Introduction:
This is a journal of my thoughts concerning the Gamehaven and Troop 2 Philmont treks for 2001.
Since Spring 2000 I have been acting as coordinator for both treks. Since this is a personal journal please remember that no comments contained are meant to offend anyone and if they happen to do so I offer my apology now.
No apology offered for the bad grammar and spelling (I will run spell check and do the best I can)
Dave Thorn
Crew 618-J 2001
The Journey Begins
June 17 Sunday
Winona group begins to arrive at my home just prior to 9:00 am. We take some pictures on the front lawn and say good by to everyone and are on our way to Stewartville to meet the Rochester group by 9:30.
We arrived at Stewartville at about 10:45. Todd , Ryan and Chris are waiting. We rearrange passengers stop at a Kwik trip for snacks and restrooms. On the road by a little after 11:00.
About 20 miles from Waterloo we find 2 separate stranded motorists. We made sure one had a ride from his brother and the other a Woman rode with Paul to Waterloo where we dropped her at the bus station.
We then went to a park in Waterloo and had lunch.
After lunch we were on our way. We stopped at a rest stop just short of Iowa City and then continued on without stop to Fort Madison.
Upon arrival in Fort Madison at around 3:45 we got gas for each of the vans and then went to the Train Station. The Station was closed until 1 hour before the scheduled arrival of the train so we decided to get something to eat. The boys decided on Country Kitchen which had an all you can eat buffet.
After dinner we returned to the station to learn that the train was about 1 ½ hours late. Not to bad. We met another scout who was headed to Philmont for a Reyaldo Trek. Brian spent most of the train ride with him.
Finally the train arrived and we were on board. The train was very full so we had to have ½ of us stay in the handicap section until we were able to get reassigned seats upstairs after we stopped in Kansas City.
June 18 Monday
Woke up and had breakfast in the Dining Car with Josh (my son) around 9:00 am. Omelet was very good. Train was still about 1/12 hours behind which will put us in to Raton at about 1:00. Everyone was a bit restless and anxious to get off the train. We were able to see antelope and deer as we passed into Colorado. The train was making up time and we arrived in Raton shortly before 1:00. We loaded the bus and were taken to a location near a Mc Donalds, Arbys, Dennys and some other food places. The driver said we should be back by 2:00. We were the last bus of 7 so lines were bulging at the Mc Donalds and Arbys. Most of the boys went to Dennys and finished a sit down lunch complete with pie before many were done at McDonalds. I wasn,t hungry so I had a coke at Mc Donalds. The group that went to Dennys came back with 2 pieces of pie for Brian and the advisors to share. They had purchased a whole pie and could not finish it.
2:00 and on the road to Philmont at last. We saw many antelope as we neared the ranch. The driver pointed out the buffalo heard that belonged to Ted Turner. We passed through Cimmeron, then through the gate at Philmont. We got off the bus at the Welcome center and lined up our gear. Then Brian and I went to begin check in.
The staff informed us of meetings for leaders, advisor, and chaplain aid later that evening. Each meeting was separate. We were given tent numbers and went out to await our ranger. Soon Bill our ranger arrived. We immediately got along very well. He is from Eau Clare and is planning to attend Bemiji State in the fall. He has had several years on staff as a ranger and is a wonderful addition to our crew. He takes us to our tents and we drop off our gear.
We now learn the first of several habits we will acquire. Where ever we go we will take: raingear and a quart of water. It is very dry and we are told to drink 1 quart per hour. After we are settled in our tents we head to administration for advisor check in. This takes a long time and while I am waiting Bill takes the health forms and does a review. ( He finds that several of the forms are missing the SSN) We will make phone calls home to get them as the boys don't know them. This is the only problem we will have with medical check in. It is taking a long time to finish Admin check in so Brian and Paul go to logistics to get the route brief. I finish admin check in and join them as they are getting an overview of the route. We are unable to get horse rides at Clarks Fork (all booked up) but sign up for the Mexican Dinner at Abreau and Chuck Wagon Dinner at Clarks Fork. Paul records all the water sources at each of our camps. We note that the only showers listed are at Cito. We meet Mark Anderson and ask if we can hike to Lovers Leap camp from Base Camp (extra 2.5 miles) instead of waiting for the late afternoon bus. After much explanation his answer is No. It is now almost time for Dinner so we gather at the Bell and wait. Bill leads us in the Philmont grace and we head in for chow. We are again almost last in line but it moves fast and we are soon having our meal. I can't remember what the chow was but the portions were small. I remember that the boys all ate everything they had and went back for extra Power Aid Drink.
After the meal I had to go to the advisor meeting. During this meeting we were told that the leaders would be getting the same information at their meeting which was being held at a different location. The information consisted of 4 major areas.
We are off to Chapel, I would have made it mandatory but Brian (crew leader) wants all boys to have a choice. With encouragement all boy volunteer to go to chapel. Good call Brian your way was better then mine.
