Local Boy Scout Troop Visits New Mexico

    It was a trip thats planning stages started in 2010. A Trip to the pinnacle of Scouting’s selection of high adventure bases. A 12 day adventure at Philmont Scout Reservation at Cimarron, New Mexico.  8 youth and 3 Adults embarked on June 9th for New Mexico. Taking advantage of an early start, we visited Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell Alien country, Bandelier National monument, Cliff dwellings, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. A slow trip up enabled a bunch of Louisiana Flatlanders to begin acclimating to the hills, mountains and altitudes. We were soon to face our departure day to the back country on June 14.

    The trip we were selected for was listed as  a 78 mile, 10 day trek and strenuous. Include on average a 30 to 50 lb. backpack and elevation changes of 8000 to 12,500 feet and you may be able to comprehend the calories burned which were probably between 75 to 350 calories per mile. The trail food accounted for 1.5 pounds per person/ per day. Forget the math, it was awesome. Crew participants were dazzled by unbelievable vistas, abundant wildlife (elk, bear, antelope, mule deer, and one rattlesnake encounter). We traversed the entire length of Philmont reservation from the northwest tip at Baldy Mountain and down to Rayado, home of Kit Carson. Yes, it was 78 miles as a crow flies but the small pedometer that one of our adults (Kermit Wittenberg) brought along registered a total 139 miles traveled by the end of day 12. With sheer exhaustion approaching at the end of one 21 mile day that climbed and dropped over 2 different mountain passes, the troop made it to their scheduled destination with the aid of flashlights and crashed for the night to wake up to technical rock climbing. Other events included Black powder weapons to shoot, Tomahawk throws, and mountain man rendezvous, wrangling, and branding. The list was endless with barely time to accomplish those we had scheduled.

    Philmont cannot be explained to anyone who has never been. It, like many other events, must be experienced. To all who have treaded its rocky slopes, forested peaks, and sheer canyon walls, to those who have rested in its quiet glades and soaked your tired feet in the Cimarron, the Cimarroncito or the Rayado rivers, to all Scouts who have gone before us, we salute you! WE MADE IT!