Click on any of the photos for a blown up picture! Day 1 - Atlanta to Philmont Scout Ranch (June 20, 1998)
Day 1 - Philmont Entrance
Day 2 - Base Camp to Cathedral Rock (June 21, 1998)
Day 2 - Our Ranger Preparing Dinner
Day 3 - Cathedral Rock to Cyphers Mine (June 22, 1998)
Day 3 - The Stomp
Day 4 - Cyphers Mine to Mt. Phillips (June 23, 1998)
Day 4 - Mt. Phillips Sunset
Day 5 - Mt. Phillips to Porcupine (June 24, 1998)
Day 5 - Motley Crew on Mt. Phillips
Day 6 - Porcupine to Beaubien (June 25, 1998)
Day 6 - Shower House at Phillips Junction
Day 7 - Beaubien (June 26, 1998)
Day 7 - B-24 Bomber Wreckage on Trail Peak
Day 8 - Beaubien to Fish Camp (June 27, 1998)
Day 8 - Fish Camp Lodge
Day 9 - Fish Camp to New Abreu (June 28, 1998)
Day 9 - Abreu Cantina
Day 10 - Abreu to Urraca (June 29, 1998)
Day 10 - Dusty Trail to Urraca
Day 11 - Urraca to Shaefers Pass (June 30, 1998)
Day 11 - Rock Climbing at Miners Park
Day 12 - Shaefers Pass to Base Camp (July 1, 1998)
Day 12 - View From the Top of the Tooth of Time Looking North
Day 12 - We All Made It!
Day 13 - Base Camp to Atlanta (July 2, 1998)
Day 13 - We Say Goodbye to Philmont
See the entire photo album -- Click here!
Day 1 - Saturday, June 20 (Atlanta to Philmont Scout Ranch):
5:20am (EDT) - Out of bed. Made wake up calls.
6:10am - Left home for the airport (26.4 miles)
6:40am - Parked at airport
7:13am - Motley Crew is checked in and ready to go to the gate. We say our last good-byes.
7:50am - On the plane
8:30am - Pushed back from the gate (we are 15 minutes late)
8:50am - Lift off. We are on our way!
9:26am (CDT) - At the gate in Dallas, Texas (we are back on schedule)
10:15am - Pushed back from the gate (we are 10 minutes late)
11:03am (MDT) - At the gate in Albuquerque, New Mexico (we are 14 minutes late, but no one cares - there is a lot of excitement!)
11:23am - At baggage claim. After stripping the plastic and duct tape from our packs our stuff looks like it’s in pretty good shape.
11:55am - On our bus and ready to go, but we have a problem. Marilyn and Justin are nowhere to be found. They were supposed to meet us at the Albuquerque Airport, but we can’t find them. I call home to see if there is a message. There is none. Paul Porwoll from our troop’s other crew, the Scarlet Napes (620-G9), searches the airport. The other two busses carrying the rest of the Atlanta crews (there are 10 crews) have already left. We finally decide to go.
12:14pm - We leave for Philmont. The bus ride goes quickly. The boys watch movies and the adults enjoy the scenery and try to rest. Paul and Steve French, the third Scarlet Napes adult, try to figure out what needs to be done since Marilyn is the crew adviser.
3:37pm - Arrive at Philmont Welcome Center. Driving time was 3h23m. It was exciting over those last few miles. We could see the Tooth of Time on the way in from Cimarron, but none of us was sure that was it. Philmont is sunny, hot, dry and dusty. We are the first bus to arrive. One bus had trouble on the way and we passed the other. The Welcome Center has shade, bathrooms and water.
Philmont is much like I imagined, but only because I had been taking a virtual tour on the internet for many months.
Our ranger, Aaron Bose, guides us through the check-in process. As we are getting our packs on to go to our tents, my son and crew leader, Scott, says a bungee cord or something is poking him in the back. I look but can’t find anything. We take his pack off and find that Delta has managed to snap his frame in two. What a bummer. At 6’2" and 170lbs he’s a big kid and needs a special size frame. He’s really upset. Aaron and I tell him we can’t fix it, but hopefully services can work a solution. What a way to start the trip of a lifetime.
4:45pm - After settling into our sunbaked tents Scott went to the crew leaders meeting, Peter went to the chaplains meeting and the adults went to the advisors meeting.
Things discussed at the advisors meeting:
- Arrive at the Welcome Center 30 minutes before your drop off bus is scheduled to depart
- Each crew will receive two lockers for their base camp gear
- Itinerary changes must be made through Logistics
- Make Villa Philamonte reservations at the Seaton Museum
- Seaton Museum is open until 6pm when the flag is up
- Kit Carson Museum (7 miles by bus - $2/person / leave 2:30pm each day and return at 4pm / schedule trip at camping headquarters)
- Buy plastic Arrowhead Patch holders at trading post
- Buy map sections (for your section of Philmont - north, central, south, valle vidal and an overall at the trading post (crew leader, pathfinder and advisor)
- Free coffee and tea at the advisors meeting room
- Four people go in an emergency. They should have all the information needed to locate and treat the injured parties.
- Report all bear sightings to the nearest staffed camp. What did it look like (markings)? What did it do? How big was it?
- Looking to hire more staff. Need 800+ each season. 18 years old or high school graduate.
- Autumn Adventure (Scouts or Scouters)
- Kanik winter program
5:30pm - Dinner time. Meals for arriving and departing crews are at different times, but no crews have come off the trail yet, so base camp is relatively quiet. After dinner I have just a little time to check out the trading post and buy some crew maps. Souvenirs will have to wait until we get back.
6:45pm - Scott and Gary go with an overall Philmont map to Logistics for a Philmont orientation and updated trail and water information.
7:00-8:00pm - Everyone is supposed to meet at the Welcome Center to go to chapel service, but we are running late and leave from Logistics. It is a beautiful outdoor experience. This surely is God’s country.
8:15pm - All arriving contingents assemble at the Welcome Center to walk to the opening campfire. Because they have not had rain in over three months there is a fire ban and we have a fireless campfire. The campfire story is about the rich and colorful history of the area around Philmont.
9:05pm - Return to tent city. We find that Marilyn and Justin arrived at 8:45 during the campfire. They had trouble with their flight and arrived late. They found some Scouts going to Philmont and were told a bus taking Rayado Crew members was leaving at 4:00pm. Apparently an Albuquerque scoutmaster arranges for a bus to pick up the Rayado Crew every Saturday. They were so lucky to have found convenient and affordable transportation (about $40 one way). We all were glad they were safe and could start the trek with their crew.