After Chapel, we all gather for the opening campfire. This is the first of many times we will hear the history of Philmont and the generosity of Wade Philips. I think they did a fine job. On the return from the campfire we stop at Welcome center tables and have thorns and roses. It takes a while for us to get all together as some have returned to the tents. Bill seems surprised that we already know how to do T&R. Most of us are in a good mood and it goes well. Bill's thorn is the only one I remember. He hates Base Camp. Well off to bed and a mattress last time for 10 days.
June 19, Tuesday
I am up early and head for the shower. With that done I am ready for the day. We meet Bill for breakfast and have scrambled eggs. Again portions are small but otherwise everything is good. I skip the coffee this morning to help with the blood pressure. As soon as breakfast is over we head to Med check. They take us two at a time. While the rest of us wait Bill takes out his flash cards and reviews map skills with the boys. They do well. We finish med checks and all are now passed. I have lost more weight than I thought. We now go to equipment check out and get our tents and cooking equipment. This goes well and we now go next door to get food. We were going to try to have batteries for Chris's implant delivered with food but it ends up that we decide to just take all the batteries with us. About 8 extra lbs.
We now get our gear and remove it all from out packs and Bill goes through what we should bring and what we should leave. We decide we need to get a bottle of sunscreen for each of us form crew funds. We also are short 1 Polar Pure to have one for everyone so we decide to purchase that as well. Both Paul and I will carry cameras and will use them for all crew pictures. Todd has an extra 110 and a panoramic camera as well. Some of the boys have a disposable. Chris has a hard time understanding that Bill wants him to leave things out of his pack. (We later go through his pack with him one on one and separate items he does not need on the trail.) We are not yet finished with this by lunch. Bill has several things to finish as well and we agree that we will meet at 2:00 at welcome center and wait for the bus.
Lunch goes by quickly. After lunch I pick up the sunscreen and polar pure then finish separating the trail items from those staying. I go to security and get a second locker key as there is no way we will fit out stuff in 1 locker. I meet the crew at the lockers and gather the valuables for the valuable envelope which I take to admin. When I return the crew is finishing putting the gear in the lockers we have no extra room. I stop by the post office one last time as we head for our packs and begin to distribute the crew gear and food. I am assigned no food but will carry a tent, film, extra rope, a stove and a bottle of fuel. With 2:00 pm nearing we head to the welcome center to weigh our packs. Most packs weigh in at around 45-49 lbs (including 3 liters of water) Brian and David both have packs of over 51lbs. Mine is at 48 lbs (including 3 liters of water)and seems very comfortable. As I look back now it was correct of Mark Anderson to have us take the bus we were not ready to leave until after 2pm anyway.
2:15 we boarded the bus and left for Lovers Leap turnaround. Rangers did a very good job on the bus tour and the trip to the turnaround was very short. We departed the bus and made a line with our packs as Bill gathered us to teach proper use of "rocks and the Red Roof Inn". He then explained about river crossing and bridges. We then took off. Within 100 yds we did a river crossing of a dry creek and failed to loosen our belts and wait for all across. Bill had caught us napping. The hike to lovers leap was cool in the shade despite the late afternoon. We stopped at lovers leap and the boys all went all the way to the edge. I could not get myself to go out that far. After several pictures we continued to camp at Lovers leap camp. We arrived at camp at after 4:00 this would be the latest camp arrival for our whole trek. Brian found the fire ring and established the triangle and we set up the fly and tents. Nick, Chris and I went to get water from spring about ¾ of a mile away form camp. It was a pleasant walk. The spring emptied into a cattle tank and we took the water and filled our 2 ½ gal. jugs. Bill cooked the meal and demonstrated the one pot technique. We used this method the rest of our hike. Everyone ate all that was avaliable and we had the desert mixed cold. After supper Bill demonstrated the use of the strainer and sump. We asked him about "human sump" he said that he was no longer allowed to teach it but if our crew wanted to it was ok. With our crew, I had volunteers every night to act as the human sump. The only thing we ended up putting down the sump was the spit from brushing teeth in the morning. Josh was given charge of the yum-yum bag. (This ended up with almost nothing in it upon our return as we continued to use the human sump).
Brian decided that we could sleep in the next day as we had a short hike to Urraca Camp wake up was at 6:30 am. Thorns and roses included roses of the great view at Lovers Leap, how everyone was helping each other and most of us had no thorns. Bill introduced a new concept called a "bud". A bud was something we wished would happen in the days to come. Several boys had a "bud" of running into a crew of Swedish Girls on the Trail. Fat Chance. It had been a great first day on the trail.
