Glen Helen, CA, May 28-29 2011

[Rocket Man]

I think the Founding Fathers and their families would have been proud of last weekend's event -- the Memorial Day Adventureseed! 

What am I talking about?  Well, this one had everything -- a titanic struggle of ordinary folks against Nature's fury, a reunion of old friends and colleagues, acts of gallantry, even princesses.   And to top it all off, a surprise twist with a happy ending!

Our adventure took place at the West End Gun Club, a stalwart partner of Appleseed, at the family-friendly junior range.  However, early on Saturday we found that our fun was BLOCKED by a raging torrent!  The perenially-dry desert wash was filled with a running river, and we had no choice but to ford it.  In reality the water was under a foot deep, but I swear I heard my truck whimper as we crossed...

Sixteen brave students made it through the river with us, and were rewarded with a beautiful California morning.  There to help them on their Rifleman journey were some of Appleseed's finest, including 22calgal, BrassChucker, AQT Monster, and penny's dad.  Our attentive class aced their Safety exam, and it was on to the Redcoats!

Well, those Redcoats just wouldn't cooperate.  Returning Appleseed students Matt, Nickie, Jacob and Karen acquitted themselves well, along with newcomer Robert, but for the rest, it was time to get started.  We quickly dug into a sheet of tiny little square targets, and by lunchtime, it was clear that the battle was turning in our favor.

Among our group today, brightening our weekend considerably, were six princesses!   These fine young ladies were all part of the Indian Princesses Program, and their dads had graciously brought them out to work on their markswomenship, and to hear a few things about the founding of our country.  I imagine when the time comes, it'll be them saving the prince rather than the other way around.

However, the road of the Rifleman is never an easy one, and our beautiful skies turned grim as a storm approached, bringing 40 MPH gusts of wind and flying targets.   The Appleseed Repair Crew sprang into action, along with reinforcements:  Instructor Freeman made a surprise appearance and helped rally the shooters.  The final Redcoats were singing a much unhappier tune, with nine of fourteen shooters qualifying, and five hits on the bonus box.

Ah, but Sunday...  Sunday dawned cold and raining to beat the band, and the treacherous river was more fierce than ever.  Yet we persevered, along with visiting instructor Justin who'd arrived to keep us on the right path. 

On Sunday we were joined by five students, the four most determined Princesses and the redoubtable Robert, still chasing the elusive Rifleman patch.  It was immediately clear that they had done their homework, as they could all read back the Four Safety Rules and the Six Steps of Safe Rifle without even checking their notes.  The Princesses made confetti of their Redcoats and scored well on the AQT's, even drilling those little tiny targets that we can't hardly see.  Finally, after lunch, the rain broke and we all began to dry out.

This left only Robert, the pressure on as five instructors scrutinized every little detail.  If the rain and cold wasn't bad enough, he now had to deal with being under a virtual microscope.  But none of this would stop him.  AQT after AQT showed impressive results...  192, then 195, 197...  Eventually we took a break and worked on some squares to finish off his trigger control, yielding a best-of-the-weekend one-hole group at 25 meters.  He also came within a sneeze of clearing the final Redcoat.

But all was not lost.  Unbeknownst to Robert -- but beknownst to the wicked Shoot Boss -- earlier in the day, before fatigue had set in, he'd put down a splendid 216 on a rapid-fire AQT!  Just when all seemed lost, he learned that he had indeed joined the select group of Riflemen.   We welcomed him into the ranks with full honors and ceremony, and then, it was time to clean up and head for home.  Wimpy truck and passenger car alike crossed the river with head held high as we drove into the sunset.  Until next time.

My thanks again to all who came to shoot with us.  It was an excellent weekend.  See you all at the next one.

[Rocket Man]

Some pictures from the event.  Drop me a PM if you want a copy at higher resolution.



The group gathered in the morning, as 22calgal handles safety



penny's dad and AQT Monster show everyone how to sling up in a hurry, before moving on to technique for precision



The view on the right end of the line, as David works into position with his SIG 522



And the other side of the line -- West End has a nice covered range, something we would be extremely glad of on Sunday!



Our Princesses were eager students, consistently the first to check their targets



Driving home on Saturday...  guess where the range is?  If you guessed "under that scary cloud," you're right...

[Rocket Man]

Even more pictures:



9 years old + .22 Cricket rifle + 25 meters = 4 MOA group!  The target never lies!



Instructor BrassChucker going over the sitting position, as Justin decides to be a lefty, just for today



It's cold and it's raining, and we're still having a great time



Robert getting the full Appleseed coaching treatment, up close, personal, friendly, and effective



Proud recipients of the Luther Blanchard youth achievement award!



And our newest Rifleman, Robert!  Congratulations!

[22calgal]

It's weekends like the one we had on Memorial Day at Glen Helen/West End that make it all worth while.  Our princesses were eager and having fun learning about marksmanship and we had fun teaching them.  They were very polite and called me "Miss Jackie" and they really persevered.  All the shooters were wonderful and attentive and we saw some great strides.

I salute Psycho Doc for driving his car across the various streams at the entrance to Glen Helen/West End!!  I couldn't believe he did, but then a Rifleman persists!

I hope to see you all at another shoot soon, and thanks for a wonderful weekend.

Jackie
22calgal

[Animal Mutha]

Thank you to all the instructors for your dedication and enthusiasm!
I had a great time and can't wait to  with you all again.
Thank you,
Matt