2013 Fall Campout

Once again the faithful MSCC journeyed out to the Mountain to partake in the fellowship and fun that is a weekend at Rancho Del Wasko. Many things had changed in the year interim since the last trip. The solar installation to the east, just started last trip, is now expansive and providing substantial clean electricity. It seems to be finished or mostly finished, as are the third set of power lines crossing Signal Road which were being worked on as well a year ago. SDG&E workers are still in evidence, finishing up something in the area. Indeed as the first few campers arrived they encountered both BP and SDG&E in the area. At the turnoff from Signal Road to the road to camp, a large triangular area is fenced in but contains only a few pallets and odds and ends. I would not be surprised if next trip it has been taken down. Finally, when the first campers arrived they found a shrine with a cross, candles, flowers, and other accoutrements just off camp near the drop to the wash. We wondered who it could be memorializing- perhaps a poor immigrant who succumbed to the summer heat in the wash below. On the top of the cross was written "ME" and under that was "Todos Bien" and "Adios". A mystery. As campers would arrive, the others would show them the shrine and we would all postulate what it meant. Regardless, as we feel that the campsite has special meaning to us, obviously it had even more significance for others. We left the shrine undisturbed and wondered who "ME" was...

The Assistant Wagonmaster Ken Bouchard Jr. and the Commissioner of Sports & Games Steve Bouchard were the first campers to arrive, having marked the turns to the camp with professional-looking paper plate signage, and not long after that the Mooney Mobile Mansion pulled in. John, Vickie, Raider & Arthur Mooney have a new motorhome which they placed strategically near the Bouchard rental RV making an efficient windbreak and sun-shield. The weather could not have been nicer- temps in the mid 70's with no wind to speak of.

Wayne Rose arrived shortly thereafter and was welcomed into camp. He had to work Sunday but we had the pleasure of his company until Saturday evening.  A bit later, after picking up the Reno Bouchard women from Lindbergh Field, the Nevada contingent arrived: Cheryl, Leah, yours truly, as well as the Californian Julie Brown, who was picked up somewhere along the way. The camp came together as the day lengthened, flags flying, firewood piled up, and the smell of grilled meats beginning to waft from the Mooney BBQ.

Mooney had brought untold pounds of marinated pollo and carne asada to share, and other campers brought fixings and other foods to contribute to a Friday night Mexican feast, and just before dinner the Myers contingent arrived. Bryan Myers, longtime camper brought out his daughter Jessica, girlfriend Patty, her son Julian, and I believe her two sisters. Coming in behind the Myers RV was Bryan's son Cody with his family- his fiancé Chelsea, and daughter Melody and little Cody Jr. They set up a tent near the Myers RV which was situated in the Wagonmaster's favorite spot, just north of the fire ring. Julie and Leah set up their tent in the bushes near the flagpole, and soon Drew and Reid Bouchard arrived along with bocce enthusiast Nate. Nate set up a very mobile tent north of the Myers compound near Reid's tent while Drew used the back of his SUV for his crash pad.

Everyone enjoyed the first tremendous meal of the campout with carne and fixings to spare. I have to say, we have eaten well in the past at Signal- killer beans, pesto (with Grey Poupon), marinated teriyaki skewers, Mexican repasts ala Rosa, stuffed hamburgers at midnight, and even catered Antonio's Hacienda food during a July birthday trip one year. All these come to mind and more. But this trip was consistently delicious- from Friday night's Mooney carne extravaganza, to the traditional delicious communal lunch buffet, to Greek Night on Saturday, to the abundant breakfast cooked by His Onher and others on Sunday morning. This camper was never unhappy with the food variety and choices available. Bravo to all the contributors and cooks out there!

Later Friday evening the OB/La Mesa contingent arrived and found the correct turnoff, much to Drew's relief. Uncle Commissioner Mickey, along with son-in-law Brandon and grandsons Zac and Nate livened up the campsite and soon had their sprawling tent erected near UM's usual parking spot.
Much conversation was heard around camp about the lack of a Firestarter as Vic Bustos never showed. The camp was perceptibly quieter this trip, missing Vic's wit, overly obvious observations, and claims of Vietnam heroism. Vic, you were missed, though most would not say that to your face.

Just a quick accolade for Jessica Myers who ably filled in for Vic tending the fire. She did great and didn't expend the majority of the wood on Friday night, like others have been known to do. She went above and beyond all trip, painting, helping and watching out for the younger campers, and digging mysterious  holes that trapped inebriated campers all weekend. Those Myers-es... Good campers all.

The rest of Friday night was spent around the campfire, enjoying the company and conversation along with a few libations. It was said that Nate's tent walked over to the edge of the road late in the evening and he was quick to blame a certain CSG for the migratory movement...

