From: Jim Moss (BSARecLaw@Earthlink.net)
Date: Tue Feb 25 2003 - 13:37:31 CST
I would suspect that Philmont is the mountain summit for most youth who
attend. For that sake, a bad Philmont trip might last forever. Granted the
dining fly crashing during the thunderstorm is something that creates havoc,
but builds character is great later. But constantly having to fuss with bad
stoves and inadequately cooked meals, or a sleeping pad that just did not do
the job can make a good experience miserable. One day one disaster versus
the same disaster each day that you start dreading from the moment you wake
up.
My youth Philmont experience was miserable. We had adult leaders who
screamed, yelled and threw kids around. My father took care of the problem
post Philmont, but during the trip I hiked in fear of screwing up. I was
able to learn from it and move on to higher mountains, but I wonder about
some of the other kids on that trek. I still remember lots of great things
about Philmont and could separate out the leader issues from the trek
issues.
I am an expert at equipment disasters. I have a back room full of stuff I
won't sell because "it just don't work." Many of you might remember my
story of being at 17,000 foot on Orizaba with a water bladder that busted,
(New design, bad batch.) Froze my pack to the snow. I am swinging my ice ax
to chop my pack out of the snow and had no water for me and no spare water
for my clients. Eight hours later dehydrated, exhausted with no water, (I
was carrying the spare water for the group) I made it down. (Had to wait
for the last client to get past me.) Not the first, not the last disaster,
just made me look bad and made Orizaba not the great memory it should have
been. I am working to go back to erase the bad memory and put in a good
memory. Bladder has been replaced and once again I learned the lesson to
carry back up or to do the first couple of tests on my balcony rather than
deep in the back country. (Although dropping the pack the right way to open
the bladder closing might never happen again.)
I don't think that I want to experiment with equipment when memories youth
memories at stake.
Jim Moss
PO Box 2656
Silverthorne, CO 80498-2656
JHMoss@Earthlink.net
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