Troop 67 Travels to Philmont Scout Ranch
Submitted by Matthew Hecker, Troop 67
Summit’s own Boy Scout Troop 67 was able to do something truly incredible over the summer that they were waiting to do for years. From July 14 to July 28, a select group of scouts traveled to New Mexico to go backpacking at the Philmont Scout Ranch for two weeks. We used all of the skills we learned along our path to Eagle Scout, and got to have an experience that most scouts could only dream of. Philmont is one of only three High Adventure Camps in all of America, and only 20,000 scouts get to go over the entire summer. We flew to Colorado to spend two days becoming acclimated to the 7,000+ foot altitude, then took a bus to the ranch itself, and started the eleven-day hike. This trip was indescribably amazing, but I hope that I can at least try to describe even a fraction of it.
Our first stop was Colorado. After flying in from Newark Airport into Denver, we collected our bags and were immediately picked up by the Blue Sky Adventures bus. We were driven to the Garden of the Gods, a gorgeous rock formation. Our hike around the formation allowed us to get accustomed to having less oxygen when we hike. We then drove to Great Wolf Lodge, which is where we’d be staying for the next two nights. When we woke up the next morning, we immediately boarded the bus to get a tour of Pikes Peak, driving up to over 14,000 feet above sea level. After getting a view from the top, we drove to a local park for lunch, and then to the Arkansas River to go whitewater rafting. Whitewater rafting intensity ranges from 1 (borderline still water) to 6 (extremely dangerous, and should be avoided)- and we reached a 4! It was easily one of the most fun parts of the trip and was a great bookend to our time in Colorado.
We stayed at Philmont Base Camp for 1 day, which was similar to a standard day camp. But the following day, we started on our trail. Hiking at Philmont was truly amazing, with a once-in-a-lifetime view at every turn. Our hikes ranged from roughly 2 miles to nearly 10 miles. There were days with elevation gains of 2500 feet, and multiple hikes had to be done in the rain. But the best part of the hikes was undoubtedly the comradery. From hour-long conversations about Kung Fu Panda to chanting, “We Ready,” our crew was able to thrive in the heat, sun, rain, and fatigue of Philmont.
The activities at Philmont were so varied, yet every single one of them added so much fun to the trip. On day 2, we got to rock climb on 30 foot high cliff faces, something so different compared to the indoor gyms we have here in New Jersey. On day 3, we shot and reloaded Civil War-era muskets, even getting to put our own hats down range to be shot. On day 4, we branded a lot of our gear with the Philmont logo, as well as getting to cook and eat peach cobbler. We got to pet goats, burrows, and chickens on day 5. The side hike up to Mt. Phillips and subsequent lightning storm of day 6 was easily a highlight of the entire trip, since we got one of the prettiest views I’ve ever seen, and more importantly, cell service. On day 7, we got to prepare 30.06 rifle bullets, as well as actually fire the rifles at targets, hats, and even at flip flops. day 8 brought the most activities. Some of us learned how to play mandolin, others played poker, and then we all got to explore an old mine shaft as well as pan for gold (no gold was found, but some say that the real gold was the friends we made along the way). The next two days both included fly fishing, which was probably the only time on our trip that the advisors got some peace and quiet. And finally, day 11 included a hike and climb up the Tooth of Time, the greatest landmark of Philmont, and an incredible way to end our journey.
When we weren’t hiking, fishing, rafting, climbing, shooting, reloading, chanting, singing, panning, exploring, or hiking some more, our crew was having to handle the scariest part of the trip: boredom. And food. The food was just as scary. Dehydrated meals, pop tarts, and meat sticks were the vast majority of our sustenance, but we made it through. And the boredom was overcome through copious amounts of poker. But from poker to meat sticks to uphill hikes to heat to sunburns to blisters, every challenge only made us stronger. This trip was not only a journey, it was truly an experience. One that I, and the rest of the crew, wouldn’t trade for the world, and will never forget.
