Philmont Journal '07

Great Smoky Mountain Council 721-N1, 2007
By Paul Skinner

Day T Minus 1 – Final Gear Check and Dinner at Dolphins Leap – July 18th
Ray Milcarsky and Patrick Lloyd came over to our house on the evening of July 18th for a final gear check, a fine meal cooked by Trudie, and a sleep-over prior to our 0300 departure for OIAP. Accompanying them for dinner were Ed and Judie Milcarsky and Suzie Lloyd. Dr. David was absent, attending a Ska concert that he and Patrick had planned to take in together before Philmont appeared on their horizon.

Day 1 – Daytona Beach to Colorado Springs – July 19th
We left Dolphins Leap on time with Trudie co-piloting, and made our gate with breakfast in hand and about 20 minutes to spare. The flight was on time to Denver, with a short layover and the much desired breakfast burrito at Itza Wrap at DIA. The second leg was on time also, and as we approached baggage claim in Colorado Springs, Christine of Leading the Way Tours was holding up the photo of me, Ed Best, and Dave Johnson that I had emailed to her. We felt right at home!

The buses were awaiting us, and took the first part of the Great Smoky Mountain Council contingent to Pizza Hut where we ate as though we’d never be fed again. We had time to browse the strip mall shops behind the Hut while the buses returned to the CS airport to pick up the remainder of the contingent, including the remaining nine of Crew 1 from Knoxville, with contingent leader, Dave Johnson, and the two other adults in our crew, Jeff Radcliff and Bill Dials.

LTWT took us to the US Air Force Academy, which while dramatic, looks dated, sort of a “50’s-modern” look. Especially moving was our visit to the Chapel, with various rooms for worshippers of different faiths.

The hotel was pleasant, and Jeff Radcliff, Bill Dials, and I shared a room and got a good night’s sleep after our dinner there.

Day 2 – Touring Colorado Springs and Vicinity – July 20th
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, the bus took us to the Garden of the Gods, a red rock formation very similar to Red Rocks west of Denver. Christine explained the geology and pointed out the various shapes that could be seen in the rock. I was saddened to learn that the famous “kissing camels” had been struck by lightning several years ago (I’d seen it several times on trips with family and Sky Valley Ranch outings) and now looked like a camel kissing a rabbit. Too weird!

We then headed to Manitou Springs, the lower terminal of the cog railway that takes you directly to the top of Pike’s Peak. My initial reaction was that summiting a “fourteener” by train would be very lame. It turned out to be great fun, watching the gorgeous scenery go by, spotting marmots, deer, chipmunks (which we would later learn are called mini-bears at Philmont), magpies, etc. By the time the train reached the summit, there was a mad dash for the restrooms in the gift shop. On top, the air was cool enough to wear jackets and hats, and we enjoyed the magnificent view for a few minutes before the clouds rolled in. I purchased the famous donut holes to share with Joe Black and Dave.

We ate our lunch subs on the bus while headed to the Royal Gorge. A little like the Tweetsy Railroad, it is a sweet, dated “attraction” slapped into the middle of some truly amazing scenery. Besides the suspension bridge over the gorge (claimed to be the highest in the world), there is also a cog railway to the gorge floor, a tram over the gorge, observation points over the gorge, gift shops over the gorge, etc. Except for all the construction, it was beautiful….

For dinner we attended a western dinner and musical show at the Flying W Ranch, where the headliner was the five-time world champion fiddle player, Tony Ludiker. The show and dinner were quite good, and we had a lot of fun. Again, we ate like it would be our last meal.

Day 3 – Colorado Springs to Cimarron and Philmont – July 20th
Our bus left early for Philmont, about 3.5 hours away. During the ride, Christine talked a lot. Finally she put the video about Philmont done by Wild Kingdom on, and after that an old Fred McMurray film about Scouting, “Follow Me Boys”. While the adults waxed nostalgic about a time long gone, the boys slept, chatted, or read. I could identify with most of the characters in the story in some way. I cried at the end.

