Philmont - Backpacking in the Rockies of New Mexico !
In late June of 2003 Brian, Gary and 10 others from Adamstown Boy Scout Troop 61 traveled with a contingent from the PA Dutch Council to the Philmont Scout Ranch for a backpacking adventure in the Rocky Mountains near Cimarron New Mexico. Above is a photo of the entrance to the Ranch, and below is a great picture of the view of 'the Tooth of Time' mountain behind the Ranch. These pictures were taken by Mike Levandosky.
We carried everything we would need for 11 days / 10 nights on our backs, with up to 4 days worth of food at a time. This also included tents, sleeping bags, clothing, and of course the most precious commodity: WATER ! We typically carried 3 to 6 quarts at any given time. Most of the camps were not staffed, but they usually had a water source, although we usually had to purify it with an Iodine solution. The elevation started out over 8000 feet above sea level and went up from there. Yes, we had to get used to the thinner air, which we slowly adjusted to over the several days before we hit the trail. It did not help when that we were carrying back packs weighing from 46 to 58 pounds each ! However, the beautiful surroundings were worth it all. Below is a picture of Cathedral Lake with Cathedral Rock behind it.
The area abounds with Mule Deer, Jack Rabbits and a lot of neat vegetation, like huge Douglas Firs, Aspen Trees, and cactus! Below is a blooming cactus.
Naturally, the high points we climbed up to were highlights. One tough day we hiked to our camp, typically a 6 to 10 mile hike, and then did a side hike to 'the Tooth of Time.' On this day we traveled a total of 17 miles on foot. Below is a picture of the author (yes, I got my hair buzzed like the kids to be a good sport) and son Gary on this high point.
Below is a picture of our photographer, Mike 'Lewie' Levandoski on 'the Tooth of Time.'
One of the hassles of back packing in the Rockies is the need to follow bear safety procedures. Yes, there are a lot of black / brown bears and a few mountain lions in the area, but no Grizzlies. We had to put up all of our 'smellables' like food, cameras and film, toothpaste, garbage / trash, etc. into 'bear bags' which were hoisted up onto a cable each night. We also could not wear underarm deoderant. This led to a lot of body odor after a few days with no shower ! Below is a picture of the bear bags.
Any water from brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc. had to be poured into a 'sump' - see picture below - note the dishes are kept by the sump.
Outhouses were strategically placed at points in or near camps. Some of them were simply boxes with seats mounted on top, in the open. The nicest facilities were enclosed, and were known as 'Red Roof Inns' - see picture below !
The most beautiful camp, with the best staff on the ranch, was Miranda. There we enjoyed shooting black powder guns with .50 cal shot and throwing tomahawks. Below is a picture of this camp, with Baldy Mountain in the background.
One of the toughest climbs, but literally the highest point at 12,441 feet, was the climb up Baldy Mountain. After cresting this monster, we all high-fived, etc. to celebrate this high point. Wow, what a view! Below is a picture of Baldy in all its splendor.
Below is a picture of the group on top of Baldy, with names below that.
Left to Right: Jon Zaun, Dan Schweitzer, Jared Bauman, Kyle Nixon, Mike Levandoski, Matt Klopp, Brian Auker, Michael Zaun, Gary Auker, Jordan Weaver, Joe Ceriello, Eric Schweitzer.
The above descriptions were written by Brian Auker (one of the 3 adult advisors). Below is an article by Michael Zaun (another of the 3 adult advisors) describing the trip.
After two years of planning, the day we had been waiting for had finally come. The day we were leaving for Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. Nine Scouts and three leaders from Adamstown's Boy Scout Troop #61 were among the Council's contingent of 60 Scouts and leaders who were boarding a bus at Border's Book Store at Park City for the first leg of our 15 day trip. The scouts were Gary Auker, Jared Bauman, Joseph Ceriello, Matthew Klopp, Michael Levandoski, Kyle Nixon, Daniel and Eric Schweitzer, and Jordan Weaver. The adult leaders accompanying them were Mike Zaun, Jonathan Zaun and Brian Auker. Gary Auker served as crew leader and Mike Zaun was the Crew Advisor. At 3:30 AM on Saturday June 28, 2003 the bus departed for the Philadelphia Airport where we would board our Northwest Airlines jet which would take us to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. After about an hour layover we were back on our plane to Albuquerque, New Mexico. After arriving in Albuquerque, we were again back on a bus which would take us to the Sandia Peak Tramway. There we boarded the Tramcar and started our ascent to the top of Sandia Peak. Although the tramway is the world's longest single section aerial tramway and rises about 4000 feet in 15 minutes, and is an engineering marvel, most people come for the spectacular view. From the peak, which has an elevation of 10,378 feet you can see over 11,000 square miles of the "Land of Enchantment". Our next stop was the Radisson Hotel in Albuquerque for some dinner and some much needed rest. The next morning, after a delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel, we were off to Santa Fe where we had a ghost tour and did a little shopping from some of the local Indians who were selling turquoise and silver jewelry. Our next stop was at the Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos, New Mexico. Bandelier National Monument is best known for its sheer-walled canyons, ruins of Anasazi cliff homes and the ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them. The scenery here was awesome. We spent our second night in Taos, NM at the Abominable Snowmansion which is a youth hostel. On the third day of the trip we arose at 5:00 AM, had a quick breakfast and were off to our final destination, Philmont Scout Ranch. Philmont Scout Ranch is a high adventure camp operated by the Boy Scouts of America. It is the best know Boy Scout camp in the world. Scouts from all over the United States, Europe and Japan backpack it's rugged and beautiful terrain. Philmont is comprised of 137,493 acres or about 215 square miles of mountain wilderness located in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rockies. The land was donated to the Boy Scouts by Waite Phillips in December, 1941 along with his summer home, the Villa Philmonte. To sweeten the deal, Phillips offered his 23-story Philtower building in Tulsa, Oklahoma to fund improvements to the camp. Mr. Phillips had only a few, simple conditions. First, the ranch must remain an operating cattle ranch and, second, the Boy Scouts would pay all taxes and expenses. Finally, on the fourth day of the trip we were bussed to our starting point. For the next eleven days we would be living out of our backpacks. A short day consisted of hiking 4 or 5 miles and we hiked as much as 18 to 20 miles on a long day. In our backpacks, weighing approximately 50 pounds, we carried food for up to 4 days at a time and we climbed to the highest peak on the ranch, Baldy Mountain, at 12,441 feet. The total distance hiked was close to 100 miles. During the afternoon temperatures would reach the low 90's and at night drop down into the low 40's. It is very dry there and during the eleven days we were there it rained less than ¼ of an inch. Some of the activities we participated in at the various staffed campsites were rock climbing, rappelling, black powder rifle shooting, branding, tomahawk throwing, spar pole climbing, playing mountain ball and making adobe bricks. Each summer more than 20,000 scouts come to the Ranch to hike its trails, climb its mountains and learn about themselves and the wilderness. Over 900 seasonal staff members work to ensure that every scout's experience is something that will change him forever. Ask any of the boys and they will tell you it is one of the best experiences they have ever had. Many of them are planning on returning again in 2005. Philmont challenges everything about you, both physically and mentally. After the Philmont experience, you will never be the same.
by Michael Zaun