This reporter ended up staying up until 4am, wondering if he could see Comet ISON and watching Orion creep farther and farther up into the moonless heavens.

The next morning dawned way too soon for some of us, but it wasn't because of inebriation- just lack of sleep. The hours spent at Signal go by much too quickly and I always choose spending them by the fire instead of sleeping. Some of us do both: sleep right next to the fire, killing two birds with one stone, using only a simple towel...

The morning seemed to be the exact twin of the day before- hardly a breeze nor a cloud in sight. Everyone did their own thing for breakfast, whether it was Weedlemans donuts or Aunt Julie's yogurt.
This reporter arose sometime after nine- probably closer to ten and found an industrious Uncle Commissioner Mickey along with Brandon and Zac well on the road to camp beautification and upgrades. Apparently chalk had been applied to the top of the fire ring by the kids- not really the fix we had in mind, but hey, I think the fire ring is still acceptable. Maybe on a future trip we could re-stencil the Rancho Del Wasko on its side to spiffy it up. It still is holding together and contained our fires even with the size of some of the wood that burned.

Revitalizing the bocce court

Watching the revitalizers revitalize

UCM (see why it isn't "Commissioner Uncle Mickey"?) brought out several gallons of paint to rectify the fading borders of the bocce court, and he, Brandon, Jessica, Zac and others began to fix up the court. The campers gazed on in an astonished daze, both lauding UCM for his initiative while at the same time criticizing his subtle color palette changes from White to Navaho White to Eggshell White. A camper (who will not be identified here) said in her Liverpool accent that it was poor painting planning and that the color varied too much from one side of the court to the other. The sentiment was about equally divided on the matter: those who agreed with camper "V.M." (keeping  her identity anonymous), and those who agreed with her but did not want to deter the painters from their labors. Indeed, the artistry displayed by the various painters ranged from painting the ground as well as the rocks, to pouring the paint straight from the can, to finger (or should I say hand) painting by Jessica. Regardless, it was a great effort by UCM & company and it will keep the bocce play fair and the players much safer during night bocce. Good work Uncle Mickey and crew!

Cody played with only one arm all day

The rest of the morning was spent listening a certain camper scream at various intervals during a ravenous arachnid infestation. The Mooney Mobile Mansions have been plagued by vermin in the past. This reporter wonders if they are affecting the Yuha environment bringing these pests from Mira Mesa and introducing them into the fragile Signal ecosystem. Several years ago it was rodents, and this year it was huge spiders that infested their RV, both inside and out. Again, the Commissioner of Sport & Games Steve Bouchard was blamed, perhaps because he was very outspoken in his defense of the native Yuha species. Nevertheless, we know where the real blame lies... The vermin & arachnid-filled neighborhoods of Mira Mesa.

Table-side seats for the spectators

More campers arrived for Saturday. Phil Myers Sr, longtime camper and huge Obama fan drove out with his girlfriend for the day's festivities. Great to see him once again. Lots of fun memories of the Myers/Galloway annex in the late 80's and into the 90's.

The Mooney's invited a couple for a introduction to the MSCC, and they came out for the day and enjoyed the desert with us. I believe his name was Jason (correct me if I am wrong) and hers was Jenny. Jenny was an excitable and pointed competitor at Beer Pong, and would be a great addition to the MSCC. Jason stepped in as a reasonable facsimile of Vic, whom we all kinda missed at that point so he kind of filled a void. Nice folks.

Reid Bouchard (perhaps the future Assistant Commissioner of Sport & Games?) then began to organize the first ever Beer Pong Tourney to grace the sands of the Rancho. Everyone brought a six pack of beer as an entry fee to be divvied up by the winners at the end. Instead of drinking out of the cups that were the targets, Reid wisely determined that they would just have water in them while you would drink a quaff from your own personal drink if the game dictated. This was brilliant, as non-drinkers could compete, sipping their coke or Sunny D if they so chose while others would have a beer or a cocktail instead. This is obviously not Reid's first rodeo as a BP (Beer Pong not Border Patrol) tournament director, and he did a fabulous job.

Before any round-robin play commenced however, we had our traditional communal bohemian lunch spread out on several tables for all of the campers to enjoy. Many canned meat and seafood delicacies were available as well as cheeses, salamis, veggies, and many varieties of crackers, chips and dips. It is a fun finger-food feast that is easy to put together and delicious as well.