Quiet hours are 10:30pm - 6:00am. What a hectic day. We have not had any time to relax.
10:00pm - We go to bed under starlit skies above looking forward to tomorrow!
Day 2 - Sunday, June 21 (Base Camp to Cathedral Rock):
5:30am - Wake up and pack up all of our gear.
6:30am - Breakfast. The crew has learned the Philmont grace.After eating we went straight to medical to avoid the long line, but they weren’t open yet, so we went to have our crew photo in front of tent city and the Tooth.
Finished packing and took our packs to the services buildings and made our first pack line. At services are the post office, laundry, crew lockers, drink machines, telephones, equipment rental, crew equipment check-out and in, food pick-up and the backcountry warehouse.
Scott and I went to rent a backpack. None of the packs were as big as his Kelty Super Tioga and none fit him very well, despite all of our adjustments. I could sense this was going to be a miserable trip. Certainly not how we planned it.
We went to pick up our crew gear and food and had our shakedown. We emptied everything out of our packs and Aaron pointed out things we would not need. We left quite a bit behind.
For some reason they ran out of lockers (and camp wasn’t even full yet) so our other Troop 764 crew let us have one of theirs. We still had about a half dozen boxes we had to store in the warehouse. I didn’t like the idea of not locking everything up, but my fears were proven groundless at the end of the trip.
Scott still couldn’t get everything in his pack and it was very uncomfortable -- a low end backpack. While the rest of Motley Crew when to medical for their examinations, I took Scott back to equipment rental and explained our problem to them. The person behind the counter said there was nothing he could do; however, an adult in the back heard us and remembered there was a Kelty Super Tioga that was not on the shelf. When he found it we all were relieved. We unpacked and repacked Scott’s gear -- again. It wasn’t his pack, but it worked!
Scott and I went to medical and arrived just as our crew was finishing. Good timing. I was worried about my blood pressure. My diastolic readings at home are normally between 85-90 and at Philmont they will not let you on the trail if it is over 90. The altitude tends to raise blood pressure and the heavy exertion on the trail only aggravates it, so they are very cautious. Apparently the trip was agreeing with me as my reading was 120/80 best in a long time.
After lunch we went to the Welcome Center and left for Cimarroncito Turnaround at 12:56pm along with our sister crew (620-G8) which also was from the Atlanta area. On the way we saw the Philmont Training Center, Villa Philamonte, a buffalo (his name was Drug Lord), Window Rock and Arrowhead Rock. Window Rock can be seen from the library at Villa Philamonte.
1:57pm - After a brief emergency procedures talk and map & compass work we left for Cathedral Rock. Finally we were on the trail! I began to worry about my decision to bring both a regular camera and a slide camera. The weight wasn’t a problem, but it took a while for me to find a comfortable spot for them.
My pack weighed 55 pounds at the Welcome Center. That was 10 pounds more than I had ever carried. I figured it would get lighter as we ate and drank (I had 9 pounds of water). Turns out it was not a problem, but next time I will figure out some way to keep it at 45 pounds.
2:25pm - 1 ½ miles later we arrive at our Cathedral Rock campsite. Not much of a hike, but a nice easy way to get our trek started. This was one of our nicest sites. Cool, shaded, flat and soft -- next to a creek. Ideal!
Aaron prepared our dinner tonight to show us how to cook the Philmont way. It was quite tasty. We learned how to clean our bowls with toilet paper and compact our trash. Most of us elected to use the old, unofficial Philmont way of cleaning by putting a small amount of water in the bowl, scrubbing with your finger and drinking the liquid. It sounds gross, but on the trail it makes sense. And it’s another way of getting more fluids.
After dinner we hiked up to the reservoir next to Cathedral Rock. We saw deer, an eagle and eagle’s nest, beaver, trout and five wild turkeys. We also saw incredible views.
Before bed we had a serious talk about bears and hanging bear bags and discussed first aid. We played Thorns and Roses a game about the good and bad things of the day. We had a good day all roses!
9:40pm - in bed
Day 3 - Monday, June 22 (Cathedral Rock to Cyphers Mine):
5:30am - Time to wake up7:37am - We hit the trail. Things went a little slowly this morning, but not bad. We’ll be faster once we get into a routine.
We hiked to the reservoir. Aaron showed us a cave near the base of the spillway. Of course several of the boys had to explore it. I was afraid Scott would get stuck. It was a tight fit.
8:45am - We arrived at the hunting lodge. Michael L. and John G. stayed with our packs at the lodge while the rest of us hiked to Cimarroncito Camp, Aspen Springs Camp, Hidden Valley and Window Rock. Beautiful, peaceful hike. Great views from Window Rock. I highly recommend this loop trail as a side hike.
We had been gone a long time, so shortly before we arrived at Window Rock Gary and I decided to go ahead to let Michael and John know what was going on. The number of switchbacks down off the ridge seemed endless. Thank goodness we were not going up. Gary and I completed the loop in 2h16m. This was a lot longer than we had estimated it would take, but it was worth it.
11:30am - The rest of the group arrives (they were 28 minutes behind us over just about 1 ½ miles). Rob was having trouble keeping up even without a pack not a good sign.
We ate a leisurely lunch (55 min) and met an OA trail crew which was staying at the hunting lodge that night, so we were fortunate to be able to take a tour.
12:25pm - We start our hike to Cyphers Mine on Middle Fork Trail. It is a gradual uphill all the way to Cyphers. It also was very rocky. In the rain this would be an extremely difficult trail to navigate. At Lamberts (about a mile before Cyphers) it became a wide, smooth trail, but still uphill. We had talked about taking the North Fork Trail to save some distance, but we never saw it.
Rob really struggled on this climb. I am beginning to worry about his health. He says he is okay, but with my athletic and outdoors background I sense trouble. He is working too hard, too early.
At Lamberts Mine some of us go ahead so we have time to sign up for a program. We don’t want to start late tomorrow. We are about two hours behind schedule and don’t want to play catch-up the rest of the trip.
3:25pm - We finally arrive at Cyphers. We meet Bob, the head honcho, who gives us a rough time about our crew not staying together. We don’t want to hear it. It has been a long, hot day. Our total trail time including stops is 7h48m.
Rob and Aaron arrive 45 minutes later. We drink some "pond" water and listen to Bob. We decide we have time to take showers and wash clothes but not to do a program.
