[Philmont]: Wilson Mesa [was Burro Packing]

Good morning!

James Kramer says, "While I agree that the scenery is great at Philmont, the
best part of the trip was seeing the boys take a challenge and have a great
time succeeding. Our crew would much rather see Baldy Mt with a burro in the
foreground instead of the pond on Wilson Mesa."

Amen. In the past, several posters to this list have suggested forgoing the
burros because you cannot take them to the top of Wilson Mesa. The view from
Wilson Mesa appears on the cover of "Philmont: A History of New Mexico's
Cimarron Country" by Lawrence R. Murphy.

I have been to the top of Wilson Mesa; I have not done burro packing,
because it was not an option on my treks. I would not forgo burro packing
just so I could see Mt. Baldy from Wilson Mesa.

We ate lunch on Wilson Mesa during Trek 21 in 2003. We took a crew picture
with Baldy in the background. It's a good view. However, it is not a
National Park, knock your socks off, view. The view was not even the most
memorable thing we did that day. To get up Wilson Mesa, we used the
caterpillar technique for the first time. That was more memorable. Most of
the crew saw a green rattlesnake. That was more memorable. For our
conservation project, we dug up a Ponderosa Pine in the middle of a new
trail, and filled the hole with rocks. That was more memorable.

To me, several aspects of Philmont are more important than its scenery: the
program, the teamwork and leadership, and the struggle. The program is what
makes Philmont more than just another hike in the woods. Your crew may or
may not remember the view of Baldy from Wilson Mesa next year. However, they
will probably remember those burros the remainder of their lives, good, bad
or ugly. During the trek, your group of guys (and gals) grows from
individuals into a crew. They become leaders. Our last 3 Senior Patrol
Leaders are Philmont "grads." As an adult, the struggle to prepare for and
complete the trek taught me a great deal about myself.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the scenery too. My favorites are the view on
top of Mt. Baldy, the view on the top of the Tooth of Time, the views from
horseback at Clarks Fork, the views climbing up from Dean Cow, and sunset
over Tooth Ridge as seen during chapel service the last day at Philmont.

David K. Palmer
Scoutmaster - Olympia (Wash.) Troop 266
Every Scout Absolutely Matters
www.olympiatroop266.com

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Received on Sat Feb 19 13:13:17 2005