2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 12 - July 28, 2017

We woke up at 4:00 am in order to finish packing all of our gear and be ready to board our buses at our scheduled pick up time of 6:00 am.

The boys worked fairly effectively at getting all of their personal gear packed up, the tents taken down and folded and all of the gear packed back in the storage bins that it was originally stored in when we arrived.

We got to the bus staging area with all of our gear at 6:06 am … not too bad. Unfortunately, there weren't any buses there yet! We waited for quite a while, watching for our buses to come down the road. Finally, at around 7:30, two of the three buses showed up. Fortunately, one of the two buses was ours, so we loaded our gear on board and got on the bus. Just before we were about to leave, the Scoutmaster from the other bus, which was supposed to pick up the Venture Crew at the Foxtrot base camp, came on our bus and told us that the bus they had was too small to fit the Venture Crew. We would have to take the Venture Crew with us!

It took us about 45 minutes to get to the Foxtrot base camp to meet the Venture Crew. We got them loaded on the bus and started the trip towards home.

The original plans called for the three buses to stop for lunch together in Harrisburg, PA. Given our late departure, and the fact that our buses were all about 30-60 minutes apart from each other, the decision was made for each bus to stop independently, and then head for home. We found a place in Harrisonburg, VA where there were several restaurant choices for everyone to get lunch. We made it a short stop, only 35 minutes, and then we continued on the road home. Our GPS devices were indicating an arrival time around 7:15.

We pulled into the parking lot right around 7:15, as expected, and the boys all got off the bus to meet their families. Everyone was glad to be home!!!

Some final thoughts ...

My experience at the 2017 Boy Scouts of America National Jamboree had its ups and downs. There were some great moments and, unfortunately, there were also some terrible moments. In retrospect, I'm not sure that I would go to another Jamboree as a contingent leader, but at the end of the day, I'm glad I went. I had the opportunity to do this with two really great gentlemen as my Scoutmaster partners, and we did our best to make it a great experience for the boys.

During my time at the Jamboree, unfortunately, I witnessed a good deal of un-Scout-like behavior. It didn't seem to be limited to one Troop, or one region of the country, but rather a systemic problem. There was extensive use of foul language and vulgarity. During the exit from the Saturday evening show, I saw groups of scouts locking arms and “plowing” through crowds of people trying to get back to their camps. I heard stories of scouts “ripping off” other scouts in patch trades, and I also saw a lot of “unhelpful” scouts. For anyone reading this, whether you're a scout, a parent or a Scoutmaster, please remember that one of the requirements for each scout rank is to demonstrate that you live the Scout Oath & Law in your everyday life. You live the Scout Oath & Law through actions, not words.

I really hope that everyone who attended the Jamboree had a great time. For most of us, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Despite what I just said above, there was also a whole lot of awesome at the Jamboree, and I will remember this experience forever.

Peace Out Boy Scout!

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 11 - July 27, 2017

This was it … our last day at the Jamboree.

As predicted, we woke up to gray skies, and the weather was definitely looking bad. After breakfast, I set out for the Summit Center to purchase the last “Patch of the Day” for the Jamboree. For those who aren't aware of this, each day of the Jamboree, a daily patch was made available for sale in the Trading Post. I had decided on the second day to “go for it”, and purchase each of the daily patches … what an adult scouter won't do for a patch!!!

At this point, it looked as though the rain would be starting any minute, so I walked back to our camp as quickly as I could. Just as I arrived, the leading edge of the storm came through. There was heavy rain and some lightning for about 45 minutes. Finally, the rain let up a little and the lightning stopped.

There wasn't much to do at this point … it was still raining lightly, and the activity centers would be closing down shortly in preparation for the Closing Show, which would be held in the evening. We were hanging out under our dining fly when one of our scouts asked whether we had picked up our “Day of Service” patches. Unfortunately, we hadn't, so I walked back to the Summit Center with one of the other adult leaders to get them. Of course, while we were walking, the heavy rain started again. We got to the Summit Center, picked up the patches, and then walked back to our camp. I had rain gear on, but neverless, by the time we got back, I was pretty wet and my boots were completely soaked!!!

We were supposed to leave for the show at around 5:00, so we decided not to bother cooking dinner in order to avoid all of the clean up associated with cooking. Instead, everyone just ate whatever food we had accumulated over the past week, including peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, tuna salad, chicken salad, fig bars, fruit cup, bagels & cream cheese and whatever else was in our “pantry”.