We are taken to Anna campsite where there is a huge adirondack for all of us to sleep in. No tents to set up tonight.
The showers feel good. The water is heated by burning wood we pick up in the area. We find out later that after some of our Scouts had stoked up the fire, Jamie, one of the staffers, ran our boys off ten minutes before the shower was scheduled to close, just so he could take a hot shower. What a jerk! (It turned out that most of the Cyphers staff had had their personalities removed.)
Several of us talk about Rob’s troubles today. He has had severe achilles tendonitis problems for several months and his professional certification studies have kept him from our recent shakedown hikes. This, combined with his large size (6’6", 250 lbs), has done him in. We know that tomorrow will be our toughest day on the trail much harder than today. The day after will be one of our longest. We discuss our options and try to figure out what is in the best interest of the boys. This is their trip and we need to make a decision about whether Rob should go on.
It is finally decided that Rob should go back to base camp and try to join us later, using the time to continue his acclimation to Philmont. This is a tough subject to broach with Rob. Rob wants to go on, but reluctantly agrees with our decision.
I feel sorry for his son, Peter. Philmont is a wonderful father/son experience and it ending much too soon. But all considered this was the right decision for the crew. We talk about meeting again on the trail, but my gut feeling is that once Rob leaves we will not see him again until we return to Atlanta. That will be a painful reunion.
7:00pm - Advisors cracker barrel at the staff cabin. We have hot chocolate, coffee and more pond water.
8:00-9:05pm - We all walk to the "stomp". This is an hour of music, stories and jokes. The music is okay, but the stories are too long and pointless and the jokes aren’t funny. The stomp has potential but the staff does not. They seem too caught up with themselves. Our stay at Cyphers ended up being our little inside joke the rest of the trip.
Afterward Aaron discusses the Wilderness Pledge and making the most of our Philmont experience. He is very low key but his style was very effective. We all enjoyed having him as a ranger. We’ll miss him tomorrow.
10:00pm - In bed
Day 4 - Tuesday, June 23 (Cyphers to Mount Phillips):
5:30am - Time to wake up
It is quite windy this morning. Unusual for so early in the day. We ate lasagna for breakfast because once we leave Cyphers we will not have access to water until tomorrow. Mt. Phillips tonight will be a dry camp. We say goodbye to Aaron.
8:00am - The staff gets mad at us because we ask them to wake up and go to work (like they’re supposed to) so we can do our programs. Our friend Jamie takes us on the mine tour. This turns out to be a lot of fun. When we are several hundred feet into the cave Jamie asks us to turn out our lights and find our way in the dark. It seemed like we were in there forever. This was a good communications and teamwork exercise. Thankfully we have hard hats on!
9:00am - We are ready to do blacksmithing and are waiting around while the staff argues about whose job it is. The fellow that shows up says he doesn’t know how to do it but he’ll try. He doesn’t seem too enthused.
The smoke stinks terribly, but the boys have fun making a j-hook for our Scout Hut wall.
We decide to pass on the gold panning. It is getting late and with Georgia having once been the gold mining center of the United States most of our boys have already done it.
10:00am - We are ready to go when Bob says we can’t leave Rob behind because it hasn’t been approved by base camp. As it turns out Bob never called base camp. Bob gets us together and tries to tell us that today and tomorrow will not be as hard as yesterday. Our map reading skills and prior research tell us he’s full of it. Our experience later confirms that he was not giving us the straight scoop.
Finally Bob contacts base camp and they agree to have a chaplain pick up Rob later today or tomorrow.
10:58am - We say goodbye to Rob and leave Cyphers. We go about 100 feet and wonder about which trail to take. There is no sign. This we later learn is all part of the Philmont experience. You need to know how to use a map and compass, pay close attention on the trail (signs are often missing) and don’t trust the maps because often they are wrong (sometimes the section map and overall map showed different trails).
We go to the right and follow a beautifully scenic trail. It is all uphill, but not a killer. I begin to think that maybe all of our trails will have a nice smooth surface like this one. Because of our late start we stop for lunch (44min) on the trail. We had hoped to have lunch at Commanche Peak Camp.
1:14pm - We arrive at Thunder Ridge. Suddenly we are out in the sun and the trail is filled with rocks.
2:35pm - We arrive at Commanche Peak Camp. The trail from Thunder Ridge was strenuous and rocky the entire way (worse than Middle Fork Trail yesterday). There has been no downhill since we left Cyphers.
The views east and west are incredible (a term I will use a lot to describe Philmont). We can see Baldy Mountain, Wheeler Peak, Cathedral Rock, Tooth Ridge, etc.
We decide to take a long break here. This a nice camp - shade and soft, flat surfaces. We find our sister crew which spends about two hours here. They spent the night at Lamberts Mine Camp which we hear is quite picturesque. I wish I had side hiked to see it (our original itinerary had us spending the night there). But being at Cyphers was very convenient and shortened today’s hike by a mile.
3:25pm - We leave Commanche Peak Camp. After crossing Commanche Peak we get a little downhill before we start our assault on Mt. Phillips. Thankfully most of this hike is in the shade. This will be the most difficult climb we face at Philmont. Even Gary and John G. who are leading us have to stop frequently to catch their breath. My maximum training pulse rate is 160-170 heartbeats per minute and this climb has pushed it to 152bpm. Even I feel it.
We can’t see the top so it seems like we just walk on and on. Every time we look up there is more mountain ahead of us. Now we know we made the right decision about having Rob go back to base camp.
Finally we come into an open area and can sense we are near the top. I wonder if we are only being fooled. I am tired of all the rocks in the trail. I had hoped to go for a short run tonight but the footing is much too treacherous.
4:35pm - We finally reach our campsite (#9). It is about a half mile from the actual summit. We have climbed about 2,400 feet today in just under 8 miles. Our total time on the trail was 5h37m including stops. John G. was the pacesetter most of the way today and did a good job.
The sites are better than I had read about on the web. They are all well off the trail with good distance between them. They are flat and not as rocky as I thought they would be. So far every trail camp we’ve seen has been impressive.
Some of the crew have developed mild headaches from the altitude. We have gained over 10,000 feet since we left Atlanta three days ago. Today will probably be our roughest day.
Dotted around our campsite are piles of snow. Some of the boys bury their heads in it and make their headaches even worse. We use the snow to make hot chocolate.
After dinner the boys go off to explore. Scott and Michael S. head to the peak and continue the tradition of building rock cairns. I follow later to take pictures, lie on the ground to relax and watch the sun go down. What a sunset. I will never forget it!
