Philmont or Bust!

Today, I received some of the best news that any scouter can ever hope to hear: I've been hired as Philmont Staff for the Summer season of 2012. I really feel like I should share the rest of the story that led up to this dream-come-true phone call. Yep, that's right, there's a story.

I submitted my application to work at Philmont Scout Ranch in March of 2011 - so early that they thought I was applying for that year's camping season. I was even contacted about a last-minute Base Camp maintenance position, but wasn't able to accept it due to prior arrangements and upcoming college plans. I'd often worried that I'd foolishly passed up my one and only chance. As fall approached, I headed off to Texas A&M University in College Station (Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2015! Whoop!), and kept in touch with Philmont hiring staff somewhat frequently. I sent updated applications, called to ask about the status of the hiring process, and answer any questions they might have for me. Things were looking good. I had virtually every credential you could ask for without actually having worked there before. But apparently that wasn't enough. I was pretty crushed when I received the email saying:

"We have filled most of our positions for this summer, but will keep your application on file. However, we recommend you begin looking for other job options."

At that point, I was pretty much resigned to returning to my old job at a local department store back home. But then today, I got a call. The Base Camp Grounds Crew position (or... whatever they call it...) may not be as glamorous as being a Ranger, or the Miner's Park climbing director, but nothing can take away from the fact that I'll be getting paid to go to Philmont.

The excitement has been dawning on me all day... I'm goin' back to Philmont! I don't know all the details yet, though I do know that I'll be there for almost my entire summer break. Not that I'm complaining though. I decided that I would pull this ol' blog out from underneath the dust and cobwebs and keep it updated throughout my summer in Scouting Paradise.

Thursday, July 8th (Day 13)

((Okay, I know it's been forever since I posted last, but I'm gonna finish tonight! Our troop is already starting to plan for our trek in 2012, so I'm feeling all nostalgic.))

11:59 PM
As you can tell from the time that I'm writing this, today's been really long. We left Philmont at eight forty-five this morning, and we all cried (well, not really). Before we left, I thought to snap one last picture of the Tooth of Time over Base Camp on my phone, and of course, it's now my background picture. We stopped for lunch at Burger King, where I got a Texas Double Whopper with bacon, jalapenos, and two slabs of meat. It was dripping grease, and I loved it! And the french fries were really good, too. We drove somewhere between five and six hours today. We're staying the night at a Methodist church in Amarillo with a gym. We played dodgeball until we left for Golden Corral. As luck would have it, they didn't have ANY smoked sausage! Everything they did have was really good, though. After we ate (and got our Philmont Patches!!!) we went to the Texas play at Palo Duro Canyon in Amarillo. I saw it before, when I came to Amarillo on a school trip after fifth grade, but I didn't remember it well. It was really neat; it was a musical about Texas Panhandle history, with some cool special effects. We ended up seeing those fireworks we missed on the fourth, too. Anyways, we are now back in the church, getting to sleep. Tomorrow, we go home.

I'd wanted that smoked sausage so bad, too.... As you might imagine, Chris was equally annoying on the ride home. And we slept a lot.

...Well, this is the last post in my journal. (I can't believe I waited four months to put up just one more, but oh well.) Even six months after the trip, I can still say without a doubt that this was the best two weeks of my life. As I mentioned at the beginning, our troop is already planning for 2012. While I don't think I'll be able to go as a camper then, I'm already applying for a staff position there. Though quite honestly, I don't know how I'll stand the wait.

Wednesday, July 7th (Day 12)

4:02 PM
Well, I was going to write more last night, but I dropped my pencil on the Tooth of Time and it fell in a crack. Darn. Like I said before, our whole troop went to the top (except for a few early sleepers). By the way, there was no trail to the top, 'cuz the whole tooth was pretty much just a giant heap of rocks. The view from the top was awesome. It was kinda sad,too, since it was the last really great view we had. I was all bummed out after that.
This morning, we left for Base Camp, which is where I am now. It's nice being clean! I completely used up half of one of those hotel soap bars... dang, was I dirty. I like wearing clothes that haven't already been worn for five or six days. And my tennis shoes feel really weird after seventy-two miles in my boots. Ribs, green beans, salad, fruit, and POTATO CHIPS (!!!) for lunch turned out to be perfect for first real foods. I've already been to the trading post; I've spent over a hundred dollars on a belt, buckle, Philmont nalgene, map, hundredth anniversary Philmont Patch, and a couple other little things. It was all worth every cent.

