We had a great group of 13 going  with 5 adults two were parents and 8 youth attending.  The group left Ozark AOG at 5:40 pm and headed south to meet up with the other group at the Base Camp at the bottom of devils den.  (What a name huh!)  Sure enough we made the trip up the gravel road to Coy Bald Trailhead.  We found 4 or 5 hunters camps with in a quarter mile of the trailhead.  Soon after arriving we logged in at the trailhead box and left info of how many  and where we were headed.  "devils den and Long Creek Falls."

 

We had 4 green horns that had never been backpacking with Royal Rangers.  3 of them had never been backpacking so we were in for a load of new skills learned.  Our Royal Ranger outpost had been teaching the Green Backpacking Merit the last 3 weeks and this trip was the "ENTRY" level trip.  

The hike down the 200 feet of drop went right at 3/8" of a mile due north down to the Long Creek.  We quickly packed into Base Camp and found the other part of our group already enjoying a nice campfire and had just finished supper.  They had arrived about a hour before us and was a blessing to have camp established.  

 

Soon we were busy dragging up MORE FIREWOOD as you could hear Commander Rob calling out from various parts of the forest.  MORE.... MORE.... MORE until we had a pile of wet and dry dead logs that would last us through the night and morning breakfast.  We were set!

 

Soon we had a 6' fire ring and a 6' toll fire roaring...BIG FIRE!  When you have 13 folk cooking food you need lots of coals and heat.  Commander Rob brought out the marinated pork steaks and it was wire grilled on the coals of the fire and was a big hit as it always is.  Thanks Rob!

 

Commander Rob brought the Council fire to a Spiritual Truth and talked about several laws that God has established that foster us as Christians to grow and prosper!   I hit the tent early at 10:15 and could hear 2 boys chopping away at a log for some time and ....

 

The next morning at 5:30 am.  I was wide awake.  Got up and it was a perfect morning.  What a perfect night with the full moon and the fun and fellowship we experienced.  I put on my Hunters Orange and tended fire.  Did some quiet buck sawing on a long log and set back and watched the fire and made coffee and breakfast.  After about 45 minutes the good souls at the devils den started stirring.   Each one was instructed to put on Orange before they came out of their tent or hammocks  As I looked around we had 2 that were camped out by the campfire just in sleeping bags.  3 in hammocks.  The rest in tents.

 

I heard a limb snap and fall through the trees missing the hammocks by about 2 feet.  it sounded big but after a closer look it was a small but noisy limb.  We only heard a couple of distant rifle shots.  All were in hunters reflective vests.  

Breakfast all kinds, Hot cooked donuts in powdered sugar is always a tradition and it was followed up with  the morning devotion.  Why would anyone want to go to the devils den?   I said I am not talking about this place but the place the devil rules over.   We shared around the fire each one telling what they thought.  My hope was  God by His Holy Spirit used this Ranger Leader to touch the hearts and souls of the group to get them to reach out and witness to friends and family that don't know Jesus so they won't go to the devil den.

 

9:15 am we day hiked up stopping often to regroup and spot our location on the maps.  Rob had a contest going on the Best Camper and the Kindest Friend going on.  10:30 we came up  on Long Creek Falls and enjoyed a hour of fun and lunch hanging out at this really neat place.  

 

11:45 we started the bush whack downstream of Long Creek crossing the creek many times as cliffs changed locations.  Often we walked down the limestone creek bottom that had a half inch of water flowing over it.  Other times up and over rocks and scrambling between weeds and trees.  The group loves this and it' is always fun but it will make every muscle in your body holler at you the next day if not later on that day on the way home.  

 

We made base camp and packed up and packed out returning up that 200 feet climb and resting many times (10 times for this 65 year old for 20 seconds or so.) Soon we were heading to McDonalds in Forsyth and enjoying a ice cream cone and what ever we had money exchange for food!  

Back to Ozark arriving 1.5 hours early.  Some groups travel fast.  Some groups travel slow.  This group traveled fast!  Wow what a perfect backpacking trip. Thank you Jesus!