July 8 - Day 12 - Minette Meadows to Ute Turnaround - Base Camp

 Up early.  Have to be at Ute Turnaround at 10:20 for transport back to headquarters.  Our crew is motivated today and packed by 6.  Mike is yelling "your moving like pond water" and "why are your hands in your pocket".  He even takes a stab at a nearby crew from Kansas' ranger "why are you still in your sleeping bag."







Crew 1 leaves while we are packing our final items.   And we are off.  The hike today is mostly a gentle downhill and not very far.  Withing the hour we are at Ute Turnaround.





 With over three hours to go we have breakfast and just chill out.  I pull out my wrap and take a short nap.  Nearby is creek which is the biggest creek we have seen at Philmont.  We are right off the highway which goes right through the center of Philmont.  I guess we are back to the modern world. 






The bus arrives and within 20 minutes and we are back at headquarters.  Now it's time to start the checkout process.

Jacob and a plate of Lasagna

 Back at headquarters we had to do a lot of the fun stuff we did the first day.  We received our tent assignments and made our way to our tents.  We quickly unloaded then headed for lunch.  We turned in our tents, pots, and bear bags and ropes.  We had to get rid of our extra fuel which I donated to a new crew like it was donated to us on the first day.  We cleaned out the lockers and turned the keys into security.  We went to registration where they gave us our crew photos and returned our insurance forms.  After cleaning all of the fuel bottles and meeting up with the other crew to get their bottles, I stopped by the post office to mail the bottles and some other gear back home.  They told us to check if we had any mail and by chance we did.  Alex had dropped off a rope that we weren't using that he carried by to HQ.  We had a big supper with lasagna being the feature dish.  Perfect meal for those just off the trail.  Next we went to the Tooth of Time trading post to purchase the Duty to God patch and the Wilderness Guia patch.  Now for some free time.

For free time, most had a nice warm shower, visited the Tooth of Time for some last minute shopping, some washed clothes and others visited the local blacksmith for more branding.

We concluded the night with the closing campfire.  Crew leaders were recognized for the work they did managing their crew during the trek

Well this wraps the blog up.  I know everyone had a great time and some either want to do another trek or come back to work..





 

July 7 - Day 11 - Hunters Lodge to Minette Meadows

Hunters Lodge

We woke early.  Knowing we needed to make Cimarroncito Camp early, I pushed the boys pretty hard.  I set a target of 1 hour and quoted the time remaining as the time ticked by.  Surprisingly we were only a few minutes over.  We decided to eat breakfast on the move at which I heard some grumbling but regardless we were on trail early for the first time this trip.   As I reflect back, this was the only time where as an advisor, I feel I used my status to force a decision on the boys but today was a full day and we really needed some efficiency.

Cimarroncito Lodge

Cimarroncito

 We made Cimarroncito by 9:00 and signed up for the next session at climbing and repelling at 9:30.







We met up with our sister crew and finally were on the same schedule with them.  It was nice and everyone seemed to relax and re-bond as a troop.

We climbed this endless switch back to the rocky outcrop.  We were outfitted with helmet and climbing harnesses.   


 Another crew had a pressing schedule and those guys got to go first.

Dylan - No Touch Tree

Getting Connected

Finally our guys started the vertical climb with the choice of Turtle Head or No Touch Tree.  Dylan was the first to go and he was on the No Touch Tree climb.  Belayers were at the top of each route.  They managed the safety rope that would be securely fasted to the climbers harness.  As the climbers climbed they would take out the slack so that if the climber would slip the safety rope would step in.  

Zac

Brandon and belayer

Anthony

Scott

Jared

Curtis

 I choose the turtle head option.  Turtle head refers to a shape midway up that looked like a sea turtle.  I felt confident as I climbed up the rock until I was on the turtle.  I couldn't find any grip for my hands.  I hung on for about a minute.  I even asked the belayer if she had any advise but she gave none.  I tried a slight lunge but just slid back on the turtle.  Finally a gave a much bigger lunge which was just a leap of faith and I was able to hold my position.  A couple of moves and I was at the top.





 I was told to turn around, sit and enjoy the view.  I was then disconnected from the belay to connected to another line that wold securely help me up to a much high point on the peak.

Mike

Here we were gearing up for the repel.  For the repel the belay device is attached to your harness.  You are  100 percent in control of the descent.  We were told the best position was to hold the line just off the hip.  Further out would be a fast descent.  Putting the line behind your back would stop you.  During my descent, I was able to slow down, but didn't really get the stop as they described.  For the best experience, you are instructed to try to keep your body perpendicular like a T with the rock face.  The top was a gradual rounding rock but once over the edge, it was near a vertical drop.

This was a good event for both me and the crew.  It built self confidence and a sense of accomplishment.  At the same time it stressed the need for teamwork and the buddy system to man the safety systems.

Our next stop is the commissary at Ute Gulch Commissary.  Here we only picked up two meals, tonight's supper and our final breakfast.  Of course, we also received our flavored milk and piece of fruit.  We ate our snack but they asked us to hike about 30 minutes before stopping for lunch.

