philnews - boy scouts of america · the external frame of the pack. the camping checklist continued...

There’s never a dull moment in the Philmont backcountry, and it pays to be prepared. One essential to include at the top of your pack-ing list is a pocket knife.

“I only really notice how useful they are when I don’t have one,” observed Ranger Trainer Eli Jack-son.

Rachel Henige, a mountain trek ranger, noted that pocketknives are useful for opening Micropur packets without getting the cor-rosive substance on skin. A knife can open care packages, neatly split open plastic trail meal bags, and make it easier for back-

Like nature, backpacking is constantly evolving, but the fun-damental elements remain the same. From a Mountain Hardware external-frame backpack from the 1980’s to the latest Osprey back-pack, backpacking has changed significantly over the years as gear becomes lighter and more dura-ble. However, in a testament to the nostalgic, personal nature of backpacking, hikers often use a

combination of old and new gear, especially at Philmont.

“You’ve got 30 years [to] 40 years of backpacking technology all under one pavilion,” Assistant Manager of Seton Museum Tim Collver said of the Welcome Cen-ter. “There’s going to be a dude with ragwool socks and liners. There’s a dude wearing his Vasque Sundowners that he’s had for 25 years that he’s soled five times. People have systems. Everyone has their own system of backpack-

ing.” So much has changed since the

year the ranch first opened its gates to participants in 1939. Through-out the 1940’s, participants used to travel across miles of rugged trails with the help of burros, ac-cording to Philmont by Lawrence Murphy. Participants carried gear in wooden-frame backpacks. Lat-er, backpacking gear evolved to become lighter and more durable.

A 1965 edition of the Scouting handbook subtly, but surely, dis-

played the progress of backpack-ing gear since 1940. Metal poles, instead of wood, now supported the external frame of the pack. The camping checklist continued to suggest two to three blankets alongside sleeping bags, but there seemed to be more tent models. The handbook listed backpacking tents such as the Tarp, the Over-nighter, and the Miner as “light-weight” alternatives to heavier, traditional tents such as the Ex-plorer, Voyager, and the Camper.

Because most tents, even “light-weight” tents, were made out of heavy fabrics such as canvas, they weighed more than 7 pounds at a minimum, according to a Scouting catalog from 1969.

In the 1970’s, the handbook re-flected the move toward more er-gonomic backpacking gear. While most backpackers still hiked with external frames, the handbook

PhilNewsJuly 3rd, 2015 issue Four

Caleb WongPhilNews

Kate JohnsonPhilNews

Marie ReynoldsPhilNews

10 Essentials: pocket knives

Making it to Baldy Town

Continued on page 3Continued on page 3

Continued on page 6

Trekking back through the yearsMitchell Thomas/PhilNews

Scouts trek through Philmont with fully-loaded burros and wooden-framed backpacks. See page 4 for more photo. Seton Museum file photo

Tired muscles and triumphant faces hike down the Aspen-cov-ered main trail into Baldy Town, where Scouts stop after conquer-ing Philmont’s highest peak, Mt. Baldy at 12,441ft.

According to Erin Chaballa, Baldy Town sees 20-25 crews each day. Each Scout that passes through looks forward to stopping by the trading post, the commis-sary, and even taking a shower for the first time since they left Base Camp.

Baldy Town Trading Post

PhilmontScoutRanch.orgFriday, July 3, 2015 | PhilNews2

Friday, 3 Saturday, 4 Sunday, 5 Monday, 6 Tuesday, 7 Wednesday, 8 Thursday, 9

6:30 p.m.PIYO/Zumba -SSSAC TV rooms8 p.m.Ice cream workshop - Baldy Pavilion

8 p.m.Maraca theme night at the ToTT snack bar11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.Staff lunch - Baldy Pavilion

6:30 a.m.Yoga 1 - SSSAC TV rooms8 p.m.Bike maintenance workshop - Baldy Pavilion

6:30 a.m.Yoga 2 - SSSAC TV rooms6 p.m.Search and rescue continued training - Baldy Pavilion7 p.m.Patch trading - PTC South Tent City8 p.m.Dodgeball - Baldy Pavilion