It was a little hard parting with all of that money, but like I said then, it was worth it. I traced the trails we took on the regional map, so know I'll be able to remember for the rest of my life. That's a pretty great souvenir, I'd say. Some more advice that I'd give to all future trekkies would be to take a second sleeping bag for off the trail... after that first shower, your sleeping bag from the trail is suddenly disgusting.

Tuesday, July 6th (Day 11)

6:40 AM
Today began at four thirty this morning. James says there's this amazing campsite at Tooth Ridge, and our crew is trying to beat everyone else there. I think we'll make it there first. All four of our troop's crews will meet there, and together, we'll all climb to the top of the Tooth of Time. Tomorrow we all hike into Base Camp as a troop... it's an ongoing tradition Troop 520 has.

10:47 AM
Or crew leader was right about the awesome campsite. Here we've got ten stone lounge chairs (no, really!) and we are surrounded by these crazy cool climbing rocks. Yeehaw! Apparently, there's a latrine that looks over Base Camp, and I here it's a great view... a little awkward, but kinda cool.

It was actually worth getting up at 4:30 AM to get this campsite (I think it was either #11 or #13, but I'm not totally sure...). I'll just say that it was the best campsite of the entire trek, thought maybe I'm just saying that 'cuz I'm addicting to climbing stuff.

6:11PM
Okay, the Ginormous climbing rocks were awesome!!! It was like they were made for climbing on. There were so many ledges, handholds, footholds, cubbyholes, and everything good for climbing on. There was this tunnel/cave thing that you could crawl through , and it was all so big. After lunch, we started climbing some, and then it started raining real fast. It's nice how the rain always encourages us to work faster than normal.

I'm not exactly sure why we were climbing with all of those clouds over head, or why we didn't set up our tents first... go figure. While it was raining me, Chris, Dakota, and Christian played a few card games. We tried poker, but soon realized it was pointless without anything to bet with. We then began playing a game some people call 'Liar', and man, was that the funnest (and funniest) card game I've ever played. We all nearly died laughing. Oh, and we played a few crazy rounds of Spoons (or, 'Sticks', as it was).

There really isn't away for me to describe just how great the climbing rocks/mountains were. We only ever explored a few parts of it, and it nearly wore me out (not to brag, but that's saying something!). At one point, I did this insane Ninja-run thing along the top of this really long ledge that dropped off on one side and was super steep on the other. Talk about adrenaline! We really should have had ropes and harnesses and stuff up there... or at least helmets!

Monday, July 5th (Day 10)

10:43 AM
George decided to leave our stuff alone last night, and he hasn't shown up again today. We left Hunting Lodge Camp around eight o'clock this morning (which is pretty late in the day) and we're now at Clark's Fork. Most of us are waiting for the horseback riding, though I'm feeling a little queasy right now.... I finally got my hat branded earlier today, and my right boot, too! Some of the others branded their stuff as well.

Three thing you MUST bring home from Philmont: A belt, a map, and something branded. Those are the best souvenirs you can get.

4:27 PM
Fire is hot. Dakota and I volunteered to cook for the Chuckwagon Dinner at Clark's Fork. We ended up building the fire for the Dutch Ovens, and it was *so* big. The menu tonight consists of Beef Stew, homemade biscuits, and cobbler. I've heard it's really good going down, but really... unpleasant... going out. We've been chatting with people from other crews, and I learned to play Monopoly with cards... go figure. Horseback riding was fun, even though we didn't really need to control the horses much. My horse was named Speck, and he was arguably the slowest out of the twenty-five.

He must have been called 'Speck' because of a marking he had, 'cuz it wasn't for his size! He liked to stop at every plant next to the trail and hold up the entire line.... And here's some advice to all future Philmont trekkers: go for the Chuckwagon, it's real good real food and didn't give me any trouble at all!

Sunday, July 4th (Day 9)

10:46 AM
Ready, set, go! Me, James, Daniel and Chris just finished a round trip run to Ute Gulch to pick up our crew's food. In one hour, we made it to the Commissary, checked out the Trading Post, and booked it back to where everyone else was waiting. Normally, it's a forty-five minute hike one way. Booyah! We also picked up some fruit and took advantage of the Free Postcard Writing Service! I can't wait to get home and see what it says. By the way, we emptied our packs first.... Before we started out this morning, we had a Sunday morning Fourth-of-July chapel service. It was a good start to a new day.