June 20, Wednesday
Todd was first up and had hot water for coffee going by the time I was out. (6:00) This would get to be an everyday thing with Todd being up first and starting the water. We boiled the water in a 2 quart coffee pot and it was easy to pour. By 6:30 Brian was waking everyone up. Josh would prove to be the slowest in the Morning but no one complained and he was not that slow anyway. We had hot oatmeal, a hot drink and jerky for breakfast. We were on the trail by 8:00. Several other crews were at the trail head at the same time so Bill decided to give them some room and took the time to teach us about Bear Safety. At 8:15 we were hiking up Urraca Mesa. We hiked at a fairly good clip and soon arrived at a junction that would take us to Stonewall Pass or around the north side of the Mesa. We wanted to go across the Mesa. It took Ryan our navigator a while to figure the correct route but we ended up going the way we wanted. (Our sister crew who we had yet to meet was ahead of us but went the other way). Soon we were at Stonewall pass and headed east and up the mesa. The trail got steep for a while but just before the top there was an outlook where we met another crew that was coming down the Mesa. We took a short break and some pictures before we headed on up and across the Mesa to Urraca Camp. We arrived at 9:45. The camp staff remarked at how early we were. We were invited on to the porch and had gator aid and learned that the well was not working properly and we should purify the water. We scheduled our challenge course for later that morning and were shown a campsite. We set up camp and returned for the challenge course.
The challenge course is very much like low cope. We did several team building activities and finished with the 12 foot wall climb. The crew did great!!!
We returned at about 1:00 and had lunch. After lunch Bill went over emergency procedures and fire evacuation procedures. Paul started to find rocks of different shapes that looked like states. By mid afternoon we were all telling him how "dumb" is was to try to make a map of the United States made from rocks as we at the same time looked all over for a good Florida. By late afternoon the map was finished and we had dinner. Brian made this dinner and it was good except that the "peach surprise" desert was bad. We all chipped in to finish it off and I offered to "sump" the pot. Jason was not feeling good. He had a headache and was nauseous. We gave him some water and Ibuproprian and he took a long nap. It looked like altitude sickness to me. The advisors went to the first of several advisor coffees. Here we met our sister crew (form Woodbury MN) At this time we were still leaving dishes at the sump for the night. Everything in camp was again secure well before we left for a campfire of "ghost stories". By the time the campfire started Jason was feeling somewhat better and we all went to the campfire. The campfire consisted of the "Philmont history" told in a humorous way followed by several ghost stories. In the end loud noises came from the woods and several boys got a scare as some of the staff came stumbling out of the darkness to the campfire. Off to bed. Tomorrow we would say good by to Bill until we return to base camp.
June 21, Thursday
We woke before dawn and went to inspiration point to try to catch the sunrise. It was a cloudy day so the sunrise was weak but the birds gave us a great wakeup and the view was terrific. Bill took this time to do the wilderness pledge. Everyone was feeling good this morning and our only disappointment was we know that Bill would be leaving us. We took our time breaking camp as we had a very short hike to Backache Springs. Bill stayed until we were just about ready to leave and then he said his goodbye. We then headed up the Mesa and down the South Side. Coming down the Mesa was very rugged and steep. I was still very slow on the downhill and am sure that I held up the crew. We were soon at toothache springs and refilled almost all of our water as the water from Urraca was so full of chlorine. It was here that Chris tried to rinse out his platapus with the untreated water and contaminated his whole system. He would be without it for the rest of the trip as we had no idea of how to dry out or purify the tube system. We will buy him another water bottle at Philips Junction when we get there. After the stop at toothache we headed on to Bachache Springs as short 45 min. We arrived and found a large open grassy area with a bear bag cable on one side and campsites on the other. Brian sent out scouts to find possible other sites and soon he had found one he liked. We set up camp near the pond (not drinkable). We had the whole afternoon with no events so we explored the area. Paul, Todd and I went looking for possible water sources, (We didn't find any) but had a great walk and the camp has a wonderful view to the south and west. Later we would take the binoculars out and look all the way to Abrau (our destination for tomorrow). Brian got 4 volunteers to go back to Toothache and get extra water. This gave us more water then we needed for the night and breakfast. We offered to share some of it with the crew from Woodbury but they declined. There was a brief shower that afternoon but almost not worth talking about. Todd, Brian and Paul were exploring the area to the north and east of the pond while I took a rest. On the way back just on the other side of the pond I heard a yell. It was Brian, Paul and Todd. They had stumbled upon 3 timber rattle snakes. I went running over to them but the snakes were gone by the time I got there. Brian had been in front and got quite a scare. About an hour later a mule dear walked right through camp. After supper we got both crews (Woodbury and us) together to just hang out. It was very good to get the crews to know each other. We would be seeing them every night from now on and we got along very well. I discussed with Brian about leaving our dishes at the sump at night. He was right, Bill had said that the dishes didn't need to go up in the bag. My position was that we had the extra bags and why take the chance that a bear would scatter all our dishes when we could easily put them up. This was one of several things that Brian and I would have to work thorough. He agreed to put up the dishes the next day.