4 p.m.Self Defense - Fitness Center5:45 p.m.Western night - PTC8 p.m.Video workshop - SSSAC, Walcutt Room

9 a.m.-5 p.m.Haircuts by Ruben - SSSAC6 p.m.PIYO - SSSAC TV rooms7 p.m.Crafts - PTC

5:15 p.m.P90X - SSSAC TV room6 p.m.Bears of the world continued training - Baldy Pavilion

July 3-July 9

NPS ManagerBryan Hayek

Assistant NPS Manager/Photography SupervisorCassidy Johnson

PhilNews EditorPatrick McNeill

PhilNews WritersKate JohnsonCaleb WongMarie Reynolds

PhotographersErin IrwinDoyle MaurerJosh GalemoreTyler SandersSean McElligottJustin GillilandLeanora Benkato

Photo Lab LeadJaime López

Photo Lab TechsDavid KelloggNeal Simmons

Lead Marketing SpecialistDominic Baima

Marketing Media StaffMarcos PalaciosTaylor Hill

Lead VideographerKreable Young

VideographerMitchell Thomas

News aNd Photo team

Scouts watch intently as songs are sung and stories are told of the ways of a logger at the Con-tinental Tie and Lumber Compa-ny meeting. Stars begin to show themselves in the sky as the moon lights the clearing between the trees of Pueblano.

Pueblano is a 1915 living his-tory camp located in the north country of Philmont. Pueblano has always been a high-traffic camp that thousands of Scouts look forward to visiting. Spar-pole climbing and the infamous

game of Logger Ball are main attractions, next to the campfire. The Pueblano boys do an incredi-ble job of immersing themselves, and every Scout, in the jargon and life of a logger.

During the campfire, Program Counselor Mike “Piglet” Nyhart said, “we cut down trees, we eat our lunch, and we go to the lava-tory. We cut down trees to make room for the Logger Ball fields.”

Logger Ball is the legendary game played before the campfire in the field next to the main cab-in. The Pueblano boys take it se-riously and most campers like to

participate. Logger Ball is simi-lar to baseball, with a few twists to the rules. Teams are usually split into the South Ponil Log Dogs (staff) and campers.

In this year’s campfire, the Pueblano boys each tell a story of their character’s lives in the logger and lumbering business. There is an overall theme of the feelings that come with being so far away from home, which may come as a comfort to Scouts who are on the trail.

PC Mike “Moose” Jutila said, “We all have our own story, and it’s very important we listen to

that.”The Pueblano boys use their

interp characters to portray how they must work as a team in order to make this a successful and memorable summer.

PC NyHart told the audience, “I want to challenge you guys with something: work as a team as we work as a team. If you see a person struggling, wheth-er it be physically, mentally, or even spiritually, you help them. It could be something as sim-ple as carrying an extra meal or switching off who carries crew gear. It could be something as easy as talking to each other. Have that reflective time. If you guys can do that, I promise you that you will have one of the most memorable times out here.”

Pueblano’s program focuses not only on remembering where

you come from, but where you are now. It is a place of story-telling and history that comes to life through the dedicated work of the Pueblano boys. Of course, you have to experience it for yourself to understand the impact their enthusiasm for the history that lies in Philmont creates.

PC Peter “Blue Nose” Lamp-ley said, “You guys are living the dream. While you are out here, I would encourage all of you to enjoy every second of every day. Don’t let any of this slip past you because it is all very important. You’re living the dream, so enjoy your treks.”

The inspiring team of the South Ponil Log Dogs


The staff at Pueblano teach visitors how to use a crosscut saw. This is one of many opportunities for people at Pueblano to see what is like to be a logger during 1915. Tyler Sanders/PhilNews

PhilmontScoutRanch.org Friday, July 3, 2015 PhilNews | 3

Manager Madelyn Miley said the area used to be a mining town, inhabited by 2,000 people. There was a school foundation where the commissary sits and a hotel near where the staff tents used to be.

