A Scouting Adventure: All the Way to Philmont

Date: June 25 to July 9, 1991 (includes travel days and sightseeing)

Where: see badge at left

Environmental Conditions: sun, rain, cold, hot, wet, dry, lush, barren, rocky, grassy, and anything else you can think of.

Length: 95 m

Elevation change: Base Camp - 6600, Baldy Town - 10,000, Baldy Mountain - 12,441, Tooth of Time - 9003, Base Camp

Duration: 11 days, 10 nights on the trail


The Scouting organization is primarily responsible for my love of the out-of-doors and, in particular, hiking and camping. I never joined the Cub Scouts, but did join, at age 11, a local Boy Scout troop in Manassas, VA. Soon after, we moved to Orange, VA, where Uncle N was the Scoutmaster and my cousins were involved in Troop 14 (one of the oldest troops in the history of scouting in America). I really took to scouting and engaged every possible opportunity from camping trips, jamborees, summer camps, to service projects. I earned my Eagle rank at age 17, and loved every minute of the experience. 

One regret I had as a youth was not going to Philmont, the national scout ranch in New Mexico. My older cousin B went and I was insanely jealous and assumed I had missed my chance.

Fast forward about 20 years; the boy is 11 and he is interested in scouting. He checks out the troop that was meeting in a church down the street and wants to join. I am ecstatic and wonder in what ways I could become involved without messing up his experience. I laid back the first year and just went on a few hikes, which did not seem to bother him. The second year, the troop adult leaders asked if I was interested in becoming an assistant scoutmaster; the boy and I discussed this and he was amenable to the idea, so I signed up. For the next 5 years we enjoyed scouting immensely due to the very active nature of this troop. "Outing is Scouting" was the mantra, so the troop planned a hiking or camping trip for each month of the school year and added a week of summer camp to that. Needless to say I was in paradise. We were invited to join the OA, which never happened for me as a youth, and I participated in Woodbadge training for adults. We were very active and both of us became steeped in learning about how to enjoy the out-of-doors in a safe, responsible way with plenty of adventure.

The culminating event of our scouting experience was our trip to Philmont. Check out the link for details about the camp. In summary Philmont is an expansive western ranch in NE New Mexico where crews of scouts (say 15 per) can follow one of about 25 prescribed treks through the mountains, valleys, and meadows of the ranch. Each day a new crew or pair of crews departs on a trek and then the next day another crew sets out, so that over the summer there is a constant stream of crews, one day apart, hiking each trek.That makes for a bunch of boys and adults having the opportunity of a lifetime.


The boy and I went with about 25 other scouts and adults from the Richmond Area; 13 in our crew. Since the theme of this blog is supposed to be hiking/camping following is a brief overview of our trek:

Day 1: Base Camp (6600) - We arrived late at night and bedded down in a wall tent on a platform in Tent City and the next morning (day 1) we organized for our trek with the assistance of a ranger, secured camp gear, shed excess personal gear, and received other training needed for a successful adventure.  My fully loaded pack weight including food and water was about 40#; I weigh 160#. 

Day 2: Road a bus up to our starting point, Ponil; we hiked a 2 m shake-down to Sioux (7200) received more ranger training (hanging bear bag, camp setup and trail discipline), and set up our first night of camping on the trail.

Day 3: 5 m to Dan Beard (7800); lovely fire road and meadow hike though temperature in the 90s; we received no trace camping instruction and participated in some wilderness challenge events; cool evening with beautiful views.

Day 4: This was our first arduous hike: 15 m to Ring Place in Val Vidal (8000) (off Philmont property); our trek was initially set for a total of 75 m but, per our request, was extended to 95 m as  we hiked past Seally Valley up to our destination; a conservation site where we took on a ditch digging project (after hiking all day) and had a very late dinner in the rain; awoke to dazzling blue skies.

Day 5: Another (now brutal) 15 miler to Rich Cabins (over 8800 ridge down to 7800); spectacular wilderness along a river bed; we had our first opportunity to rinse off near the stream, not in it, wouldn't be prudent (feet are hurting); no activities.
Day 6: Another (now punishing) 15 miler back to Ponil for resupply then to Pueblano (8200); another hot day; campfire at night with other trekkers.
Day 7: An easier hike today even with the change in elevation; 10 m to Ewell's Park and Baldy Town (10,000); caught out in a violent storm, temperature dropped 30 degrees in a few minutes with lightning, pouring rain and hail; set up camp in a lovely aspen grove; rain subsided; views amazing; cool evening.

Day 8: 8 m loop hike over Baldy Mtn (12441) to an activity site like an old west town; panning for gold, blacksmithing, then back to  Baldy Town. 360 degree panoramic views from the top on a slightly cloudy and windy day (every day is a windy day on top of Baldy); hiked above tree line in rock scrabble. We are getting pretty tough by now and acclimated to the environment.
Day 9: Now we are headed back toward base camp and we can see one of the the most prominent features of Philmont, the Tooth of Time. Each day the Tooth loomed larger beckoning us toward the end of our journey. A relatively easy descent over 10 m to Cimarron River (8500).
Day 10: Another easy 5 m to Cimarroncito over (8000) ridge to activity center with rock climbing and repelling.
Day 11: On the last stretch with 5 m over Shaeffer's Pass (10,000) to Tooth of Time (9000), which is a dry camp, so water has been carefully managed; you can only carry so much; last night on the trail; cool evening at this elevation. We can see base camp in the distance; hot down there.

SunriseSelf Portrait

Day 12: A leisurely morning, tough getting started and then the 5 m descent to Base Camp (6600); switchbacks nearly the entire way. Into camp well before lunch.  Hot. The afternoon was consumed with eating, eating, and eating, with some laundry thrown in.


We stayed two extra nights in camp, so we had the opportunity of doing some sightseeing in the area before we headed back to Denver and the flight home.


Trip reflections: wonderful father-son time, most arduous hiking experience to date, beautiful but hostile environment, great camaraderie, what the BSA organization has accomplished there is phenomenal, I was not fully prepared - boots were probably a hair too small or I tightened them too much not leaving enough room in the toe box, my little toes have never been the same since. A high adventure in so many ways. The boy and I talk about it just about every time we see each other, even 20 years later. Backpacking in the wild, as tough as it is, is a challenge I continue to enjoy more and more in retirement.