We also started packing up some of our gear, particularly all of the camp kitchen. We would be getting back from the show pretty late, and we were scheduled to board our buses at 6:00 am on Friday morning. We weren't going to have much time to pack up our camp, so we really pushed the boys to get a lot of the clean up done now.

At 5:00, we got everyone together and headed out to the stadium for the show. We got to the stadium and had to wait almost two hours for the show to start. There was a lot of excitement in the air, as the rumors were circulating that the headline entertainment would be the band Imagine Dragons. Unfortunately, a lot of the boys were disappointed when it turned out that the headline band was the Plain White T's. Many of the boys had never even heard of them. Nevertheless, they put on a good show and afterwards, there was a really big fireworks show!!!

At that point, everyone headed back to camp. We wanted to do some more camp cleanup so that we could sleep a little later in the morning. We took down the dining flies and broke down most of the tables and as much other gear as we could. The decision was made to wake up at 4:00 am so that we could finish packing and be on time to board the buses at 6:00 am.

Tomorrow was going to be another long day!!!

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 10 - July 26, 2017

Today was the last “full” day of the Jamboree, where the activity centers would be open all day, so we once again, encouraged all the boys to “get out there” and have some fun.

As for myself, one of the things I really wanted to do at the Jamboree was to try out the mountain biking trails. After breakfast, I headed out to the Summit Center. My plan was to ride the trails there first, and then head over to the “Low Gear” activity center to try out the trails over there.

After riding the three courses at the Summit Center, the introductory course, the green trail and then the blue trail, I set out for the Low Gear activity center. It was a fairly easy hike on mostly flat ground, unlike the hike to The Barrels on the previous day. When I arrived at Low Gear, there was a pretty long line, and I decided that I didn't want to wait in the line by myself.

At this point, I decided to just walk around and check out some of the other activity areas that I hadn't seen before. I walked from Low Gear to “The Rocks”, the center for rock climbing, bouldering and rappelling. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the walls, as they were beyond a curve in the road, and only participants were allowed to go beyond the curve.

From there, I walked back towards the Summit Center, with no particular plan in mind. On the way, I passed the kaying area. A staff member said to come down to the lake and do some kaying … there's no wait!!! I thought to myself … why not? I spent about an hour floating around in the kayak, talking with the kayaking “guide” assigned to the group I was with and an adult staff member who also had decided to take a little break floating on the lake. As we floated around, Scouts were “flying” over our heads, hooting and hollering, on the Big Zip towards the landing zone.

After leaving the kayak area, I decided to walk to base camp “D”. I was really hoping to trade one of my patch sets, and based on what I had learned about patch trading from some of the boys, it was best to take your patches to an area far from your own base camp, so that your patches would be in “greater demand”, and you could make better trades. I tried unsuccessfully to trade my patch set a couple of times, and then it was time to head back to my camp for dinner.

I had done a LOT of walking today, and I was really tired. After dinner, there was a stage show at our base camp. Some of the boys went over to check it out, while others once again, engaged in patch trading, frisbee, etc.

It had been a long day for me, so I just hung out and relaxed.

The weather forecast for tomorrow was calling for heavy rain throughout much of the day. The Closing Show was also scheduled for tomorrow night. It was shaping up to be an interesting day!

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 9 - July 25, 2017

After breakfast, as was becoming the typical pattern, the boys set out for the different activity centers, patch trading, and/or whatever else they had come to Jamboree for.

As for the adult leaders, most of us decided to go up to “The Barrels”, to do some shooting. It was a moderately long hike, but we finally arrived. After going through a “training” session, we tried pistol shooting first. After that, we moved on to rifle shooting.

At this point, we split up, and some went to the shotgun range while a few of us went to the chalkball (paintball) range. I had never shot a paintball gun before … it was a lot of fun!

When we were done with that, we split up some more, and I walked back to the Summit Center with one of the other leaders while the others either stayed at The Barrels our took shuttle buses to other areas of the property. After hiking back to our camp site, I went to take a shower.

The showers at the Summit are described as “ambient temperature” showers. “Ambient” means … COLD!!! What we had learned, however, to this point, was that if you took your shower in the late afternoon, while the son was still out, and you were hot from a day of hiking around the Summit, the cold showers were actually a nice way to cool down!!!

After that, it was time to prepare dinner and then clean up. We spent the rest of the night just hanging out, while many of the boys were off patch trading, playing frisbee and otherwise finding ways to entertain themselves.

Just another day at the Jamboree!

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 8 - July 24, 2017

The main focus of the day is the President's visit this evening. We've been told that we will need to begin our hike to the stadium at 3:00, and that it will be a lengthy process getting through the Secret Service security screening.