The rest of the day we endured a long slow climb with an occasional descent or a quick up and down set of switchbacks.

When we finally arrived at camp, our sister crew invited us to share camp with them.  The report is the there would be a zero chance of rain that night so we decided to leave the fly off.

After dinner, as we were talking and lounging around, we started to watch the stars coming out.  The sky was clear and dark and the details were unbelievable.  We counted numerous satellites.  As I headed to bed a few boys were wanting to watch a lot longer.

I didn't sleep well that night, but each time I would turn in my bag, I would take a few seconds to absorb the magnificent sky.  Spectacular!!!                    


Photo Highlights:

Fawn

July 6 - Day 10 - Clark's Fork to Hunting Lodge

Carter Cooking Breakfast

Today we got to sleep in.  Our main program, horseback riding, is scheduled for 1:00.  We cook a warm breakfast then pack up camp.

Scott and Carter

Near the porch, I set out to learn to lasso.  I saw some of the boys giving it a try yesterday and thought I would give it a try.  I got the basics down and even hit my target a couple of time but couldn't seem to improve my accuracy.   I gave up but Scott and Carter kept at it.  While doing this, most of the other boys were playing horseshoes.

Eac and Zvan

Branding

Another activity was branding.  I branded my hat but there was virtually nothing not getting branded that day.  Shoes and wallets and hats were the top candidates.



After lunch we headed over to the stables for horse riding.  I was over the 200lb weight limit but got to watch them get prepared.  I think 35 were ready to ride.

 They gave a brief training session on how to get on and off the horse, and how to handle the horse.

It took a while for each person to be assigned their horse.  You had to remember each horses name and some of the rules for the horse.  For example, some had to be at the end of the line or had to walk with certain horses.  Next it was time to ,mount.  There were 3 instructors who each had about 12 riders so again more delay.

The trick was to properly put the rains around the neck, then grab the main tightly with the left had while the right holds the saddle horn.   Next from the horses left you put your left foot in the stirrup then rotate by hopping so your right hip is touching the horse.  A couple of hops and your on.  The instructors mounted and slowly the herd started walking out of the coral falling in line.  The were gone for about 2 hours but sounds like they had a great time.
 



Late in the day, we quickly hiked to tonight's stop at Hunting Lodge.

After dinner, the boys competed with other crews in animal trivia.  At that the staff prepared some dutch oven biscuits for everyone.  They really weren't that good but it didn't stop me from eating them.

Tomorrow, we have a early program to make.  We gave the boys a pep session emphasizing the need to move quickly in the morning.



Photo Highlights:

Horse

Deer

July 5 - Day 9 - Cypher's Mine to Clarks Fork

North Fork Trail

Today we hiked to Clark's Fork.  There were a couple of trail options but we choose the North Fork Creek option.  Coming to Philmont, I was a little worried about creek crossings.  However, once I saw the average width was about 15 feet and most were only a foot or so deep, with a ton of rocks to hop across, I grew to like the creek crossings.  Well, North Fork Creek was a creek crossing paradise.  I would guess that we crossed that creek at least 50 times that day.  The night before at the stomp they fore-warned that one of the creeks had a lot of crossings.

Demonstration Forest

On the trail as we neared Clark's Fork, we came across the experimental forest area.  Here conservationist talked with us about conservation and the work they were doing at Philmont.  During the lecture they gave us a very good root beer candy.   They also showed where the night before a bear tried to get into one of their supply boxes.  You could see the footprints on the box.  They showed us two tree slices from a Ponderosa Pine.  These trees were only a couple of feet in diameter but were over 500 years old.  They said these trees were only a mile apart but evidence showed they survived fires sometimes in the same year but other times in different years.  They explained how the prevention of forest fires have put trees at risk because of all of the undergrowth that would have naturally burned off by the occasional fire.

Clark's Fork

We arrived at Clark's Fork and listened to the porch talk.  Tonight's program would be a chuck-wagon dinner and the Cowboy Campfire.

I had just enough time to get an unbelievable warm shower and had a chance to wash my clothes.

Chuck Wagon

Chuck Wagon

At the chuck-wagon dinner, we had stew and dutch over biscuits.  For dessert we had dutch over peach cobbler.  This we a very good dinner.  I sat at the advisors table and had some good conversation with advisors from Pennsylvania and Washington state.

Anytime talking with other groups you asked questions like what day are you on.   Where were you last night?   Where are you going tomorrow?  Have you been to this camp?  How many in your crew? How was your training program?

Cowboy Campfire

A little after dinner we headed up a steep hill to the Cowboy Campfire.  The view at this spot was spectacular.  The campfire consist of music and stories.  The stories focused how the period characters found themselves in the Philmont area and how much they enjoyed it.

After the campfire, we were invited to the porch for more music.  This porch was the biggest one that we had seen.  It looked like a porch to two different porch extensions.






Photo Highlights:

Hunters Lodge (passed near)

627 N2

Meadow at Clark's Fork Chuck Wagon

Bear Prints

Cowboy Campfire Spectacular View

Mountain Lion Scratches???

Horseshoes