The 'Free Postcard Writing Service' is something staff members will do for any trekker who asks... they'll take an addressed postcard and fill it in for you (to save you the hassle!). They excel at make-up letters and break-up letters, and any other kind of letter you want sent. The one they wrote for my family was... interesting. My mom thought I must have had severe altitude sickness. I should also mention that we had several deer grazing about 20 feet away during our morning chapel. Pretty cool.

1:33 PM
James tells his story once again. (Inside Joke.) Anyways, most of us are sitting by the camp stove listening to James spin some random tale about our Ute Gulch Run. Tonight we're camping at Hunting Lodge.

9:36 pm
Today's been pretty cool. A lot has happened since Lunch. First off, we saw a bear. It was just moseyin' along through the far side of camp, and it ended up laying down to take a nap by the latrine (?). We sent a couple people to tell the rangers, then they chased it off. After we cleaned up lunch, our crew toured the Hunting Lodge Cabin, where Mr. and Mrs. Waite Phillips (the donors of Philmont property) stayed some summers. Back at our campsite, we cooked dinner (which was an awesome Mexican Rice with refried beans and real tortillas) and saw the bear again. We named him George. It was running away from the staffers chasing it. And tonight, at the evening program, people told hunting and fishing stories. Except for our guys; they told a story about when the 'Pengins' attacked the ranch back in Texas. In general, today was a really laid back day; not much hiking, and a lot of sitting around. The adults in our crew lead a good conversation about our aspirations and plans for the future, and about when they were choosing college majors and careers. It's nice to be able to talk with older, more experienced people about important decisions like that. And we haven't seen that bear again yet...

The 'Pengin' story was at least 20 minutes long from what I heard ( I missed some of it). I'd ask James how it went so that I could post it here, but it was completely made up on-the-spot... it was kinda a one-time deal.

Saturday, July 3rd (Day 8)

7:45 AM
It only sprinkled a Little overnight. Right now, I'm sitting on a log at Comanche Creek Camp, passing the time while we wait for everyone to be fully packed. It's pretty chilly this morning. I put on my last pair of fresh socks this morning... here's hoping we get to shower and wash laundry soon. While it's true that I don't smell too pretty, it ain't horrible either. Having two outfits isn't too unmanageable; my only advice would be to wash everything every chance you get if you've got a sensitive nose.



6:38 PM
Hooray! The upset stomach that I've been dealing with for the past three days is finally gone. I ended up asking a staff member if they had any Pepto Bismal or anything, and he gave me something that worked wonder on my rebelling digestive tract. I celebrated with an extra pack of Nutter Butters, and it was so good! We pitched our tents and stuff at record-breaking speeds today due to the looming dark clouds and persistent drizzle, both of which ended about ten minutes after we finished putting up the dining fly. Personally, I thought our dinner of potatoes 'and beef ', rehydrated corn, and cookies was okay. We used a lot of hot sauce.... Since it was windy, James picked up the fire ring and moved it where he wanted it. Somebody was thinking outside the box. Today is Day Eight, and it's still awesome. (I must admit that it's a lot more enjoyable with a content stomach and non-aching back.). This far into the trek, it hasn't been really hot,k and it's only chilly in the mornings. The weather's almost always perfect, the scenery is more than I can say,and the outdoor peace and serenity is priceless.

Friday, July 2nd (Day 7)

2:09 PM
I'm so disappointed that I only have one picture left on my camera, 'cuz the view from Mount Phillips is one of the most beautiful sights I've seen. I can't think of anything more awesome. We are actually having a really great meal at the summit (canned ham (yum!), crackers, trail mix (with REESE'S PIECES), a peanut butter Cliff bar, and some graham cracker bits. In a little while I might be able to call home and we'll be hiking down the steep side (ughhh...) shortly after. It was hard, but we have all made the summit.

Okay, the meal doesn't sound that great off the trail, but trust me, it was awesome! It was really funny when I had to hang up the phone... I was talking to one of my brothers when it started hailing, so I said in a hurried voice, "Hey, I gotta go now, it's hailing, bye!" *click* Apparently I didn't worry them too much, but I figured it would a little bit. By the way, neither side of Mt. Phillips was that hard.