There are three buildings on the Baldy town property. When the Boy Scouts of America acquired the land in 1938, they had to take all of the original structures down in order to keep the area safe for campers.

Miley said, “people continue to find tons of different artifacts around here. We display all of the artifacts in the cabin near the trading post, which will hopefully turn into an actual museum in the future.”

With the high amount of traffic that goes through Baldy Town, staffers are always on the lookout for crews in need of care, wheth-er boosting moral or tending to an injury.

Miley said, “We do a lot of has-ties, to the point where sometimes we joke that it’s our program. We

normally have one a day and it’s usually at night. We are first re-sponders and can treat things like sprained ankles. For more serious stuff they will send a med student up here for further care.”

A hasty is a search and rescue mission. According to the SAR Field Search Methods website, members of a hasty team moves quickly in order to put an end to the search as soon as possible and provide care.

“I enjoy doing hasties,” Miley said. “The people are always re-ally grateful, and that makes it all worthwhile. I love working the store too because you can help each Scout, and many times that help is really needed.”

As Baldy Mountain is Philm-ont’s most popular hike, Baldy Town’s offerings are highly an-ticipated. Staffers are ready and waiting to provide them a relaxing experience.

Thomas Hall, a previous rang-er and current program counselor at Baldy Town, said, “I like being able to help the crews have a good

Philmont experience.”According to Trading Post

Manager Miley, something all Scouts look forward to is picking up chocolate or strawberry milk and fresh fruit from the commis-sary. The trading post sells hun-dreds of Toblerone chocolate bars each day, she said.

Besides the excitement and an-ticipation surrounding the ame-nities at Baldy Town, hiking the rocky-surfaced mountain is what crews go there to do.

Philmont Geologist Ed Warner lives at Baldy Town each summer and climbs Baldy every morning in order to provide crews with a geology program on top of the mountain.

Baldy Town staff see crews be-gin their ascent up Baldy, as well as see them when they finish the hike.

“It’s fun to hear about who was having a hard time before they leave and the difference in how they feel when they come back,” Miley said. “We will see a kid who is almost ready to give up, but then they do it. If they can conquer Baldy, they feel like they can do anything.”

packers to create one-piece trash.While pocket knives are useful,

Scouts need to remember safety first.

Sharp knives reduce the chance of accidents. A locking blade will also prevent the knife from acci-dentally closing on your hand. The principles of knife safety taught for the Boy Scout Totin’ Chit are a good guide: always cut away from yourself, hand off knives proper-ly, and establish a safety circle. It’s easy to make mistakes: one ranger attempted to trim her nails with a pocket knife, resulting in an interesting scar. Most Philmont participants should strive to avoid earning the “Finger-Carving Merit Badge” on the trail.

The temptation to leave your own mark on Philmont with a blade can be strong. Howev-er, it is important that all back-country users hold themselves to the Leave No Trace (LNT) principles and the Philmont Wil-derness Pledge. The first item in Philmont’s Wilderness Pledge is

a commitment to “An Absence of Litter and Graffiti,” and there are also the LNT principles of “Leave

What you Find” and “Be Consid-erate of Other Visitors.”

If you are looking for a pocket

knife, options certainly abound. Some knife users opt for multi-tools or Swiss Army style blades

that also include nifty gadgets like flashlights, pliers, screw-drivers and multiple blades; some versions of these multi-tools can be used as tongs to handle hot pots when cooking in the back-country. Other backpackers pre-fer small, simple, and lightweight blades that are nevertheless sharp enough to get the job done, or even share a knife with a partner to save weight.

Tooth of Time Traders Clerk Donald Lein recommended the Spyderco pocket knife to people who prefer a lightweight back-packing knife. Alternatively, he noted, Leatherman knives are durable, American-made knives with a good warranty, and ide-al for camping. Knives like the Survive Outdoors Longer (SOL) knife are attractive options for young Scouts, offering extras like a short, locking blade; a whistle; and a light.

Knives available at the Tooth of Time Traders range in price from $2.95 to $94.95.