Not long after lunch, another vehicle drove into camp accompanied by the traditional "Incoming!" welcome shouts. Four people got out and everyone scratched their heads trying to identify them.
Now Mount Signal camping is pretty informal and we welcome anyone who hears about the trip and makes the effort to come out to the Rancho with open arms, but in the 40 or so years I have camped here, we have never had people just arrive out of the blue unless they were Federal employees of some Agency. People drive past; people have camped at the large campsite at the first turnoff to the right; and we've had immigrants headed north and bean runners avoiding the mordita heading south near us but never a group headed to our campsite independent of our campers.

This has always been a concern, by the way. We wondered, especially in the more open use days of the 70's & 80's what would happen if on a campout weekend Friday our first campers arrived only to find another group already encamped at the Rancho. The Wagonmaster postulated that he would still camp there, welcoming them to our sacred campsite even if we were the late arrivals...

Back to the mystery truck. As I said, four people got out: one man, an elderly lady, and two women. They walked from where they parked, probably equally stunned to see us camped there as we were them arriving, directly to the shrine we had wondered about. Turns out, it happened to be the Day of the Dead or All Souls Day... November 2nd... my birthday. They had come to pay their respects and tend to their shrine to their loved one!

It turns out they are the Esperanza family, longtime residents of the Imperial Valley and they were there to visit their patriarch, Manuel Esperanza who passed this past January at the respectable age of 84. As we introduced ourselves and told our respective stories, we found that Manuel (the "ME" on the cross) was a kindred spirit to our own dearly departed Wagonmaster. Steven, Manuel's son told me that Manuel loved the area and the Mountain and when he passed he wanted his ashes to be spread out in the nearby washes and ridges. He would often visit the area to hike or celebrate a birthday breakfast and watch the sun rise and the its light hit the Mountain. So last January, after spending the Holidays with his family and passing shortly thereafter, his family did what he wished and he rests near his beloved Mountain, just as the Wagonmaster does up on Wagonmaster Ridge just past the water tower. Manuel's widow brought him galletas and his daughters put new flowers out, communing with their much loved husband and father. I immediately felt a kinship to the Esperanzas as to me, the Wagonmaster's spirit is easily found amongst the sands and creosote bushes of the Rancho, and like the Mountain I think he looks down on us and is pleased that we still honor his memory by visiting and enjoying the desert. I think the Esperanzas have similar thoughts about Mr. Esperanza, and from what they told me about their dad, he and Uncle Mel would have been friends.

I have always considered Mount Signal special and spiritual. It is where I saw interaction and community work so well with people from all walks of life whose only common tie was knowing the Wagonmaster and being invited out to camp. I learned to shoot a rifle, drive a car, and drink under the Mountain's shadow. I learned the constellations, the movement of the planets and the phases of the moon in those Fall and Spring nighttime skies. Above all, I learned the importance of family, friends, and tradition, no matter how small or trivial.

As an adult, spending time with the Wagonmaster, Aunt Marge, my father and my uncle helped shape my values and beliefs. And when the Wagonmaster passed away in '96, the desert became even more precious to me, sacred even, as it has allowed me to quietly commune with Uncle Mel and reconnect with friends and loved ones even though we long ago moved away from the area. When I pass from this earth someday, I had thought I wanted to be up with Uncle Mel on the Mountain. That is fitting for him as he loved it so and climbed it often, starting back in '55. However the more I think about it, camp and the area surrounding it has been my refuge throughout my life. I can see why Mr. Esperanza wanted to be scattered all around the immediate area. When it is my time, I couldn't ask for better neighbors than ME and the Wagonmaster...

But enough of this sentimental gibberish! We hope that we can connect with the Esperanzas in the future and that they would feel welcome coming out for an hour or two or a day or two when we camp. Steven, I don't know if your dad enjoyed a beer or two during his lifetime, but I left one for him alongside the other things your family left. Consider us an extension of your family when it comes to Signal...

Speaking of beer, the Beer Pong matches were exciting and well-attended. There were three rows of seating watching the games, calling out rules and elbow faults (Nate) and generally enjoying the competitive spectacle. I'd have to say the tourney was a great success. Many exciting games were played throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

During the excitement of the afternoon, a longtime camper, firearms enthusiast, and yard-tall magic card deck builder arrived: Andrew Young. For the second campout out of the last 3 or 4, he was the winner of the "Farthest Travelled" accolade, beating those Nevadans yet again. Andy had been working in Orange County and decided to test out the rental car's suspension and spend the night at the Rancho. Always great to spend some time with the Northwesterner...

Andy and I

As the dinner hour approached, many campers began donning togas and other ancient classical attire. Reid had a fashion-forward striped toga while his dad's crown of laurels distracted many a camper. Mooney had leather armor protecting his toga's lower half from wayward balls (Pong or Bocce) and this reporter's favorite toga was Brandon's made from his boyhood Scooby Doo sheet. More than half the campers participated in the dressing down/toga-ing up.

