It’s 4 AM and the lights are on and the music is blaring

A Lutheran youth group, with Pastor Joel and Pastor Tom, was returning to Sonlight for their annual ski retreat to Wolf Creek ski area. They would depart Phoenix after school and arrive at Sonlight Camp about 2 AM. They pulled into camp on schedule despite a bad snow storm that was going on. Fresh powder snow for Saturday morning at Wolf Creek. Mary and I had all the lights on, the Warren Miller ski video going and the music blasting. Sonlight was a happening place and we wanted these kids to be excited. As they unloaded the bus in their shorts and flip flops (being from Phoenix) Mary had fresh homemade cookies coming out of the oven along with hot chocolate. It was a party.

Then, the power went out. It got real dark. We started a pickup truck with headlights for parking lot unloading. Mary had candles going in the dining room. Pastor Joel said, “OK, since the power is out, let’s all just go to bed.” So, everyone went to the cabins, with a candle, and went to bed.

At around 4 AM, the power was repaired from the storm and came back on. What also came back on was all the lights in the cabins, the dining room, Winchester Cathedral, the blaring music, the Warren Miller ski video and the parking lot lights. Let the party begin, again.

That group had a long 10 hour bus ride from Phoenix, followed by a nice loud arrival at a Sonlight party and a very short sleeping night before an early Saturday morning awakening.  Got to love youth ski trips and snow storm nights.