It started about 3 this morning I think.  A little pitter patter at first, just enough to break through the evening noise and half way wake me up.  I listened to it getting stronger and stronger, thinking to myself, its going to be a soggy day.

The rain did prevent them from popping out precisely at 6:00 as they have been doing, though there were a few mad runs to the restroom, a 40 yard dash through the early morning mud.  Of the 3 bathrooms sort of near to our corner of Curry Camp, the center one is the best.  The showers are larger, there is a blast fan heater type device and it seems less trafficked for some reason.  I took advantage of the rain to get in an early shower - oddly enough I realized after I turned on the water that I had company.  What I thought was a leaf started hopping about, so before the water got hot enough to hurt it I corralled a very lively frog and deposited it outside. Probably best that it in my shower, some of the other kids may not have been as amused.  The rain was still coming down as we got ready for breakfast, and though my optimistic Irish (is that an oxymoron?) roommate thought that it would clear in a bit - such was not the case.

I moved over to the One Up Mushroom group today to participate in their challenge hike up Yosemite Falls.  The Fuee Fuees went to the base of El Capitan, while the Care Bears headed off someplace else - hard to know for sure what those Care Bears are up to, they may look cute, but they are the ones who have seen all the good wildlife (Bear, Bobcat and today, a coyote!)  Actually the Care Bears hit the spider caves today, so the mushrooms were able to look at them from a thousand feet over head.

 With the rain making the day look reasonably bleak, the kids decided to fuel up hard.
 

You will notice a pile of bacon on most plates - these little dragons really like their bacon...




After that, it was time to gear up...

....and hit the trail.






 The challenge hikes really are great opportunities for the kids to push themselves.  Its wet, steep, cold and uncomfortable.  They had to carry their own gear and rely on each other and themselves for support.  Again and again the other chaperones and I are impressed by the kids ability to stay positive and be tough in difficult situations.  Of course they complained some, who wouldn't, but they still did what needed to be done.  We do try and head off obvious mistakes, a few kids seemed to want to bring almost their entire wardrobes on some of the hikes (we lightened those loads) others came out without their day packs or jackets (we sent them back to get them) My favorite was the student who come out on trail with one hiking shoe and one tennis shoe.  Lucky they were the correct left and right shoe, just different styles.  He didn't seem too upset about the situation when one of the chaperones pointed it out, and who knows, it seemed to work for him.  Mrs Boniface kept an eye out for that sartorial misstep and caught him the next day before trail - a good catch I think.




Lunch today was another of YI hiking specialty - a pizza sandwich.  Pita bread, cold pizza sauce, sliced mozzarella, pepperoni and olives! 










It is in fact more disgusting than it sounds, and yet we all happily ate it, with the right ambiance anything can work.








Because of the rain our evening campfire was adjusted to an evening of games and activities at the outdoor Indian museum.  It is sad that the trip is almost over, but I think it has turned out very well.  They have spent time reflecting on themselves and thinking about who they are and what they are doing, and their observations have been encouraging.  I am curious to know if the time here has changed them in noticeable ways.  I think it has made what was already a close class closer, and the kids have gotten to spend time not only with their usual friends, but also classmates that they may not sit with at the school cafe too often, but who are people who they have an enormous amount in common with, and who are also friends.