10 Essentials: pocket knives

From page one: Baldy Town

Justin Gilliland/PhilNews

Through the kitchen window of the Baldy Town lower cabin, crews pack commissary goods and review their itineraries before moving into their campsites for the evening on June 24, 2015. Leanora Benkato/PhilNews

Sean Gallagher of crew 617-I1 from Lexington, Kentucky, gathers food from the commissary at Baldy Town while his twin brother, Ryan Gallagher, goes to collect more food on Tuesday, June 23. Erin Irwin/PhilNews


Equipment through the years1950’s

1960’s 1970’s

1940’s


“How do I make this usable to other people?” Nancy Klein often asks herself while at her job as Villa Philmonte curator.

Klein has collected a lifetime of experiences, including backpack-ing in Oregon, working with Dou-bleday Publishing, working on Nutter Butter and Oreo assembly lines, tutoring at a Boys’ Home, working at Powell’s Books (the world’s largest independent new and used book store), working at an experimental chiropractic clinic, and traveling in Southeast Asia.

“Some people aren’t meant to find a peg early because they need to explore the world first,” Klein said. She describes herself as a generalist, and her interests in-clude fine arts, healing arts, writ-ing, and gardening.

As Villa curator, Klein said her job is to make sure that, “whether it’s my staff or myself, we always tell the story of Waite and Gene-vieve Phillips and their generosi-ty.”

She said much of her job con-sists of supervising and problem solving.

Klein is also responsible for the creation of the Rainbow Garden and Human Sundial out behind the Villa Philmonte, attractions that provide entertainment and education for Philmont Train-ing Center families during their Wednesday afternoon family time. The Human Sundial is based on a design from Scotland and the Conservation Department helped to provide the exact geographic coordinates for the site.

Klein commented about her creations, “I love program devel-opment. It’s a time for pure inven-tion and creativity. When you do it for others and they get a kick out of it, it’s super rewarding.”

Klein has done a lot of work with the Chase Ranch to create a program for Scouts and visi-tors. Initially, with a team of three people, work included cleaning, inventorying, caring for the facil-ities, and deciding how to run a house tour. Research – conducting interviews with local people, read-

ing books, and combing through magazine articles – helped to cre-ate an initial fact sheet.

One of Klein’s challenges in her job is maintenance. “There’s al-ways something [that needs to be fixed], and that’s one area I’ve not been trained in.” However, Klein said, “The [maintenance] staff is great about coming over and see-ing what I need.”

Klein said she has stuck with her job for 20 years because, “It holds a lot that I’m interested in – when we start out just simply talking about the story of Waite Phillips there’s just so much heart to it...I think in today’s life when people are willing to step up and trust their hearts as well as their minds in decision making, it can really make a difference in soci-ety.”

Klein most enjoys working in the beautiful building, working on the garden design, and teaching visitors about the Phillips’ family story.

Klein hopes to emphasize more work in the greenhouse this sum-mer. The gardeners, Tim McCarty and Lee Ann Knox, have already started to germinate 48 new con-tainers of small plants. The idea is to experiment with growing more plants to cut down the number of plants that are bought each year. She is excited for the expansion of the Seton Memorial Library and Philmont Museum, and is looking forward to a matching expansion of program as well.

Klein feels that her work affects visitors, even the casual tourists that travel New Mexico.

“They come just wanting to see

a pretty house. Of course, they definitely see a pretty house, but after hearing the story of Waite and Genevieve Phillips’ generos-ity and the rewarding experiences of Scouts and Scouters at Philm-

ont, they go away with a much stronger appreciation for Scout-ing. Their eyes are really opened to the power of this amazing com-munity.”

A lifetime of experience: Nancy Klein

Nancy Klein, the Villa caretaker, shows a group of Ropers the Rainbow Garden where people are able to make a wish while taking a piece of gold from a bucket on one side of the garden to the other. “There’s always gold at the end of a rainbow,” Klein said. Josh Galemore/PhilNews


Nancy Klein, the Villa Philmonte caretaker, teaches Ropers and staff how to use the human sundial next to the Villa. Josh Galemore/PhilNews


now suggested that Scouts add a hip belt to their packs. “Add a hip strap to your pack and you’ll add comfort,” said the Scouting hand-book to emphasize the importance of comfort.