After breakfast, the boys left camp to accomplish whatever they could given the “abbreviated” schedule they would be facing. Many of the activitiy centers closed early in prepartation for the Presidential visit. On the bright side, everyone would be receiving a “boxed” meal upon entering the stadium so at least we did not have to worry about shopping for food and cooking and cleaning for dinner!

While we were waiting in our camp site to leave, we received a phone call from one of our scouts. Unfortunately, a group of them had been “trapped” on the other side of the reservation after the Secret Service closed off some areas for security reasons. These boys would not have to go around “the long way” to get back to our camp to meet up with us. Given the distance of the hike they faced, and the current time, we weren't sure if they'd make it back in time, but fortunately, they did.

Once we had everyone gathered up, we set off on the walk to the stadium at 3:00. We finally got through the security screening a little before 5:00, found a section to sit in and awaiting the President's arrival.

While we were waiting, we watched as Air Force One made three passes over the Summit Bechtel Reserve. We weren't sure how the President would be arriving, though we all assumed it would involve Marine One. We never saw or heard any large helicopters, and suddenly, the President's motorcade appeared on the road headed towards the stadium a little after 6:00.

After the President's speech, the show continued, but most of our Scouts decided they wanted to head back to our camp, so that's what we did.

The weather forecast for the next two days is calling for perfect weather, so we spent the night encouraging the boys to make sure to go out and participate in the activity centers while they still had the chance!

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 7 - July 23, 2017

Since today was the Day of Worship, we all slept a little late.

After waking up, we ate breakfast and then many of the boys went off to religious services.

The rest of the day was spent in and around camp, with patch trading being the primary activity for the day.

In the evening, we were briefed regarding the President of the United States visit to the Jamboree tomorrow. Activity centers will be closing early, and there are a lot of details regarding the "do's and dont's" of the President's visit. We held a Troop meeting in the evening to go over all of the details with the boys.

Tomorrow will be a busy day, and will also require a lot of patience on everyone's part, as we are processed through security screenings and await the President's address. Following the address, there will be additional performances, though as of now, we don't know what they will be.

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 6 - July 22, 2017

Today we hiked to the top of Garden Ground Mountain.

We were picked up by our Order of the Arrow guide at around 7:00 am. We followed him from our campsite to the staging area for the hike. While we were waiting to start the hike, one of our boys started to feel a little light headed and dizzy. Unfortunately, we determined that he was not going to be able to attempt the hike so I accompanied him and another scout back to the camp medical facility. Fortunately, he was just a little dehydrated and was suffering from minor heat exhaustion. After about an hour, he was feeling better and we returned to camp.

While we were there, our scoutmaster had to return to our camp and was there waiting for us. Shorty after that, our 1st assistant scoutmaster notified us that a couple of our boys were having difficulties on the trail so we decided to leave the boys in camp together and that we would hike up to lend assistance at the top of the mountain. It was a long, steep hike. Some sections of the trail were incredibly steep!!!

When we got to the top, we found our third scoutmaster and the scout who was having the most difficulties. He required IV fluids to be rehydrated and would need to be transported down the mountain. Our 1st ASM agreed to travel with him down the mountain. I had a little while to look around before it was time to hike back down.

There were lots of things to do at the top, including buckskin games, a spartan race, a pioneering village to visit and more. After looking around for a while, it was time to hike back down the mountain.  One of the boys was having some difficulties on the return hike so it took a while to get back to camp.

After returning to camp, we made a quick dinner and then had to leave to go to the main stadium for the "Big Stadium Show". The highlight of the show was a short concert by the band Ex-Ambassadors. Everyone enjoyed the show, and then it was time to hike back to camp and go to sleep.

Tomorrow is the "Day of Worship" at Jamboree and most activity centers are closed for the day. Those that will be open don't open until 1:00, so it will be a good day to "sleep in" for those who would like to!

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 5 - July 21, 2017

Not too much to report for today. Just a typical day at the BSA National Jamboree. A number of the boys in our Troop went whitewater rafting today. The reviews were mixed. Some felt that the rapids weren't very exciting.

In the middle of the day, we experienced our first thunderstorm. Fortunately, it was very brief, and within about 30 minutes, the sun had returned.

The boys continued their quest for patches and participated in the various activities. We're trying to get settled in with regard to meal planning, preparation and cleanup, but this is clearly going to be an "evolutionary" process!