June 22, Friday
We woke up about an hour after dawn and were out of camp before 8am. No rush this morning as the hike to Abreau was not long and all downhill. Daivd set a blistering pace and we all worked hard to keep up. By the time we got to Toothache we needed the break. We had our dry breakfast there. Then we headed down to Abreau. As the trail was downhill we made very good time and got to Abreau well before lunch. Brian checked us in and we were lead to the campsites. Brian found us the best site of the trip, right on the Rayado River. We set up camp and had lunch. It was here that we got a knot in the bear bag rope. We were fortunate that the is was left loose and was not pulled tight. We pondered what to do and decided that we would ask the staff before we made things worse. We then returned to the homestead and volunteered to do some gardening. We pulled weeds and created a barrier for the rabbits. After the garden work we looked under some plywood for Black Widow Spiders. We found 2 under the boards. Everyone was impressed and many of the boys had never seen a Black Widow before. The crew then went to the cantina where we drank pictures of root beer and the boys bought some candy. Paul purchased some beef jerky for later in the trip. At the cantina we asked the staff person about the bear bag rope. He said that his crew had done that as well and they hoisted up the smallest boy and he then untied it. After we had our fill of root beer we returned to work on the rope. The cable was very high and we could not convince anyone to go up. Josh was willing until the harness we made for him was tested and he made a smart choice to not risk it. We continued to try to come up with a way to fix our problem. As we looked at the rope we discovered that the know was very loose and we could most likely untie it if we had a pole long enough to get thru the loop. Brian did a great job of lashing together trekking poles and as extra large safety pin to do the job. He did a great job of getting the rope unknotted. The rest of the afternoon was free time. We all took showers and washed our clothes. The cooks went to prepare dinner at 4:00 pm. It was during this time that we discovered the Mountain Girl crew. While we were filling our bottles at the faucet 2 girls came over and said hi. However, to Brian and the other boys disappointment they left right away to help with the cooking. We later saw them talking with Josh our cook for the day. The camp bussed with the expectation of a whole crew of girls. It turned out that the two of them were it, but boy did they draw attention.
It turns out that after the mexican dinner most of the boys played ultimate frisbee with a different crew. Josh showed up with a small injury, which I helped him wash and dress. Abreau was like being back at base camp. Fresh running water, cooked meal, root beer and candy, showers. That night we were slow in putting camp to bed but the sound of the river rushing by was very soothing as we slept.
June 23, Saturday
We woke up early but it took us quite a while to get out of camp. We also had a delay because we could not find our strainer and sump scraper. (They were left at the Mexican Dinner and not returned) After checking with the staff (he was awake already) we were on our way to Aquea Fira. This would be our longest and hardest day. The hike to fish camp was long and as the morning progressed became very hot. It was however was beautiful. We stopped for trail breakfast and our sister from Woodbury passed us on the trail. We would pass back and forth several times as each crew took a break. We tried to do catipiller several times during the climb but it was hard to accomplish on the narrow trail and was abandoned. We finally reached fish camp at about 10:50. Everyone except Brian was spent. Brian checked in and we waited to find out the plan for the rest of the day. When he returned it was decided that we would take the cabin tour and fly tying in the afternoon and 4 of us would go to PJ now and get food. We left immediately in order to get to PJ before Noon. The trail to PJ is actually a road and is an easy trail. I however had a new pain in my back just under the shoulder blade. This hike of just 2 miles turned out to be my most painful hike of the trip. We (Brian, Paul, David and I) arrived at 11:50 and were issued our food. We were also given oranges (boy did thy taste good). We walked partly down the stream toward fish camp and had lunch. Paul, David and Brian soaked their feet in the river. It was good to rest a while. Soon we were back on our way to Fish Camp and the rest of the crew. When we arrived back at fish camp the rest of the crew was finished with lunch and we took the cabin tour. I was still very tired and could tell so were some of the boys. We next went to fly tying and almost all of us had no energy as we tried to tie an ant. After fly tying we set off for Aqua Fira. We got to camp and found a good site and set up. Todd noticed a large buck that had come about 50ft from our tents. I took the camera and moved in closer to get a good picture. We went to bed early and everyone was tired. We would not have an early wake up because we only had to get to Fish Camp by 8:00 for our service project.
June 24, Sunday
We arrive at Fish Camp by 7:30 and eat the remainder of our breakfast as we wait for the conservation guys. Our project is to assist in building the new trail between PJ and Fish Camp. We will be working with our sister crew this morning. The project begins with a talk about what we are doing and the tools and methods for trail building. We are split into several groups and begin work. Groups are doing the following: Digging gravel from a hole with picks and shovels. Preparing the trail surface by tamping the gravel and shaping the crown on the trail. Working on a section of new bridge by creating a flat surface. We work for more the 2 hours and as we near 11:00 we are told it is quitting time. We get a final talk about how well we did and about returning as part of the conservation department. Many of the boys are tired as most worked hard. We actually can identify the 24 feet of trail that was crowned and tamped by our crew. I think those working on the log bridge had the most difficult task as the tools they were given were not up to the job.
We now headed up the road to PJ. Brian wants to get there before the commissary closes at noon. For some of the crew this becomes a tiring hike after the work they just finished. We arrived at PJ and everyone welcomed the rest and the lunch break.
PJ has showers but no one seems interested. Most just want to have lunch and rest. By 1:30 we are again ready to hit the trail and begin our hike to Crooked Creek. At the junction to Porcupine we meet a crew that seems to be heading in the wrong direction but they do not seem to want any assistance. They are however talking about how the map is wrong.