Later we learn that John S. saw a bear near the latrine and bear cable. That will be our only bear encounter on the trip.
Considering everything the crew seems to be in good spirits. This was a fantastic day!
Day 5 - Wednesday, June 24 (Mount Phillips to Porcupine):
5:30am - Time to wake up. It is 45 degrees. I thought it would be worse. It is chilly, but in the trees we are protected from the wind. The odd thing we see this morning are moths. They are hiding everywhere, probably trying to stay warm. Looks like it will be another beautiful day.
As we pack I notice we seem to have an overabundance of food left (our food pickup is tomorrow morning). Now I know why I have been so hungry. I thought Philmont didn’t provide enough to eat. Turns out we have not separated our meals correctly. The rest of the trip we do not go hungry - in fact we end up returning much of our food to the swap boxes.
We had PowerBars for breakfast. They’re my favorite food (during my athletic career PowerBar was one of my sponsors).
7:44am - We hit the trail. Yesterday I had 141oz. of water when we left Cyphers. I now have only 2oz. left. Glad we switched our meals yesterday.
We stop for 20 minutes on the peak to take pictures and once we’re out of the wind we stop to take off some clothes.
The hike to Clear Creek is an incredibly steep and treacherous downhill with lots of loose rock and gravel. This is an accident waiting to happen. I can’t imagine what it would be like going up. We saw bear scat on the trail.
About a mile before Clear Creek the trail flattened out and the final quarter mile was really nice.
9:38am - We arrive at Clear Creek. Our sister crew is already there. We throw some tomahawks.
We went to blackpowder shooting and heard an interesting and funny story about the development of the rifle, but it was a little long. Finally we get to shoot. Because of the fire ban they changed to a different type of muslin patch and one of the rifles gets blocked up, so we have only one. That slows things down. Michael L. shoots a hole in his bandanna which he used as a target.
When we returned we found our other troop crew, the Scarlet Napes, had arrived. We have been worried about them since we expected to see them on Phillips. Turns out they had some problems and got in about 8:30 last night.
They got a late start yesterday because one of the boys was sick, then they had trouble finding the trail (part of the experience!). One of the adults had altitude sickness and another adult had bad blisters. Their trip would get better after today.
We then ate lunch. Later in the cabin we heard a story about the mountain men who lived in the area years ago. Coffee told a good story.
Then we had a short wait for someone to put on the beaver trapping demonstration. This was fun to watch. I have a beaver on my lake that I’m trying to get rid of and my son, Scott, was picked to be the beaver in the demonstration. I told him to pay close attention!
2:30pm - We leave Clear Creek for Porcupine Camp.
The trail was mostly downhill or flat and smooth. Very serene hike among the trees following Rayado Creek. No scenic views except at one large meadow. There was a lot of beaver evidence along the way.
We got a little sprinkle of rain and put our backpack covers on thinking we might be in store for one of those legendary Philmont afternoon thunderstorms. Turns out it was just a false alarm. This will be the only rain we have until we return to base camp.
About halfway to Porcupine we passed Commanche Camp. It was spread out over about a mile along the creek and looked really nice. This is where we saw bear claw marks in the bark of two trees. The Scarlett Napes are staying here tonight.
5:00pm - We arrive at Porcupine. Our trail time today is 9h16m. A long day. We lost 2,600 feet from Phillips. It sure was a lot easier descending.
Our site (#4) is along the creek and next to a good rock wall for climbing. Michael L. and Michael S. challenged me to climb the wall. It was tough. They were sucking wind as I led the way, but their excuse was they had already been up once. I was concerned this might be good rattlesnake habitat. Kept my eyes and ears open. It was worth the climb to the top. Coming down was even harder.
We couldn’t get our water to boil for dinner. Altitude sure changes things.
After dinner the crew sang "Happy Birthday!" to me. At Philmont days don’t seem that important and I hadn’t realized it was my birthday. They also gave me a birthday rock (what a nice touch!) and Michael S. picked me a bouquet of flowers. What a great way to celebrate a birthday!
9:00pm - In bed
Day 6 - Thursday, June 25 (Porcupine to Beaubien):
5:30pm - Time to wake up. It is 35 degrees colder than on Phillips. We are in a valley so the cold air sunk down. I woke up to a beautiful view of Rayado Creek running past the door of my tent. Looks like another great day.
7:40am - Left camp. It was a 24 minute walk to Phillips Junction. There they have a trading post, commissary and hot, propane showers. The trading post has about everything you might need on the trail. We picked up our food and fuel. Then we headed to the showers and washed our clothes. It felt great.
The showers are open 7am-5pm daily. There are three shared showers for the Scouts and advisors and another set for the staff and female trekkers.
10:25am - Left PJ. It was a steady but not difficult climb to the meadow at Beaubien. It was 37 minutes to the dirt road at the meadow and another 6 minutes to the staff cabin.
11:08am - We arrived at the staff cabin and checked in. Staff lunch is 11:30-1 so we just made it in time to have our site assigned.
Some of the information we received:
- Showers (hot!) are open all day but no soap should be used after 5:00pm. Take your own wood to stoke the fire.
- Tub and washboards are behind the staff cabin and showers.
- Chuck wagon dinner is tomorrow (behind the corral). Two cooks arrive at 3:30 and two cleanup crew arrive at 5:45. We all eat at 6:00. Bring your own eating bowls, utensils and water bottles.
- Branding of any personal leather items is from 8-3:30 at the same place as the chuck wagon dinner (can come as a group or as buddies).
- Advisors’ coffee is everyday on the staff cabin porch at 7:00pm.
- Campfire is at 8:00 every night.
- For conservation trail work bring sunscreen, water, gloves, long pants and closed toed shoes.
11:55am - We are in our site (#18). As we were setting up Rob came walking into camp. This was a pleasant surprise. No one thought we would see him again on the trail. He tells us stories about others who shared similar experiences to his. We also find out that one entire crew is so lost they must be airlifted out by helicopter.
1:00pm - We arrive at the corral for horseback riding. After a long talk and demonstration we are ready to mount up.
1:53pm - We leave. I rode on Jazz. The ride lasted 65 minutes. It was pretty tame. If you have ridden before I would suggest you spend your time doing something else. It was a slow nose-to-butt dude ride. The most exciting moment was when Jordan tried to make a break for it, but was quickly corralled by the staff.
3:10pm - We are finished and head to the branding area. We burn the Philmont cattle and horse brands into our boots, leather strips and clothing. This was fun and we made great souvenirs.