Opa! The Greek dinner soon followed and was a phenomenal hit! There was Greek meatloaf and veggies, pita bread and hummus, Crunchy Greek (Taco) Salad, a "Big Ass Greek Salad", stuffed grape leaves, rice, tabouli, chicken, pepperoncinis, kalamata olives, and marinated pork so good that it could have been in the finest Greek restaurant. Drew warmed pitas over the flames while Nate grilled that delectable pork, and paired with the great tzitzi sauce Jen brought, made for my favorite thing amongst a plethora of fantastic dishes. The AWM's meatloaf was great, but the veggies that he roasted alongside it were out of this world! Can you tell I loved the Greek repast? Amazing dinner everyone!

As the camp cleaned up the after aforementioned feast and lounged about in a gluttonous manner, a surprise event was sprung on the unsuspecting campers: Mount Signal Family Feud!

Following the accolades (and trademark infringement) of last year's 60th Birthday Jeopardy, Drew Bouchard came up with the idea during UCM's wedding reception: what if we had two families compete for fabulous prizes and bragging rights Saturday night? I instantly was in. Brilliant.  Though we missed key participants such as Vic Bustos or John Martin ("For the Money!) we also saved Reid and Cody the extreme effort of getting a Manzanar-distraught Mkeeba off to bed.

The Bouchard Family!

Yours truly manned the sound effects and other technical matters while "Drew Harvey" hosted the two families: the Signalsons versus the Bouchards.

The Signalson Family!

The Signalsons were led by their Uncle Mickey with Brandon, Bryan, Jessica, Nate, and Zac filling up the rest of the contingent. On the Bouchard side was Assistant Wagonmaster Ken Bouchard leading CSG Steve, Leah, Reid, Julie and Mooney Bouchard. From the beginning it was a tight contest. Indeed, it came down to the sixth & last question and the Bouchard Family had control. They were able to deduce 4 of the 5 answers on the board, but could not get the final one for the win and ticket to Fast Money. The Signalsons had a chance to steal and go for the Fast Money themselves. Amongst several answers, the correct one was offered by Brandon, but Uncle Mickey chose a different one and so the Bouchard Family squeaked by and went to the bonus round!

Fast Money went by quickly, and despite a "Dolphin" (?!?) answer, the Bouchards ended up with 199 points out of the needed 200. But a hurried re-calculation by the unbiased MC and judge/director (both Bouchards I might add) found that the Bouchard Family had exceeded the 200 points necessary by a considerable margin! (Can you say 'hanging chads'?)  Another legendary gameshow right up there with Jeopardy and Dead or Not Dead in this unbiased reporter's opinion...

Finally the finals of the first ever Mount Signal Beer Pong Tourney pitted Mooney & Drew versus Reid and Bryan. After a close contest, the Mooney-Drew combo was victorious and split the considerable beer prize.

As the night wore on, the wind picked up and there were even a few raindrops but they quickly diminished. With the RV windbreak the camp was well screened, and the wind never rose up to an uncomfortable level. It did make Signal Sky Show III a bit more challenging however, especially lighting fuses etc. Cody & Bryan Myers really helped out and about 16 shells were fired to appropriate oohs and ahhs including a 2 shell simultaneous finale rigged by pyrotechnical genius Bryan. Shortly thereafter, Myers Mission Control went in to full launch mode. Earlier in the campout, they had thrilled the Signal onlookers with some impressive model rocket launches, but the night launches were the best yet.

Bryan rigged them with glowsticks so they were visible in the dark moonless sky and the velocity of the wind several hundred feet up took the spent rocket bodies well beyond camp. We onlookers thought they wouldn't be found, but each one was brought back after quick searches downwind.
My favorite rocket of the night featured sparklers that Bryan lit just prior to countdown. The rocket looked like a meteor streaking by with a trail of sparks. Very cool sight!

Ouzo and biscotti were passed around for the late-night revelers as obscure seventies tunes were played by yours truly for the campfire faithful. It was a fun and mellow way to end a great day under the Mountain.

Sunday dawned and soon the traditional camp breakfast was being cooked, with dozens and dozens of eggs, mounds of sausage and bacon, and lots of other breakfast fare. One of the more unusual items were UCM's meatballs, having missed the Greek dinner the previous evening. As tents were struck, campsites cleaned up and vehicles packed, another great Mount Signal weekend was in the books for the ages. Thanks to all the participants and campers who made it out and filled the weekend with laughs and great conversation. To quote the Wagonmaster;
"A mixture of humanity of all creeds, colors, occupations and religions again united in an experience unparalleled in feeling and style."
Yo dee oh lee oh!