We continue on to Crooked Creek and it is a pleasant site to see the meadow that marks our arrival. Soon however the navigator is confronted by a young woman who demands to know who we are and calls for "Carl" to get the gun. While a gentleman looks on with his long rifle the young lady wants to know what we are doing on her land. Brian is quickly sent forward to tell her we are passing through on our trek and were hoping to stay the night before moving on. After she examines "our life" she decides that we are not a threat and invites us on up to the cabin. We take a tour of the homestead and cabin before we are taken to our campsite. That night we will have advisor coffee followed by cow milking, chicken catching, and a water race. We set up camp as the shower starts but no heavy rain occurs until we are completed. By this time the crew has become very skilled at setting up camp and everything is set up just fine even though we are rushing to beat the rain.
The rain is short and not very hard. Nick suddenly has a nosebleed in his tent. (David has been having several for the past few days.) It is quite a gusher but he is able to keep the blood from getting on his tent or other things in the tent and it is all in his hand and on his shirt. We get it stopped and he and I go down to the homestead to see if we can use the washboard to clean his shirt. The give us a wash tub and washboard and we go to the creek and get water. We put the shirt through 3 cycles of wash and rinse to be sure all the blood smell is gone. The staff is very helpful and the shirt is fine. So is Nick. Crooked Creek is at 9355 ft so many of us are feeling the lack of oxygen and other effects of the higher altitudes. There is a steep hill from the creek to the farm cabin and just walking up the hill about 100 ft gets my heart pounding.
That night during dinner I talk about the effects of low pressure and high altitude and how we can expect to see it differently for each of us as we go even higher tomorrow and the following day. Following the evening program we head to bed and again all are asleep very quickly. I have a poor night sleeping and find myself in a ball at the foot of the tent every 20 min or so. (the tent site in on a fairly good slope)
June 25, Monday
I awake in the morning tired for the first time during the trip. Looking back on it, I can see that is will affect the rest of the day for me and make me grumpy and hard to get along with. I again apologize to the crew as I did that night at "thorns and roses" for my bad disposition that day. The hike to Clear creak was not that long and we arrived at the camp by mid morning. We were invited to take the cabin tour immediately and soon learned the ways of the "company trappers". The camp we were given was bad. There was no way to keep our tents out of the line between the fire ring and the cable and the sump. Brian struggled with what to do and I was too grumpy to be a good help. Several others were also tired and feeling the high altitude 10,240 ft and this contributed to what ended up to be the day the crew had the lowest spirits of the trek. ( I feel very bad about my lack of support for Brian on this day) Brian finally came up with solution to our bad camp situation. It was not perfect but I think he made the best of what we had. (Good job Brian despite my lack of support). That afternoon we were scheduled to do black powder shooting. Some of the boys wanted to stay at the camp and not participate. With very strong encouragement we got everyone to go. The shooting range was up the hill for quit a distance and most of us were out of breath when we arrived. For the first time the misquotes were bad and bothered us as the staff instructed us about black powder rifles. Just when we were to begin the shooting the thunder arrived and we started to get wet. The staff immediately canceled the shoot and we rescheduled for 3pm. Many of our spirits were now as damp as the day. Todd, Josh, Paul, Ryan B., Chris, Brian and I did not go back to our tents but stopped at the cabin and waited out the rain on the porch. The rain was only about 30 min and we then decided to throw hatchets. We all had several turns and got fairly good at it. Shortly before 3pm we attempted to get the crew together for the shoot but at this point we were unsuccessful at convincing everyone to participate. We made the long walk up to the range and we given the privilege to be first in line ahead of those who had not been there at 1pm. Brian donated his bandana to use as a target and each of us loaded the powder and rammed the ball home, cocked the pin and fired at the target. Paul. Todd and I worked at getting a picture of everyone. It was a good time for all who participated but we were still tired and needed rest.
There was no evening campfire and as I said we were all very tired so everyone was in bed early.
June 26, Tuesday
Early morning wake up and we broke camp quickly. We loaded up on water and after some confusion as to the trail out of camp we headed up to the peak of Mt. Philips. We were told to expect a rough and difficult trail for that would take about 2-3 hours to reach the peak. Paul came up with a method where we instead of catipiller (which was causing more grumbling then just stopping ) where half the crew hiked forward until they rested and then the second half hiked to them while they rested. (We called this the inch worm) This seemed to work for us and we were at the flag on top of Mt. Philips. (just over 2 hours.) The crew loved it up there and our sister crew was waiting for us. We took many pictures and had a great time throwing snowballs in the last week of June and just enjoying the great views. While we were alone (our sister crew had started down toward Thunder Ridge) we all said the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag . The boys really enjoyed sitting in the chairs that were made out of rocks looking at the great views. Finally we headed down the trail to Thunder Ridge. The trail down was not very difficult at all and each of us by now were much better and the down hills and we made very good time. We stopped at Comanche Peek Camp for the a snack. At thunder ridge we debated if we should go via the 4WD road to Cyphers of the trail. We ended up taking the trail. I have come to dislike the rutted 4WD roads so I am glad we took the trail. It is thundering again and looks like rain so Brian asks us all to get in our rain gear for the hike to Cyphers. We are soon on our way. The trail is again very easy but we have been hiking a long time and are all looking forward to the rest when we get to Cyphers. About 5 min from Cyphers we pass a crew headed to Clear creek. They are in bad spirits and I am glad it is not almost 1pm with a 2,400 ft climb and 1,500 ft rough descent ahead of us. I finally understand exactly how well our crew is doing. I am reminding myself that most evening the boys have very few "thorns". With a crew that only has 2 boys age 16 or older my expectations have been very high and the crew has been great and so has Brian. What a mood swing from yesterday when I was so grumpy.
