RE: [Philmont]: AMTRAK

Went from Chicago to Raton this summer and would recommend it over
driving or flying. We did experience a 7 hour delay on the return trip,
which caused some of the boys to remark they wish they had flown. But
they have little flying experience to base that opinion upon! The folks
at Amtrak are extremely helpful with groups. Get to the station early to
let them know you are there. They will handle your group with special
care and will likely coordinate with the train crew to ensure there are
seats together. Also make sure you explain that you are a troop heading
to Philmont when you order your tickets as they'll make notes on their
system.

Our boys had day packs in which they held snacks, cards, toiletries and
their class A's. We chose to travel in our silk screened Class B polo
shirts for comfort as well as to help keep the Class A uniforms fresher.
We changed at the Colorado and New Mexico border. Some of the boys
griped about it but I insisted. I wore my fleece coat that I took on the
trail, but a small blanket would have been nice. EAR PLUGS ARE A MUST
HAVE ITEM! We all wore our boots to help make sure no one forgot theirs
at home, but I took a pair of moccasins to wear on the train.

Philmont will coordinate your bus ride to and from the ranch. They even
will check to see if the train is running late. Two notes about that
problem. One, if your train is late coming in, ours was about an hour or
so late, it compresses your outbound schedule at camp. We were
exceptionally rushed getting through it all and on the trail as there
are many little steps you must go through. Make sure you buy the
Philmont Advisors Guide and both you and your Crew Leader reread it a
few weeks before you leave so you have a full awareness of the process
before you arrive. Also, make sure your crew's gear is in order to
speed up the shakedown and that you medical forms and meds are in order.
We got tripped up by a few boys with out of date inhalers, we wasted an
hour or so while they had to get new ones prescribed and filled. These
boys usually don't experience and problems and have not used them in
years, which is why they likely were not aware they had expired. I'd
also consider bringing all of our own gear, including tents. Doing so
cuts a considerable amount of time both outbound and inbound. Also, you
can ger=t tents that are much lighter than the Phil-Tents. However, it
adds to the expense. BTW, I have an old Army duffle that I used to
transport grew gear on the trail. It took up only a little room in the
lockers.

Lastly, be prepared for a long delay on the home trip. The 5:00 p.m.
train didn't arrive until midnight. The station agent made arrangements
for us to hang out at the local fire department. The men there were
outstanding and great hosts (one was a former Eagle Scout). We also
visited the Scout Museum and ate at Mona Lisa Pizza, all within a few
blocks of the station. The delay added an extra meal to our plan and a
few boys were lean on cash. It also caused us to scramble with our
travel plans from Chicago to home. We took the local commuter train back
to our home town so we had to place several calls each time the delay
became longer (5 hour estimate became 6 hours, which turned into 7 hours
on the rail as we often had to wait on sidings for westbound trains we
would not have encountered if we were on schedule.)

Oh, did I mention that ear plugs are a necessity? :-)

Bill "Uncle Willie" Vannerson
ASM, Troop 149
McHenry, IL

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Received on Mon Dec 20 10:52:43 2004