[philmont] Baldy Porch Talk

I don't think the problem is lack of information, but rather advisors
not taking the subject seriously. Last summer, Mark Anderson reviewed
lightning procedures at the advisors talk and our ranger went over
lighting procedures in detail and made us spread out, take off our
packs and crouch in position for about 10 minutes. The information
about staying off of peaks in the afternoon and getting down to lower
elevation if a storm approaches was clearly communicated. I believe
Mark Anderson also told us that lightning has killed more people at
Philmont than anything else.

While climbing Hart Peak, out of Ponil, a sudden storm came up and
lightning was all around us. We followed procedures and waited-out the
storm for 45 minutes. During the middle of the storm, another crew
hiked right past us and over the top of the peak. When we tried to
explain the danger to their advisors, we were told that "the lightning
is not that close". The time between the lighting and thunder was
never more than 6 seconds and frequently less than 2 seconds.

This was one of several crews we encountered with jackass advisors,
which is greatest danger to Scouts at Philmont.

Dan Preston
On Jul 31, 2007, at 1:08 PM, Joseph Jansen wrote:

> I think it would be a very good idea for Philmont to provide specific
> lightning safety guidance at base camp for all treks and special
> reference should be made to lightning safety issues for particular
> places on the Ranch.
>
> Under certain conditions it makes no sense at all to attempt a climb
> when there is a probability of lightning..
>
> Joe Jansen
> JAJansenJr@gmail.com
> Philmont 1965; 1978
> (who, fortunately, never had to deal with lightning at Philmont,
> although saw plenty of rain at times)
>
> On 7/31/07, Dr. Bob Klein <drbob@troop111.org> wrote:
>> Many of the Miranda Crews are using the semi-new Black Horse trail to
>> summit Baldy, and so are never getting the "porch talk". Neither, of
>> course, are any of the Crews summiting from the Copper Park side, but
>> the Miranda Crews have the furthest to go, and really need to get
>> humping at first light (but in my observation, many do not). It takes
>> roughly 3.5 hours to summit Baldy from Miranda, with no stops.
>>
>> As a guess, probably 2/3rds of the Crews going up each day (from all
>> staging camps) never get a "porch talk" - either they are not going
>> through Baldy Town on their way up, or (like my Crews) they pass
>> through
>> Baldy Town well before the staff gets up.
>>
>> For this reason, over the years, I have several times suggested to
>> Philmont (in my Advisor evals) that they include an "How To"
>> information
>> sheet for all Crews who have Baldy on their itineraries. Probably it
>> wouldn't be a bad idea for similar sheets for Phillips and the Tooth
>> of
>> Time. Maybe now they'll consider this suggestion a bit harder.
>>
>> The new Aztec Ridge trail also extends the danger period for those
>> Crews
>> who take it. Going down the Copper Park draw, you're well off the
>> peak
>> and pretty much out of the strike zone in 10 minutes - but taking the
>> Aztec Ridge, you're still highly exposed for another 30 minutes, and
>> semi-exposed in the treeline (along the ridgeline spine) for another
>> 30
>> minutes after that. So, a bad choice if the weather is uncooperative,
>> or anytime after about 11 am unless it's a perfectly clear day.
>>
>> - Dr. Bob
>>
>>
>> Jack Bolinger wrote:
>>> We were told by the staff when we arrived at Baldy Camp during the
>>> porch
>>> talk around July 5th that we were to be OFF of Baldy by noon so that
>>> we
>>> would not be up there in the afternoon due to potential lightning
>>> strikes. We were not staying at Baldy but merely there to get our
>>> food
>>> and showers before heading to Copper Park. I wonder if this crew had
>>> been thru Baldy Camp before heading up?

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
To Unsubscribe send text email to:

     To: listserv@troop47.com
     Subject: unsubscribe
     Body: unsubscribe philmont@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------

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 Tue Jul 31 13:52:52 2007