Suddenly the crew halts and I hear trouble ahead. Someone is down. I rush forward and see Jason lying in a hole where the trail has eroded. His legs look to me to be bent at an unnatural angle. My heart says oh no he has injured or broken his leg. As I get to him he begins to move and says that he seems to be ok and nothing hurts. What a relief. My goal for the last year has been that everyone will be able to attend and complete the treks and no one injured. This would be the only time I thought we would not make that goal. With Jason ok we all drink some water and head on down the trail.
Five minutes later we are at Cyphers and it is 1pm. Brian checks in and we are asked to wait a bit, have some lunch and they would check us in after they had a chance to get some lunch. This was ok with us as we been on the trail since early morning and needed the break anyway. There were rumors of no mine tours left and the fact that we would not be able to go to the stomp because of the ban on night hiking. All of this proved to be untrue as the Cyphers staff continued to put on programs right up until the tough man contest at 8pm. As we ate lunch we could see them off loading the food for the work crew that was building a new cabin at Cyphers. The food included: milk, watermelon, hamburger, etc. We were all just drooling.
After we finished lunch and just before we finished our check in a new crew arrived. It was a venture crew and again had girls. (The elusive Swedish crew has again surfaced.) We learned that they were on their 3rd day and on of the crew had been quite ill. They wanted to change their schedule so that they could stay at Cyphers instead of pressing on. It turns out that their Ranger had been Bill and he had actually taken bedding and clothing back to base camp (from their last nights camp) to get washed after the sick crewmember had soiled them all. (Way to go Bill) We would see them again later at the stomp.
Brian now had our schedule for programs. We would go on to Lamberts Mine about 45 min ahead and set up camp. We would then return with our dinner. Take the mine tour, cook dinner at Cyphers, and then go to the forge. While the boys were at the forge the advisors would go to advisors coffee and we would all meet for the toughman contest and then on to the Stomp. We would then return after dark to Lamberts Mine. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits as we headed to Lamberts Mine to set up camp.
Just before we arrived at Lamberts it began to rain. It was slow at first but it continued and started to pick up as we arrived. Brian quickly picked a site and everyone dawned rain gear and set up camp. I was again impressed at how well things went. Despite a very hard rain by now, things were getting done and our camp was set. I think a special thanks should go to Brian and Paul who stayed out in the heaviest of the rain and continued to do chores (getting the bear bag up etc.) as the rest of us waited to under the fly for the heavy rain to pass. This time the rain did not put a damper on our overall spirits as we were all looking forward to getting back to Cyphers and the programs. The rain continued for more than an hour. (our longest rain so far) It finally quit just before we had to leave for Cyphers. Brian loaded up his pack with food, a stove and pot and each of us took our water, rain gear and dishes and we headed back to Cyphers.
Upon our arrival at Cyphers Mine for the second time we headed straight for the mine and took the mine tour. The staff member who gave the tour was great and as we headed out of the mine in the dark several members of the crew (which I will not name) had quite a scare as the unexpected loud noise clamored in the dark.
We then found an unused Adrondack shelter and used that area to cook dinner. After dinner the advisors sent the boys off to the forge and we rested and waited for the Advisors coffee. At the coffee we learned that our sister crew had been fortunate to see a bear earlier that day on the trail ahead of us. They too agreed that today they had hit their stride and were in great spirits. Soon the boys arrived from the forge and had a camp screwdriver that had made. It looked great and I was impressed once again today. The tough man contest then began with much fanfare. To my surprise Brian made the finals with a story he made up on the spot followed by breaking a board with his head. The winner ended up being the boy who had started the board breaking but the decision was close. The venture crew with the girls had a story about assisting a scared staff member (male)to a staff camp after a cougar had frightened him and then dismembering the cougar. I think that got them third place.
On to the stomp. Everyone was in a festive mood by now as we all filed into the cabin for the stomp. Every since last year when I first started to research Philmont I had heard many stories of the stomp and Cyphers and I had been looking forward to it for a long time. For those of you who have not been it is hard to describe. For those of us lucky enough to get to the Philmont back country it is one of the memories we will never forget. Almost everyone got in the spirit. (There were a very few who somehow just could not get the spirit but only a few) The band sang and played a strange mixture of folk and rock and roll that somehow didn't feel at all out of place together. The washboard player was the hit of the night and several attempts to form a "mosh pit" worked to some degree. When the boys started to "stomp" to the music the whole cabin shook. As I stood and enjoyed the festivities I reflected on our trip so far. Overall it had been great. There were several small setbacks and times that I was mostly disappointed with myself but as I stood in the darkness of the cabin and listened to the music and stomped my feet, I knew what a special place Philmont had become for me in just 9 days. As I watched the boys in my crew I knew in my heart that for most of them it had also become very special. We stayed until the official close of the stomp and then one additional song as most of us found it hard to tear ourselves away but we also knew that we had to still hike to Lamberts in the dark and another day of trail lay ahead tomorrow.