We zipped through Cimarron without hitting a single traffic light (there aren’t any), and rode past the majestic Villa Philmonte on our way to base camp. The first impression you get of Philmont is that it’s dry, dusty, and that there apparently aren’t enough showers for all the youth that are there.

The purpose of base camp is to give PSR a final chance to look you over, outfit you, and get you properly oriented to trek safely before dropping you off somewhere in the wilderness. It also gives the trekkers another day of acclimatization to the altitude. We were assigned John Lesser as our Ranger, who would walk us through the base camp process, and stay with us for the first two nights on the trail. He’s an engineering student at U Penn and an Eagle Scout, who still lives with his family in Frederick MD. I liked him immediately, and by then, was getting used to the pervasive smell of BO.

Much of Scouting’s impact hinges on ceremonial functions, and Philmont is no exception. Mealtime is an orchestrated affair, with Rangers doing a backward fall of faith from the bell tower, and that first evening’s campfire a retelling of the history of the land on which we would be trekking. It was fun and moving. Let’s get going!

Trek 7 Itinerary
Day
Camp
Program Features
01
Base Camp
Opening Campfire
02
Anasazi
trail camp, Ranger Training, See world's only Tyrannosaurus Rex Track
03
Indian Writings
Archaeology, Tour Petroglyphs
04
Ponil
Western Lore, Cantina, Horse Rides, Chuck Wagon Dinner, Chuck Wagon Breakfast
05
Dean Cow
Rock Climbing, Environmental Awareness
06
Harlan
Burro Racing, 12-Gauge Shotgun Shooting & Reloading
07
Deer Lake Camp
trail camp
08
Sawmill
.30/06 Rifle Shooting & Reloading, Metallic Silhouette Shooting
09
Webster Parks
trail camp
10
Upper Clark's Fork
trail camp, Side Hike Hidden Valley, Western Lore, Campfire @ Clark's Fork
11
Tooth Ridge
trail camp, Dry - water @ Clark's Fork, Side Hike Tooth of Time
12
Base Camp
Hike in via Tooth of Time, Awards Campfire
Courtesy of Dan Yoder

Day 4 – Base Camp to Anasazi – July 21st (thus the 721 designation)
A school bus takes us the 25 minutes from base camp to the trailhead at six-mile gate near Anasazi. I was a little nervous, being the oldest of our crew of 12, whether or not I would be able to keep up. We headed out single file, Scouts leading the way, adults at the rear, and began settling into what would become a daily ritual, walk, eat, sleep, and repeat.

The first stop was a T-Rex footprint, claimed to be the only one in the world. Thanks to vandals, the stone is completely surrounded by wire mesh and a metal roof. It is amazing to think about the omnivorous animal that could leave a track that large, and it wasn’t believed to be a particularly large specimen. I was grateful that our only threats would be bears.

We then hiked to the sites of a pit house dig, a slab house, and the ruins of a cabin. It had stone footers and a corner fireplace indicative of the Spanish influence. It was fun to imagine the pioneering spirit of those who had chosen to live in such a remote place, where emphasis was on self-reliance. Ah, a lot like a Philmont trek….

Our first campsite had a fairly steep pitch and we set up our tents on the flattest ground we could find. Several of us took naps while Bill took a group of Scouts on a side-hike to the top of the ridge above our campsite. By morning, Dave and I were crunched up in the foot of our tent from the downhill slide all night.

Meals are predominantly prepackaged foods like dehydrated dinners, fruit, meat, trail mix, energy bars, etc., so preparation is fast and simple. Suppers are usually hot, requiring only water to boil and a Zip-Lock bag in which to mix it up. I don’t recall what we had each evening, but it was always much-anticipated and good.

Day 5 – Anasazi to Indian Writings- July 22nd
Another relatively short hike took us to Indian Writings where Staff member Adam took us on a hike along the canyon wall to look at and learn about petroglyphs, ancient Indian symbolic drawings. One persistent theme was that individuals born with deformities had great divine powers. It reminded me of the man born blind and the question Jesus answered about his or his parent’s sin as the cause. His answer; neither, it was so the power of God could be seen in him.

