[Philmont] training treks

Denise

Thank you for your most kind words concerning my earlier post and on the V3 Hike-o-ree.? When Wally Feurtado and I returned from our first Philmont treks, we both came to the conclusion that we learned a lot of stuff on the trail that should have known before we left.? Did we each have great treks?? You bet!? Could we have done a better job if we had known ahead of time what was taught to us by the trail?? You bet again!? So we did three things.? First we jotted down our lessons learned (taught!!!!) and published the first Philmont Advisor's Guide.? Now this document has grown to 119 pages and is updated annually by experieced advisors and Rangers who have just returned from their summer experience.? Second, we developed a one Saturday, one weekend course now entitled Backcountry Outdoor Leader Skills using the advicie and wisdom from some of our council's most experienced and accomplished trek planners.? The course is offered each spring and continues to receive rave reviews.? Finally, we put together the V
3 (Venturing, Varsity, and Venture) Hike-o-ree.? This council wide event draws troops, teams, crews and Girl Scout troops from our council and beyond to experience a low threat backpacking weekend.? Typically we have close to 500 people who show up.? We ask the units to come in on Friday night as if they were backpacking and set up a base camp.? On Saturday, each unit takes a 10 mile hike (graded in difficulty like Philmont's treks).? Most take day packs.? Others have actually taken their backpacks and used their hike as a shakedown for Philmont.? There are no lanterns, chuckboxes, coolers, propane tanks.? People show up in trail clothes and uniforms are left behind.? Music is a huge part of the weekend including reveille to Copeland's Theme for the Common Man to our two area shows on Friday and Saturday nights.? Instead of patches, each hiker gets a t-shirt the design of which has changed for each of the nineteen years we have offered the event.

Great luck on your treks.? I'm just in the planning stages of the Old Guys Rule Autumn Adventure this fall celebrating 50 years since my first trek in 1958.

Cooper Wright
Piedmont District Venturing Committee
Co-editor of the Philmont Advisor's Guide

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Received on Tue Dec 18 14:19:15 2007