On the way back to camp we heard that the Atlanta Area Council contingent leader, John Fleming, had to return to Atlanta after the first day due to medical problems. This has to be a huge disappointment as this is the 40th anniversary of John’s first Philmont trip and his 11th trek.
Back in camp Jordan entertains us with a magic show. It was a nice change of pace.
After dinner the adults head to the advisors’ cracker barrel. While sipping hot chocolate we saw four mule deer (1 buck, 2 does and a fawn) in the meadow. We were told a cougar had been spotted there a few days earlier.
8:00pm - We head to the campfire. We were entertained with lots of great music and poems. This staff is very talented. This was the best evening program so far (the two campfire programs we attended at Beaubien were the best of the trip).
One troop sang an original song about Philmont food to the tune of "The Little Mermaid". They were excellent singers.
9:45pm - We are in bed. No one has to be coerced. Everyone is tired.
Day 7 - Friday, June 26 (Beaubien again):
7:00am - We all awake refreshed and ready to go.
8:27am - We head for Trail Peak. It would have been nice to get moving sooner, but we’re enjoying the layover.
It’s about three miles to the top from our site. We walk on a dirt road for about two miles. The last mile to the peak is extremely steep and is covered with loose rock, making for poor footing. Look for the trail on the left at the top of a loop in the dirt road (it is a short ways past the Lower Bonita sign - which points to our right).
About a third of the way to the peak a few Scouts challenge me to a race. I let them take the lead, then about 50 yards later I blew past them and ran all the way to the B-24 Liberator Bomber wreckage (I did stop twice to check my pulse because I was totally maxed out). This was the only time I got a blister on the entire trip. It goes to show that age does not necessarily bring wisdom.
Seeing plane parts strewn over the mountainside was a sobering sight. I felt a great deal of reverence there. There was a plaque honoring those that lost their lives on April 22, 1942. Lt. Roland Jeffries of the Mic-O-Say Tribe and an Eagle Scout was one of those who died.
We then went to the absolute peak and climbed a tree to see what I think were the most spectacular vistas during our trip. There is a brown metal canister at the top where you can leave messages - a sort of time capsule.
On the way back we saw an individual being attended to who had fallen off a horse during the morning ride. I guess even a dude ride has its risks.
11:57am - Our total time to Trail Peak and back was three and a half hours. It took 60 minutes to the trail (with a rest stop) and 31 minutes to the top (I made it in 22). We spent 35 minutes at the top and it took us 84 minutes on the return with rest stops. You can do it in less time, but it is such a wonderful hike there is no need to rush.
1:00pm - After lunch we arrive at the new trail to Black Mountain to begin our three hour conservation project. It was hard work but very gratifying to see how much we could accomplish. Since power tools are not permitted we had to use good old-fashioned muscle power to pull large trees out of the ground (every root must be removed). When we left you could actually see a trail!
4:30pm (it was supposed to be 3:30 but because of the fire ban the charcoal fires which take more time to prepare were not allowed) - At the chuck wagon dinner I worked as a cook and server. Because the adults and Scouts were sharing responsibilities equally this was my day as cook. I think this was better for morale than in those crews where the boys were told they had to do all the work because the adults were on vacation.
6:00pm - Dinner of beef stew, peaches and crackers. Normally it would have been peach cobbler in a dutch oven. We get plenty to eat and leave stuffed.
8:00pm - It’s hard to believe but tonight’s campfire is better than yesterday’s. Pookie really put on a show!
9:30pm - We are in bed.
Day 8 - Saturday, June 27 (Beaubien to Fish Camp):
5:30am - We are up.
7:10am - Leave the campsite.
7:21am - After a brief stop at the staff cabin we leave for PJ.
7:55am - Arrived at PJ. Took showers and washed clothes. Picked up our next food allotment.
9:14am - Left PJ for Fish Camp. Walking through Rayado Canyon was scenic and serene, but it would have been better if it was a trail instead of a 4-wheel drive dirt road.
10:02am - Arrived at Fish Camp Lodge. We met our other Troop 764 crew, the Scarlet Napes, who had just arrived. We drank lots of bug juice and went on a tour of the cabin. It was quite impressive. The staff did a good job of presenting its history.
10:54am - Tour is finished. Chris gives us instructions about emergency evacuation procedures. Because of nearby fires (not in Philmont) we are told to sleep in our clothes with a bandanna and a full water bottle. In an emergency we are told to leave all our gear behind.
We buy fishing licenses ($1.50 for youth) and sign up for our fly tying and casting lessons.
11:37am - In our campsite (#4). This is our hottest site so far. There is not a lot of shade, but it won’t matter later in the day, as all the evenings have been cool.
The bear cable was so high it took us 35 minutes to hang the bags. John Salo finally climbed a tree so he could throw it over.
Later I climbed the same tree to help the Scarlet Napes get their bear bags up.
1:00 - 2:10pm - Fly tying and casting lessons.
We now have free time to fish and explore. This is going to be another relaxing day. The two days at Beaubien and now at Fish Camp have been a nice way to recover from the first four days. This itinerary has a nice mix.
7:30pm - Advisors coffee on the porch of the Lodge. Great way to end the day as the sun recedes from the canyon.
9:15pm - In bed.
Day 9 - Sunday, June 28 (Fish Camp to New Abreu):
5:30am - We are up.
7:05am - Left Fish Camp. This was our fastest departure so far.
The trail out of Fish Camp goes up but it’s not too bad. At 7:27 we find a nice spot in a boulder field to conduct a Sunday worship service. The rocks make good seats and a natural amphitheater. Peter, our chaplain, leads us in an inspirational service. He was a good choice for this job.
7:42am - We leave and make the last ascent to the top of the ridge before we begin the mostly downhill, pleasant and shaded walk to Old Abreu.
Rob has been doing well since rejoining us. This is a good sign. He has had a chance to acclimatize and the ascents have not been grueling. Most of the trail from Fish Camp to the ridge is broken up with flat stretches. We stopped frequently to enjoy the vistas into Rayado Canyon and take pictures.
There is a great photo op about 1:45 from Fish Camp. Here you can see beautiful Crater Peak with views to the creek and the eastern end of the canyon.
As we enjoy this scenery someone remarks that even a numb skull like Bob, our friend at Cyphers, can be profound, such as when he told us, "Philmont is where you are now - not yesterday or tomorrow. Enjoy what is around you now."
