From: Peggy Phelps (jphelps@radiks.net)
Date: Mon Jul 15 2002 - 09:14:29 CDT
Our son Jess(conservation staff) called last night and is being rerouted to
the back country - either still last night or first thing this morning (
Monday). He will be at Baldy Skyline from now until he comes home.
He will celebrate his 21st birthday on Aug 6th - if you see him - tell
him Happy Birthday - (he'll never forgive me!) He's spent nearly every
birthday since joining Scouts at a high adventure, camp or National
Jamboree. Jess' mom - Peg
----- Original Message -----
From: <philmont-request@troop47.com>
To: "Philmont" <philmont@troop47.com>
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 12:03 AM
Subject: [Philmont] - philmont Digest - V01 #302
> philmont Digest Mon, 15 Jul 2002 00:03:30 -0500 V01 #302
>
> Today's topics:
> 'Re: [Philmont]: Home from the Ranch'
> 'RE: [Philmont]: Home from the Ranch'
> 'trek changes'
> 'Necessity is the mother of invention'
> 'Re: [Philmont] - philmont Digest - V01 #301'
> 'Re: [Philmont] - Gutter Spike Tent Stakes'
> 'Re: [Philmont]: Home from the Ranch'
> 'Philmont Cooking'
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 09:41:29 -0500
> From: "Greg Leuch" <philmont@adventures.port5.com>
> Subject: Re: [Philmont]: Home from the Ranch
>
>
> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C22B1A.A172BAF0
> Content-Type: text/plain;
> charset="iso-8859-1"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> Welcome back Mr. LeBlanc!
>
> Greg Leuch
> ----- Original Message -----=20
> From: Johnlebl@aol.com=20
> To: Multiple recipients of list philmont=20
> Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 1:23 AM
> Subject: [Philmont]: Home from the Ranch
>
>
> We got home from Philmont at about 5:45 AM after a 16 hour bus ride =
> across Texas. Slept all day in my own bed. Sure felt good!
>
> I just looked through a few of the latest posts to get a feel for the =
> verbage on the list.
>
> I thought I'd post some things that might help those fixin' to go to =
> the Ranch.
>
> CHQ is dry as a powderhouse. The backcountry is getting rain almost =
> daily. We had good rain on 8 of 10 days and hail twice. One afternoon =
> hailstorm covered the ground like snow at Apache Springs sending all the =
> crew but me to the tents. I'm an old woods walker and took advantage of =
> the storm to walk around solo in my Gore Tex rainsuit and sneak up on =
> some elk and mule deer. I love doing that. =20
>
> Looks like the monsoonal flow is back in vogue. We had one all night =
> rain at Red Hills, but the reservoirs are still low. Really low.
>
> Lightning started two small fires while we were there that we know of, =
> but both were put out quickly. More rain is needed. Pray for rain.
>
> The most outstanding thing I noticed is the staff. Every person we =
> came into contact with made you feel like they took a personal interest =
> in you and your crew. They went out of their way to greet you, help you =
> in any way they could and make you feel glad you were there. This =
> included everyone from those cleaning the latrines in CHQ, the dining =
> hall servers, equipment issue, trading post, Rangers, PC's and CD's in =
> the backcountry to the top brass milling around and visiting with the =
> crews at arrival and departure. =20
>
> Not once can I remember a staff member not being proactively nice. =
> Whomever is selecting them and training them is doing a great job. So =
> are their parents when raising them. Out of almost a thousand seasonal =
> employees, I'm sure there are a few knuckleheads, but it's hard to find =
> them I assure you. The others are so outstanding it must just smother =
> out knuckleheadism.
>
> I had a very nice visit with the two associate chief rangers that I =
> have known for about 4 years via this list. Sarah Rogers (HikinMama's =
> daughter) and Jason Cotting are simply delightful people. They are =
> everything I expected and more. I hated to have to leave after our =
> visit. Both say it's their last year at the ranch, they got careers to =
> start and so forth. I hope it's not true. They will be missed.
>
> Word is already out on this list about scattering in the NorthCountry =
> and I can confirm that it's happening. What itenerary you will get is =
> another issue. They change daily. Just be patient and trust the Ranch. =
> They are doing an excellent job in getting you as close to your =
> original choice as possible. Remember, there are NO BAD TREKS at =
> Philmont.
>
> Some NorthCountry camps will be opened this year. Some will not. =20
>
> The cloudy weather has been slowing down the solar pumps on the wells, =
> so some showers are closed or limited. Cloudy weather did not stop me =
> from taking my tub bath though. My "tub" is the bottom part of a gallon =
> Clorox jug and it's water supply comes from wherever it can. One half =
> gallon per bath. That ain't so bad for the bather or the bathee. Gets =
> me clean and conserves water too. Makes a decent clothes washing =
> machine using my hand for a plunger. I did not even use one drop of =
> Campsuds in the process this year. What rinsed out or off with water =
> came off, what didn't doesn't mater anyway. That's clean enough.
>
> Toothpaste. If you don't carry it, it can't become a smealable issue. =
> We saw two packs on the bear cable because somebody got sloppy with =
> toothpaste. Last years bear incident was caused by toothpaste too. =
> Just use a half drop of Campsuds. No smell and no taste. Try it, you =
> might not like it, but again you might not hate it either. Lightens the =
> load too.
>
> Food. If anyone leaves the trail and says they are hungry, they are =
> either so stupid they don't know how to chew food or they are a liar. =
> There is more food packed in the meal bags than most can sonsume and =
> it's good stuff. The two meals per bag is really a nice idea. I hope =
> they continue that concept.
