From: Michael Connelly (mrobertc@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Dec 18 2002 - 19:46:30 CST
I couldn't agree with you more Bob. We always managed to avoid hiking at
night. My oldest son worked at Philmont for three summers as a wrangler.
When they were called to mount up at night and look for a lost scout, it was
usually due to someone losing the trail on a night hike. Be cautious.
Michael
>From: "Dr. Bob Klein" <drbob@troop111.org>
>Reply-To: philmont@troop47.com
>To: Multiple recipients of list philmont <philmont@troop47.com>
>Subject: [Philmont]: Hiking At Night
>Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 19:41:50 -0500
>
>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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>As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
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>loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
>cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------
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