Tomorrow is our hike to the top of Garden Ground Mountain. It's about a 3 mile hike each way, with a lot of elevation gain. At the top, there will be all sorts of activities that the boys can participate in.

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 4 - July 20, 2017

Our first full day at the Jamboree.

We woke up early, but not early enough. It took 90 minutes to get our breakfast and lunch food. Obviously, we'll need to do better at getting started in the morning!!!

After breakfast, the boys scattered throughout the Summit. Some went to the activity centers while many others got immediately involved in patch trading. If you've never been to a Jamboree, patch trading is a MAJOR attraction!!!

I went exploring with some of the other scoutmasters who are here with the Hudson Valley Council troops. We walked a lot, and it was really hot! We spent most of the day away from our camp site, and didn't return until late in the afternoon. The boys started returning with stories of bold patch trades, activity adventures and more.

We made dinner, and after cleaning up, many of the boys resumed patch trading activities, while others played Ultimate Frisbee and others played cards and other things.

The Summit really is an amazing place. We're trying to encourage the boys to enjoy the activities and do their patch trading at night.

Tomorrow, about two-thirds of our scouts will be going whitewater rafting. That should be a lot of fun!!!

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 3 - July 19, 2017

The big day ... we drive down to the Summit Bechtel Reserve for the 2017 BSA National Jamboree.

We woke up early and had to return the cafeteria of Lewis County High School to the state in which we found it. After that, it was off to Robin's Nest, a restaurant owned by a Lewis County resident who had provided our lunch the day before, and helped with the dinner as well. Today, he was providing us breakfast. After a breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuits & gravy, donuts, etc., we loaded back on the buses for the final leg of our journey to the Summit! Our thanks to Ray at Robin's Nest for treating us so well.

We had contacted the other troops from our contingent and made plans to meet in a school parking lot about 10 minutes away from the Summit. We arrived at the school first, and contacted the other troops. They were about 30 minutes behind us. Some of the boys got off the bus and we threw a frisbee around while we waited. The other buses arrived and off we went!

We arrived at the Summit Welcome Center and there was a long line of buses waiting to be processed. It was finally our turn and our arrival process started. After some paper work, and a brief introduction to the Summit on the bus on the way to our camp, we finally arrived. We had to unload the bus very quickly. We checked in at the camp headquarters and they directed us to our camp site. The next step was to get our camp set up. The boys started setting up the tents and all the other equipment, while some other went to the "store" to get our lunch. Shopping in the store was an interesting experience.

The boys finished setting up our camp and then some of them went off to explore, while others simply hung out and many more immediately started to find other scouts to trade patches with. Later in the afternoon, we had to go back to the store to get our dinner. After dinner, everyone found things to do, but patch trading was definitely a top priority for many of the boys.

Finally, it was time for lights out and it was time to go to bed. Another long day of many more to come!

2017 BSA National Jamboree - Day 2 - July 18, 2017

We woke up early and were met at Lewis County High School by a Lewis County official. We would be taking a very short drive from the school to the Bendale United Methodist Church for breakfast. We loaded on the bus and headed over to the Church.

Members of the Church had prepared a really nice breakfast for us, including eggs, french toast, sausage, hash browns and biscuits and gravy. Everything was delicious and we all had plenty to eat. After breakfast, we loaded back on to the bus and headed over to Lewis County Park, the site of our service project for the day.

We pulled into he park and the first thing we saw was the swimming pool. There were diving boards and water slides, and everyone was already looking forward to getting a chance to get into the pool.

We met some of the county officials who we had met the previous evening as well as some of the park staff. Our job was to stain new split rail fences that had been installed in the park. At first look, it was a LOT of fencing!!! They gave us the stain, brushes and paint pails and we got started.

After a little while, it was becoming clear that we were going to get the job done pretty quickly. The boys did a good job getting much of the work done before it started to get too hot. Then, it was time to work on the sections of the fence that were in the sun. That's when things started to slow down!

We talked with the park staff and we decided that we would change the day's plan a little. The original plan called for us to do the service project, then return to the high school to clean up and change, after which we would be taken to a glass blowing demonstration, followed by dinner and a pool party at the park.

Instead, we decided that we would go back to the high school to get our bathing suits and towels, then come back to the park and eat lunch. After lunch, we would finish the service project and then take a short swim before going to the glass blowing demonstration. When we got off the bus after returning to the park, we were met by someone who told us that there were some people coming to the park to meet one of the boys from our Troop. Apparently, he was a direct descendent of a prominent family in the area. We were a little confused as to how they know about him. Later, we found out that his grandfather had made a phone call to let these people know that his grandson was in the county.