Around the same time, brands such as Kelty and Gregory Moun-tain Products began to produce internal-frame backpacks that contained the backpack frame on the inside, supposedly increasing stability and mobility as the pack fit closer to the wearer’s body. As for cookware and dishes, they still came in aluminum packages simi-lar to military mess kits.

As gear became lighter, back-packing became more comfortable and more sophisticated. Internal frames became more standardized. The 1992 Philmont Guidebook to Adventure presented internal and external frames as acceptable choices.

Tooth of Time Traders Trading Post Manager Shelley O’Neill said recent technology has en-abled people to travel lighter and more comfortably.

“I think it’s developed hand-in-hand with technology,” O’Neill said. “There was not a level of comfort in the backcountry. It was like a foam pad you would sleep on. Now you can get a three-inch mattress and that weighs nothing, but [has] the comfort of some-thing that could have weighed 51 pounds.”

Old gear, if it functions well on the trail, can be used on Philmont trails, said O’Neill.

“Packs that were made 20 years ago – there’s nothing wrong with them, if they fit right,” O’Neill said. “It’s all about making sure that the fit is right for the best ex-perience for that participant.”

If it can’t be grown, it has to be mined: French Henry

The year 1922 is being brought to life in the north country of Philmont. Orange sparks fly from a steel forge as Scouts watch, in-trigued by the age-old skill they are learning. With buildings intact from a time when the mining in-dustry was booming, history seeps through every wall at the gorgeous French Henry Mining and Milling Co.

Program Counselor Imara Chew and interp character “Char-lie Stone” said, “our program is something that actually happened, so it is almost like we are really living the history of French Hen-ry.”

All structures and buildings at French Henry are original from 1933 when the area was an operat-ing mine, including the main cab-in and the shack down the stream that holds artifacts found from the time.

According to the French Hen-ry staffers, their camp is the most haunted on the ranch. This is said to be because of all of the old buildings. The staff assures par-ticipants they hear noises coming from empty rooms when they have down time, and the shack/museum of artifacts is filled with a haunted presence.

Chew said, half-jokingly, “It’s

just a little terrifying sometimes.” The haunted atmosphere of

French Henry, whether you be-lieve it or not, adds to the experi-ence Scouts will have at this his-toric camp, whether during mine tours, gold panning, or forging.

According to program counsel-or Will Wallace, interp character “Sparky,” the steel the Scouts use in the forge is soft enough to work easily but sturdy enough to hold its shape and can be a souvenir of memorabilia from their treks.

French Henry has six staff mem-bers who make its living history program the unique and memora-ble experience that it is.

Bryce Williamson, program counselor and interp character “Sourdough Brewer,” said, “this camp is important because it teaches [Scouts] that all their nice modern amenities didn’t just ap-pear, they had to come out of the ground. A lot of people don’t seem to understand that these days. I’m a geology student, and one of my professors always said, ‘If it can’t be grown, it’s got to be mined.”

The interactive program at French Henry encourages Scouts to step out of their comfort zone and to hone in on their leadership skills.

Program Counselor Rachel Cor-deiro and interp character “Sybil O’Connor” said, “often times each person has a chance to step up in the forge and be their own leader. I know that each crew has a crew leader and I’ve noticed that others

may step back. Here, they get to come into their own. In our forge, and in the rest of our program too, each participant gets to create something for themselves.”

French Henry staffers pride themselves on their storytelling and their ability to play out the history they have learned about

the place they call home this sum-mer.

According to Program Counsel-or Chew, the staff has all acquired not only a new sense of appreci-ation for modern technology, but also a respect for the ways of life during the time of mining. They hope Scouts who come through

also have a similar realization. “The Scouts don’t get this op-

portunity anywhere else and it teaches them a lot. They are not only learning about geology and blacksmithing, but also experienc-ing unique program and exploring new things for themselves, which is good for the human soul.”