>
> Bear Bags. Philmont is issueing 5 bear bags this year and you will =
> need all of them for a 4 day supply for a crew of 12.
>
> We carried three nylon mesh bags that are a lot lighter but had to =
> supplement them with two issue bags. The color coded mesh bags were a =
> big help in finding what you needed. Blue means breakfast, red is lunch =
> and white is supper and besides.t's patriotic and easy to spot yours on =
> the bear cable. The ones we took would store a dozen of so soccer balls =
> easily. $3.00 at sproting goods stores.
>
> Oops bag is standard this year. The PhilMethod is to tie an overhand =
> knot in the middle of a 100 ft 1/4" nylon rope to run the oops rope =
> through and hoist the bear bags up via the two ends of this rope. What =
> ends up happening is that there is so much weight on the loop and a =
> tremendous amount of friction on the rope to rope 180 degree bends that =
> they often break or rather burn through. =20
>
> A locking load bearing carbiner helps a lot, but don't use the =
> lightweight 150# ones. They will open up under load.
>
> I carried a couple of my lightweight REI brand river pulleys with me =
> and rigged them up with a 2:1 mechanical advantage for the oops bag so =
> that even one person could gain access to the oops during the night if =
> needed. That solved the rope breaking problem. When we turned in the =
> rope at the end of the trek, they reported a lot of them are breaking so =
> beware. I'd guess that the food for a crew of 12 for 4 days weighs in =
> the neighborhood of 150-175#. That is a lot of food.
>
> All meals were delicious and easy to fix. There is enough drink mix =
> to float the Queen Mary and you can't even give it away to another =
> passing crew. Crackers were another item in excess. Nobody should be =
> complaining about lack of food.
>
> I followed Cooper and Wally's advise and for the first time after a =
> lot of testing and consternation used nylon shorts with mesh briefs. =
> Very successful. I used the exact same one for sleep shorts and =
> therefore reduced the amount of clothes carried. Two coolmax shirts =
> completed the clothing issue. I carried no long pants, but used the =
> GoreTex rain pants daily for warmth. At 57 I don't do spar poles and =
> when I want to ride horses, I'll saddle my own. I'll let the kids in =
> other crews ride at Philmont os's everone can be happy.
>
> HikinMama's "I love my SmartWool socks" did the trick WITHOUT liners. =
> No blisters or even hot spots. ASOLO FSX 535 boots were an excellent =
> choice. Very good ankle support and the soles gripped where others =
> slid. My daughter wore Vasques and we were two out of three in the crew =
> with heavier backpacking boots rather than lighter hiking boots. We =
> were also the ones that didn't get blisters either. Go figure. You pay =
> your dues either up front or in the back, but you will pay!
>
> Don't ever miss the chance to say hello and introduce yourself to a =
> stranger at Philmont. While at the blackpowder rifle range at Clear =
> Creek, I noticed a man writing a journal. I waited until he took a =
> break and introduced myself. He just happened to be Fred Muessler from =
> Raleigh, North Carolina and this list. Had I not done that, our paths =
> would have crossed merely three feet from each other and we'd have never =
> known it. I had left a couple of council patches in an envelope for him =
> at the PhilPostOffice as we had gotten there two days ahead of his crew. =
> At the time he had no idea what itenerary they would have as they had =
> one disturbed by the fire. =20
>
> We sharred a lot of things, made arrangements to meet again in Raleigh =
> when I move my daughters furnature there in August and were off on our =
> way. Our crews then played leapfrog up Clear Creek Mountain (Mt =
> Phillips to most of you will always be Clear Creek to me since I first =
> assended it as such in 1959 as a Scout).
>
> I had packed a one pound bag of M & M's to pass around the crew at the =
> top. Fred walked up and gave us a bag of his home made jerky and we =
> gave his crew the last half of the M & M's. I took his crew's pictures =
> at summit and he returned the favor for us putting all members in the =
> picture.
>
> Again we hated to leave each other, but we finally did and marched on =
> to Red Hills. What a pleasant day we had together from a friendship =
> which started on this list.
>
> PhilTarps. There is a lot of discussion about tarps, Tyvek ones and =
> Silicone lightweight ones, etc. For my part, there is NOTHING wrong =
> with the issue PhilTarp. It's lightweight, strong as an ox and simply =
> put does the job inteded which is to keep one and one's gear dry. We =
> cooked under it on two occasions in the rain and held the crew =
> devotional and thorns and roses on more than one occasion sheltered from =
> the rain. A little experimentation with trekking poles and we fashioned =
> a pretty good raised sided shelter much on the lines of the old BSA =
> Camper tents from many years ago. They were a modified Baker tent =
> design. PhilTarps simply get the job intended done. Use them as =
> issued.
>
> Trekking Poles. Don't leave home without them, especially if you are =
> old alike me. Both my daughter and I used Leki Super Makulu's with =
> Cortec angled grips. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Not all =
> trekking poles are created alike. You get what you pay for, but never =
> get what you don't pay for. Best investment I made prior to the trek. =
> The poles gave me the ability to take the load off the leg muscles when =
> needed and definately took a lot of punishment off two 57 year old =
> knees. I am sure they prevented several falls on the 64+ mile =
> journey.They propped up the dining fly as well and pinned a rattlesnake =
> on the Tooth Ridge trail. After crew observation and a lesson in how =
> fast a rattler actually strikes and the requisite pictures, we turned it =
> loose. Several venom pools on the pole baskets were impressive to crew =
> members. I can't wait to see the pictures of that one. It was a big =
> Prairie Rattler. I saw three more near the=20
> Hydration bags. Every single brand of hydration bag in the crew with =
> one exception had bite balve failure. That one exception was Camelback =
> which simply has a superior bite valve.........plus a block balve to =
> boot! I carried a spare valve, but couldn't put it on the other bags, =
> so they just had to let them leak, keep their thumb on them or keep them =
> in their mouth which isn't that bad after all.
