Re: [Philmont]: RE: [Philmont]:  6 Months To Go

I really don't understand the thinking that shakedown hikes cannot be
for physical conditioning. Of course shakedown hikes prepare the crew
to work as a team, but there is nothing that prepares you physically
for backpacking like backpacking. Exercising and running stadium steps
are fine but backpacking over steep terrain is the best physical
conditioning you can do. Doing this as crew provides both teamwork
training and physical conditioning, not just one or the other.

Dan Preston
Louisville, KY
'70, '72, '02
On Jan 11, 2006, at 7:37 PM, Troop 6 Scoutmaster wrote:

> As many have said, shakedowns are not, and cannot (imho), be for
> physical
> conditioning, rather they are about teaming (crew dynamics, bonding,
> etc),
> equipment familiarization, physical readiness checks and instruction.
> Each
> crew member, youth and adult alike, must be responsible for their own
> physical conditioning .. the crew must validate this through the
> shakedown
> process but they cannot make it happen.
>
> Most councils, ours included, operate on a annual cycle that doesn't
> really
> facilitate crew treks (others than those associated with natural
> units) to
> do any crew shakedowns prior to the spring ... because crew assignments
> aren't finalized until November or December.
>
> Our schedule in '04 when we went as a Troop looked something like this:
>
> *** November, 2002: We hit the lotto!
>
> *** November, 2002 - October, 2003: The adult advisors can't get
> enough of
> Philstuff .. we search the internet, we join mailing lists, we
> subscribe to
> magazines, we basically drive our families nuts... Meanwhile the
> youth are
> otherwise distracted ... "Mr. Thompson, that's *NEXT* summer not *THIS*
> summer" ...
>
> *** October, 2003: We conduct a single day "shakedown" to start the
> education process and clue guys into what to ask for "The Holidays"
>
> *** January, 2004: With the help of our council HA committee we
> schedule a
> single night meeting for trek selection. A seasoned Philmonter (Bill
> Cass)
> provides an overview of what Philmont is about, the things to consider
> in
> selecting a trek (Activities, Peaks, Staffed/Trail/Dry camps,
> Difficulty
> (Kid's that live at 300 feet above sea level, and especially their
> advisors,
> "don't do Super-Strenuous" ... waiting for the thread on this one :-) )
>
> *** March '04 - Shakedown Hike #1 aka "Do these guys own a pack,
> raingear
> and boots?" - At a local State Park with lots of trails ...
>
> *** April '04 - Shakedown Hike #2 aka "Can these remember to bring
> their
> raingear, backpack and boots?" - At a local National Park with an
> adjoining
> trail system ...
>
> *** May '04 - Council Shakedown W/E ... Group instruction of Philmont
> specific Land Navigation, Bear Bags, Cooking, Tenting, Packing your
> pack
> along with a hike of about 7 miles approximating a "typical Philmont
> day"
> using prototypical and methods.
>
> *** June '04 - Shakedown Hike #4 aka "Can these guys function as a
> Crew?":
> At another State Park with a little more terrain and some unique
> difficulties - By now we knew we would be hiking down Tooth Ridge and
> so the
> boulder field at Hickory Run SP would do nicely in simulating the ridge
> walk.
>
> We considered some of the ideas others have contributed, including a
> long
> duration trip of more than a couple of days ... I think the physical
> tests
> need to be in line with the trek difficulty. Higher number treks mean
> longer days, more dry camps and perhaps more difficult walks although I
> maintain that any trek that traverses Phillips -> Cyphers be it 4 or
> 34 has
> walked the hardest stretch of trail on the ranch, I maintain that this
> direction is worse than the reverse (more thread fodder :-) ).
>
> Ultimately your shakedowns, like so many other things Philmont, must
> be your
> own ... You must check the adults enthusiasm, especially those
> returning
> after a 25 or 30 year hiatus.
>
> YIS
> Jim
> ASM T6
> PSR '74, '04, '06
> www.troop6bsa.org?cmd=philmont
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-philmont@troop47.com [mailto:owner-philmont@troop47.com]On
> Behalf Of Ched Hudson
> Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 4:26 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
> Subject: Re: [Philmont]: 6 Months To Go
>
>
> I agree with Tom Fitzpatrick, it's not too late to get a good training
> program started for this summer. In 2004 we trained our crew like this:
> January Quick 5-mile hikes every weekend to limber up
> February Short sessions on equipment, crew roles, first aid, LNT,
> plus a half-day session on setting up and breaking down camp
> and cooking, cleanup, and stove operation
> March Day hike in hilly country
> Weekend trek on side trails near the AT (side-hike Old Rag Mountain)
> April 5-day fifty-mile hike on AT in Maryland over spring break
> May Weekend trek on AT in Virginia
> June Teambuilding
> July Day hike in mountains (Little Devil Stairs, circuit hike with
> 2500' gain) a week before Philmont
>
> With this training the boys selected and conquered Trek 32 with
> relative
> ease. (The two advisors did ok also, but we both started our
> conditioning
> the summer before.)
>
> One thing to consider, also, is that if a crew over-trains, it can
> detract
> from the overall experience of Philmont.
>
> Our only real training-like issue was our boys' lack of motivation to
> get
> out of camp in a timely fashion. One evening we advisors finally
> wagered
> them they couldn't leave Upper Bench by 6 am the following morning,
> and if
> they did we'd set up the crew tarp and hang the bear bag, and cook and
> clean
> up dinner at the next camp. That day was arguably one of the best of
> our
> trek - the hike to Harlan was cool and clear, and we arrived in time
> to do
> program *and* chill out in the afternoon. The next day the boys
> reverted to
> their normal break-camp pace (not to be confused with a breakneck
> pace...)
>
> We'll be doing a similar training regimen this season, substituting
> another
> weekend trek for the five-day trek. (Too many boys in school sports
> with
> required practices during spring break.)
>
>> Ched Hudson
> ASM, Troop 994
> Fairfax Station, VA
> Philmont 67, 04, 06
>
> =====================
> From: Cletus Robinson <cletusr@ssibtr.com>
> Date: Wed Jan 11 06:43:17 CST 2006
> To: Multiple recipients of list philmont <philmont@troop47.com>
> Subject: [Philmont]: 6 Months To Go
>
> I am going with 2 crews to Philmont in June, and little work has done
> to
> prepare them for it.
>
> Having been twice, I am aware of the preparation required.
>
> My idea is to compress what would have been 10 months of preparation
> into 6.
>
>
> Anyone out there faced this?
>
> Uncle Cletus
> Philmont 1997, 1998
> Istrouma Area Council
> Baton Rouge
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
> Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
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> cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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-------------------------------------------------------
As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Fri Jan 13 09:42:45 2006