From: Randolph Glennon (rglennon@easternac.com)
Date: Mon Jun 24 2002 - 14:14:04 CDT
Hi gang,
Here's another interesting e mail about life on the trail...and getting
along with the bears. Hope we'll be seeing most of you tomorrow eve (Tuesday) and
this weekend.
Regards,
Ran
pooyie wrote:
> I have just retruned from Philmont and woke up in my own bed this morning.
> HALLELJUAH!
> We were originally scheduled for Trek 2 but it is no more. We were given a
> Trek 5FM at Logisitics. This is not Trek 5 but a variation or alteration of
> the trek 5. Here is where we went.
>
> We were dropped at Cimarroncito turnaround turnaround with our Rangerand
> hiked into Cathedral Rock camp(trail).
> Cimarroncito Camp (staffed) for Rock Climbing and a military shower. We took
> a sidehike up to window rock and down Hidden valley, our choice.
> Headed north to Ute Gulch for food pickup and then on to Sawmill via Sawmill
> Canyon (a beautiful hike though long. We filtered and purified (PP) water
> along the way. At Sawmill(staffed) we did 30.06 shooting.
> Headed SW for our most challenging day to conquer Mt. Phillips. Get up
> early and get out of camp early.
> Be sure to camel up and refill your water at Sawmill.
> Hiked up hill to Thunder Ridge camp. Four of our crew (2 advisors and 2
> strongest hikers) went down to Ciphers mine to get more water while the
> remaining crew members cooked supper for lunch while we were gone.
> It is 1000' down to Cipher's and approx. 3miles so for water duty you will
> be adding an additional 6 miles and 2000' of elevation change to your legs
> (uphill leg with approx. 20# + /person of water weight), obviously we
> emptied our packs of everything except Nalgenes, Dromedieries and anything
> else that could carry water.
> This is a very tough day be prepared.
> When we returned we layed down for our rest and our food. You should be
> prepared to eat cold food and have your crew members, who stayed behind,
> have everything ready to get out of camp. We did not and lost an additional
> hour trying pick up and repack to make the final leg of this hard day.
> >From our lunch/water replinshiment stop at Thunder Ridge(trail/dry), we left
> for Mt. Phillips (trail/dry). You are climbing steadily from Sawmill to
> Phillips but the greatest rate of change is from TR through Comache Peak
> (trail/dry) and up to Phillips.
> Our in ability to get up early,get out of camp and our slowness at lunch
> meant we didn't reak Phillips camp until about 9:30.
> Clouds had moved in (like walking through fog) and we hiked through broken
> visiblity after sunset. Damp and cold and tired are not good combinations.
> We were concerned because one of our boys had developed Bronchitis and
> struggled and then near the peak, another scout had a fairly large nose
> bleed.(Just another day in scouting adventures). We were concerned for
> hypothermia and exhaustion.
> In the morning we saw two bears near our camp, one was failry large and a
> beautiful golden color (cinammon). This one stayed a comfortable distance of
> probably 50 yds. moving around the perimeter of the campsites. Our sister
> crew from our troop had seen this bear at 6:00 PM the evening before and
> placed a notice on the camp map using duct tape as paper. Thanks for doing
> that. We were extra careful that night, though it was hard to go to sleep
> even though we were exhausted.
> The other bear must have been a younger bear, he was more agrresive and
> smaller. He circled our camp, we had called all our crew members into the
> fire ring for safety when we first saw him, lifting rocks and tearing at
> logs. He eventually came to our sump, 30' from the fire ring and us and
> sniffed our dishes and eyed us for a very long time, as though he wanted to
> come over. At that point a few of us raised our arms and he moved very
> slowly away and on about his business.
> His coloration was similar to the larger bear, golden but more dark brown
> around the edges. He also looked as though he was thinner and his coat less
> healthy.
> Practice stringent bear procedures when you are at Phillips.
