Apropos the comment: "But I don't think that Autumn Adventure can possibly compare to a Philmont trek. The camps aren't staffed, there are no programs, it's typically not as long, and there are other differences", John LeBlanc writes: "And that's what makes AA a LOT better than a summer trek for an adult. Just my opinion".
I have to agree with John.
On an AA trek, the hike IS the program, something that is sometimes (not always) lost on the boys of summer as they rush to the next camp. Sharing the experience with your fellow scouters or, for the lucky few, with your wife, without hundreds of high-octane youth buzzing about can be a singular joy. Exploring each camp without trespassing in some other crew's campsite. Being the only crew on the bear cable.
Adults are also a bit better company in the area of hygiene.
NEVER meeting another crew on the trail is a neat experience (that's not to say that meeting others on the trail is bad). As far as length, you plan it yourself so it's up to you. I and my crewmates have tended to plan 5 or six nice hikes, not too long, not too short, but just right. Not all summer itineraries do that. I don't have the list in front of me, since I plan my own on the map, but I seem to recall one that went from Sawmill to Upper Sawmill one day, then Upper Sawmill to Cimmarroncito the next.
Planning your own hikes seems to me to get you more in touch with the map and the topology than doing it "by the number".
In the summer, considerations of program and considerations of spreading people out to avoid overcrowding make for some short hikes at times. Also, not everyone wants to go Strenuous or Superstrenuous and Typical is not a synonym for easy, so you do get some short hikes in the mix. Not so when you plan them yourself and have the run of the place.
As far as program, I'm sure I would take a back seat to the boys on most of it. No need to strain a muscle doing some challenge event or climbing a spar pole when I need these legs to carry me to the next camp (and the next and the next). AA is, again, just right for this 53 year old. There's only so much relief in a bottle of Advil, as good a product as it is. I'd rather be sacked out than stay up for an organized campfire, as exciting as the show might be. Not so for the boys.
Some of us who have assembled AA crews from this list get an added bonus, hiking and camping with Scouters from all over the country in a "contingent" crew. Not having to sample all 30 of the meal selections, but instead being turned loose with a shopping cart to pick the meals that have the most appeal to you, is also nice.
Also, although boy-led, adults on a summer trek do have the responsibility for safety concerns and, not least, advising. This weight is shared almost equally on AA. And, if you want the youth perspective or the staff perspective at any time, 24/7, your guide stays with you the whole time, not just the first couple of days.
Although the camps are not staffed, you get to use the staff cabin porches, something not permitted in the summer. There's a real nice picnic table on the staff porch at PJ, for example, that can make a trail lunch seem like a real meal. Having the staff around would have just gotten in the way for that repast.
I really enjoy recharging my Scouting batteries at AA, then going back to my troop and encouraging the boys to sign up for the Council contingent. Maybe I'll take a summer trek some day (I work for myself, just me and my secretary, and two weeks out of touch can cost me a bundle when new clients can always just go to the next attorney down in the Yellow pages). Also consider how much time is invested logistically, with planning and shakedowns (although I participate in that for our Council trips, even though I'm not going). With AA, you just get prepared physically, get your physical, pack your pack (no need to worry about the next guy's pack) and make your way to the Ranch. Arrive on Saturday, make it home the following Sunday with only a week lost from work.
And the weather in September is great.
AA is just right for me.
Bill Sheehan, ASM
Troop 55, Pitman, NJ
Philmont '70,'72, AA '01,'03,'05,'07,'08
P.S. It never ceases to amaze me on our monthly troop camping trips, when the boys are transported to a woodland environment, that many look around as if to say, "Well, what do we do now?". The hike is the program.
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Received on Sat Nov 24 07:04:17 2007
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