>
> I used a Camelback Unbottle containing 100oz (3L) in a insulated =
> sleeve which gave me cool water even in midafternoon. I usually used 3 =
> to 5 liters per day. I also carried a 1L bottle as backup and a 1L =
> Platypus for the long, dry, brutal Tooth Ridge trail from Clark's Fork. =
> Schaefers spring is dry. A non hydrator user in the crew gulped TWO =
> GALLONS that day from open bottles. He had to stop to take a drink, I =
> simply sipped as I walked. I like the concept.
>
> Besides, pinching the bite valve while the Unbottle hangs in a tree =
> provides a squirt of water for rinsing the cup, swallowing a pill, =
> washing the hands or anything else a squirt of water does. It is simply =
> marvelous to have. I won't leave home without it. I never had to wait =
> for the iodine to take effect either. What I did was fill the Unbottle =
> bith my 1L bottle and then refill the 1L and treat it with Polar Pure. =
> That way I kept on drinking as needed, no waiting required and I did not =
> worry about how much was in it as I always had a 1L backup bottle. I =
> usually "cameled up" from the 1L and filled it up and treated itefore =
> leaving.
>
> Water Filter. I use a Sweetwater Guardian on canoe trips. One crew =
> member was allergic to iodine, so I loaned him the filter and taught him =
> how to use it and he responsibly pumped his own water. We used coffee =
> filters over the screen as a prefilter and changed it each pumping. In =
> the lower elevations such a Olympia and Toothache Springs we had a =
> little trouble with the filter cloging up faster but in higher =
> elevations where there is less algal growth there wer virtually no =
> problems. Just remember when a fliter clogs, it is doing what it is =
> supposed to do. You wouldn't want one that didn't clog up. ViralStop =
> chlorine drops were used in all filtered water.
>
> I still prefer PolarPure. You can't taste it after the first few days =
> anyway. Philmont Rangers teach two caps per liter which is more than =
> enough in warmer weather, but it took FOUR caps per liter when we were =
> at Clear Creek and Red Hills where the weather was colder. Either do =
> that or heat the bottle of PolarPure in a pot of warm water or under =
> your arm to increase the saturation of iodine. Just pay attention to =
> what you are doing.
>
> Moleskin. I still have a supply of older moleskin which has rippled =
> plastic backing and glue like used on Duck Tape. It STICKS and doesn't =
> slide off. The newer stock has a paper backing and the glue gives way =
> and lets it slip out of place. This was a problem for many in the =
> crew. Anybody else experience this? Any ideas?
>
> Cell Phone coverage. My tri mode digital Motorola Star Tac phone =
> worked in analog mode from CHQ, Olympia, Toothache Springs, Miners Park =
> and Clarks Fork. None of the rest of the camps on itinerary 16 had =
> coverage and this includes Lower Bonito, Fish Camp, Apache Springs, =
> Phillips Junction, Crooked Creek, Clear Creek, Mt. Phillips summit and =
> Red Hills. Just remember that analog mode sucks battery power fast. =
> Did I depend on it? Not at all nor would I.
>
> I'm sure I've forgotten something helpful, but that should help some.
>
> Oh, by the way! Standing atop Clear Creek Mountain with one's =
> daughter after an absence from that spot of 43 year is simply =
> indescribable. You got to try it to know how it feels. I suggest you =
> do that.
>
> John LeBlanc=20
> Eagle Class of 1959=20
> Phirst Phil Ptrek 1959=20
> PhilTrek 2002 630H2 Trek 16
> My latest adventure was yesterday,=20
> Today is not over yet!=20
>
>
>
>
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> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Welcome back Mr. LeBlanc!</FONT></DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Greg Leuch</FONT></DIV>
> <BLOCKQUOTE=20
> style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
> BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
> <DIV=20
> style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
> black"><B>From:</B>=20
> <A title=3DJohnlebl@aol.com =
> href=3D"mailto:Johnlebl@aol.com">Johnlebl@aol.com</A>=20
> </DIV>
> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
> title=3Dphilmont@troop47.com=20
> href=3D"mailto:philmont@troop47.com">Multiple recipients of list =
> philmont</A>=20
> </DIV>
> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, July 14, 2002 =
> 1:23 AM</DIV>
> <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Philmont]: Home from =
> the=20
> Ranch</DIV>
> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT lang=3D0 =
> face=3DArial size=3D2=20
> FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF">We got home from Philmont at about 5:45 AM after =
> a 16 hour=20
> bus ride across Texas. Slept all day in my own bed. Sure =
> felt=20
> good!<BR><BR>I just looked through a few of the latest posts to get a =
> feel for=20
> the verbage on the list.<BR><BR>I thought I'd post some things that =
> might help=20
> those fixin' to go to the Ranch.<BR><BR>CHQ is dry as a =
> powderhouse. The=20
> backcountry is getting rain almost daily. We had good rain on 8 =
> of 10=20
> days and hail twice. One afternoon hailstorm covered the ground =
> like=20
> snow at Apache Springs sending all the crew but me to the tents. =
> I'm an=20
> old woods walker and took advantage of the storm to walk around solo =
> in my=20