4:45 PM
Luckily, I was able to call my family before it started raining and hailing on us. I felt bad that I couldn't talk to everyone, though... I didn't have enough time! Everyone was doing fine, except that they were passing around a stomach virus, and our most recently added dog found a new home. My littlest siblings were watching "The Aristocats" when I called; I wasn't too surprised. It's only rained a little bit since Mt. Phillips, but the sky is still real cloudy, and we can hear thunder way off in the distance.

7:00 PM
Though it's still light outside, we're all trying to sleep already. Dakota and I were talking about a bunch of random stuff, like Colorado, our families, and the beach.

I got bored of writing and fell asleep. Oh well; I don't have to share our private conversations after all. Bummer....

Thursday, July 1st (Day 6)

2:11 PM
Today's been a wonderful day, but no surprise there. In order to make it to Beaubien in time to help out with a conservation project, we woke up at four forty-five this morning. Ugh... and it was so cold (Mr. Santiago said it was forty degrees). We ate breakfast while the staff member in charge explained what we'd be doing and gave a safety briefing. For about two hours, my group and two other crews worked on thinning out an area of forest to minimize wildfire impact. It was a lot of fun showing those trees who's boss, and playing kickboxing with the stubborn stumps. At the moment, I'm guarding our food bags from the mini-bears (chipmunks) by the Phillips Junction Commissary.
...Oh wow; I just looked up and saw this giant, dark grey storm cloud overhead. It wasn't there five minutes ago....

We got to meet someone from our Troop who was staffing at Beaubien. We had an... interesting conversation with him, then headed off to pick up our food at the Commissary. They had fresh (and cold!) fruit there... I've never had a better orange!

6:41 PM
I don't know what to write this evening.... We're all dog-tired as we're sitting around the campfire (except Mr. York; he's already in bed). It did rain for a little while at PJ's. Since I've got nothin' else to write, I'll jot down some of our favorite jokes and stuff:

Most of these are inside jokes that only people from my crew will get, but I'll put the name of the best person to ask about them next to each one. Or just ask about them below, and I'll fill you in on the fun!

* "A little bit of deo for the B.O.... Pitstick it!" - Daniel
* "And the cheese from the cow I killed last year...." - James
* "Oh crud, oh crud, oh crud..." - Chris, as he tries to get out of the shower before the rain hits.
* "What's goin' on?" - James, to some stunned kid stalled at the latrine.
* "Did you find your wallet?" "Yeah..." "Where did you find it?" " I dunno." " Wait a minute... where'd you find it?" "... In my pocket." - Dakota
* "Josh! You touched the rope! Darn you..." - Christian
* "Swag-asaurus Rex!" (Bam!) - James
* (Gasp) "Keith says NO!" - Anyone
* "Why, you jealous?" - James
* "Where does the sump lead to?" "Down..." - Me
* "Look! I'm doin' the Josh Walk!"
* "Shut up, Foo!" "That's offensive!" - James
* "Run, I'm scared." - James
* Putting up the bear bags on the big slope at Urraca Mesa.
* "SLUGBUG! SLUGBUG!" (Bang!) "OWW!!" - Chris
* Sunbutter... - Daniel
* Taking 'Tang shots' - Dakota
* "You just spilled all your candy; how does that make you feel?!?" - Chris
* "I'm gonna throw your trail mix in the dirt." "What! What!?! No!" - Daniel
* Backpack guy! - Daniel
* "Hey, that Chris kids got swag!" - Chris
* "Amy, I'm so sorry!" - Daniel

Wednesday, June 30th (Day 5)

10:02 AM
It's really hard to find time to write in here as often as I'd like to. I'm able to right now during our pack-off break by the river between Miner's Park and Black Mountain. We've had to cross it nineteen times so far. Yesterday, at Miner's Park, we went rock climbing and rappelling on an actual rock face, at an elevation of 8,400 ft! The path I took up was so hard, but it felt so good to get to the top. We did have showers that night, but they were only hot for a minute at most. Daniel (whose trail name was Lingo), James (Mr. T), and I (Pen Pal) tried to take on the traversing wall to earn some donuts, but it was crazy-hard after the other climb. (Oops.. Chris (nicknamed Ethyl) also tried the wall.) Climbing's always fun, but it's kinda weird that we hike for several hours, then go off to play hard like that.
Here are the trail names our other guys had: Christian (Putter) and Dakota (Alzheimer's).