I’m really proud of our Scouts. They have been doing a great job. We’ve had very few problems - not any more than we might expect on a normal day outing. Our two provisional Scouts (John G. and Michael L.) have done a great job of stepping up and making sure things get done. It’s hard to believe I had heard John didn’t want to come.
For the final steep descent into Old Abreu we come out of the trees into a bright and hot sun. Here the growth is all short and scrubby. Shortly we come upon a trail crew. We stop to let them tell us how much fun they’ve been having. They were great salesmen!
10:53am - We arrived at Old Abreu.
11:08am - We reached the New Abreu staff cabin where we drank lots of bug juice. Abreu is very hot and dusty. Now I know why the Mexican theme is so appropriate here. Trees are much shorter than elsewhere at Philmont - very southwestern. It took us 4:03 from Fish Camp.
The schedule for Abreu was as follows:
- Showers 8-5
- Adobe making 8-12 and 1-5
- Cantina 8-12 and 1-5, then open after the burro racing until 9:30pm
- Candy and root beer are available in the cantina
- Dinner food pickup 3:30-5
- Advisors’ coffee at the cabin 7pm
- Burro racing 7:30pm
After our check-in and instructions we went to make adobe. It was more fun for everyone (adults included) than we could have imagined. Scott and Michael S. did face plants in the final product.
Afterward we were allowed to rinse off in the Rayado River. It’s the only time anyone is permitted to go into the water (for ecological reasons).
1:10pm - In campsite #16 by the river. A beautiful site with adequate shade. It was 95 degrees by midday. By far the hottest day since we arrived, but the low humidity makes it feel more comfortable than an average summer day in Atlanta.
Later I walked back to Old Abreu to check out the shale beds behind site #1 (about a 13 minute walk). A stone outdoor grill and latrine are in the site. Old Abreu has evidence of better days. I couldn’t find any fossils, although the Scarlet Napes did.
I went back to the cantina where I quaffed a 32 oz. root beer. I found out it is Barq’s brand. The Scouts were playing cards and just socializing. This place looked like it came from a movie set. Any minute I expected Clint Eastwood to come strolling in. Definitely a hit with the boys. Found out later that Scott drank so much he made himself sick and had to sleep it off by the river.
We also discovered that one of the female staffers at Abreu had worked at Camp Rainey Mountain in Georgia. Our troop attended summer camp at CRM for a few years.
4:30pm - John G. and I picked up our Mexican dinner fixings. We made taco salads (broken taco shells, buffalo meat, tomatoes, cheese and salsa). For dessert we had fried sopapillas. They were messy to make but very tasty. Everything turned out fine despite me not being a very good cook.
After dinner we discovered we were low on toilet paper. We had turned in a roll at PJ because after the first four days we had too much. Now we are short. I think the Scouts tried not to go to the bathroom at first, but it has been catching up with them.
7:00pm - Advisors’ coffee.
7:30pm - Time for burro racing! It was a load of fun, but our burro, Poncho, was the smartest one of all. He absolutely refused to run despite our Scouts' efforts. In fact he refused to walk. Talk about stubborn.
After the races everyone headed to the cantina for more root beer. On the way we observed an outstanding sunset. However, it was smoke from nearby fires that created all the beautiful colors. This gave us all pause for thought. Hope they can be controlled soon.
9:45pm - In bed. A beautiful crescent moon was shining through the pines into my tent. For the first time it was warm enough for me to sleep without a shirt and on top of my sleeping bag.
Day 10 - Monday, June 29 (Abreu to Urraca):
5:30am - We are up.
7:11am - Another good start today, but we went too far down the road looking for the trail on the left to Urraca. After 10 minutes we realized we had missed it, so we went back to the road leading to the burro corral. The map showed there was a trail leading out of Abreu, not a dirt road; however, the map was wrong. Turns out the trails to Toothache Springs, Urraca Mesa, Aquila and Stonewall Pass all begin behind the barn at the corral. We lost about 23 minutes.
Yesterday I had asked Liz how to leave and she told me to follow the road and the "trail" to the left - nothing about the corral. I need to probe more when getting information. I have found the staff to be deliberately vague. We all believe this is the Philmont way of making us better in the outdoors.
The walk to the base of the mesa was easy. Once we got into the low scrubby brush on the side of the mesa it got more difficult. We had lots of switchbacks. The trail was steep, the bushes cut our legs and we were fully exposed to the sun (our earlier detour was returning to haunt us). It appeared that a trail crew had been working to widen the trail in places.
By the time we reached Toothache Springs we thought this wouldn’t be too bad, but it was all an illusion. It was much farther to the top than it appeared and the trail got increasingly steep. We ran into a troop headed to Miners Park and tried to tell them there was a much quicker way, but they wouldn’t listen. We all learn from our mistakes.
Rob began to have trouble so we unloaded his tent, sleeping pad and sleeping bag. I carried his tent and bag. At this point in the trip I felt I could walk through walls, so what did a little extra weight matter.
9:58am - After 2 hours and 47 minutes we finally we made it to the top, and while relaxing in the shade enjoyed the panoramic view before us. What a sense of accomplishment I felt. I was really proud of this crew.
We rested 20 minutes and after starting again the trail ended at a 4WD road which was not on the map (surprise, surprise!). There were no signs. We used the skills we had been developing and decided to go left. We found the trail after a few hundred yards. Philmont was nothing like we were used to on the Appalachian Trail back home. Map and compass skills are essential. Otherwise you could spend hours hiking in the wrong direction. In fact, during our time at Philmont one crew hiked so far off Philmont property they had to be rescued by helicopter.
The final stretch into Urraca was downhill and shaded - a nice relief. Rob seems to recover on the downhill, but his troubles are a growing concern to the crew. We have a fairly easy day tomorrow; however, the last day could be one of our longest and toughest. We have to hike from Miners Park over Shaefers Peak and then Tooth Ridge in the sun (about 10 miles). Hopefully we can get the Miners Park staff to ship most of his stuff to base camp. It will be hard to carry his gear and walking at one mile per hour will leave us with no water on the ridge.
10:50am - After arriving at Urraca we checked in and did the challenge course before eating or setting up camp. The course consisted of 5 events involving teamwork and problem solving. We did well on the course. Overall we are a pretty good team.
12:55pm - After finishing the challenge course we ate lunch. It was 96 degrees today. One of our hottest.
1:30pm - We went to campsite #7 which was sunny, rocky and dusty. After setting up a few tents we asked to be moved to site #8. This one was flatter, had grass and a great view of the Tooth of Time.
