From: Johnlebl@aol.com
Date: Sun Jul 21 2002 - 23:10:37 CDT
In a message dated 07/21/2002 2:08:39 PM Central Daylight Time,
chromeda@rochester.rr.com writes:
> He said that Philmont was setup very different then. There was no base camp
> that is CHQ next to the highway. The main camps were Ponil, Cito, and
> Abreu.
>
Enjoyable post about the history of the totems at Cito. Thank you Jim for
sharing that with the list.
The original "base camps" were Ponil, Cimarroncito and Carson Maxwell or Car
Max as it was usually called and still is in the Ranger song. Cimarroncito
had previously heavier use but ws curtailed in the mid 1950's when Cimarron,
the town. complained about the BSA polluting their water supply.
One point of disagreement with the diary either in recollection or
interpretation. CHQ then was as it is now CHQ next to the highway. In fact
the "Welcome Information" station back in 1959 was exactly the same small log
cabin that was used until 1995. It was then replaced by the present one.
Treks back then started at CHQ with equipment issue and wall tent sleeping
assignments and dining hall food just as today. A bus took you to a "base
camp" and you hiked from base camp to base camp. Less adventurous crews
could stay in a base camp and hike out of the same base camp for a day or
several days. Treks were planned by the crew with assistance from logistics
after arrival and were not cut in stone as they are today. However to
maximize utilization for the most number of people, the present system is a
must. Equipment was heavier and the treks were slightly less miles than
today, an unusual one qualified you for the fifty miler award, not the norm
as is today. And interesting sidenote is that today, even with the
lightweight high tech equipment the total pack weight is much more than it
was in days past. Go figure that one.
The "tents" he refers to were probably the 10' X 10' official BSA Trail Tarp
with multiple tie tapes and gromets. They could be fashioned in many
configurations and certainly two could be tied together to form a A frame
tent for two Scouts. However, the most popular method of using them was to
suspend one corner to a tree as high as one could reach and stake the
opposite corner to the ground creating a tight ridge. The remaining two
corners were staked out to the sides. Thus a "tent" covering four tightly
spaced Scouts or three adults was possible with no poles and only three
stakes. Individual ponchos served as ground cloths. The concept was simple
but they kept you dry in all but a driving rain. Sometimes you had to
improvise a little.
Most cooking was real food on real fires. Each campsite had a cast iron
dutch oven waiting for the crew. The "program" was gathering enough wood to
cook your food. There were a few programs at some staffed camps, but for the
most part, Scouts entertained themselves.
I recognise that the gist of the post was the origins of the Totem Poles at
Cito, but I thought I'd add a little more detail to the rest of it. It is
always enjoyable to reminisce about the "good old days".
Tooth of Time Traders still sells several items that are exactly the same as
they did back in the 1950's, but most are a little different. Two of the
arrowhead neckerchief slides and the Philmont Grace plaque come to mind as
exactly the same. I still have my red and yellow neckerchief and my
Philmolnt T shirt from back then and I am as proud of them as I am my
original arrowhead patch from the first issue in 1959.
BTW, apple trees at CHQ were there way back when and even before Wait
Phillips owned the place and their descendents still adorn CHQ. The Ranger
Song was sung, not chanted. Some things change and some things don't.
John LeBlanc
Eagle Class of 1959
Phirst Phil Ptrek 1959
PhilTrek 2002 630H2 Trek 16
My latest adventure was yesterday,
Today is not over yet!
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