From page one: Trekking back through the years

Crew 620-L from Denver, Colorado, tours the Aztec Mine at French Henry on Tuesday, June 23. Mattew “Teddy Chew” Niemer, a PC at French, talks about the history, both real and supernatural, behind the mine. Erin Irwin/PhilNews

Sean McElligot/PhilNews


Connect to Past,

PRESENT, and future Philmont staff with the…

PHILMONT STAFF ASSOCIATION Look forward to:

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It’s just $15.00 for a year’s membership!

I-‐Camp this form to the PSA or stop by our office next to the Beaubien Room at PTC.

SIGN UP NOW!!! www.philstaff.com

Name: _______________________________________________ Position/Dept.: ______________________________________________

MailingAddress: _______________________________________ City, State, ZIP: ______________________________________________

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Before Philmont’s rangers leave their office, they reach up and touch a simple wooden sign emblazoned with an iconic slogan: “Change Lives.” The phrase epitomizes what Philmont imparts to participants: basic outdoor skills, and more importantly, an appreciation of the challenges and beauty that characterizes the great outdoors.

One of the most common ways participants experience the out-doors is through a 12-day Trek in the backcountry. While individual treks such as Rayado and Trail Crew Trek are only open to older participants, individuals as young as 13 who have completed the 8th grade are allowed on the trail. This

makes the program more accessi-ble but no less challenging. Partic-ipants hike a minimum of 57 miles over 10 days; the most challenging trek covers 106 miles.

Crewmembers learn how to work with each other in close quarters during the trek, which fosters camaraderie over the course of several days. Because of the time they spend on the trail, crews get to experience a great variety of program opportunities, such as low-impact camping in the Valle Vidal or the “Stomp” eve-ning program at Cypher’s Mine.

“The 12 days give the crew time to bond and to perfect their skills,” first-year Ranger Theo Morrow said. “I think the time together helps them to get to know one another and also just get to know the Philmont wilderness better and be in it for longer.”

To encourage the growth of youth participants, youth lead-ership is emphasized across the ranch, from Logistics to the Ranger Department. Youth are encouraged to take the lead, from itinerary planning to leadership on the trail, while adult advisors are told they are “on vacation”. Rangers foster youth leadership by encouraging them to take respon-sibility and assume control of the crew, said Associate Chief Ranger Matt Hart.

“We train our rangers to funnel every question through the crew leader and empower the crew leader to make decisions for the best interest of the crew,” Hart said. “Crews can experience great joy in the fulfillment of that youth leadership experience in practicing good teamwork. One of the classic moments for a Ranger is the first

time the crew sets up camp all by itself and does it well.”

Participants also grow individu-ally as they challenge themselves physically, mentally, and spiritu-ally. Jacob Ingleston, from Troop 267, said summiting peaks such as

Baldy Mountain transformed him into a more confident person.

“I used to look at challenges and try to find the best way to go around them,” Ingleston said. “Now I try to think of the best way to go through them.”

Tall trees and rocky surfaces open up to a vast meadow of teepees and a log cabin. The view transports you back to the year 1838. A sign on the front porch reads “Cimarron Valley Fur Trading Company Ren-dezvous.”

You have found yourself at no place other than Miranda, an inter-pretive living history backcountry camp in Philmont’s north country

Fresh air mixed with a familiar scent of leather fills the meadow

and black powder rifle shots can be heard in the distance. Mountain men roam the area, teaching tomahawk throwing, playing instruments, or even partaking in the renowned game of Mountain Ball.

1838 represents the tail end of the beaver-trapping era. The staff at Mi-randa portray the moccasin and bea-ver-pelt hat-wearing vfrontiersmen who were among the first to go out West in order to explore and trap.

Austin “Captain John Gant” St. George, Miranda’s camp director,

said, “You can tie the history to kids’ lives today in so many different ways. You can tell the Scouts how this land got to be in the property of the Boy Scouts or even talk about talk about what Guadalupe Miranda was doing for Mexican citizens and what he did with the Maxwell land grant.”

