[philmont] stop and smell the roses along the way

John's musings on my mention of the Philmont Field Guide and his observation that "the biggest turnoff when one is tired and needs a break on the trail is for you to tell them 'come here I want to show you something' " led to more musings on my part. For that reason, the crew copy of the Field Guide should always be at the top of the pack of whoever is carrying it

You won't be able to predict who in your crew is interested in the trees and shrubs, which one in the birds, which one in the wildflowers, and which in the rocks. One thing's for sure, no one is interested enough to dig to the bottom of a pack to find out the answer to an inquiry into the natural sciences. Strike while the iron of their interest is hot, and have the resource material right at hand!

In Rayado canyon, between Abreu and Fish Camp, in the vicinity of the Crags, it is readily apparent that Philmont's Crater Peak (unlike Philmont's Crater Lake) is an honest to goodness volcano. The crew observes and actually hikes through fields of lava bombs (yes, bombs!) thrown out of the caldera whose collapsed remains are clearly visible across the canyon.

On the top of Big Red, we became intrigued about a certain evergreen tree. Upon looking it up, it turned out to be a bristlecone pine. The Field Guide said bristlecones (the world's oldest tree) could be found on Shaefer's peak. No mention of Big Red. And no mention that we would find the tree standing upright, not at all like photos I had seen of Bristlecones in Yosemite or Great Basin National Parks, or that I had seen in person in Cedar Breaks National Monument, lying flat to the ground.

One book per crew is enough. But keep it handy, or it's just dead weight.

Stop me before I reminisce about Seidel's egg mix or pancake mix in a frying pan with little packets of margerine over an open fire when you're trying to get an early start.

Bill Sheehan, ASM
Troop 55, Pitman, NJ
Philmont '70,'72, Autumn Adventure '01,'03,'05,'07

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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
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Received on Thu Aug 9 13:54:48 2007