Marisa Gallelli“I wanna go back to Philmont.” This was what I heard before entering the dining hall at base camp. I wasn’t so sure I would be saying this after the 70 plus miles through the wilderness with the Black Widows, dehydrated food, bears, and a 40 lb. pack. I thought the last thing I would want to do was go back to Philmont. However, I was really wrong. After returning to base camp when my trek was finished, before leaving to go home I was already ready to go back.
This summer I was able to go back and earn my second Arrowhead. Once again, I had an amazing trek. There were no disappointments, just new challenges and views. If I could change anything, the only thing would be leaving some of my 62 lb. pack in tent city.
Unfortunately, many people have heard little or nothing about the 137,493 acres located in New Mexico. Philmont is a Boy Scout Reservation that sits just outside the town of Cimarron. Its history dates back to before 1841 and the first 35,857 acres were donated to the Boy Scouts in 1938 by Waite Phillips.
Being a registered Boy Scout, or Venture Scout, is a requirement to participate in a trek at Philmont. However, becoming a registered Venture Scout is fairly easy. Many Boy Scout troops have their own Venture Crew and it is fairly easy to form one if there aren’t any in your area. Having a Venture Crew or Boy Scout group interested in going isn’t completely necessary, depending on one’s interest. Philmont offers a 21-day trek called Rayado. I have heard that it is better when one goes without those whom they already know.
I wanted to pass along something that I have really enjoyed, not in an attempt to promote Philmont but to give others an insight on something not many people know about. Philmont is a beautiful piece of this country. It contains a wide array of topographical areas from Mt. Baldy, one of Philmont’s famous peaks, to Rayado Canyon. If you like the mountains above or below tree line, the desert, the plains, or rolling streams, you can probably find any and all within Philmont’s borders.
According to the Rangers, base camp workers and back country program counselors, working at Philmont is a great summer job. Depending on where you work, you have several days off in a row, which allows for your own exploration of the land.
Posted to the web by Cecelia Francisco