We have the rest of the day to relax. It's hot here, like Abreu. For the first time since arriving at Philmont we see big, puffy cumulus clouds. Maybe it will rain. I never thought I would welcome the rain.
I take a walk and find a rock promontory with fantastic views of base camp and the Tooth of Time. I laid on the rock and soaked it all in. It doesn't get any better than this. I then went back to get the rest of the crew so they could enjoy it too.
7:00pm - Advisors' coffee at the staff cabin. We learn that our sister crew saw a rattlesnake while hiking up the mesa. In fact one Scout stepped right over it and never saw it.
7:45-9:30pm - Campfire. It was a good one after it got going, but they did too much cutting up with each other in the beginning. Without the silly chatter and stuff, this one had potential. The stories about the mesa were interesting, but 1:45 is too long.
9:45pm - In bed. It is cooler, but still hot. The wind is starting to blow.
Day 11 - Tuesday, June 30 (Urraca to Shaefers Pass):
5:30am - We are up.
6:45am - Left the site and then stopped to get water near the staff cabin. We wanted to go back to Inspiration Point for pictures of the Tooth, but for the first time in the morning the skies were cloudy, so we passed. It looked like we could get rain today.
6:59am - Left the water spigot and hit the trail.
7:22am - Arrived at the barbed wire fence at the top of the mesa. From here it was all downhill to Lovers Leap Camp. I missed seeing the stone walls in Stonewall Pass. There was a great view of the Tooth just north of the intersection of the Stonewall Pass, Urraca Mesa and South Fork Urraca trails (you have to look up through the trees).
At Lovers Leap meadow we weren't exactly sure which way the trail to Miners Park went, but because I had researched every aspect of Philmont on the internet, I knew the trail was in the northwest corner of the meadow (there were no signs and no visible trail).
We did see a sign further down the Crater Lake trail with Miners Park written on it, but because there is no visible trail (at least not yet), it is easy to get confused. It was amazing that after all these years people, instead of hiking single file, had actually fanned out across the meadow like they should so that no trail had been worn into the earth.
We found it and continued on the heavily forested and gradually rising trail (stay on the trail, do not follow the 4WD road). This was a very nice trail.
10:10am - Arrived at the Miners Park staff cabin where we met the other crew (the Scarlet Napes) from our troop. The Napes had changed their itinerary from Aguila to Bear Caves Camp and had arrived just ahead of us. Our sister crew had left Urraca 30 minutes before us, but they were nowhere to be seen. They eventually showed up 30 minutes after us. They had missed the Miners Park trail at Lovers Leap meadow and headed toward Crater Lake.
We asked for an itinerary change so that we could hike on to Shaefers Pass and lessen the distance we have to go the last day. The Scarlet Napes have already changed theirs.
10:41am - In the meantime we went to our assigned campsite and left our gear.
11:00am - We then went back to the staff cabin where Michael L. took on the Pemican Bar challenge. He finished it in 45 seconds, breaking the old record of 75 seconds.
We hear that our itinerary change has been approved, but that our sister crew's request was denied.
1:00pm - We split up our crew into those that want to climb the rocks and those that want to hike on to Shaefers Pass Camp. Rob goes on since it will be an incredibly difficult climb to the top.
As we head up North Urraca Fork Creek trail (and then on a side trail to the right) to the climbing wall (about a 25 minute walk from the staff cabin), we hear thunder, and there is talk it might be cancelled. Luckily we get to climb and it is loads of fun. The others should have done it.
We have finished every staffed camp activity on our itinerary and the weather has never been a factor. What incredible luck!
3:41pm - Michael L., John G., Scott O. and myself (the climbers) leave Miners Park. The thunder is getting louder and I am concerned we may have to stop on the trail and wait out a storm.
4:00pm - We crossed through the barbed wire fence.
4:12pm - We arrive at North Fork Urraca Camp where we meet some Scarlet Napes.
After crossing North Fork Urraca Creek it was an extremely difficult climb. We counted either 16 or 17 switchbacks (depending on your definition of a switchback) on the way to Shaefers Pass. Because Shaefer is a dry camp and there is no water on Tooth Ridge, we are carrying 4+ quarts of water each, plus a 1 1/2 gallon jug of water. What an incredibly tough bunch of guys!
After the third switchback the Tooth was visible through the trees to the right. Later we saw eagles soaring overhead.
We are hiking at a very fast pace. The threat of bad weather has us motivated.
5:05pm - We arrive at Shaefers Pass.
5:09pm - We are in our campsite up the hill on the trail to Clarks Fork. I cannot believe we made that climb in just 88 minutes. Rob and the rest of the crew did it in a little over 2 hours - not bad.
The spring at Shaefers did have running water (slow, but steady), but it is not reliable. It is up the trail to the left just as you exit the woods coming from North Fork Urraca and before you enter the meadow. The only latrine is right next to a campsite where you feel you are on display to the world.
Later I ran about a mile up Shaefers Peak and back. The views were fantastic. The rain clouds are still with us, but we've only had a sprinkle so far. The deer here walk right through the sites.
As it starts to get dark the wind begins to blow and it is getting cold. I hope we have a good day tomorrow. I didn't take many pictures today because of the weather.
8:00pm - in bed.
Day 12 - Wednesday, July 1 (Shaefers Pass to Base Camp):
4:00am - We are up before the sun. My headlamp decides to die this morning and I can't find my spare batteries. I do not like to hike in the dark and question the wisdom of getting such an early start, but I am overruled. I found out later that several others also had their lights die today. Ten nights on the trail must be the limit for new batteries.
I heard that one group came through Shaefers from Clarks Fork at 3:45am. I know we all want to get back to base camp, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the incredible scenary or our safety.
5:17am - Left camp. It is still dark, but light is not far off.
5:45am - We arrive at the side trail to Shaefers Peak. We drop our packs and go the last few hundred yards to watch the sun come up. We hold a devotional service and group prayer to express our thankfulness for having had this wonderful experience.
We spend 32 minutes here enjoying nature and the vistas before us. It was so awesome. The clouds are gone. It is crisp and cold and the sunrise was beautiful. We can see Baldy Mountain, Window Rock, Cathedral Rock and many other landmarks which have come to mean so much to us during our hike.
6:17am - We head toward the Tooth and after 30 minutes we find a majestic outcrop of rock. We stop to climb around for ten minutes.
