In July 2001, the Crew traveled to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and spent five days hiking the peaks of the Presidential Range, including Mt. Washington. The trek, starting with a challenging 7.5 mile climb up the Osgood Trail, ran the ridges and made steep climbs over broken rock. One leader commented that it was much harder than treks she had made in the Rocky mountains--our eastern mountains are old, but they are mean. The Crew stayed in the Appalachian Mountain Club's huts, including Madison Springs (wild midnight storm), Lakes of the Clouds (wading in a alpine lake and an amazing sunset), and Mizpah Hut (the approach trail was rather like failing off a cliff.

Several local high-school students, members of Venturing Crew 396 in Annapolis, recently returned from a five-day sea-kayaking adventure among Maine’s coastal islands. On the way to New England, the Crew made a one-night stay in a Boy Scout Camp in New York City, taking time to ride the Staten Island Ferry and see the World Trade Center site.

On the water, the Crew paddled five to six miles per day, camping on isolated islands in the bay, facing daily thunderstorms and open water crossing of up to three miles. They explored the teaming life in tidal pools and sampled local foods such as lobsters (bought directly from the lobster boats) and mussels (small, tasty shellfish) picked by the crew.

Without any water or food available on the small islands they camped on, each person had to carry 48 lbs of water and 100 lbs of food and gear in their 17-foot boats. Though they initially worried about handling such heavily-loaded boats, they found that extra weight hardly slowed the boats while making them much more stable. The first day out on Casco Bay the group had just committed to their last open water crossing of the day when a thunderstorm came roaring out of the southwest. Paddling furiously, they reached the island just as the storm did, beaching their kayaks and throwing up their tents. They laid flat trying to keep the wind from lifting their tents and blowing them away, while the lightening hit all around them.

When not being chased by lightening, it took the group about two hours to make and break camp each day. Their eleven kayaks had to be emptied of all their gear (about one ton total) and carried up to 100 feet to get them well above the high tide line (the tidal range is much greater there than in Chesapeake Bay). The food and equipment often had to be carried several hundred more feet to a campsite. Tents had to be pitched, food cooked, and trash collected and returned to the boats.

Each day, there was some time to explore the island they camped on. The first night was spent on Little Diamond Island. Its heavy underbrush required the group to camp on the beach, waking to the sound of waves at high tide just ten feet from their tents. The second and third nights, the Crew based itself on the Jewell Island. This island had World War II lookout towers and gun emplacements to explore. The group also spent time swimming, riding breakers with light kayaks, and paddling to a neighboring inhabited island for ice cream and lobsters. The fourth night was spent on a tiny island (less then ten acres in size) where most of the crew slept in an abandoned cabin. The island was also full of raspberry and blueberry bushes, and the group made cheesecake and walked around picking berries to top it.

Power-boats isolate you with their noise, and sail boats require continual thought to manage, but the group found that in a kayak you loose yourself and blend into the environment. The Crew learned about teamwork, the ocean, and just having fun. At the end of the fifth day, they returned to their starting point and started the long drive back to Annapolis.

In 2003, the Crew returned to the White Mountains. Starting at Franconia Notch, near the Old Man of the Mountain, the Crew gained the ridge and hiked north 42 miles following the Appalachian trail to Mount Washington and down the Tuckerman Ravine to Pinkham Notch. The Crew camped in tents for four days, and spent to days in back country huts. The views were fantastic, the trails rough, the accomplishment huge! For example, at one point the trail went down a waterfall! We climbed and then descended a total of 13,500 ft.

After lunch we reboarded the buses for a short trip to Manito Springs and the Cog Railway for a trip to the summit of Pikes Peak. T Everyone began to feel the effect of being at 14110’ above Annapolis…….. It then started to snow/hail/sleet. After descending, we boarded the buses for a short ride to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Where we spent the night.

We arrived at the Philmont Welcome center at 11:00am. Our ranger was Matt Gold from Herndon Virginia. After lunch the real check in process began. Phil (Crew Chief) and I (Rick—Crew Advisor for the trip) went into Logistics while Matt when over map symbols with the crew. Phil received the information on the water conditions, our conservation project and camp info. We all cleared medical checks and picked up our stoves from the post office.