> We awoke to clouds and reached the peak without the view, our only
> dissappointment for our efforts.
> Clear Creek (staffed) was the next. We did Black Powder shooting.
> Next camp was Wild Horse (trail/spring). At Wild Horse we had our next bear
> encounter while most of the crew was sleeping. We had a bear walk through
> our camp and around our tents. Myself, another advisor and a scout all heard
> him pass by our tents. You could hear him approching the camp because, like
> thunder gets louder as a storm approaches, I heard him lifting and dropping
> rocks and the sound getting louder and closer each time. Not a very
> comfortable feeling, I must say. As he passed out tents you heard the
> crunching of pine straw beneath his feet. Intially, I thought an advisor had
> gotten up to find a flat rock but very quiclky realized there were too many
> foot steps and the pace was too short. He tore at a fallen tree in our camp
> before moving on. He was never seen but be prepared to practice good bear
> procedures!
> Crooked creek (staffed) was our next stop at lunch for program before moving
> on to Porcupine (trail/creek).
> The next day we went through Phillips Junction (staffed/food pickup) and up
> to Beaubein(staffed) with a military shower.
> The water was extremely cold but we felt very fortunate to be able to have
> showers period!. At beubein we had a chuckwagon dinner, beef stew and horse
> riding is program.
> We left Beaubein and passing through PJ (Phillips Junction) we did our
> conservation project which consisted of working on a new trail to Buck
> creek.
> We ended up at Fish Camp(staffed). This camp was probably the most beautiful
> on our trek. I was very dissappointed with the staff here only because when
> we tried to leave early the next moring to hit the trail for another long
> hard day, the staff would not accept our trash and extra food before 8:00
> am. Even though they were awake and inside they said they wouldn't take it
> before 8:00. This staff had 6 crews waiting to unload, sitting aound instead
> of hiking early. I let logistics know that this was unacceptable to do this
> to scouts who wake early to get out of camp before the heat. A new CD is
> needed and it should an older individual, I believe the current CD lacks
> consideration.
> After Fish Camp, another big day going up and out over Webster's pass to
> Crater Lake (staffed) for Spar Pole climbing program.
> After Crater Lake you go to Lover's Leap camp, we ate dinner (lunch) on
> Lover's Leap. An incredible view.
> The next day you hike to Lover's Leap turnaround for pickup to base.
> The mileage is listed at 64 miles and rugged.
> Beubein and Crater Lake wer crowded camps but the staff work to make this
> successful.
>
> Best of luck to all.
> Paul Yates
> Lead advisor
> 609-A3 '02
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David F. Ball" <y2kdave@prodigy.net>
> To: "Multiple recipients of list philmont" <philmont@troop47.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 8:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [Philmont]: RE: trek 2
>
> > Thanks Bill. We will be waiting to hear more!!!
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Bill Lentz" <blentz@prodigy.net>
> > To: "Multiple recipients of list philmont" <philmont@troop47.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 5:53 PM
> > Subject: [Philmont]: RE: trek 2
> >
> >
> > > Hi Dave and list;
> > >
> > > Just received a call from Gary Dodge who is now at Philmont. He asked
> me
> > > to pass on to you that his contingent also had trek 2 and they have been
> > > re-routed to trek 5 (you may have seen this on the list), but YMMV. He
> > > also mentioned that the staff is doing a great job and that things seem
> to
> > > be going well out there.
> > >
> > > I mentioned to him the water shortage that had been discussed on the
> list
> > > today and he said that he and his crew leader were on their way back to
> > > study the water locations board. He also mentioned that you can see the
> > > smoke plumes, but everyone there was in good spirits and looking forward
> > to
> > > a good trek.
> > >
> > > Best regards;
> > >
> > > Bill
> > > (This is my first posting to a list server - hope I've done it right.)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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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.
> -------------------------------------------------------
>
>
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Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
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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.
-------------------------------------------------------
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