Dear Back2Basics Families,
Friday morning started off with a great breakfast and intentions group. Intentions Group allows us to share our goals and plans to fulfill our goals throughout the week. Following the group we started packing our bags and vehicles with supplies. Early in the afternoon, we hopped in the vans and set off on a 2.5 hour drive toward Roosevelt Lake. Everyone was excited to spend the weekend in the Four Peaks Wilderness. A dusty dirt road led directly to our campsite. The campsite had a pre-built fire pit in the middle of the orange rocks and dirt. We unloaded the vans and picked places to set up our tents for the weekend. While preparing dinner, the setting sun was reflecting off of the mountains and clouds illuminating the surrounding area with golden light. We had a delicious dinner of sausage and cheese tortellini. The weather was ideal. We sat by the fire in T-shirts enjoying the weather. A full moon rose as the sun continued to fade leaving the landscape bright with a blue hue. We went to bed full of excitement knowing we would have more adventure the next day. We fell asleep as the coyotes howled in the distance.
Saturday morning started off with coffee, bacon and pancakes. We ate breakfast looking at Brown’s Peak. The peak is 7,659 feet above sea level. We packed our lunches and water in preparation for the adventure ahead of us. The road to the trailhead was not paved and mostly uphill. As we approached, everyone became more and more eager to summit the peak. It began to snow lightly, the temperature dropped and strong winds picked up. The 6 mile hike began with a gradual ascent followed by an almost vertical scramble to the top. The scenic desert landscape hosted various native plants, including saguaro cacti. The peak offered stunning views and a great sense of accomplishment. At the top of the peak everybody was full of happiness and an overwhelming sense of achievement. We did a daily reading at the summit. During our descent the colors in the sky were breathtaking. That night we enjoyed a wonderful dinner of chicken fajitas next to the campfire. As the sun set and the moon rose we held a recovery meeting. Our meeting focussed on isolation and how it plays into our addiction. After our meeting we told scary stories and went to bed with the sound of coyotes howling.
Sunday morning was cold yet beautiful. Smells of coffee boiling and the bacon sizzling gave us energy for another amazing adventure in the Four Peaks Wilderness. After breakfast we loaded up in the vans with our day packs driving east to the trailhead. The gradual downhill trail led us into a dry riverbed. As we explored the riverhead we encountered small pockets of water surrounded by smooth rocks. Among the water and rocks were many beautiful plants and cacti. We stopped for lunch in the wash enjoying our sandwiches. Next we headed to Roosevelt Lake to swim and have dinner. The water was cold although refreshing after 2 days of hiking. While playing cards a couple of rain clouds rolled in. A rainbow appeared over the lake while we grilled dinner. It began raining as we were packing up to head back to the campsite. Luckily the clouds quickly passed. Around the campfire we talked about the highs and lows of our day.
Monday morning we all woke up, took down our tents and packed the remaining gear. We arrived back in Flagstaff, unloaded our gear, cleaned up and ate. It was a fantastic weekend.
With Love,
B2B Boys