Lunch was hot dogs with all the fixings. After lunch, we finished the service project, which also included painting all of the picnic tables in the park, and then some of the boys went for a swim, while others played basketball, miniature golf and just relaxed.

We were then taken to a glass blowing demonstration. At one time, glass blowing was a major industry in Lewis County. Following that, we went back to the park where we had dinner which included brick oven pizza, BBQ pork, and lots of sides. Dessert was birthday cake and ice cream. Lewis County was celebrating its 200th birthday this year.

After dinner, the pool was made available to us and we all enjoyed a nice swim. It was then time to go back to the high school for the night.

It had been a long day, and everyone had a really great time! Tomorrow, we're off to the Jamboree!

2017 BSA National. Jamboree. Day 1 - July 17, 2017

The morning started bright and early. Everyone met in the parking lot at Woodbury Common and the "check-in" process started.

It went very smoothly. Once everyone was checked in, and the bags were loaded. We boarded the buses and off we went right on schedule at 9:00.

It was really quiet on the bus. 

At around 12:30, we stopped at a shopping center near Harrisburg, PA for lunch. There were lots of options to choose from, and the boys all went off to find their preferred option.

We got back on the buses at 1:30 and continued on our way. Things were a little louder on the bus now, at least for a little while. After a brief unscheduled rest stop, we continued on our way, passing through Maryland and ultimately into West Virginia.

Next up was a dinner stop at a shopping center in Morgantown, WV. Once again, there were lots options to choose from and everyone went off to find what they wanted.

After boarding the buses after dinner, we continued on the final leg of our journey to Lewis County High School, our home for the next two nights. A few minutes before we reached our exit, the other two buses split off from us on the way to their destinations.

When we arrived at the high school, we were met by a woman from the Lewis County Commission who welcomed us to Lewis County and took us into the school. They had some snacks and drinks waiting for us ... pepperoni rolls, a West Virginia favorite, and some chips. After showing us around a little, the boys went off to have some fun. Some of them went up to the football field to play frisbee, while others played cards and had some fun with their Star Wars props in the school.

At 10:30, it was lights out to get ready for tomorrow's service project. We will be painting a fence at Lewis County Park.

Philmont 2016 - Day 14 - August 16, 2016

The last day of our trek.

Time to leave Philmont and head for home. We woke up to another beautiful morning at Camping Headquarters.

Looking back on it, I can only remember two mornings during our trek that we didn't wake up to a beautiful day. We had lots of days with rain in the middle of the day or early afternoon, but overall, and especially based on conversations we had with other crews along the way, we were very lucky with the weather we had!

After waking up and getting our things together, we had one last breakfast in the mess hall and then waited for the bus to pick us up and drive us back to Denver Airport. The bus came, we loaded ourselves on board, and left the gateway to Philmont Camping HQ behind us.

On the way back to Denver, we stopped once again at the Golden Corral for lunch. After 12 days of "Phil-food", we were all really excited to dig in!!!

Upon our arrival at the airport, we found out that our flight home was delayed by a couple of hours. What a bummer!!! The boys played cards and found other ways to pass the time.

Finally, it was time to board the plan for the flight home!

The overview map of our trek.

• Starting in the lower right hand corner, the circle with the number "2" beneath it was the start of our trek at Six Mile Gate.
• The triangle above that, with the number "2" next to it is Anasazi.
• Above and to the left of that, the square with the number "3" next to it is Metcalf Station.
• Near the top of the map, the square with the number "4" is Seally Canyon.
• Above that, the square with the number "5" is Whiteman Vega.
• Going back towards the center of the map, the square with the number "6" is Dan Beard.
• The circle/square to the lower right of that with the number "7" is Ponil.
• To the left of that, the triangle with the number "8" is Elkhorn.
• To the left of that, the square with the numbers "9" & "10" is Miranda.
• Back towards the center of the map, the triangle with the number "11" is Santa Claus.
• Finally, the circle with the number 12 next to it was the end of our trek at Ute Park.

In the end, our Philmont trek was an amazing experience. I can't wait to go back to Philmont!!!

Philmont 2016 - Day 13 - August 15, 2016

This is it ... the last hike of our trek. We will be hiking from Santa Claus camp to the Ute Park Turnaround, where we will be picked up by a bus and then driven back to Philmont Camping Headquarters.