> Gore Tex rainsuit and sneak up on some elk and mule deer. I love =
> doing=20
> that. <BR><BR>Looks like the monsoonal flow is back in =
> vogue. We=20
> had one all night rain at Red Hills, but the reservoirs are still =
> low. =20
> Really low.<BR><BR>Lightning started two small fires while we were =
> there that=20
> we know of, but both were put out quickly. More rain is =
> needed. =20
> Pray for rain.<BR><BR>The most outstanding thing I noticed is the =
> staff. =20
> Every person we came into contact with made you feel like they took a =
> personal=20
> interest in you and your crew. They went out of their way to =
> greet you,=20
> help you in any way they could and make you feel glad you were =
> there. =20
> This included everyone from those cleaning the latrines in CHQ, the =
> dining=20
> hall servers, equipment issue, trading post, Rangers, PC's and CD's in =
> the=20
> backcountry to the top brass milling around and visiting with the =
> crews at=20
> arrival and departure. <BR><BR>Not once can I remember a staff =
> member=20
> not being proactively nice. Whomever is selecting them and =
> training them=20
> is doing a great job. So are their parents when raising =
> them. Out=20
> of almost a thousand seasonal employees, I'm sure there are a few=20
> knuckleheads, but it's hard to find them I assure you. The =
> others are so=20
> outstanding it must just smother out knuckleheadism.<BR><BR>I had a =
> very nice=20
> visit with the two associate chief rangers that I have known for about =
> 4 years=20
> via this list. Sarah Rogers (HikinMama's daughter) and Jason =
> Cotting are=20
> simply delightful people. They are everything I expected and =
> more. =20
> I hated to have to leave after our visit. Both say it's their =
> last year=20
> at the ranch, they got careers to start and so forth. I hope =
> it's not=20
> true. They will be missed.<BR><BR>Word is already out on this =
> list about=20
> scattering in the NorthCountry and I can confirm that it's =
> happening. =20
> What itenerary you will get is another issue. They change =
> daily. =20
> Just be patient and trust the Ranch. They are doing an excellent =
> job in=20
> getting you as close to your original choice as possible. =
> Remember,=20
> there are NO BAD TREKS at Philmont.<BR><BR>Some NorthCountry camps =
> will be=20
> opened this year. Some will not. <BR><BR>The cloudy =
> weather has=20
> been slowing down the solar pumps on the wells, so some showers are =
> closed or=20
> limited. Cloudy weather did not stop me from taking my tub bath=20
> though. My "tub" is the bottom part of a gallon Clorox jug and =
> it's=20
> water supply comes from wherever it can. One half gallon per =
> bath. =20
> That ain't so bad for the bather or the bathee. Gets me clean =
> and=20
> conserves water too. Makes a decent clothes washing machine =
> using my=20
> hand for a plunger. I did not even use one drop of Campsuds in =
> the=20
> process this year. What rinsed out or off with water came off, =
> what=20
> didn't doesn't mater anyway. That's clean=20
> enough.<BR><BR>Toothpaste. If you don't carry it, it can't =
> become a=20
> smealable issue. We saw two packs on the bear cable because =
> somebody got=20
> sloppy with toothpaste. Last years bear incident was =
> caused by=20
> toothpaste too. Just use a half drop of Campsuds. No smell =
> and no=20
> taste. Try it, you might not like it, but again you might not =
> hate it=20
> either. Lightens the load too.<BR><BR>Food. If anyone =
> leaves the=20
> trail and says they are hungry, they are either so stupid they don't =
> know how=20
> to chew food or they are a liar. There is more food packed in =
> the meal=20
> bags than most can sonsume and it's good stuff. The two meals =
> per bag is=20
> really a nice idea. I hope they continue that =
> concept.<BR><BR>Bear=20
> Bags. Philmont is issueing 5 bear bags this year and you will =
> need all=20
> of them for a 4 day supply for a crew of 12.<BR><BR>We carried three =
> nylon=20
> mesh bags that are a lot lighter but had to supplement them with two =
> issue=20
> bags. The color coded mesh bags were a big help in finding what =
> you=20
> needed. Blue means breakfast, red is lunch and white is supper =
> and=20
> besides.t's patriotic and easy to spot yours on the bear cable. =
> The ones=20
> we took would store a dozen of so soccer balls easily. $3.00 at =
> sproting=20
> goods stores.<BR><BR>Oops bag is standard this year. The =
> PhilMethod is=20
> to tie an overhand knot in the middle of a 100 ft 1/4" nylon rope to =
> run the=20
> oops rope through and hoist the bear bags up via the two ends of this=20
> rope. What ends up happening is that there is so much weight on =
> the loop=20
> and a tremendous amount of friction on the rope to rope 180 degree =
> bends that=20
> they often break or rather burn through. <BR><BR>A locking load =
> bearing=20
> carbiner helps a lot, but don't use the lightweight 150# ones. =
> They will=20
> open up under load.<BR><BR>I carried a couple of my lightweight REI =
> brand=20
> river pulleys with me and rigged them up with a 2:1 mechanical =
> advantage for=20
> the oops bag so that even one person could gain access to the oops =
> during the=20
> night if needed. That solved the rope breaking problem. =
> When we=20
> turned in the rope at the end of the trek, they reported a lot of them =
> are=20
> breaking so beware. I'd guess that the food for a crew of 12 for =
