popular being-pulled-behind-a-motorboat-on-an-inner-tube sport.

And of course there's got to be some fishing!  Gabe getting some fishing pointers from wonderful Fr. Jurado here.

And Finally: The Hilight of Boys' Camp, the Trek up Mt. Crucis, Carrying the Cross

Looking across to Mt. Crucis.  The campers will hike up to the top of that highest peak...

Carrying the pieces of the three crosses.

Check out the scenery all around them!  They're on the top of the world up there.

This shot gives an idea of how steep the path is.

The priests always get first right to carry pieces of the cross.  Shown here, Fr. Trough and Fr. Gronenthal.

Stations of the Cross Said Along the Way:

"We made it!"  (There's Gabey in the hat)

Assembling the pieces of the crosses.
Each of the priests accepts the honor of hammering inthe nails.  Fr Gronenthal here.

And Fr. Trough. 

Check out the really cool "angel wing" clouds that appeared just above the mountain.  

Here are all the campers and counselors with the five priests in the center, closest to the cross.
(l-r) Fr. Gronenthal, Fr. Bernard, Fr. Jurado, Fr Trough, and Fr. Gabriel just in front

And here are my boys: (l-r) "Adopted" boys, Omar and Rev. Mr. Borja (good ole Carlos),  with Dan, Gabe, and Dominic.

The View From Up There 
(As close to being there as you can get)





Thanks for the pictures, Dominic!
(And thanks for bringing my camera back safely!!)