Timberline: Choosing Bristlecone, Eagle

Timberline: Choosing Bristlecone, Eagle

                      (Timberline part 2)

The following year Doug Binks was called to be the Course Director / Scoutmaster. He called me to be an Assistant Scout Master over facilities. That was the start where we would work together on Timberline as District, Council and Region Staff members throughout the next 15 years and a couple of years on Woodbadge staff. I enjoyed working with Doug and accomplished a number of major things while working with him that improved the courses not just for the district but also the council and region.

I will write about these in later stories as I complete my section of history about Timeberline. That year however was a major milestone for me as I was asked to find a place for our course to be held. As I checked with my LDS Stake to see if we could use Bennion Creek again I found that it was already booked for that year so I had to find another location. As we were traveling to Duchesne one weekend I noticed a sign that said BSA Camp near Kyune Utah, a then total ghost town and basically only a rest stop on the way to Price. So on the return trip I decided to drive up and see what the camp looked like so I would know if it was a possibility to be used for our course that year.  It was almost seven miles straight up one of the ridges going south from Highway 6 before I came to the top and could see over into the next canyon where the camp was located. I got out and looked at it and decided right then that I wanted to use it. It was a beautiful area. As I got back into the van and started down the hill an Eagle took off from the side of the road and flew across in front of us and I felt then that it was the right spot. I went on down into camp and found an old cabin and what looked like an area that had been used to set up a lot of tents that would work for a staff camp. Then I found trails and ampitheaters and other camping spots that would work well for patrol campsites. I also found the wide open area to the south that would serve well for an assembly area. At this point I then knew that it was the right spot and it became the right spot for several more years for Timberline, as well as one of my weeklong scout camps with my own troop, and an overnight Mountain Top experience with the Young Women of the ward.