VENTURE CREW IN CARLSBAD — Mira Gandhi, Araceli Barrera, Doreen Vela, Hannah Peterson, and Nicole Hewitt take a break deep underground in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico. Over spring break, many people packed up and went to the beach, members of Boy Scouts of America Venture Crew 141 packed up and went west to experience West Texas and the Hill Country during one of the best times of the year to do so.

Venturers on the trip were Hannah Peterson, Nicole Hewitt, Araceli Barrera, Doreen Vela, Mira Gandhi, Angel Vela, Jessica Sandoval, Matthew Hewitt, Derek Ballard, and Nico Recio.

Adult participants were David Hewitt, Liisa Hewitt, Jim Fischer, Meme Recio, and Sandford Jacques.

First stop was Seminole Canyon, where the group stopped to stretch their legs on the hiking trails around the park then went on a tour to see the pictographs of the native Americans who once lived there. The group then got back into the van and headed for the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains near Alpine.

Araceli Barrera, Jessica Sandoval on the summit of Guadalupe Peak, Texas’ highest point. Here the group got to see the amazing amount of stars without light pollution and learned many new constellations during a “sky tour.” Many telescopes were set-up, and the group got to observe Mars, Jupiter, a couple galaxies, and the Orion Nebula. The Venture Crew then headed to set up camp in the Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountain Preserve. Crew members awoke to frost on their tents and 24 degree temperatures.

After eating breakfast, the group loaded up the van again and drove to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and in perfect weather started up the trail of Texas’ highest mountain, which is 8,700 feet above sea-level. Everyone had a pleasant surprise when they rounded a bend in the trail to find snow on the slope ahead of them. All made it halfway up Guadalupe Peak and 10 group members made it to the top. After the exceedingly long walk back down, the Venture Crew made the short drive to White’s City, set up camp and ate dinner, then quickly got inside their tents as the wind and rain started.

Mira Gandhi, Araceli Barerra, Jessica Sandoval to Guadalupe Peak. The next morning, the rains let up long enough to make a pancake breakfast and break camp. Shortly after, the rains began again, but it did not matter, because the Venture Crew was going several hundred feet underground into Carlsbad Caverns where the rain would not bother them.

Walking down into the dark mouth of the massive cave was a bewildering experience, but the beauty of the cave formations soon captured everyone’s attention. After nearly three hours in the caverns, everyone gathered up and rode an elevator 800 feet to the surface.

Mira Gandhi, Araceli Barrera, Hannah Peterson, Matt Hewitt, Nicole Hewitt, and Derek Ballard ready to kayak on the Llano River in the Texas Hill Country. The New Mexico landscape was still dark and dreary and the Venturers settled in for a long drive to Junction, in the Texas Hill County. They arrived late that night on the campus of Texas Tech in Junction. Everyone took hot showers before settling into the bunkhouse for a refreshing night’s sleep.

After a home-cooked breakfast at longtime supporter Megan Dominguez’s house, she took the group and a dozen kayaks about five miles up the Llano River. The kayaks were unloaded at a bridge, everyone pairing off, donning life jackets, and grabbing paddles. Soon the Venturers were floating down the lazy Llano River. Kayaking was a new experience for members in the group. White-tailed deer and feral pigs crossing the river near some of the kayakers added extra excitement to the experience.

The kayak trip was over all too soon and before they knew it, everyone was back in the van, heading to Kingsville. The Venture Crew members had enjoyed a whirlwind trip ranging from viewing 10,000 year old pictographs and viewing the heavens, to climbing the highest point in Texas and descending deep into the ground.

The experience was made possible by support of First United Methodist Church of Kingsville, the Boy Scouts of America, and community members who have supported the Venture Crew’s fund-raising efforts.