The hike to Lamberts after the stomp was uneventful and we were all soon asleep. Brian would allow us to sleep in tomorrow. Today had been our hardest physical challenge but had become our best day of the trip.
June 27, Wednesday
We woke up and were out of camp quickly. The tail to Hunters Lodge was easy and all downhill. Nick was navigator and he remarked to me later that he had lost count of how many time we crossed the stream. So did I. When we arrived at Hunter Lodge we were surprised to find picnic tables. Brian arranged for a tour as we ate our trail breakfast at the tables. The cabin like many of the others was very impressive. While we were starting to get bored with the story of Wade Philips most of us we at this point very thankful for the gift this man had given to each of us. We finished the tour and headed for Cimarroncito. Nick was navigating and the map showed for us to take the 4WD road for a few hundred yards and then on up the trail. When we got to the spot for the trail to branch from the road Nick stopped. There was no doubt that this was where the trail should be but it appeared that what had once been a trail was now blocked and no longer to be used. Brian and Nick sent out scouts and studied the map.
Let me take this time to praise each of the navigators (we switched each day) on the outstanding job each of them did. Unlike many other crews, we did not get lost and did not take wrong trails. This was because each navigator took his job very seriously and got help from his crew when he was unsure of things. You all get my praise for your skills with a map and compass.
It was decided that apparently the trail on the map was no longer valid. We could take the road to Cito which no one really wanted to do or we could bushwhack for about 100 to 200 yards toward the east where we should find a trail heading north to Cito. We decided to try to locate the trail. We spread out and crossed the meadow and a few feet into the trees we saw a crew on the trail headed north. We gathered together waited a few minutes for the crew ahead to get some space and headed on up to Cito. I again think that this was one of the those examples where Brian and the rest of the crew handled the situation in an outstanding fashion. Good Job Guys!!!!!
The trail crossed a large meadow to the north and we were soon hot a baking in the sun. For the entire trip, I think our worst enemy was the late morning and afternoon sun. We almost never had to hike out in the open with the sun beating on us because we woke early and finished our hikes in the morning whenever we could. We arrived at Cito hot and sweaty. Brian checked us in and arranged for rock climbing and Eco tour that afternoon. It was approaching 11am and we needed to get to Ute Gulch commissary sometime to get our last food pickup. The crew ahead of us on the trail had the same situation and Brian made arrangements with them so that only 2 from each crew (4 total) would make the trip to Ute and back. Paul seemed eager to go with Brian so I agreed that I did not need to tag along. Unfortunately the other crew still had to get assigned to a campsite at Cito and this took more than 25 minutes before Paul and Brian and the two from the other crew took off. They would have to set a very fast pace to get there before noon. The rest of us just rested and had lunch some of the guys played cribbage and some took a nap. Todd took a shower but non of the boys were that interested. I had rinsed down that morning and changed to fresh clothes so I decided I would stay with the boys while Todd showered.
At 12:45 we still had no sign of Paul and Brian and we headed up the rock for climbing. I left a message at the cabin porch for Paul and Brian and was told that when they arrived that they would be allowed to come up the rock and join us. I am glad as I would hate to have Brian miss the rock climbing. At around 1:30, Paul and Brian arrive on the rock and join us. Each of the boys has the opportunity both climb the rock and repel down. All of the boys on our crew are successful and Paul, Todd and I work hard to get pictures of them all. As we climbed down the rock we all agreed that rock climbing had been very successful.
When we arrived back at Cito Cabin it appeared that some of the boys were anxious to get on to camp at Webster's Park. Others, wanted to take 30 minutes and shower. Brian wanted to split the crew and send those who wanted to leave now ahead. I insisted that we not split the crew but either go on or all wait. (Not splitting the crew had been a major point at the advisor meeting in base camp and I saw no reason to do it now ) (I was surprised to find out that it had not been emphasized at the crew leader meeting like it had at the advisor meeting.) I was not mister popular with several crewmembers, but I know that in the end I have to live with myself and if part of the crew had somehow gotten lost there would have had no good reason in my mind for having split the crew. I also agree that most likely nothing would have gone wrong and others could easily see it differently than I did. Brian decided that since we would not split we should go on up to Webster's park now as he was hearing thunder in the distance and hoped to get to camp and set up before the rain.
We made the short hike quickly but almost missed the trail cutoff. We had all completely gone past it and were on our way toward Sawmill when a crew that was right behind us saw the cutoff and let us know of our mistake. We were set up by 4:30. We now had extra food as Brian had picked up extra soup and some dinners at the swap box. We were all grateful for the extra spoon of dinner.
