Western Camping Trip 2010

In the month of June Connie and I spent a week of vacation in Colorado and retraced some steps from the Western Camping trips from the late 1960s.


We started out in Colorado Springs and took in the chuck wagon dinner show at the Flying W Ranch. It is a beautiful place and we enjoyed the gorgeous evening in the Rockies.
From there we headed up into the mountains to spend a day with Bruce and Marsha Jackson at their retirement place near Guffey, Colorado. We had a great time four wheelin in the high country.
From Jackson's we headed west over Independence Pass toward Aspen and Glenwood Springs. This is a Pass that we traveled over during the 60s.
We spent two days in Glenwood Springs and enjoyed the Hot Springs Pool. The pool is pretty much the same, but the clubhouse and shower rooms have been dramatically upgraded in recent years.
During our stay at Glenwood, we drove up to the Marble area on one afternoon. This is the campground beside Crystal Creek on the road from Redstone to Marble. I took our family to camp at this campground in 1977. It looks exactly the same.
The little settlement of Marble looks very familiar. Don't think this store existed -- at least in this format -- in the 60s, but it fits right in the motif for today.
Here is a classic picture from 1968 from the files of Don Nelson. We did not get up to the Yule Quarry on this trip, but the evidence of this historic landmark in found in the town of Marble.
Here is the warning sign that sits on the bridge. The road is still open, but you cannot go down to the Power House any longer without special permissions.
Connie sits on the bridge and piles of marble in the background give evidence that the area has a special significance.
We understand that some of this marble is being shipped to Italy. The chunks are huge!
We celebrated our 45th Anniversary on the top of Vail Mountain. Those Rocky Mountains are still as stupendous as they were in the 60s.

Back to Normal

We have just finished our 2009 Fall Convention Trip. Our journey to exhibit at four Christian school conventions included 4,300 miles of travel through thirteen states. But one of our favorite blessings of the trip was to get back to Normal -- and spend several days in the Bloomington-Normal area.

We travel in our 30 ft. 5th wheel trailer that is pulled by "Big Red", our Ford Diesel pick-up. This allows us to sleep in our own bed and have our own home wherever we park. We also carry our bicycles with us and as a result we were able to spend an afternoon riding the Constitutional Trail in Bloomington-Normal.

It was fun to see our old home on Broadway Place, and to revisit the historic Camelback Bridge that now spans the trail, rather than the railroad tracks. The Constitution Trail is one of the best bike riding trails in the country -- in our opinion.

But the greatest blessing of the visit was to have dinner with 27 friends at the Olive Garden in Bloomington. A big thank you to Jane and Dan Shickle and Phyllis Monical for contacting our friends from bygone days. We had a great time eating, fellowshipping and sharing testimonies.

We are hoping to organize a reunion Singspiration sometime hopefully in 2010. Maybe in the summer? Let us know what you think. Below are some pictures of all who gathered to break bread with us. Thanks for coming!

More Colorado Camping Trip Pictures

The Calvary Baptist Youth Group made four camping trips to Colorado from 1967 to 1970. Here are some of the best pictures from those trips. You can also see more pictures on my Facebook page, or at http://carlsonconnections.shutterfly.com/.

This picture is a classic and can be expanded by clicking on the photo. The Loveland Pass sign was on top of the pass at the summit of the old highway heading west. Several years after this picture was taken, the Eisenhower Tunnel was opened on Interstate 70. No longer must vehicles climb to the top of this beautiful vista to travel to the western slope.

Adventure was the name of the game! Here is one of the WWII surplus M37 "personnel carriers" that Pastor Don Nelson made available to our group.

Pastor Roger Creamer was our daily Bible teacher on the trip. What a beautiful classroom!

Wherever there is a youth group you will find a bathroom.

Hangin out in the Rockies -- 60s style.

Remember Jim Branemen's hearse?

...and Papa Shouse's field kitchen?

More Camp of the Woods Pictures

Here are some more pictures from the first Calvary youth group trip we took to Camp of the Woods in Northern Ontario. I have been scanning 35 mm slides via a handy-dandy ImageLab Scanner.

This little scanning tower is slick and is able to easily convert slides into digital files that can be displayed online and whatever.

Here are a few of the slides that I will post here on Treasures. I hope to put the rest of the pictures of the Canada trip on my Facebook page, or at http://carlsonconnections.shutterfly.com/.

I have been very busy with work, activities, plus some travel and therefore have been neglectful of keeping up with all of my online website/blogs. We were on vacation right after I posted the video clips that provoked controversy. I know that the fooling around was typical youthful immaturity, and that I was immature enough to join in the tomfoolery. But it was what we were and what we did. Aren't we glad that we all have grown up? God has truly been gracious to us all.

Brother Al doing some serious painting?

Jed Waters showing how to do it.

Calvary crowd with the Ohio group

Mourning guys!!

Is that Angie swinging a mean axe?

Vawter Brothers Old Time Movies

Here are some film clips taken by Wayne Vawter on a vintage 8mm camera in 1967. This was shot on our first Colorado Camping Trip, high up on Treasure Mountain, south of Aspen, near the town of Marble. Roger Vawter has brought this timeless and priceless filmography into the 21st Century by translating the images into digital technology.

The first clip is called "The Hanging." I can't believe that I let them do this to me.



The second clip is entitled "The Mine Rescue." Do you think these film clips could be entered into some kind of competition for "classic films" or other appropriate category? Can you name the cast members in both videos?

Camp of the Woods 1969

In the summer of 1969 we made the first trip to Camp of the Woods near Dryden, Ontario. Missionary Garland Cofield invited us to come for a week of work and missions outreach at the camp. About 20 made that first trip, but the youth group from Calvary returned many times after that first introduction.

In fact, the youth group at Faith Baptist in St. Paul, Minnesota, where I went as pastor in 1970, also made many trips to Camp of the Woods. Wayne Vawter and I led a number of trips to Canada while serving in Minnesota. Below are some candid snap shots from Roger Vawter of that first trip. They are priceless memories from a very long time ago.

If you have pictures of other trips please let me know.

Dave Lingle, Cindy Zogg, and Al Fernandez sittin on the wall. Do'in what?

Gloria Barker all wired up!

Paula Green washing her hair in the big bath tub.

Jed Waters and his catch.

Pastor Weniger, Jed Waters and Jim Cofield clean the catch. Did we eat them?

Who is this? Could it be that skinny youth pastor?

Pictures from Then and Now

I love the pictures that have been sent -- please send more!! Looks like this picture of Dennis and Angie was taken at Camp-of-the-Woods, is that right? Would love some more pictures from CoW days. I have some slides from CoW, but have not secured the capability to turn the slides into digital images.

By the way, I just received 49 pictures from one of my college roomates who is helping in a radio broadcasting project among the 1st Nation people in Northern Ontario. They are broadcasting the gospel from Round Lake, which is an isolated town that Garland Cofield took me to in 1977. I will share some of those pictures later.

Here is a great photo of the Ayers' gang from the 70's (according to Betty).

Up to date portrait of Russ and Betty Broadfield. I love these pics -- send more!!

I believe this photo is from the 1968 Colorado Camping Trip. I think it was taken at Telluride. Anyone remember the cold night in Telluride? That place has become a very expensive resort area, but we were there before it became famous. No, we didn't discover it. We're not "that" old.

Here is Larry and Reta Shoup having breakfast with us in Florida this January. We sent a day together visiting Sanibel Island and eating a couple of meals -- including one at Steak n Shake.