It was going to be a busy day. When we arrive at camping headquarters, there will be a lot of work to do. All of the equipment we borrowed has to be cleaned and returned. We have to pick up our valuables that were left with security. We would also need to get our stoves & fuel bottles packed up and brought to the mail room to be shipped back home. Oh ... and of course, we would need to shower!!! We also wanted to make sure we would have time to visit the trading post, and there were a few other miscellaneous items that would have to be attended to. Unfortunately, we had a fairly late scheduled pick up time for the bus, which was going to make things a little difficult. We were hoping that if we arrived at our pickup location early, we could call camping headquarters to see if we could get an earlier pick up, so we woke up early, packed up our gear for the last time, and got ready to head out on the trail.

We decided that for our last hike, we would once again go out as a "super crew", with our sister crew. The first order of business was a group photo and father/son photo.

We hiked out at a fairly quick pace, and it was pretty obvious that everyone was looking forward to getting off the trail.

It was a beautiful morning, and the views along the trail were great as usual, with Mt. Baldy once again dominating the skyline.

The trail we were taking would ultimately take us through a tunnel that went under a main road. Rumor had it, that on the wall of the tunnel, there was a phone number for a local pizza shop that would deliver pizza to the road above the tunnel. We had promised the boys that if there was truth to the rumor, we would go for it. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as we had hoped ... no pizza!!!

We continued hiking and finally reached the last meadow we would have to cross. We were near the end of the road.

One last look at Mt. Baldy ...

And we had reached our pick up point.

When we arrived, there were two other crews already there waiting. As we walked in, the adult advisors approached us and asked what crew number we were. They were very excited when we told them who we were. They had the same scheduled pick up time as us and had arrived about an hour earlier. They had called camping headquarters to request an early pick up, but were told that they had to wait for two other crews to arrive who were scheduled to be picked up with them ... we were the two crews they had been waiting for! We got back on the phone with headquarters and told them that all four crews were ready to be picked up. They said they'd send a bus immediately!!! This was great news ... we would be arriving at camping headquarters a couple of hours earlier than we had expected.

The bus came and we loaded our packs and boarded the bus for the ride back. When arrived at headquarters, we had to check in with logistics, and then the work began. We got the gear we had stored in the lockers at headquarters before we left and then checked into our tents in the "homebound" tent city.

We got all of the work done, and everyone took a long hot shower. Since we had arrived so much earlier than planned, we had enough time to take a quick tour of the Villa Philmonte. Philmont Scout Ranch was donated to the BSA by the family of Waite Phillips, the original owner of the ranch. The Villa Philmonte was the home that he had built when he lived here. It is a beautiful place, and I strongly recommend taking the tour if you're ever at Philmont.

When we had arrived back, the boys had asked around to find out if our Ranger, Ben, was there or not. We had been told that he was acting as a "counselor" for some kids whose parents were taking classes at the Philmont Training Center, which is located in a section of the Villa Philmonte. When we walked over there, as luck would have it, he was in one of the courtyards behind the Villa. We went over to say hello and to thank him for all he had taught us. It was nice to be able to see him and let him know how successful our trek had been!

After the tour, it was time for dinner in the mess hall. For fun, when dinner was over, the staff invited those who were interested to participate in a friendly game of egg toss!!! 

After dinner, it was time to attend the closing campfire. Unfortunately, shortly after it started, the weather started to get pretty rough and they had to end it early.

This was the final thought for us as we left the campfire amphitheater.

Tomorrow morning, we would be waking up early, eating breakfast, and then boarding the bus for the trip back to Denver Airport and our flight home. It was going to be another long day!!!

Philmont 2016 - Day 12 - August 14, 2016

Today would be our last full day & night in the Philmont back country. We will be hiking from Miranda to Santa Claus Camp, passing through Head of Dean Camp along the way. We were back-tracking the same route we had taken from Head of Dean to Miranda two days earlier.

We woke up, got our gear together, and left Miranda, leaving Mt. Baldy behind us.

Along the way, we had to disperse the left over ashes from the campfire we made the previous evening. The boys decided a little "war paint" would be in order before we continued on our way!

When we arrived at the Head of Dean Camp, it was just beginning to rain. We put our packs down and settled in on the porch, hoping that the rain would pass quickly. The boys found something constructive to do with their time on the porch!!!

Fortunately, the rain didn't last very long, and we continued on our way to Santa Claus.

When we arrived at Santa Claus, we discovered that we were the only ones in the camp. It was really nice spot, with the campsites located in the woods just on the sides of a very large meadow.

We noticed a picnic table sitting in the meadow right near our campsite. We decided to carry it over so that we would have a nice comfortable table to sit at for our final night in the back country.