Webster's Park was a pretty little camp on the edge of a meadow with great views. I think is was my second favorite camp after Abreau.
June 28, Thursday
I woke before sunrise and went out and watched our best sunrise of the trip. The boys have gotten good at getting out of camp. We had no particular rush today but were on the trail early again. The hike back to Hunters Lodge was downhill and we got there quickly. We stopped and had a power bar and filled our water bottles. Then on toward Clarks fork.
We arrived at Clarks Fork and immediately were invited on the porch. It was here that we learned of the many bear sightings in the area and the increased bear procedures. We would later hear about the two boys who had been injured the previous day. Clarks Fork had the following available:
After everyone had a chance for a shower we headed on to our camp at Upper Clarks Fork. The camp had very few sites left but we found an acceptable site on the far end. We shared tent pads with another crew from Minnesota (not our sister crew). This worked out well as we were able to get well away from the eating area. We quickly set up camp. Just as we started to eat lunch the rain began to fall. This time it would be hard and last for a while. Slowly most of us go under the fly and ate our lunch. Finally all of us were under the fly. Soon however the water started to flow through. At first just a trickle but it continued to find new ways for us not to avoid it and finally all but Todd and I had left for other space. (Most were now in their tents.) The rain slowed and soon Todd and I saw another crew passing . Just as they were crossing the (once dry and now running stream) they stopped. One of their crew was very sick. Todd and I watched for nearly ½ an hour as the boy lay on the ground. We finally went over and asked if we could assist. They said no and told us that they had sent their crew on (except 4 of them) to Tooth Ridge camp. (Todd and I later talked about the wisdom of splitting a crew especially when they were having problems.) The young man was definitely having problems as he continued to vomit and lay on the ground. We let them know that they should ask if there was anything we could do. Sometime later they left on the hike ups to Shafers Pass and then to Tooth Ridge. I later talked to the crew in Base camp and they said that the boy was doing better.
During the mid afternoon I took some time to find a quiet spot, I read some of the bible and also spent some time in reflection.
Soon it was time to return to Clarks Fork and the chuck wagon dinner. While we waited for dinner to be ready we branded our boots, played horse shoes and just relaxed. The stew was very good and so was the peach cobbler for desert. Some of the guys wanted to stay for the campfire and I am sure it would have been great, but others were tired and we had a long day left tomorrow. Therefore Brian decided that the best for all of us was to return to Upper Clarks fork before dark. We all made sure we had full water bottles, as it would be our last water until we were at base camp. Brian also filled up one of the 2.5 gal water jugs and brought it back to Camp. We were again in bed by dark.
June 29, Saturday
Brian woke us all up early and we packed quickly. The hike to Shaefers Pass was a steady up hill climb but the day was still cool and we made good time. We continued on up to Shaefers Peak the total climb from UCF to Shaefers Peak is over 1,500 feet and we were starting to get a bit tired but continued with only short water breaks until we reached the cut off for the Tooth of Time. When we then took about 20 minutes to eat the rest of our breakfast and trail mix.
We now began the scramble up the tooth. Somehow I did not expect to be doing this rough of climbing. The boys soon left me behind but I continued up passing other on the way down who assured me it was very worth the climb. (It certainly is) When we were all on top we took pictures and savored the last moments in the Philmont backcountry. Ryan then passed the maps to Brian on behalf of the crew and asked him to lead the crew into base camp from the position of honor the front. He was surprised by this as non of us had told him we wanted him to do this. We then headed down the tooth to where we had left our packs.
Brian to his position in front and we now on our way to tooth ridge camp. When we arrived at the camp the trail got confusing and Brian took us south at a junction where we should have gone north. (I thought he was correct as well) After about 5 min we came to a dead end in the trail and had to go back. We will always be able to give Brian a hard time about the only time we went down the wrong trail was with him as the navigator.
We now started down the trail to Base Camp. As many have stated before this trail is much longer then the current maps show. I goes back and forth across the ridge adding several extra miles. It is also mostly in the open and has almost no shade. We stopped sometime after noon to have lunch in what little shade we could find. We were already hot and spent from the sun and just wanted to get down. After lunch we packed up again and continued on down. We finally arrived under the "You Made It" banner at around 1:45. By that time the souls of my shoes were very hot and I thought I had a blister on the pad of my right foot. (Turns out that it was only the heat of the trail) I was also dehydrated and out of water.
Brian went to find out what we needed to do now that we were back and the rest of us got water and just rested. Brian then returned with the check out sheet and I went to get our valuables from administration while the rest of the crew got the gear out of the lockers. We then returned the tents, cooking gear, polar pure, and other items. I passed out the valuables and then went to security to return the locker keys. We then went to our assigned tents and headed for the showers. That night at dinner Bill our ranger ate with us. It was good to see him again once more.
We then went to chapel and finally to the closing campfire. Then we all went to the snack bar for Ice Cream. We got to bed at about 11:00 pm.
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