I swear, there was this magic-appearing hand-hold that just popped out of nowhere after ten minutes or so. I was so happy to find it! At Base Camp, Keith had told us about a time when a camper had a hummingbird get stuck in his eye, and he told us what to do about it. While we were waiting for our turns to climb, a hummingbird flew up and hovered two feet from our faces. We all shouted "HUMMINGBIRD!!!!" and covered our eyes... everyone else looked at us like we were freaks!

3:15 PM
We ended up crossing that river (the North Fork Urraca Stream) a total of forty-six times. That trail was real nice and relatively easy, so it was well worth it. While I'm writing this, the rest of my crew is trying their hands at blacksmithing here at Black Mountain. I personally wasn't too interested.... What did get my attention was the black-powder muzzle-loading rifle shooting. I shot my Camp Pioneer hat (Yeah, I actually hit it!) and put three nice holes in it. I really hope that we get a chance to put the Philmont brand on our stuff too; there's plenty of space my hat brim!

Hiking along (and over) that stream that day is one of my favorite things to remember; it was so beautiful!

6:21 PM
Nothing of any particular interest has happened since I wrote last. We set camp up real fast again and have been sittin' and chattin' ever since. Dinner was good, especially since we had chocolate frosting with the crackers (Keith let us keep the leftovers from his last night with us!) Tonight's meal was Fettuccine something Pasta, "Royal Kreme" crackers, and shortbread cookies.

8:10 PM
Now, I've got nothing at all against my crew members, but right now I'm really enjoying sitting alone by the fire ring after everyone else has gone to bed. It's still very bright out.... I'm listening to the chirps and calls of many birds, the gentle stream flowing at the edge of our campsite, and the wind rustling through the trees. I love watching the towering aspens as their leaves flutter and shimmer in the breeze.
So far I'm enjoying being the chaplain's aid. My responsibilities include leading grace before meals, sharing a daily devotional message or 'thought for the day' from the religious booklet we were given, and promoting the 4 C's: Congeniality, Cooperation, Communication, and Community. I also lead and guide the the nightly 'Thorns-and-Roses' when we talk about what we did and didn't like about the day.

Tuesday, June 29th (Day 4)

9:08 AM
Let me fill in what we did yesterday. After we ate lunch at the top of Urraca Mesa (it's spelled with two 'r's), we hiked down along the switchbacks on the backside to camp. We set up pretty fast after we checked in at the Porch, and then we took part in the challenge activities they have at Urraca Camp. For that, our crew played 'Tank' (James was beast... and really funny to watch!) and a few team building games. That night, the staff hosted "Noodle Jousting" and James got second place.

Sometime, we're gonna have to play Tank and Noodle Jousting with the rest of our troop, 'cuz those games are just hilarious to watch and crazy to play. The jousting is really hard to referee though, (basically, you spin around ten times with a pool noodle on your forehead, and then try to sword fight each other), so that game should really be just for fun, not competition. James should have gotten first... but our guys knew who really won, so we didn't make a fuss.

10:21 AM
We have so far hiked three miles this morning. To get to our next camp, Miner's Park, we've had to hike back over Urraca Mesa, but it's been a lot easier going the other way. Keith left for Base Camp this morning. Everyone in our crew really liked Keith, and it was a bummer watching him go. We've got chances for spar-pole climbing and rock climbing/rappelling today. And hot showers tonight, too!

The last night before he left, Keith pulled out a pound cake and a tub of chocolate frosting as a surprise for us. In the morning, he gave me the leftover frosting, and I hid it for a couple of days. Mmmm, it was good! Don't worry; I shared with everyone else later.

Monday, June 28th (Day 3)

10:13 AM
Oh, wow. We are sitting on the side of Uraca Mesa enjoying the awesome view. I feel good about how we're doing so far. Right now our crew is debating our crew names, and James (who's our crew leader) is telling us about his crew's nicknames last time he came. It's about 78 degrees up here at the moment, and we've got a nice breeze blowing every minute or so. I can see the shadows from the clouds drifting across the mountains, and I can tell which clouds are making which shadows. Cool!

