RE: [Philmont] - philmont Digest - V01 #1496

> From: Peter Johnson
> Adversity in all of its forms is part of what makes a Phil-trek so
> special. If there was no adversity to overcome, I don't know
> if I would
> want to go back. (just got back from an 8 day trek, with plenty of
> adversity thrown in; and I would do it again in a week!)
>
> Pete Johnson
>
Hi Pete. Pete and I ran into each other at Upper Clarks Fork.

We were on day 10 of our trek, and they got up early to hike out (I think)
while we slept in for a hike up to Tooth Ridge Camp. He has a great bunch
of guys.

I have often encountered an interesting phenomenon here on this list. The
"how dare you criticize anything that has to do with Philmont" attitude.
It's like some people think you can't complain about something to try to
make it better and still enjoy yourselves. Some people think that my
complaints here bear some relation to what the kids see when we're on the
trail. Like I don't say "hey this is pretty good, you guys will like this
one" while internally thinking that Philmont really is missing the boat on
the meal. Ah well, it takes all kinds.

We had a great trek. Saw great sights. Did fun stuff. We were told by a
guy in logistics to please make sure you enter you criticisms of the food on
your evaluation because the current supplier is awful and we need the crews
to let management know so we can get something better. I heard so many boys
from other crews make comments like "finally, we can get some real food"
when they came off the trail. I saw the same stuff in the swap boxes again
and again, which says to me that certain items are just not right in the
meals. Sawmill staff told us we had to take something out for everything we
put in the swap box. Some Ponil staff told us the Philmont rules didn't
apply to them. There were lots of things I saw I didn't think were right,
particularly from staff not following the rules. That does not prevent a
great trek, that just gives us specific things to point to for Philmont to
work on to make things better.

As we were entering CHQ (the "you made it" sign), my son said to me that he
wants to go back again. I want to go back again. It is a great experience.
So, that means you can't make it better? Of course we can.

Every time someone here posts how they do something different than PHilmont
gives them, whether it is taking their own gear, spices for the food,
whatever, that *IS* a specific complaint about the way Philmont does things.
However, if you express it as a complaint, rather than as a solution, you
are somehow spoiling the experience. Go Figure. I guess providing our own
solutions is somehow better than getting Philmont to make it better for
everyone. This is something I don't understand.

Our Troop plans to enter the lottery for a 2007 trek (the Crew is all
signing up for World Jamb, so no lottery for them this go). If our
experience was so awful as some of you are taking my complaints, then why
would we do that? Some of you folks on the list just don't make sense to
me.

Regards
Don Roberts

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Received on Tue Aug 23 11:49:54 2005