The boys played cards and we kind of just lazed around for a while. At this point, everyone was getting kind of excited to be at the end of our trek, though I think I wouldn't have minded spending a few more nights.

We had been told that there was a great place to watch the sunset at Santa Claus. We had been given some "loose directions" on where to go, so we set out to find a good viewing point. Unfortunately, we never did find it, so after a while, we headed back to our campsite and called it a night.

The final hike out would take place tomorrow morning!

Philmont 2016 - Day 11 - August 13, 2016

Today is the day ... we will be hiking to the top of Mt. Baldy, elevation 12,441 feet! The elevation gain from our "base camp" will be approximately 3,500 feet over a distance of about 4 miles ... that's pretty steep!!!

On our way back down from Mt. Baldy, we will be taking a detour through the Baldy Town camp, for our final food resupply of the trek. We had been given some advice before our trip to bring one or two empty packs with us on the hike so that we could use them to carry our supplies from Baldy Town back to Miranda. As it turned out, this was very good advice!

The first rule for hiking Mt. Baldy is to start the hike VERY early in the morning. Early afternoon storms are very common, and the last place you would want to be during a thunderstorm is on the top of a mountain well above treeline!!!

We woke up very early, well before dawn and everyone got ready to go. We had decided that we would hike to the top as a "super-crew". This was something we all wanted to do together, so we decided to bend the rules a little. It was dark and rather cool and damp when we set out. Everyone had a headlamp on so that we could see where we were going and we were all wearing jackets, hats and some of us even had gloves on.

As daylight broke, it didn't take long to warm up, as the trail had a pretty steady pitch to it right from the start.

Along the way, we encountered some reminders of the area's history as a mining concern. It was hard to imagine people moving this kind of material up the slopes of this mountain!

We hiked for a while and then took a break for breakfast. Everyone was already feeling the combined effects of waking up early, hiking up a steep mountain, and elevation!!!

We eventually reached the tree line and things really opened up. At the same time, the pitch became steeper and the side of the mountain became a giant scree field. In some spots, it seemed that for every step forward, you slide a half step backwards!!!

Finally, the summit was within reach. Just a little further and all the effort would pay off!!!

The views from the summit were ... in a word ... incredible.

We all marveled at the world spread out before us. High fives, hugs and pats on the back were exchanged. It was a moment I will never forget. It was the culmination of approximately 18 months of planning & preparation, and in that moment, it was all worth it.

It was incredibly cold and windy at the summit ... much more so that I had expected. It was a good thing we all had our warm clothing with us. There were some little "shelters" that people had made by piling up the rocks. The boys took the opportunity to lie down, get out of the wind and have a bite to eat.

After a little while, we all gathered up and took a group photo. Once again ... a moment I'll never forget.

We hung around on the summit for a while, but then we noticed some storm clouds forming to the West. It was time to get moving and head down to lower ground.

We got back below the tree line just as the rain started. It was hard to believe how quickly the storm moved in. We continued down the mountain on our way to Baldy Town camp for our final resupply stop. The rain started to get heavier and the next thing we knew, we were being pelted by hail stones. It was a REALLY good thing we got off the summit when we did!!!

We arrived at Baldy Town and picked up our supplies for the remainder of our trek. We hung out on the porch for a while, trying to stay out of the rain as much as we could. One of the staff members here was the twin sister of a staff member at the Seally Canyon camp. We had been told to expect this, and of course, when we showed up, we all called her by her sister's name ... just as we had been told to do!

The rain finally let up a bit and we headed out to get back to Miranda for the night. When we arrived, it was still raining lightly so we all kind of huddled under the rain fly for a while. Everyone was spent!!! The rain finally stopped and we made dinner. We decided that we would make a campfire to celebrate today's accomplishment. The one down side to making a fire at Philmont is that you're required to pack your ashes out of the camp and disperse them along the trail. This is rather annoying, so this was to be our first fire of the trek.

We hung out for a while watching the fire and talking and then it was time to go to bed. Tomorrow would be our last full day & night in the back country. We would be hiking from Miranda to, of all places, Santa Claus Camp!!! Would there be any presents waiting for us there?

Philmont 2016 - Day 10 - August 12, 2016

Today's hike is a seven mile walk from Elkhorn Camp to Miranda Camp, one of the "base stations" for day hikes to the top of Mt. Baldy. We'll be saying goodbye to our burro Harold when we arrive at Miranda.

I was up very early, and I couldn't resist the urge to walk back to the top of the ridge to watch the sunrise. I wasn't disappointed.