We were kinda busy this day, so I didn't get to write too much. It was so hard hiking/climbing up the front side of the mesa, but it was so awesome at the top. On our regular camp-outs back home, Mr. King tells this story about "The Blue Lights of Urraca Mesa", where people foolish enough to hike over the mesa at night disappear without a trace. I made sure to take a picture of me up there for my younger brothers... just in the daytime, though.

Sunday, June 27th (Day 2)

11:20 AM
Our bus that'll take us to the beginning of our trail will be here at one o'clock this afternoon. My pack is all ready to go, and it weighs forty-nine pounds with all of my crew gear, water, and everything else. It's been threatening rain since we've gotten here, but so far, we've only felt a few drops. These mountain storms are weird; they come and go so fast, and you can see them raining off in the distance. Our last lunch in the mess hall was sloppy joes, veggies, and fries. From now on, it'll be dehydrated anything. And I'm lookin' forward to it!

I regret saying that...

7:41 PM
Never mind on the no rain thing... it started sprinkling a few minutes before the bus arrived, and kept raining lightly for less than an hour or so. It took us a while, but we're now camped at Rayado River. We learned today how important and useful it is to take a good long look at the camp map... we had to trek back to the map to find out where the bear cable was. We set up our "Bearmuda Triangle", pitched our tents, and cooked dinner (BBQ sauce with Beef, NOT Beef with BBQ sauce). Overall, I feel good about today. Tomorrow we hike over Uraca Mesa.

Eventually, we learned to take a picture of the map with one of the digital cameras some of the other guys brought, and that kinda helped (it was a really small picture, though...). At each backcountry camp, there are several individual campsites, and we had trouble finding an open one. Sometimes they're hard to see tucked back in the woods. Also, we went carefully in regards to navigating on the first day... getting lost immediately wouldn't have been a good start!

Saturday, June 26th (Day 1)

6:00 AM
The lights came on at 5:30 this morning. Rise and Shine! I've already rolled up my sleeping bag and am now waiting for Mr. Perkins to come back with donuts. We'll be leaving for Philmont soon-ish (I'm not sure exactly when); it will be an hour to an hour-and-a-half drive is what I'm told. I'm already starting to drink as much water as I can. Oh, and the sunrise is beautiful over the mountains.

Note to any future Philmont travelers: take a cot and a second sleeping bag (not the one you'll be taking on the trail); you'll be glad you did!

9:34 AM
Wow, ain't it pretty here!?! We just got to our tents in Tent City, where we can see the Tooth of Time. Our Trail Guide's name is Keith, and he'll be hiking with us the first couple of days. Currently we're sitting by the health lodge finishing up our medical rechecks. It feels so nice right now. My sunglasses broke in the trailer... darn it!
I'll say it a lot, but I really can't share in writing how beautiful it is there. Keith was an awesome ranger, who really knew what he was doing (he even trained other rangers); it was great having him help us get started.

1:55 PM
Boy isn't waiting fun! Right now my crew is standing in the shade while we wait for food and equipment. I've agreed to be the crew's chaplain's aide. From what I understand, I'll be leading grace and a few devotions during the trek. The mess hall wasn't disappointing; hot dogs (not the nasty kind), beans, chips, and pudding was for lunch. I'm anxious to get to the trading post.

In a Philmont crew, there are three youth leadership positions: Crew Leader, Chaplain's Aide, and Wilderness Guia (pronounced 'Gee-uh'... their job is to teach and enforce Leave No Trace principles).

Friday, June 25th

8:30 AM (Central Time)
I've just started a Slugbug War two hours into our ten-plus hour drive to Raton, New Mexico. Maybe that was a bad idea... I'm riding with Christian, his dad, and Chris. We've all got plenty of leg room, and nobody's particularly annoying yet. (Well, Chris keeps pulling out my leg hairs, and he put a dead ant in my cup, and....) I'm all excited that we're actually on the way to Philmont, though I wasn't too excited about waking up at 4:30 this morning. From what I hear though, it'll be worth it.

Chris also felt like playing "I'm not touching you" for 15-minute periods every so often. Christian's really good at Slugbug, but Chris hits the hardest.... We slept most of the drive though, so my shoulder didn't hurt too much.