Later, Adam took a group of us on a hike/climb up a box canyon to a cave dwelling. It was an exciting scramble over the boulders in the steep canyon floor, and in the cave the air was cool and dry. Shortly after we arrived, the distant thunder became close lightning strikes, heavy rain, and hail. We waited it out in the cave until it stopped. The climb back down to our campsite was slick and treacherous. It felt good to get back to our second campsite.

While we were cooking dinner, another thunderstorm rolled through and drenched any packs and boots, etc. that were uncovered (including my boots). Fortunately, our bedding was in the closed tents and was dry. The ground had less slope and we got a better night’s sleep.

Day 6 – Indian Writings to Ponil – July 23rd
We broke camp and hiked to Ponil where our campsite was on a rocky promontory that had been burned out in a forest fire. A wrong turn at the main road in the camp area took us an extra half-mile from the Staff Cabin and our campsite.

After setting up, we met up with the conservation crew and hiked up to a trail in which the log-bars needed to be replaced by rock-bars. The digging was easy with the pick, but finding enough small stones to pack around the larger rocks was tedious. It was hot and bright, and most of us used up the water we carried. Conservation isn’t glamorous, but it does so much to prevent the kind of terrible erosion we would later see at Harlan.

Hot showers were a welcome treat, and the Cantina had cold root beer and a very funny western show following our chuck wagon dinner of beef stew and Dutch oven bread. Each night, slipping into the sleeping bag felt better than the night before.

Day 7 – Ponil to Dean Cow – July 24th
The boys had their horseback ride first thing in the morning following the chuck wagon breakfast. One highlight was being able to repair the pancake batter dispenser for the staff, which had been broken for several weeks. The Leatherman tool came in handy several times during the trek. The pancakes were delicious, the last prepared food we would have until we returned to base camp.

I had a bit of a scare returning to our vacant campsite from cooking breakfast, when all the trails began to look the same, so I kept back-tracking to a critical turn to prevent getting lost. I finally found the right trail and found our camp, although it gave me an appreciation for those who require wilderness rescue when they become disoriented.

While the Scouts were riding, Dave and I disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled the MSR stoves, which had become balky following the dinner cooked in the rain (and mud). We topped off our fuel at the Trading Post and I replaced my headlamp which had broken while in my backpack.

It was noon when we started hiking up the ridge to Dean’s Skyway, and the heat was unrelenting. The ’02 wildfire had denuded much of the Ponderosa pine cover that would have shaded our climb, so it was trying for all of us.

Our campsite at Dean Cow had a few level spots for tents, some shade, and the nastiest outhouse we would see.

Day 8 – Dean Cow to Harlan – July 25th
After breakfast, we did some rock climbing and rappelling. I took the easier of the two routes up the top-roped face, and enjoyed making the summit and especially the rappel down. Kait was an able instructor, and she seemed to be a favorite of several of us.

After an early lunch, we started the nine-mile slog to Harlan around noon. About 15 minutes out, Travis announced that his right knee was dislocated. Bill and I examined him and found that it appeared to be stable. Dave gave him a choice of coming “off the trail” and returning home (which is a huge disgrace at Philmont), or sucking it up and continuing. In his words, “Travis, it’s showtime!” Travis decided to stay with us, and we continued. It was hot and steep again at first, but a front moved in and kept it shady, cool, and breezy all afternoon. We got a bit of a scare crossing the meadow at Vaca, when lightning began hitting close by. The closest strike was ½ mile away! Once at Harlan, a steady rain began falling, so we deferred setting up camp until after eating tomorrow’s lunch on the porch of the reloading cabin.

The rain stopped, and we set up camp in one of the nicest sites we’d seen yet.

After setting up camp, we followed the boys back to the meadow in front of the staff camp for burro racing. It consists of the boys dragging the burro uphill for about ¼ mile and then the burro dragging the boys downhill for the ¼ mile distance to their barn and corral. One pulls the halter, one runs alongside, and one at the rear slapping the rump and failing to avoid getting kicked. It was hilarious!

