Eight bags of Fritos were put away this Chili Weekend along with more beer than can be accurately accounted for. Doug brought his new ATV, adding to the Rudy ATV and allowing for exploring in pairs for the first time. A kickin' bonfire emerged (as always) and the chili faithfully pleased all. Except the chefs, who are always striving to improve their recipe. Thank you to the Rudys for their accommodations, as we couldn't imagine Chili Weekend taking place anywhere else. Next for us (in 2009) will be the 25th Anniversary Chili Weekend.

Chili Weekend 2007 - or was it "Chilly" Weekend?
All nine of us braved the very cold temperatures of Chili Weekend 2007. The night time temps hovered slightly above or below 10 and during the day we never got above the freezing mark. Sean, Haus, Doug, and Bob arrived Thursday night and the rest of the gang followed on Friday. Webby, who was a question mark due to illness, even showed up early on Friday. Besides the cold there were other superlatives - five dogs and six cars were at this year's Chili Weekend. The cooks outdid themselves again with an incredible chili made of ground beef, italian sausage, and many secret ingredients. Look for pictures to show up in the next couple of days.

22nd Annual Chili Weekend Features Scotland Yard Game
Chili Weekend 2006 was filled with many of the traditional activities - pitch, cigars, tree dropping & chopping, and telling outlandish stories around the bonfire. The new activities this year were shooting potato pellets, admiring Haus' new PDA/cell phone, and ceremoniously executing an innocent (blindfolded) banana. The days for this Chili Weekend were warm - highs in the mid-50s and lows above freezing. It wasn't until Sunday morning that it got cold enough to produce a few flurries.

The weekend began Thursday when Haus, Sean, Doug, and Bob arrived at 3:30. Pete arrived that night to see what all of the fuss was about starting Chili Weekend on a Thursday. Wouldn't you know it - this was probably the most sedate Thursday evening in Chili Weekend history. We can only assume that Pete is to blame. Webby arrive Friday before lunch to find everyone up at the new cabin working on drywall - everyone except Bob who was on an extended ATV expedition. Fred, Craig, and Joe arrived just before dinner. After dinner, drinking, playing cards, and standing around the bonfire were the dominant activities.

The menu for Chili Weekend was not uncommon: bacon-pepper-jack-burgers, chicken fajitas, crab bisque, chili, and way too many BBQ Fritos. One welcome addition was a box of fresh-baked cookies from Suzanne. Craig claimed that each one he ate tasted better than the one before it. Although Joe had some digestive issues Saturday morning, he was able to recover in time to enjoy this year's chili, which included a great deal of delicious Italian sausage.

21st Annual Chili Weekend Honors "The Pig"
This year's Chili Weekend included many of the usual activities - playing pitch, splitting wood, target practice, hiking, and more. Some unexpected snow on Thursday was followed by somewhat mild temperatures for the remainder of the weekend.

This year's delicious chili was a salute to "the pig" as it included many pig meats, most notably - bacon. A great deal of bacon was eaten at other meals as well. Here's a brief recap of the weekend:

Cold Temperatures and Warm Sausage Chili for the 20th Anniversary Chili Weekend
This had to be the coldest Chili Weekend on the books. There was about 6-8" of snow on the ground and the evening temperatures dipped to about 5 degrees each night. The stream was frozen on top, making it difficult to retrieve water. There was no bonfire, but the other usual activities (playing pitch, hiking, target practice, ATV-ing, etc.) were present.

The chili feast was enjoyed by 7 of us. Craig L. had an important social event that required his departure early on Saturday and Joe was left behind. Sean and John produced an incredible chili using all sorts of different types of sausage. Pete "enhanced" his chili with several nonconventional additives.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Chili Weekend, Craig L. brought glass mugs etched with a Chili Weekend logo (most of which had a "W") and Bob made and brought Chili Weekend t-shirts. Pictures and additional commentary from Chili Weekend 2004 should be available on this site shortly. (Parental discretion is advised)

Guest Book
A complete account of the guest book entries we've left over the years can now be viewed here on the web site. And here is the guestbook entry made just this year: