Scouts BSA Troop
Troop 1313 tries to participate in one high adventure camp per year in addition to the regular, week-long summer camp.
August 2015
All,
I am happy to report that Troop 1313's 2015 Philmont crew all arrived safely home last night. It was a spectacular trek - full of great vistas, energy bars, laughs, and mini-bears (alas, no real ones). We ended up hiking approximately 85 miles (or about 320,000 steps according to my pedometer), gaining almost 5,000 feet in elevation change over the course of our path. The weather basically cooperated though we did get to practice our lightning protection procedures a few times. The crew got to shoot black powder rifles, claim the unofficial Ultimate Frisbee championship of Urraca Mesa, and walk out of an old mine in the dark (people were definitely shorter back in the day). Mr. E will share his well-known high adventure top 10 list when we get together but I thought I would share a few learnings from the trail now.
1. Dirt works as well as sunscreen in preventing sunburn
2. It is possible to go 12 days without a shower and fit into a group
3. Walking around airports in a Scout uniform is a sure conversation starter with strangers
4. It turns out that there is no bird dead or alive at Philmont that Sam can't identify
5. It pays to read the camp maps closely
The crew:
Robbie "Foghorn" C. - crew leader
Sam "Farmer" S. - Wilderness assistance
Alec "Quality" B. - Chaplain's aide
Carson "Shiny Pebble" F.
David "Racecar" J.
Evan "Jukebox" M.
Jeffrey "Two-tone" M.
David "Rubber Ducky" E.
Glenn "Shooty McFlickems" M.
Karl "Captain" S.
and our Philmont Ranger Will "Hike On" D.
Special thanks to Mr. E. and Mr. M. who joined me on our vacation with the boys. They proved to be tough hikers, showing it possible to walk the varied trails in sneakers (Mr. E.) and with one bad leg (Mr. M.). We went through our share of moleskin but otherwise avoided any stays at the base camp infirmary.
We all look forward to sharing stories with everyone at our first troop gathering, and hope that our trip will inspire others to visit this glorious place.
Yours in Scouting,
Mr. S.