Day 9 – Harlan to Deer Lake – July 26th
We loaded 12-gauge shotgun shells in the morning and then hiked to the skeet range. James Radcliff and Joe Black each hit five of six, while I couldn’t hit a thing (I might have hit an air molecule once, but no one could be sure.). It was one of several humbling experiences I had during the trek.

We cooked the previous night’s dinner and ate it for lunch, before heading out to the Deer Lake Camp. We found our best camp site yet, on the north side of the lake, and set up camp. James and I waded out into the weedy lake to fill the water bags with lake water. The lake was alive with various larvae, minnows, and of course, leeches. I did manage to take a dip (quite by accident, I’m sure) to clean up and cool off. After removing the leech attached behind my right knee, we added the Micropure to the water bags and dried ourselves out in the bright sunshine.

The campsite is on the gentle slope of the caldera-like basin surrounding the lake, and it was one of the most beautiful sites we visited. We enjoyed a lazy afternoon of cooling off our hot feet and drying out our socks and boots.

Day 10 – Deer Lake to Sawmill – July 27th
We awoke at 0415 and were on the trail by 0530. This would be one of the toughest hikes yet, probably 9.5 miles and mostly uphill. While we stopped for breakfast, I took my first wilderpoo, which if you have to ask, you haven’t done. It still beats the “pilot to co-pilot” mode that Dave and I had employed earlier in the trek.

One small glitch occurred when an officious staff member in the Ute Gulch trading post at first refused to sell us fuel without solid threaded stoppers in our fuel bottles. We stayed pleasant and cooperative, and he finally relented and sold us the much-needed fuel. We also took on our last issue of trail food.

I was whipped when we arrived at Sawmill. We reloaded .30-06 rifle shells and then set up our camp, at 9,280’ our highest camp site. Part of our climb took us through moist, verdant canyons with ferns and flowers that reminded us of the Smokies, very unlike the normal dry forest floor of Philmont. The range of biodiversity at Philmont is amazing! Given the absence of snakes at this altitude, the mini-bears were huge, and FAT!

We hiked to the range and each fired at least three shots at silhouettes. I could hit these, unlike the clay pigeons. Some of the boys put their ball caps and wallets out to be shot at, and they came back looking like rat’s nest material. Wait ‘til they start buying their own stuff!

Our dinner was one of the best, beans and rice on tortillas. It was wonderful!

Day 11 – Sawmill to Webster Park – July 28th
We awoke at 0430 and broke camp to walk down to the front of the Sawmill staff cabin and eat our breakfast. The top of the canyon opens onto a dramatic vista nestled in its vee, so being assigned to the staff camp there must be a special treat. The sky was glowing orange and the distant mesas were blue and purple. The sunrise was awesome!

Then we hiked about 4.5 miles to Webster Park where we found a grassy tenting area and set up our camp before 1000. Bill led a contingent of Scouts to find drinking water.

The remainder of the day was a great one for rest, cooling off hot spots on tired feet, and reorganizing gear for the final few days push to our hiking highpoints and back to base camp. I came to treasure our infrequent downtime.

Dave and I were napping in our tent when an 8-point Mule deer walked past just a few feet away. His horns were covered in velvet, and he was majestic.

Day 12 – Webster Park to Upper Clark’s Fork – July 29th
We awoke early to see several deer in our camp, including another (perhaps the same) 8-point Mule deer. We stopped in Cimarroncito to eat our breakfast.

During the day, we visited Cathedral Rock and Window Rock, with spectacular views of the surrounding area, including the Tooth Ridge. Dave took lots of photos, including the Philmont Arrowhead in the background.

We hiked down and then up again to get to Upper Clark’s Fork, where we took on our last treated water. Since the Tooth Ridge camp has no drinking water, we would need enough water for the last two days on the trail.

After lunch, Dave and I hiked down to take our last shower on the trail. It felt so good to be clean, however briefly. Roses, Thorns, and Buds and a devotional rounded out our day. Your Rose is your favorite thing about the day, your Thorn is the thing you liked the least, and your Bud is the thing you are most looking forward too. The devotional is taken from a handbook issued for Philmont treks, and fits perfectly with the experiences and mood of the crews at the trek unfolds.

