[Philmont]: autumn adventure

In this post I will take a shot at answering Gary's specific questions and
perhaps make a few more observations.
 
Regarding sleeping under tarps instead of tents, this is no longer allowed.
Great idea, though, and one I used with my brother and another scout in
1972. Flys or any floorless tents are no longer permitted for the reason
that the Ranch believes a bear might inadvertently intrude into the sleeping
area
 
Sleeping on the porches of cabins can be done and can be one of the
highlights of Autumn Adventure. The guides in particular seem to like this
idea. You just can't count on it, as there may be another crew in camp
(rarely, but it can happen), or the cabin is reserved for some special use
on the day you are there. I have slept on the porch at Fish Camp twice, also
at Crater Lake, and Sawmill. In 2005, it seemed we would be able to actually
occupy Hunting Lodge (one of our crew members was already stretched out on a
cot for a nap), when a staffer arrived to advise that the cabin had been
reserved for the weekend. We relocated to Cathedral Rock camp, a lovely spot
in its own right.
 
Advisory warning: Do not try to sleep in that part of the Sawmill cabin
where the reloading program takes place. It becomes a rodent Noah's ark
after sunset. All of the critters seem to be running marathons, all night
long. Also, you will never forget the first time you expect to see a field
mouse, and instead confront a Pika scurrying across the rafters. Harmless,
but much larger than anything you were expecting to see outside of a
tenement in New York City. The nightime noise is so loud, you wonder how the
deer got into the walls and subflooring. More seriously, the danger of hanta
virus, spread by rodent feces and contagious by inhalation, militates
against sleeping on the floor of this cabin, and perhaps others on the
ranch.
 
My crews have always stayed in tent city before the trek, but not after. My
promotional brochure for this year states: " We will either travel together
or in groups of two or three, provided we rendezvous at the Ranch between 6
and 7:00 p.m. Saturday, September 9. We hit the trail Sunday, September 10
and come off the trail Saturday, September 16 in time to get showered up,
eat a real meal with our guide in Cimarron, and prepare to fly home Sunday,
September 17, 2006". At camping headquarters, you meet with the Autumn
Adventure coordinator to make final payments, turn in your crew roster, turn
in your medical forms, show your First Aid and CPR cards, show your Tour
Permit (National if you are more than 500 miles away from home-order this at
least a month in advance so council can send it to Regional headquarters for
approval),
and meet your guide.
 
In 2001 and 2003, our guide had already drawn our food and we were able to
do a quick orientation, pack up, shakedown (optional rather than mandatory
as with the summer crews) in the evening. Tents provided are large wall
tents next to a bathroom and shower complex which has both male and female
separate accommodations. The tents have electrical outlets and overhead
bulbs. Very nice. Two cots per tent, but so far (three treks), my crew was
the only one in camp, so we each had a tent.
 
Since you will not be going for 10 days, and the Philmont menus are a ten
day rotation, you have choices. NOTE BENE. Philmont will fax or email you
the menus, so you can pick and choose. You can also buy the food from the
Ranch if you want to use it for shakedowns. Lunches cost slightly more than
dinners or breakfasts, and I have toyed with the idea of substituting a
dinner for a lunch if time and water supply permits, in a layover camp.
Haven't actually put that plan into operation, though. In 2001 and 2003, our
guide had "helpfully" pulled the food already, so we got the seven choices
he felt were the best of the ten possibilities. Not a bad way to go in most
circumstances. He's actually eaten them, you haven't. However, if your guide
prefers peanut butter to squeeze cheese, and your crew has the opposite
preference, or he likes tuna and you don't, or vice versa, it's probably
better to take a more proactive approach to the menu. After all, it's your
dime and it's his job. Give him a tip at the end. Problem solved. There also
should not be any impediment to choosing two of any menu selection. If you
want the same thing Friday as Tuesday, no big deal. As opposed to the high
volume assembly line of the summer, here your guide grabs a shoppiing cart
and just pulls food packs off the shelves.
 
If you'r really prepared, and know from the printed menus that some items
will not be eaten, you can cut into the food packs and leave those items
behind. Bring some large Ziplocks for repacking if you want to do this. This
is one way Autumn is much more flexible than summer. After all, you're
adults. My last crew brought along a supply of Cup 0 soups (available by
mail in quantity from Lipton) and found they hit the spot on a chilly
morning.
 
If staying overnight, your guide will deliver a trail breakfast to your
tents. You can get up and drive to Cimarron for a real breakfast, but do
that early and NO COFFEE1 adult blood pressure can go up dramatically due
only to the altitude and you don't want to tempt fate by elevating it some
more with caffeine before you have your medical recheck. Medical recheck
takes only a few minutes. As Calvin said, you can very definitely arrive in
the a.m. and get into the backcountry the same day.
 
With regard to the drop-offs, I have always ended at a different spot than
we went in. Philmont assisted us in placing the vehicles at the end spot and
then took us to the start. The turnarounds and camps such as Zastro, Abreu,
and Ponil are the preferred spots, although our 2005 guide, Eric, said that
some groups are being dropped of at Fish Camp, or Miranda. All of my groups
have had their food pickups at Phillips Junction in mid-trek but any staff
camp (within a reasonable jeep ride) can be done.
 
The Autumn Adventure staff, including the coordinator and guides, is made up
of exemplary staff from the summer season, both Philmont and HH, who have
indicated an interest in staying into the fall. For this reason, they are
not set until August. The Staff of the Director of Camping can help you with
any questions up to that time, but the specific people you will be dealing
with will not be in place until August and, perhaps, late August. Don't be
dismayed by this. They are very organized once the program gets off the
ground in late August, early September. After all, there are only a few of
us taking advantage of this excellent program.
 
A visit to Tooth of Time traders is by appointment, arranged when you get
there, either before or after your trek, or both. If someone has forgotten a
necessary piece of equipment, by all means have them open it up before your
trek. If just souvenirs, after is fine. If FISHING, it must be before the
trek, and preferably the date you hit the trail, since you want a 7 day
license. The State of New Mexico governs this and prohibits buying a license
on Monday that does not go into effect until Wednesday, and certainly
prohibits back dated licenses. The license is only available at the trading
post and not from the main office.
 
Inquire as to Seton Museum hours, always a good stop. There are souvenir
items and books available there that are not sold at Tooth of Time Traders.
nor by mail. Also, if wife or girfriend wants turquoise jewelry, the Museum
is the way to go. Villa tours can be arranged. Your guide can call HQ from
his hand held radio and either schedule or cancel a tour mid trek. My crews
have been more interested in lunch with our guide at the St. James than
prolonging our stay with a Villa tour. Since I've seen the Villa three times
previously ('70,'72 and '00), I didn't overrule this, although it is well
worth a visit if you can squeeze
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Received on Sat Jan 7 21:35:57 2006