12:40 PM
We're still driving... ugh. Chris is still annoying, but hey, at least he's not boring! We'll be stopping in Amarillo soon for lunch, and we'll get to stretch our legs some. So far, we've only gotten about a dozen Slugbugs total (not counting the little car dealership we passed), and we've gotten thirteen eighteen-wheelers to honk at us... it's actually kinda fun!

9:21 PM (Mountain Time)
Dinner at K-Bob's steakhouse was good ( I got the salad bar). We came back to the church we're staying the night at to find a small group of deer grazing out front. They didn't mind us much, so we got a lot of good pictures. Off in the distance is a large storm front (though these mountain storms are supposed to be quick and short...) and the lightning looks real cool at 6400 ft altitude. The four of us Black Wolves* here (me, Dakota, Ernest, and Micah) are playing Uno with this tiny little deck. I'm gonna finish with them and hit the hay.

*The 'Black Wolves' is my patrol's name. And oops, Chris is a Black Wolf, too (sorry!). Several people got their heads buzzed before dinner, mostly into mohawks. I decided I was good with my no-hawk.We also played paper football for a while.... Oh and the trailer ran out of gas (in the rain) before we got to Raton!

Introduction

Philmont! Known to all scouts and scouters as "Scouting Paradise". This is the dream destination of every boy scout in our troop, the ultimate high-adventure trip, or simply put, the best place on planet earth. Here's just some of the info off of the Philmont website:

"Born in 1938 as Philturn Rockymountain Scoutcamp, today's Philmont Scout Ranch is a bustling center for high adventure and training. Youth and adults take advantage of the ranch's camping, training, and work programs. Most activity takes place during the summer, but Philmont also offers its Fall Adventure and Kanik winter program.

More than 860,000 Scouts, Venturers, and leaders have experienced the adventure of Philmont since the first camping season in 1939. Throughout its existence, conscientious attention to low-impact camping techniques have helped maintain the ranch's wilderness flavor.

Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America's oldest national high-adventure base. It covers 137,000 acres - about 214 square miles - of rugged mountain wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) range of the Rocky Mountains in northern New Mexico. Thirty-four staffed camps and 55 trail camps are operated by the ranch. Philmont has high mountains dominating rough terrain with elevations ranging from 6,500 to 12,441 feet."

This description should be enough to excite any outdoor enthusiast, but fresh off the trail, I can tell you that ain't even half of it. Then again, there is no way to truly express to any who have not been through the "Philmont Experience" just how awesome and wonderful it really is.

My name is Josh; I'm a 17 year old Life Scout from Troop 520 in Cedar Hill, Texas. Our troop (which is the best, by the way) has been to Philmont many, many times, and we try our hardest to go back every two or three years. Ever since I joined when I was 14 I've been super-interested in Philmont. I missed my first chance to go 'cuz I'd missed all of the deadlines, but the next time around wouldn't pass me by.

We started planning for our 2010 Philmont Trek back in early '09. First was a general announcement to the troop that we'd be able to send a contingent, and before long we were putting down deposits. Over time, we formed our four crews (mine was expedition# 626-K2), began checking gear, decided on our itineraries, and were meeting up for practice hikes. With every bit of preparation, I honestly couldn't help but think, "How cool... I'm getting ready for Philmont!" Sometimes, I really didn't look forward to those practice hikes... Fifty pounds of weight on your back over four or more miles wasn't always fun (and I've been told I should have done more!), and I wasn't always excited about the several hundred dollar payments (though that was kinda neat in it's own way, too...), but I knew that it was all going to be so worth it!

When I finished packing my frame pack with all of the gear I'd be taking, I was a little surprised at how little it was, and at the same time trying to figure out what else I could do without. "An ounce in the morning is a pound at night", or so our guidebooks said. As we loaded the trailer, passed out our trek t-shirts, and had a final briefing at the last troop meeting before we left, I found myself thinking, "We're really going! This is sooo cool!" That awesome thing that I'd spent more than a year preparing for was less than a week away! Yeehaw!

In the posts to come, I'll be sharing my journal that I kept throughout our trip to Philmont Scout Ranch. I'll also be adding some comments and stuff to make it more understandable to those who haven't been, and to spice it up some, too. Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep them seperate from the actual journal entries so that everyone can view my record raw and unaltered. I won't keep ya waiting too long! Check back soon,

~~JOSH