> 4 days=20
> weighs in the neighborhood of 150-175#. That is a lot of=20
> food.<BR><BR>All meals were delicious and easy to fix. There is =
> enough=20
> drink mix to float the Queen Mary and you can't even give it away to =
> another=20
> passing crew. Crackers were another item in excess. Nobody =
> should=20
> be complaining about lack of food.<BR><BR>I followed Cooper and =
> Wally's advise=20
> and for the first time after a lot of testing and consternation used =
> nylon=20
> shorts with mesh briefs. Very successful. I used the exact =
> same=20
> one for sleep shorts and therefore reduced the amount of clothes=20
> carried. Two coolmax shirts completed the clothing issue. =
> I=20
> carried no long pants, but used the GoreTex rain pants daily for =
> warmth. =20
> At 57 I don't do spar poles and when I want to ride horses, I'll =
> saddle my=20
> own. I'll let the kids in other crews ride at Philmont os's =
> everone can=20
> be happy.<BR><BR>HikinMama's "I love my SmartWool socks" did the trick =
> WITHOUT=20
> liners. No blisters or even hot spots. ASOLO FSX 535 boots =
> were an=20
> excellent choice. Very good ankle support and the soles gripped =
> where=20
> others slid. My daughter wore Vasques and we were two out of =
> three in=20
> the crew with heavier backpacking boots rather than lighter hiking=20
> boots. We were also the ones that didn't get blisters =
> either. Go=20
> figure. You pay your dues either up front or in the back, but =
> you will=20
> pay!<BR><BR>Don't ever miss the chance to say hello and introduce =
> yourself to=20
> a stranger at Philmont. While at the blackpowder rifle range at =
> Clear=20
> Creek, I noticed a man writing a journal. I waited until he took =
> a break=20
> and introduced myself. He just happened to be Fred Muessler from =
>
> Raleigh, North Carolina and this list. Had I not done that, our =
> paths=20
> would have crossed merely three feet from each other and we'd have =
> never known=20
> it. I had left a couple of council patches in an envelope for =
> him at the=20
> PhilPostOffice as we had gotten there two days ahead of his =
> crew. At the=20
> time he had no idea what itenerary they would have as they had one =
> disturbed=20
> by the fire. <BR><BR>We sharred a lot of things, made =
> arrangements to=20
> meet again in Raleigh when I move my daughters furnature there in =
> August and=20
> were off on our way. Our crews then played leapfrog up Clear =
> Creek=20
> Mountain (Mt Phillips to most of you will always be Clear Creek to me =
> since I=20
> first assended it as such in 1959 as a Scout).<BR><BR>I had packed a =
> one pound=20
> bag of M & M's to pass around the crew at the top. Fred =
> walked up=20
> and gave us a bag of his home made jerky and we gave his crew the last =
> half of=20
> the M & M's. I took his crew's pictures at summit and he =
> returned=20
> the favor for us putting all members in the picture.<BR><BR>Again we =
> hated to=20
> leave each other, but we finally did and marched on to Red =
> Hills. What a=20
> pleasant day we had together from a friendship which started on this=20
> list.<BR><BR>PhilTarps. There is a lot of discussion about =
> tarps, Tyvek=20
> ones and Silicone lightweight ones, etc. For my part, there is =
> NOTHING=20
> wrong with the issue PhilTarp. It's lightweight, strong as an ox =
> and=20
> simply put does the job inteded which is to keep one and one's gear =
> dry. =20
> We cooked under it on two occasions in the rain and held the crew =
> devotional=20
> and thorns and roses on more than one occasion sheltered from the =
> rain. =20
> A little experimentation with trekking poles and we fashioned a pretty =
> good=20
> raised sided shelter much on the lines of the old BSA Camper tents =
> from many=20
> years ago. They were a modified Baker tent design. =
> PhilTarps=20
> simply get the job intended done. Use them as =
> issued.<BR><BR>Trekking=20
> Poles. Don't leave home without them, especially if you are old =
> alike=20
> me. Both my daughter and I used Leki Super Makulu's with =
> Cortec=20
> angled grips. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Not all =
> trekking=20
> poles are created alike. You get what you pay for, but never get =
> what=20
> you don't pay for. Best investment I made prior to the =
> trek. The=20
> poles gave me the ability to take the load off the leg muscles when =
> needed and=20
> definately took a lot of punishment off two 57 year old knees. I =
> am sure=20
> they prevented several falls on the 64+ mile journey.They propped up =
> the=20
> dining fly as well and pinned a rattlesnake on the Tooth Ridge =
> trail. =20
> After crew observation and a lesson in how fast a rattler actually =
> strikes and=20
> the requisite pictures, we turned it loose. Several venom pools =
> on the=20
> pole baskets were impressive to crew members. I can't wait to =
> see the=20
> pictures of that one. It was a big Prairie Rattler. I saw =
> three=20
> more near the <BR>Hydration bags. Every single brand of =
> hydration bag in=20
> the crew with one exception had bite balve failure. That one =
> exception=20
> was Camelback which simply has a superior bite valve.........plus a =
> block=20
> balve to boot! I carried a spare valve, but couldn't put it on =
> the other=20
> bags, so they just had to let them leak, keep their thumb on them or =
> keep them=20
> in their mouth which isn't that bad after all.<BR><BR>I used a =