 As the sun rose above the top of the ridge, the early morning light washed over Mt. Baldy. If all goes according to plan, tomorrow, we'll be standing on the Summit!

We packed up our camp and ate breakfast. Next, we had to get Harold from the pen, and reload his saddle and the gear he'd be carrying for us. The boys did a fantastic job of getting him loaded up once again. I was really impressed with how easily they had learned everything they needed to know to get him loaded up.

The trail started out as a jeep road that ran along the top of the ridge. It was very easy going, and with the exception of a somewhat obstinate burro who insisted on stopping to eat grass every few minutes, we reached the mid-point of our hike at the Head of Dean Camp. We took a short break, making sure to give Harold a chance to drink some water. We then continued on to Miranda. At this point, the trail became much more difficult, as it wound its way down the mountain by a series of narrow switchbacks. The views of the surrounding areas were beautiful, but Harold was not amused!!!

When we reached Miranda, it was time to say goodbye to Harold. We dropped him off in the pen, and then continued to the camp cabin. As we arrived, it started to rain pretty heavily. Fortunately, it didn't last long, and we were able to go down and shoot the black powder rifles, one of the program features at Miranda.

The staff at Miranda were a little crazy, and a lot of fun ... kind of like the guys back at Metcalf Station at the beginning of our trek. Being close to the end of the Summer, they were obviously suffering from a little "cabin fever" or something! They taught us how to load the rifles, including pouring in the powder & the ball, and packing it down. Then we got to shoot the rifles. Black powder rifles go "BOOM"!!!!!

Next, it was time to set up camp and make dinner. We would be waking up VERY early the following morning for our hike to the top of Mt. Baldy, so everyone turned in early to get a good night's sleep.

Philmont 2016 - Day 9 - August 11, 2016

The big day … burro packing! Today we would be given a burro to take with us on our hike. The burro would stay with us overnight, and then we'd take him with us to our next camp. The hike today is only about 5 miles, however, we would be climbing approximately 1500 feet in elevation.

We weren't in a hurry to get up this morning, because we had to under go “burro training” before we could leave Ponil Camp. We woke up and got packed up, and then ate a leisurely breakfast.

After breakfast, we headed down to the corral to get our burro and get trained. When we got there, a couple of the ranch hands were messing around trying to rope each other. Once they successfully roped their opponent, they would try to pull him down into the mud and the … well … you know … it's a burro corral!!! It was VERY entertaining!

Next, they let the boys into the corral to go and find a burro that they liked.

Once they found their burro, it was time to learn how to properly pack our gear onto the burro. The boys did a really good job of it … they picked up the procedure very quickly. They also had to give their burro a name … may I introduce Harold … Harold the Burro!

The boys had wanted to take a second burro, but mean old me told them to stick with just one … I figured one would be more than enough trouble!!! We got our gear loaded up and hit the trail.

We were hiking along a dirt road on our way to Elkhorn Camp. Elkhorn is a trail camp … there would be no staff members there and no program activities. Once we arrived at the camp, we would have to unload Harold, put him in the pen, and give him some water and hay. There would be too much else to do.

The trail had a slight grade to it, but it wasn't too bad. We needed to make a left turn at some point, at which time we would have to head straight up the side of a mountain to Elkhorn Camp, which was located at the top. Once again, Mt. Baldy loomed off in the distance.

We had some minor navigation problems and initially walked past the turn. We quickly realized our mistake and turned back. We found the turn and then started the climb. It was very steep, rocky & dusty, and we had to guide Harold up with us … he wasn't really in the mood!

We finally reached the top and found Elkhorn Camp. The top of the mountain was essentially a ridge line. The camp was slightly down hill on the other side of the ridge we had just climbed. The views from the top of the ridge were just fantastic. We could see all the way back to the Tooth of Time.

We got Harold into the pen and gave him his food & water. After that, we set up camp and everyone took a well deserved rest. A little while later, our sister crew showed up with their burro, Burrito. After dinner, we decided to walk back up to the top of the ridge. The boys found some rocks to climb around on while we watched the sunset. It was absolutely beautiful.

It was a beautiful, clear night, and fortunately for us, the Perseid meteor shower was scheduled to put on a great show that night. We brought our chairs back to the top of the ridge and we sat there for at least an hour watching an incredible show of meteor trails. I've never seen anything like it.

Tomorrow we'd be hiking with Harold from Elkhorn Camp to Miranda Camp. Miranda is one of the camps that serves as a “base” for day hikes to the top of Mt. Baldy.