Gear checks. The big decision everyone had was how much warm clothing to take. After making this critical decision we packed everything up and got ready for dinner. We had about an hour so most ever body went over to the trading post. After dinner we had the opening campfire at 8:30 for the crew. The staff performed some skits, the crew leaders were each presented an American flag to carry on the trail and we sung the Philmont hymn for the first time.

The 8th came early with a wake up call at 5:30. Breakfast and our last real shower. After breakfast we packed up and stuffed 10 duffel bags and our 10 carryon bags full of CD, return cloths and everything not going on the trail into 2 3X4 footlockers. Phil distributed the crew gear to the crew and everyone picked up some food and stuffed their pack. Finally we’re almost ready for the trail.

At 2:10 on July 8th 2004 our great trek began. Phil took the lead and everyone followed with the advisors and Matt in the back. We started hiking through a meadow, which turned out to be a horse pasture. They ended up reviewing the map again and realized they missed the trail, which was about 100 yards up the hill from the pasture. Arrived at he camp at 4:30. Elevation was 7200’. Matt proceeded to instruct the crew on how to set up a Philmont campsite. Matt cooked our first meal and instructed the crew on the use of the stoves and how to ensure the eating utincils and bowls we sanitized. After dinner the crew decided to hike into Ponil for the evening show and root beer from the cantina. The show started at 8pm and was pretty funny, it ended about 9:15, and then we proceeded to hike back to camp in the dark. The round trip from camp to Ponil was a little over 2 miles. Got back to camp at 10:00pm and hit the sack.

July 9th came early with a 5:45 wake up call. It took 1hr and 15 minutes to pack up camp and hit the trail. Made a side hike to Sioux camp, then back on the trail heading to Rich Cabins in the Val Vidal forest of New Mexico. We arrived at the Cabin at 11:00am. Very nice and well-preserved cabin built in 1884. Matt showed the crew how to hang the bear bags using the 3rd line and how to make a sump for the dishwater. The one thing going for this camp was it did have a red roof inn. After setting up camp and eating lunch the adults took a tour of the cabin and the crew and matt played in the creek. After the tour the adults took well deserved naps while Matt completed his ranger training. That evening we went up to the cabin for the program of chicken chasing and milking the resident cow. The crew was successfully in both activities.

The morning of July 10th started with a wakeup call at 4:45am and said goodbye to our ranger Matt. The first 2 miles of the hike was along the dirt road. Pam found the trailhead to Wilson Mesa and we started south with an elevation gain of 1000’ in 1 mile. We all made it to the top of Wilson Mesa and realized why we came to Philmont. The view was great, a 360 view of Philmont including Mt Baldy in the distance. We arrived at the Pueblano Ruins at 12:30. The crew signed up for Spar pole climbing at 1:00. Arrived at the ruins at 4:00pm and set up camp. Elevation at the camp is 8360’. Rain started as they prepared dinner. The crew decided to hike down to program at the staff camp of logger ball and campfire program. Logger ball is basically baseball with rules made up by the staff. The ball was made out of duck tape and was about the size of a softball.

The morning of July 11th the rain had stopped --and we realized how much a wet tent weighs. Tried the caterpillar on the trail and then settled in on hiking 2 minutes and resting for 30 seconds. This seems to work to allow the advisors to keep up with the crew. Arrived at French Henry at 10:00--Activities here are Blacksmithing, and panning for gold. A mine tour is up the trial about 20 minutes away. After blacksmithing we took a tour of the mining museum and tried to find our fortune in gold—no luck. We headed to the next stop, the Aztec mine. This mine has 38 miles of tunnels but we only did the first 600 feet. After the mine, we hiked “the Wall”. This wall is an elevation gain of 1400’ in less than a mile to the meadow at Copper Park. The meadow was at an elevation of 10300’ and the campsite was just on the far side. As you came out of the wooded area you entered the meadow that was about 4 acres with Mt. Baldy looming above the trees. What a sight. Sat around camp for the afternoon resting up for the big climb to Mt Baldy tomorrow

