[Philmont]: Mileage and navigation

I did not mean to criticize the skill and you have made the points I was
looking for.

Back to a more general discussion, I know why the skills are needed. While
our troop's crew was at Philmont last year, a group of us was on the
Knobstone Trail in Indiana. We had three adults and five young scouts. I
was the only one with backpacking experience. We had a mom acting as a
logistic aid meeting us along the way. We had done a few weekend
backpacking practice hike with full packs. We knew the terrain would be
challenging. After about 90 minutes we knew the crew was in over our
heads. We figured out about noon that we would not meet our logistics aid
at the time we had set at the site we had chosen. Before noon we had one
scout with a gash in his leg, but he continued on with a lot of
grit. After 8 hours we had gone 8 miles. No matter what we had planned in
time, we never anticipated we would be had that much trouble. Do the
novice nature of our crew, we also started 2 hours later then than our trip
plan on paper.

After the 8 miles we came to a road. Using the marvels of cell phone
technology we were able to call our aid and change the meeting place. The
scouts threw down their packs and told me they were not hiking the next
day. I quickly agreed. The next morning we sent one adult with our aid to
pick of his vehicle where we left it, moved to the center of the trail at a
trail head where camping was permitted, set up base camp, and switched to
day hikes from there for the rest of the week. The scouts had a great time
from that point.

We had not, allowed for the extra time needed for the more difficult
terrain, or for low skill of the group where more frequent, longer rests
were required. I am all for time management planning. But for a more
advanced group and a less challenging terrain, we would have had a
abundance of extra time build into our schedule.

----------------------------------
Roman J. Smith
Organizational Representative
St. Joseph Church, South Bend, IN
to Pack & Troop 505
roman.j.smith.13@nd.edu

"None but cowards have to prove their bravery."
Asply Cherry-Garrard
From: The Worst Journey in the World

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Received on Fri May 21 10:53:25 2004