> Camelback=20
> Unbottle containing 100oz (3L) in a insulated sleeve which gave me =
> cool water=20
> even in midafternoon. I usually used 3 to 5 liters per =
> day. I also=20
> carried a 1L bottle as backup and a 1L Platypus for the long, dry, =
> brutal=20
> Tooth Ridge trail from Clark's Fork. Schaefers spring is =
> dry. A=20
> non hydrator user in the crew gulped TWO GALLONS that day from open=20
> bottles. He had to stop to take a drink, I simply sipped as I=20
> walked. I like the concept.<BR><BR>Besides, pinching the bite =
> valve=20
> while the Unbottle hangs in a tree provides a squirt of water for =
> rinsing the=20
> cup, swallowing a pill, washing the hands or anything else a squirt of =
> water=20
> does. It is simply marvelous to have. I won't leave home =
> without=20
> it. I never had to wait for the iodine to take effect =
> either. What=20
> I did was fill the Unbottle bith my 1L bottle and then refill the 1L =
> and treat=20
> it with Polar Pure. That way I kept on drinking as needed, no =
> waiting=20
> required and I did not worry about how much was in it as I always had =
> a 1L=20
> backup bottle. I usually "cameled up" from the 1L and filled it =
> up and=20
> treated itefore leaving.<BR><BR>Water Filter. I use a Sweetwater =
>
> Guardian on canoe trips. One crew member was allergic to iodine, =
> so I=20
> loaned him the filter and taught him how to use it and he responsibly =
> pumped=20
> his own water. We used coffee filters over the screen as a =
> prefilter and=20
> changed it each pumping. In the lower elevations such a Olympia =
> and=20
> Toothache Springs we had a little trouble with the filter cloging up =
> faster=20
> but in higher elevations where there is less algal growth there wer =
> virtually=20
> no problems. Just remember when a fliter clogs, it is doing what it is =
>
> supposed to do. You wouldn't want one that didn't clog up. =
>
> ViralStop chlorine drops were used in all filtered water.<BR><BR>I =
> still=20
> prefer PolarPure. You can't taste it after the first few days=20
> anyway. Philmont Rangers teach two caps per liter which is more =
> than=20
> enough in warmer weather, but it took FOUR caps per liter when we were =
> at=20
> Clear Creek and Red Hills where the weather was colder. Either =
> do that=20
> or heat the bottle of PolarPure in a pot of warm water or under your =
> arm to=20
> increase the saturation of iodine. Just pay attention to what =
> you are=20
> doing.<BR><BR>Moleskin. I still have a supply of older moleskin =
> which=20
> has rippled plastic backing and glue like used on Duck Tape. It =
> STICKS=20
> and doesn't slide off. The newer stock has a paper backing and =
> the glue=20
> gives way and lets it slip out of place. This was a =
> problem for=20
> many in the crew. Anybody else experience this? Any=20
> ideas?<BR><BR>Cell Phone coverage. My tri mode digital =
> Motorola=20
> Star Tac phone worked in analog mode from CHQ, Olympia, Toothache =
> Springs,=20
> Miners Park and Clarks Fork. None of the rest of the camps on =
> itinerary=20
> 16 had coverage and this includes Lower Bonito, Fish Camp, Apache =
> Springs,=20
> Phillips Junction, Crooked Creek, Clear Creek, Mt. Phillips summit and =
> Red=20
> Hills. Just remember that analog mode sucks battery power =
> fast. =20
> Did I depend on it? Not at all nor would I.<BR><BR>I'm sure I've =
>
> forgotten something helpful, but that should help some.<BR><BR>Oh, by =
> the=20
> way! Standing atop Clear Creek Mountain with one's daughter =
> after an=20
> absence from that spot of 43 year is simply indescribable. You =
> got to=20
> try it to know how it feels. I suggest you do that.<BR><BR>John =
> LeBlanc=20
> <BR>Eagle Class of 1959 <BR>Phirst Phil Ptrek 1959 <BR>PhilTrek 2002=20
> 630H2 Trek 16<BR>My latest adventure was yesterday, <BR>Today is =
> not=20
> over yet!</FONT><FONT lang=3D0 style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" =
> face=3DArial=20
> color=3D#000000 size=3D3 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF">=20
> <BR><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C22B1A.A172BAF0--
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 09:47:22 -0500
> From: "Signe Rogers" <HikinMama@iglide.net>
> Subject: RE: [Philmont]: Home from the Ranch
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Johnlebl@aol.com
>
> Bear Bags.=A0=20
> We carried three nylon mesh bags that are a lot lighter but had to
> supplement them with two issue bags.=A0 The color coded mesh bags were a
> big help in finding what you needed.=A0 Blue means breakfast, red is =
> lunch
> and white is supper and besides.t's patriotic and easy to spot yours on
> the bear cable.=A0=20
>
> -------------
> This is a great idea. Certainly make finding your food easier!
>
> Glad you had a great trek & thanks for sharing the highlights.
>
> Signe Rogers
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 10:20:55 -0500
> From: "Paul Baranco" <sianspeed@earthlink.net>
> Subject: trek changes
>
>
> ------=_NextPart_84815C5ABAF209EF376268C8
> Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
>
>
> Does anyone know how the north treks will be changed now the north is
> somewhat opened? Specifically #29 which included Indian Writings and Upper
Dean
> Cow which I believe will stay closed?
>
>
>
> --- Sian Baranco
>
> --- sianspeed@earthlink.net
>
> --- EarthLink: It's your Internet.