Day 13 – Upper Clark’s Fork to Tooth Ridge Camp – July 30th
We were on the trail by 0540 and began the steep, steady ascent to Shaefer’s Peak, the high point of the trek at 9,414’. I was anaerobic much of the way up, but kept up a slow, steady pace the kept me moving. Besides my 6 liters of personal water, I was carrying 7 liters of crew water and my usual crew gear, so it was the most challenging climb of the whole trek for me. The trekking poles I was using were lifesavers, allowing my arms to lift quite a bit of the extra weight. We summited by 0740 and held a worship service led by Jonathan and Patrick. It was very moving to see these young men taking on spiritual leadership roles.

After our worship, Dave handed out mail from home, which he had been secretly carrying for all of us. I had a sweet card from Trudie that really lifted me up. Hearing her “voice” after so long a forced absence made me cry. I was really missing her, and Jeff too!

We descended to the Tooth Ridge and encountered several other crews that were headed in or out of base camp. There were several dramatic views from along the ridge, and we passed the Tooth of Time on our right as we descended to the Tooth Ridge camp.

Dave and I took in the views on the Cimarron side of the Tooth, while Jeff spotted a bear cub in a meadow just below our campsite. It would be our only bear sighting throughout the trek.

Day 14 – Tooth Ridge Camp to Base Camp – Aug. 1st
We awoke at 0315, broke camp, and set up a pack line in our campsite. Carrying only water and our breakfast, and using headlamps and moonlight, we headed up the Tooth of Time. We made the last of the rock scramble before sunrise. The route is treacherous in daylight and was especially so in the dim moonlight. We summited before dawn, and the view from 9,003’ was awesome! We could see into the panhandle of Oklahoma, west Texas, and all of the Cimarron area. We soaked up the sunrise as we ate our last trail meal, breakfast. Dave took lots of photos and handed out Tooth of Time pins for everyone.

We then returned to our pack line, rucked up for the last time, and began the long slog to base camp. We arrived at 0835 and began the demobilization process.

After much-needed showers, at 1100 we took the bus into Cimarron to Simple Simon’s Pizza, which was delicious and very filling after 10 days of trail food. We then scattered for shopping in the local seasonal shops.

At 1530 we took in a tour of Villa Philmonte, the summer home of Waite Phillips, the benefactor of Philmont Scout Ranch. It reminded me so much of Fair Acres, the home of my grandfather and grandmother on my mother’s side in Connecticut.

At 1745 we had a real dinner of meat, potatoes, and beans. What a treat after 10 days of trail meals!

Dave and I went to chapel, which seemed to be a complete waste of time. The pastor had us start by singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, leaving out a word with each repetition. We left, but learned later that he did bring in the crew of Scouts who had been hit by lightning while on Mt. Baldy. Their story was riveting, and at least some of our Scouts were still there to hear it. After being medi-vac’d out, all eventually returned to the trail and were able to finish their trek, which you may have heard, is a “once in a lifetime opportunity”. Seriously.

We went back to the tent city to repack our gear for the bus, plane, and car trip home. We attended the closing campfire at 2030, which was held in the crew gear area (STOP PLAYING WITH THE BUNGIES) since it was raining. It was fun but very uncomfortable sitting on the dry, dusty gravel under the shed.

Our bus picked us up at 0100 and we headed to Colorado Springs Airport for the flights to Orlando and Knoxville.

Day 15 – Base Camp to Orlando – Aug. 2nd
Patrick, Ray, and I caught a flight to Denver, where we had another much-coveted breakfast burrito before boarding our final flight to Orlando. Judie and Suzie were in the main terminal waiting for us when we arrived, and we made our final ride back to the Daytona Beach area.

It’s still too soon to have reflected completely on the experience, but Dave’s frequent comment about it being a “once in a lifetime opportunity” was so true. We learned to rely on one another, care for one another, and rise above the petty stuff that seems to clutter up “normal” life. The important thing is to become small in the creation, and share the experience with others you meet along the way. Kudos to Dave Johnson for showing real vision and leadership for our benefit. His fund to provide scholarships for needy youth to attend Philmont is a wonderful legacy.