The morning of the 12th we woke up at 7:00am and the temp was 54. We had to take 4 packs in order to pick up food at Camp Baldy. We took the most direct and steep route to Baldy. That’s the North face. The elevation gain from camp was 2100’ and we felt it with every step. We arrived at the summit at 10:00am. The view is the best in Philmont. We arrived at Baldy camp at 12:45. Here everyone had their chance at the first shower since we left base camp. We also picked up 12 meals and a lot of food. The hike from Baldy Camp to Copper Park had an elevation gain of 700’. On the way down to the meadow I heard something in the woods to my left and I stopped and looked around until I saw the largest bear I’d ever seen in the wild. I call the crew back they began to take pictures of the bear. Next thing we discovered was that it wasn’t just one bear it was 2. We finally arrived back at camp at 4:30. While we were preparing for dinner crazy Carl show up. He’s the roaming prospector. He just roams Philmont looking for the mother load and also provides a campfire program and advisor coffee. On the way back from the program Pam provided some additional entertainment by running up the trail until she tripped and did the prettiest trail dive you’d ever seen. After cleaning her knee of rocks and dirt we hit the sack at 9:15.

The morning of July 13th came even earlier. Hiked via Ewell to upper Dean for the low cope/ challenge events. Crew had a good time, the advisors took it easy while the crew was challenging……. Chris also had the medic at the camp give him his option on his heel blisters. He ended up popping and draining them. This helped a lot. At this point the crew had used up over 12 sheets of mole skin 20 yards of medical tape and over 10 yards of duct tape trying to prevent and tending to blisters. At one of the stations about 2 dozen turkeys of all sizes walked right past us. Had at least 12 baby turkeys following the bigger ones. Lower Dean Camp is on the side of a mountain. Everything including the tents were set up on the side of a mountain. Adults and some of the crew took naps until dinnertime. Conservation program is tomorrow. Everyone hitting the sack early for tomorrow.

Morning of the 14th arrived at 4:45 with a temp of 54. Very hot trail/road to hike on. Saw 2 sets of mountain lion tracks and a mule deer doe with 3 little tiny fawns. Dean Canyon was totally burned during the fire of 2002. Re-growth has started but they are having a big problem with erosion and runoff into the water supply for Cimarron. We stopped at 8:30 and started our conservation project. This consisted of reseeding a mountain that was burned. No shade to be found anywhere. Anyway we worked until 10:45. We finally arrived at Dean Cow Camp at noon and signed up for Rock climbing at 2pm.

The morning of the 15th came at 4:45 with a temp of 54. We stopped at the staff cabin to fill up the water bottles and headed south straight up from 7200 to 8200’. What a way to wake up in the morning. The 2 and 30 worked again. Brent’s foot started bothering him real bad this morning. He had a blister that covered his whole left heal.

Once on top it was a pleasant hike until we began to go down into Turkey Creek Canyon. Very rocky trail down and then we ended on a road. Took a break on the road and everyone that had blisters worked on them. After blister repair it was back on the road down to Turkey Creek Turnaround elevation 6629’. This is where we crossed under the Highway and headed into the Central portion of Philmont. This portion of the trail was wide open with very little shade. Real hot and everybody feeling it. Then we started hiking up again to Veca Camp elevation 7400’. We past through Veca and headed up to Harlan at an elevation of 7600’. Arrived at 12:25 very hot, hungry, and irritable. At 1pm we had our porch talk and decided to go straight to Shotgun shell reloading. . Everyone reloaded 3 shells and then we headed down a dirt road to the skeet range. If I remember right everyone hit at least one and Phil hit them all. Afterwards, we went to one of our better camp sites. Fairly flat with a big rock for the crew to climb/ lay on. After dinner, burro racing. Dan A. was the only crewmember to turn out for the racing and had to race all alone. Dan and his burro did great. However we almost lost an advisors head during the second race. Peggy was videoing the race and didn’t see until the last moment that she was between a burro and a scout. Between the scout and the burro was the lead rope and luckily she dropped down at the very last second and wasn’t decapitated.