The trail from Shaefers Peak to shortly before the Tooth Trail was incredibly difficult and slow going - one of the hardest I've ever hiked. It wasn't steep, but the rocks made for treacherous footing and a fall could have resulted in serious injury. Rob fell once but thankfully wasn't hurt.
As we continue on we keep getting glimpses of the Tooth, but it is another 30 minutes away.
7:42am - We arrive at the Tooth Trail (1 hour 25 minutes from Shaefers Peak). We almost missed the trail because it is not marked, so keep your map out!
We ate and then climbed the Tooth. At first it was a real trail, but eventually it became nothing but large rocks and boulders. We just climbed straight up. It was a very tough climb. It took 13 minutes and 30 seconds to reach the top.
Our sister crew, which had to spend the night at Miners Park, caught up to us on the Tooth. They were hoofing it.
The skies were clear and the views from the top were some of the best yet. I didn't want to leave because I knew the end was near.
Our descent took 15 minutes and our total time there was 1 hour 35 minutes. I am glad that our crew has taken the time along the way to stop and smell the roses. Afterall, Philmont is about the experience, not just covering the distance as quickly as you can.
After leaving the Tooth, for about an hour the trail is smooth, mostly downhill and shaded, but the last long stretch into base camp is scrub oak and fully exposed to the sun. For us it took 43 minutes to cover what appeared to be a stone's throw to camp. The total time from the Tooth to base camp was 1 hour 50 minutes.
A new trail is being built from the ridge to base camp which seems longer than the existing trail, but it should have a more gentle slope and will help prevent trail erosion.
11:07am - We pass under the "Welcome - You Made It Sign" at base camp. Out total time from Shaefers Pass with all of our stops is 5 hours 50 minutes.
I arrived at base camp with zero water - absolutely none. Others are also empty or on their last few ounces, so it appears to have been a good decision to carry extra water from Miners Park.
We made a pack line behind the services building so we could start our processing. I had two cherry Cokes. They tasted great!
We went to lunch at 12:15pm. Even a corndog tastes good today. After eating I walked to the Seaton Museum to make our crew's reservation to tour Villa Philamonte. The Seaton Museum has some interesting pictures of Philmont in the 1950's. It takes about 15-30 minutes to tour the museum.
3:00pm - All of our check-in stuff is finished, we've eaten, we're in our tents, but best of all we are clean! It feels so great to be clean, really clean.
For the first time since arriving at Philmont it begins to rain - a pleasant, cooling rain which should help keep down the dust. This is the first rain at Philmont in almost four months. It looks like it could be a monster of a storm but it never develops into much.
We head over to Villa Philamonte for a 4:00pm tour. I wore the rain gear I thought I would need everyday. The tour including the house and the Waite Phillips Art Gallery (recently opened) takes one hour. The rain has quit and it is much cooler.
5:00pm - We head to the dining hall. After eating everyone goes souvenir shopping. Turns out we should have done our buying before our hike. It's only July 1 and many items I planned to buy are out of stock and will not be available the rest of the summer. Looks like an opportunity for improvement.
7:00-7:30pm - We attend the outdoor worship service. After worship we meet Aaron, our ranger, and tell him about our trip. He meant a lot to the boys. He was an excellent role model.
8:15pm - All of the returning crews gather to go to the closing campfire. The sky is on fire. Gorgeous shades of blue, gray and pink cover the sky. The sky behind the ridge is aglow with a solid pink background. In the southeastern sky a double rainbow appears.
At the campfire we sing songs and receive our Arrowhead patches. Also, each crew adviser receives the U.S. flag carried throughout the trek. The campfire was okay but not great. The sound system was not good, making it hard for those at the back to hear. For our crew I have written several original Philmont songs that I think are better than many of the ones sung at the various campfires. One song you can't improve on is the Philmont Hymn. Singing it on the last night was an especially emotional experience.
9:00pm - We head back to our tents.
9:40pm - I am in bed, but not really ready to go to sleep. I am tenting with my son, Scott, who was our crew leader, and he is still doing paperwork so that we can leave on time in the morning. Being crew leader was a lot of responsibility. He was able to handle it, but it was a bit much for a 14 year old.
Day 13 - Thursday, July 2 (Base Camp to Atlanta):
4:00am - Scott's alarm goes off. He forgot to reset it from yesterday. My mind starts racing and I can't go back to sleep.
5:00am - Finally decide to get up.
5:30am - We take our gear to the Welcome Center where we wrap it in heavy plastic and duct tape for the ride home.
5:45am - Continental breakfast at the dining hall. Then we sweep out our tents and finish any remaining paperwork.
6:40am - The buses pull out. We left via Rayado and Springer which is much more scenic than going through Cimarron. It would be an exciting way to arrive at Philmont because the Tooth is visible from such a long way off. In fact 25 minutes after leaving Philmont we could still see the Tooth. They say when leaving Philmont, if you look back over your shoulder toward the Tooth, it guarantees your return someday. I hope so.
Our bus driver is a real cowboy. He passed the second of three buses on the 2-lane highway while pointing out sights, including antelopes in the grasslands through which we are traveling. Shortly he passes the other bus and takes the lead. The Scouts are enjoying the ride. We pass through Springer 34 minutes after leaving Philmont. It looks like an interesting small town. I start to feel tired and look forward to relaxing on the way home.
10:07am - We are in the ticketing line at the Albuquerque Airport.
11:07am - We are at the gate ready to board.
11:38am - We push back from the gate.
11:50am - Pilot announces we are "holding" due to an indicator problem. Not the kind of news we want to hear.
11:55am - The problem is okay (we hope!).
12:04pm - We have lift off.
4:52pm(EDT) - After an uneventful flight we touch down in Atlanta.
4:56pm - We are at the gate.
6:06pm - Scott and I, along with the Fischgrunds who gave us a lift, finally leave the airport. Everyone else has gone, but we spent 24 minutes filing a report about Scott's backpack (which Delta managed to break again on the way home).
6:47pm - We arrive at home. I weigh myself and find my weight is exactly what it was when I left (165 lbs.).
The next day we took Scott's pack to Delta. They were very cooperative and apologetic. They had the frame fixed as good as new. It was a different frame, since the original one was no longer manufactured, but it worked okay.
It is time to begin planning for our next high adventure trek!
Click on the image above to hear the Philmont Hymn melody (midi file).
Philmont Grace
For food, for raiment, For life, for opportunity, For friendship and fellowship, We thank thee, O Lord. --Amen--
Check out the great food we ate on the trail!
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