>
> ------=_NextPart_84815C5ABAF209EF376268C8
> Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII
>
> <HTML><HEAD>
> <META content="text/html; charset=windows-1251" http-equiv=Content-Type>
> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2919.6307" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
> <BODY>
> <P>
> <DIV></DIV>
> <DIV>Does anyone know how the north treks will be changed now the north is
somewhat opened? Specifically #29 which included Indian Writings and Upper
Dean Cow which I believe will stay closed?</DIV>
> <DIV> </DIV>
> <DIV>--- Sian Baranco</DIV>
> <DIV>--- <A
href="mailto:sianspeed@earthlink.net">sianspeed@earthlink.net</A></DIV>
> <DIV>--- EarthLink: It's your Internet.</DIV>
> <DIV> </DIV>
> <P></P></BODY></HTML>
> ------=_NextPart_84815C5ABAF209EF376268C8--
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 16:57:55 EDT
> From: Johnlebl@aol.com
> Subject: Necessity is the mother of invention
>
>
>
> --part1_115.146c94d5.2a633fd3_boundary
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
> I think I shared my enjoyment of Fruit Stew in camp with this list. Here
is
> a Philmont variety that I forgot to mention in my trip report highlights.
>
> Our layover day was at Apache Springs. Cloudy weather prevented enough
water
> to be pumped for showers for any but advisors. If the kids can't, I
won't.
> Our husband - wife advisors did not feel the same and took showers.
During
> that time, I asked for some fresh fruit if the staff had any. They gave
me
> about a dozen apples.
>
> I took them to camp and got to rumaging through the the food bags. There
was
> an abundance of drink mix and crackers.
>
> The adults decided to cook supper since the crew had a late appointment
for
> 3D archery, so while the other three advisors labored over the add
contents
> to hot water cooking, I invented a sort of fruit stew with what I had.
>
> Cut the apples in pieces and stewed them in water and added 8-10 (can't
> remember how many) bags of Apple Cider mix and about 1/2 cup of Cajun
Sweet
> Treat which is cinamon sugar with vanilla in it.
>
> For dumplins, I broke up about 5-6 tubes of crackers (Ritz, Club and
Saltine)
> and stirred them in. Made a pretty good stew or goo whichever, and was
> eaten to the last drop. Of course this was right after the hailstorm
covered
> the ground and it was pretty cold.
>
> Necessity is the mother of invention
>
> 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!
>
>
> --part1_115.146c94d5.2a633fd3_boundary
> Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
> <HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
FACE="Arial" LANG="0">I think I shared my enjoyment of Fruit Stew in camp
with this list. Here is a Philmont variety that I forgot to mention in
my trip report highlights.<BR>
> <BR>
> Our layover day was at Apache Springs. Cloudy weather prevented
enough water to be pumped for showers for any but advisors. If the
kids can't, I won't. Our husband - wife advisors did not feel the same
and took showers. During that time, I asked for some fresh fruit if
the staff had any. They gave me about a dozen apples.<BR>
> <BR>
> I took them to camp and got to rumaging through the the food bags.
There was an abundance of drink mix and crackers.<BR>
> <BR>
> The adults decided to cook supper since the crew had a late appointment
for 3D archery, so while the other three advisors labored over the add
contents to hot water cooking, I invented a sort of fruit stew with what I
had.<BR>
> <BR>
> Cut the apples in pieces and stewed them in water and added 8-10 (can't
remember how many) bags of Apple Cider mix and about 1/2 cup of Cajun Sweet
Treat which is cinamon sugar with vanilla in it.<BR>
> <BR>
> For dumplins, I broke up about 5-6 tubes of crackers (Ritz, Club and
Saltine) and stirred them in. Made a pretty good stew or goo
whichever, and was eaten to the last drop. Of course this was
right after the hailstorm covered the ground and it was pretty cold.<BR>
> <BR>
> Necessity is the mother of invention<BR>
> <BR>
> John LeBlanc <BR>
> Eagle Class of 1959 <BR>
> Phirst Phil Ptrek 1959 <BR>
> PhilTrek 2002 630H2 Trek 16<BR>
> My latest adventure was yesterday, <BR>
> Today is not over yet!</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000"
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial"
LANG="0"> <BR>
> <BR>
> </FONT></HTML>
> --part1_115.146c94d5.2a633fd3_boundary--
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 19:18:03 -0500
> From: "Carolyn Odell" <olympus@frontiernet.net>
> Subject: Re: [Philmont] - philmont Digest - V01 #301
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <philmont-request@troop47.com>
> To: Philmont <philmont@troop47.com>
> Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 1:50 AM
> Subject: [Philmont] - philmont Digest - V01 #301
>
>
> Monday is the day of departurefor us near Decatur, Illinois
(Moweaqua).
> Thanks to this list, I go out with my trusting treking poles, a load of
> Tyvek for ground clothes, gutter nails for stakes, paracord for ropes,
> turkey bags and smart wool socks plus a host of other goodies.
> This list has been extremely helpful in preparing for this trek. A
> special thanks to Cooper Wright's Advisor manual (worth getting) and the
> regular contributers including Dr. Bob, John LeBlanc, Signe Rogers, and
all
> the rest, and especially Sheldon's web pages.
> With Amtrak back on line, and our crew selecting Trek 24, which is
North
> country, we wait with great anticipation as to where we will be going
which
> is a big question mark, but there are no bad treks at Philmont.
> This site shows a great application of part of the Scout Oath...a
Scout
> is helpful.
> Thanks to one and all who help make the site what it is.
> We are prepared a lot different than in 1960 when we used Yucca packs,
> cotton clothing, ponchos, canvas tents, cooked on wood fires, but we loved
> it then and we will love it now. We look forward to an equally exciting
> adventure.
> Happy Trails to you until we meet again.