The morning of the 16th started at 6:00am, a late start for us. Headed south across a meadow to a ridge trail overlooking the tooth of time ridge. Hike up to an elevation of 8000’ before we started heading down to Ute Gulch. Arrived at the Ute Springs campsite at 11:00am. Pam, Phil, Darren, Mark and I headed to the commissary with empty packs and water bottles. Picked up some additional film along with the food and water and headed back to camp. We also enjoyed fresh oranges and apples. They wouldn’t let us take any extra for the crew back at camp. When we go back, Chris has organized a work party to start building a dam across a very small stream at the camp. Melanie, Dan A, Darren, Chris with Nancy supervising worked on this masterpiece of engineering for about 3 hour. It did create a puddle.

The morning of the 17th started at 3am --The crew decided they wanted to see the sun rise at Window rock this morning. We estimated the hike to be about 1.5 hours. The view from Window rock looked due east toward Cimarron. Great view. Hike down the mountain and took a side hike to tour an original hunting lodge from back in the 20s. Great little cabin. Everybody should have one like this….. After the tour we were off to our final camp Clarks Fork. We arrived at Clarks Fork at 11:10 and had our porch talk and were assigned a campsite. After a shower we stopped by the branding shed to brand my boots. Everybody wanted to go to bed early because we are getting up at 3am to hike tooth ridge into base camp. However most the crew ended up going up to the campfire program for the evening entertainment. They had someone playing a 12-string guitar, a 6-string guitar, and a drum. They were really good

July 18th 2004 Clarks Fork elevation 7300’ to Base Camp 6600’, 12 miles, 2000’ up and 3000’ down. Now this is a hike…… Crew woke up at 3am. The rain had stopped at midnight but everything is wet and heavy for the last hike of our trek. We said good-bye to Clarks fork at 4:04am and started heading to Mt. Shaffer elevation 9200’. Trail was steep with a lot of switchbacks. Started the 2 and 30 to help the adults. At 8800’ elevation just below Shaffer’s Pass we watched the sun come up. We finally made it to the base of the tooth at 8:30am.

After dropping our packs and grabbing a nalgen and the cameras we headed up to the tooth. Bouldering most of the way up. The trail ended about ¼ of the way up the tooth. Finally on the top you had a great view of base camp and surrounding mountains. Got a great picture of the crew on top and started heading down at 9:15. The crew wanted to get going and finish the hike. After checking and repairing all the blisters we hit the trail for the final leg of our trek at 10:10.

Hiked past Tooth ridge camp, pass great rock walls and finally started down the 28 switch backs to base camp. At this point Mark and Darren were in the lead. Then they saw/heard the RATTLESNAKE. Darren went one way and Mark went running the other….. The 3 foot long Rattle Snake was coiled up and really mad at being disturbed. It had been sunning itself about 3 feet from the trail until the crew came by. We finally saw the finish line at 1pm and crossed it 1:05. Took a Photo op at the entrance to the camp and then all hiked the remaining 300 yards to check back in. Everyone was happy to be done at this point and they all headed to the showers and pop/soda machines.

They had decided on the way down that they wanted to go into Cimarron for burritos. The last bus left for town at 3:30. So everyone got cleaned up and we meet at the welcome center for the bus into town. They discovered that the Burrito factory was closed. So across the street we went to have pizza. We started with 4 but ended up eating 5 pizzas between 11 of us. ….. back to camp. The closing campfire started at 8:30 and was held under cover due to more rain. Philmont staff entertained with skits, slide show and presented the crew leads with a completion plaque. After the closing campfire program we all headed back to our tents for our last night at Philmont.

July 19th 2004. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise and sky at 6am. Temp was 60. We pack/dumped everything into our duffle bags and loaded our gear onto the buses for the trip to Denver. Then we headed over to the dinning hall for our last meal at Philmont. Stopped and the entrance and said the grace for the last time and headed in for French toast, sausage, grits and fruit. After devouring breakfast we loaded the buses and bid farewell to Philmont. The bus was quiet as we headed out and you could tell everyone was thinking about their accomplishment of the last 2 weeks.