From: Dr. Bob Klein (drbob@troop111.org)
Date: Wed Dec 18 2002 - 18:41:50 CST
I feel the need to check in again on this perennial topic. Yes, people
hike at night at Philmont. Yes, you are strongly discouraged not to -
MOST of the time. So what gives? Well, what you would expect: Do you
have permission, do you know the trail, how dangerous IS the trail, how
dangerous are the conditions? Even I like to scenario-bait once in a
while, so let's:
Lower Sioux or Bent to Ponil for the Cantina Show, or Pueblano Ruins to
Pueblano for the Philmont Story Campfire. The former is on a road, the
second on a trivial, easily followed trail. Everyone will be returning
well after dark. Answer: I always ask permission of the Ponil Camp
Director, and it has always been granted.
Miranda to Baldy, via Black Horse, via Ute Meadows, or via the Baldytown
Road, leaving at 4:00 am because it's a 14 - 16 hour day if you do the
usual complete circuit and hit all the programs (Aztec, French Henry),
the commissary, and the showerhouse. One of the trails has a reasonable
grade and is fairly well groomed (but can be tricky to find in the
dark), one is a nasty rock pit with ankle-biters measured in the
thousands, and the road has some killer uphill grades, and is also
pretty rocky. Starts out dark but lightens up as sunrise comes on,
after about an hour and a half. Do you know which trail to take? Can
you find it - and follow it - in the dark? Answer: I ask permission of
the Miranda Camp Director, and he has ALWAYS quizzed me as to how many
times I have done it, and do I know exactly where I'm going, and
(usually) will we wait til daylight if the weather isn't cooperating?
The answer this past summer was: "I'm not going to say yes, but I'm not
going to say no either" - i.e., you know what you're doing; use your
head. [First timers, wait til first light and cut back on the number of
programs you hit.]
Clark's Fork, Upper Clark's Fork, Ponderosa, Shaefers Pass, or Miner's
Park to Basecamp, leaving between midnight at 2:00 am so you can catch
sunrise on the Tooth. A four-lane highway of a trail to the Shaefers
Peak trail intersect, then an extremely rocky and sometimes difficult to
follow trail to the Tooth trail intersect. In many places, it is easy
to trip, fall, and badly injure yourself. That's even in the daylight,
never mind at night. In two places, there are short (15 - 20 feet) side
trails that lead to overlooks with sharp downhill near-cliffs two steps
later, where a serious fall would likely be fatal. Most of the
ridgeline is openly exposed to weather, so lightning is a possibility if
there are any storms in the area. Your flashlights are now running on
their 10th night (if you put fresh batteries in them at Basecamp, that
is), and you're asking for 4 - 6 more hours out of them - so they'll
likely be fading just as you get to the tough stretches. The Clark's
Fork and Miner's Park staff have told you that hiking the ridgeline
trail at night is FORBIDDEN - no ifs, ands, or buts, no matter how many
times you've been. Answer: I've personally walked it 8 times now, all
in daylight, and I'd never dream of doing it at night, of exposing my
Scouts to that kind of risk. Reality? - People do it every night.
Smart??? - We all know the answer to that one. So every day a couple of
needlessly injured trekkers limp their way into Basecamp, and they all
brag on how they caught sunrise on the Tooth. Guess someone will have
to die before they understand it just isn't worth it....
They say "common sense" is an oxymoron because it seems so scarce. As
Advisors, our most important role is Health and Safety, to apply common
sense when testosterone and machismo are in full cry. That's worth
keeping very much in mind when considering night hiking at Philmont, or
(really) anywhere.
- Dr. Bob Klein, SM-111, Arlington, VA
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