>
> In Scouting,
> Jon Odell
>
> Eagle Class 1957
> Philmont 60, 92
> Used to be a Good Old Bear
> My newest Philmont adventure begins Monday
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 21:51:13 EDT
> From: Johnlebl@aol.com
> Subject: Re: [Philmont] - Gutter Spike Tent Stakes
>
>
>
> --part1_17d.afb325b.2a638491_boundary
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
> In a message dated 07/14/2002 7:19:08 PM Central Daylight Time,
> olympus@frontiernet.net writes:
>
>
> > , gutter nails for stakes
>
> One comment on this. You wouldn't try pushing a gutter nail into the eave
of
> a house with your foot, so don't try pushing it into the ground with your
> foot either. The only ones that got bent, got bent in this manner. Pick
up
> a PhilRock about the size that fits comfortably in your hand and drive
them
> into the ground with that. Just be careful you don't drive them through a
> root or you will have to be quite ingenious at getting them out.
>
> A two inch piece of white tape slipped over the spike and slid up to the
head
> makes them easy to spot in low light to prevent tripping or loosing them.
>
> And that's all I got to say about that.
>
> 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!
>
>
>
> --part1_17d.afb325b.2a638491_boundary
> Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
> <HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
FACE="Arial" LANG="0">In a message dated 07/14/2002 7:19:08 PM Central
Daylight Time, olympus@frontiernet.net writes:<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT:
5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">, gutter nails for
stakes</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
> <BR>
> One comment on this. You wouldn't try pushing a gutter nail into the
eave of a house with your foot, so don't try pushing it into the ground with
your foot either. The only ones that got bent, got bent in this
manner. Pick up a PhilRock about the size that fits comfortably in
your hand and drive them into the ground with that. Just be careful
you don't drive them through a root or you will have to be quite ingenious
at getting them out.<BR>
> <BR>
> A two inch piece of white tape slipped over the spike and slid up to the
head makes them easy to spot in low light to prevent tripping or loosing
them.<BR>
> <BR>
> And that's all I got to say about that.<BR>
> <BR>
> John LeBlanc <BR>
> Eagle Class of 1959 <BR>
> Phirst Phil Ptrek 1959 <BR>
> PhilTrek 2002 630H2 Trek 16<BR>
> My latest adventure was yesterday, <BR>
> Today is not over yet!</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000"
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial"
LANG="0"> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> </FONT></HTML>
> --part1_17d.afb325b.2a638491_boundary--
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 19:25:07 -0700
> From: "David E. DeLano" <david.delano@cox.net>
> Subject: Re: [Philmont]: Home from the Ranch
>
>
> John's post reminded me of a couple of things....
>
> We have been using a wait-a-minute bag setup for a couple of years, using
a
> split pulley. We have always used a loop of rope that avoids the problem
of
> the rope falling out of the pulley. However, our Ranger insisted that the
> rope be tied off to two trees. We obliged by untying the loop and putting
> the middle of the rope through the pulley, being careful to tie the loop
end
> to something before raising the other bags. It worked, but not as
> convenient as our traditional setup.
>
> We had one bite valve fail on the trail. The scout was able to pick up a
> replacement at Phillips Junction. All of the trading posts that we
> encountered had them.
>
> I second John's evaluation of the staff. Everyone seemed much more
helpful
> than in 2000. I don't know if this had to do with the realization that
> everyone was a bit disoriented as to not being able to plan their treks
> ahead of time, or just better training. Even Rangers encountered on the
> trail were willing to give good information on the route and conditions
> ahead. In the past you'd get a "figure it out yourself" answer.
>
> As far as moleskin goes......I'm the footcare guy. We had very few
problems
> this trip. I don't think we had any blisters, and only a couple hot
spots.
> Anyway, I've started using thick patches that have a Compeed or Band-aid
> brand. They are as good or better than moleskin (probably better than the
> newer moleskin). You DO have to make sure the area is CLEAN and DRY and
> that the applier doesn't touch the sticky side. They mold to the
foot/toe.
> They are meant to be applied and left until they fall off (else you rip
the
> skin off). One inconvenience is the edges will work there way up and
stick
> to your socks, sometimes leaving a stick spot in the sock that is
difficult
> to wash out. But, the effectiveness in relieving the blister is worth it.
> I carry about 5 different sizes/shapes for better fitting the spot.
>
> John -- you were two days behind us and I kept hoping to run into you. I
> checked around with a couple of crews, but none were yours. In fact, I
> didn't run into anyone from the list, though we did run into a Ranger from
> Phoenix.
>
> David DeLano
> 627H2
> VC124, Phoenix, AZ
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 22:54:36 -0400
> From: "Samuel McNamee" <sammcnamee@worldnet.att.net>
> Subject: Philmont Cooking
>
>
> I leave for Philmont this Thursday (at last!) and I have a question for
the
> returning crews. I've been reading
> that the menus are greatly changed this year so were there any changes in
> the cooking instructions for the dinners? Are turkey bags still useful if
> you want to minimize clean-up? (No, I'm not trying to re-start "that"
> thread but I am really a proponent of minimal clean-up meals.)
>
> It's my understanding that the dinners are primarily Richmoor or
> Backpacker's pantry freeze-dried food. Our troop normally rehydrates
these
> meals in the packaging in which they came with no additional cooking.
Does
> this year's packaging permit that sort of usage? Does the altitude
require
> that the food be cooked even after boiling water has been added?
>
> Thanks,
> Sam McNamee
> ASM, Troop 1097
> Advisor, Crew 720-A-1
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
> End of philmont Digest V01 #302
> *******************************
>
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