St. George continued, “If this were 1838 and there was a rendez-vous going on, there would be peo-ple and tents filling up our mead-ow.”

According to the New Mexico History website, Guadalupe Mi-randa, whom the camp is named after, was a New Mexican public official as well as a recipient of the Maxwell Land Grant and the Beau-bien-Miranda Land Grant. Miranda used these grants to help those who wanted to remain Mexican citizens, showing his allegiance to Hispanic New Mexico.

Miranda’s living history program is made up of eight mountain men, two burro wranglers, and numerous burros – all portraying what life was like in the late 1830s and early 1840s. They each make a huge ef-fort to give visiting Scouts not only a historically accurate program, but a memorable and exciting experi-ence.

“It’s cool to help support the

Scouts,” St. George said. “Crews always have their struggles and if you’re flexible with them and help support them in making it through their day, they really appreciate it, and it gives them a great experi-ence.”

Trevor “Harm” DuBard, a pro-gram counselor and mountain man, said, “Getting to interact with the crews is the best part of working here. I like having fun with the crews and doing our interp pro-gram. We get to be a little crazier and out of the norm.”

Scouts hollering with joy at their successful tomahawk throwing punctuate DuBard’s words.

“That’s the best part right there – kids yelling and getting excited be-cause they are doing our program. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Rendezvous at Miranda

Philmont’s 12-Day Treks


Caleb WongPhilNews

Kyle Humphrey (left) and José Diaz (right) set up their tent at a campsite near Carson Mead-ows on June 17, 2015. Doyle Maurer/PhilNews

At Miranda, an 1838 fur trapping company, crews can practice tomahawk throwing. Tomahawks were used only for sport, not to hunt. Tyler Sander/PhilNewsMiranda program counselors Brett Callaghan and Skyler Hughes share a laugh at the gun range on Wednesday, June 24. Erin Irwin/PhilNews


A group of Ropers (8-10 year old girls) from the Philmont Training Center family programs discuss what name is most fitting for the mountain lion on display. Prior to Scatter, backcountry staff from liv-ing history camps occupied every nook and cranny both inside and outside of the building, studiously researching the historical setting from which they will provide pro-gram to campers in an interpretive role. Original artwork by Ernest Thompson Seton, one of Scout-ing’s founders, occupies the halls.

The Philmont Museums De-partment oversees the Seton Me-morial Library and Philmont Mu-seum, the Chase Ranch, the Villa Philmonte and assists backcountry camps in their interpretive pro-grams. Philmont Museums Direc-tor Dave Werhane said, “We help support everyone in the backcoun-try to learn about their camp and their duties and their program, be it rock-climbing, or fur-trapping in the 1820’s.”

The Science, Technology, Engi-neering, and Mathematics (STEM) trekkers often spend time learning from the exhibits in the Philmont Museum, perhaps discussing the

cultural changes necessitated by the materials available in differ-ent environments. For example, cultures that utilized pottery grav-itated toward a more stationary, agricultural lifestyle. Conversely, cultures that used woven baskets roamed afar, to hunt and forage for food. Therefore, the materials shape the people’s lifestyle and culture just as permanently as the people shape the materials into useful products.

At the Chase Ranch, three-foot thick adobe walls shelter touring visitors from the midday heat. The house is an intriguing mixture of awards, artwork, tools, and other belongings from four generations of the Chase family. Visitors can walk through the porch where men would sit while women branded livestock with the distinctive heart-shaped brand that the Rich family sold to the Chase family for one dollar and some valuables. The-resa Chase believed that women had a special touch with branding, so women did the entirety of the Chase Ranch’s branding. Invento-ry of the house is still ongoing, but there are plans to someday have ranching programs and a living history interpretive staffed camp for participants to enjoy.

The museum is an important site for researchers, due to its one-of-a-kind collection.

“We’ve had over 60 people earn their Master’s or PhD’s directly from doing their research here at the Philmont Museum. Hundreds of authors have utilized our library and our archives as they have done research for their books,” said Werhane.

Werhane is busy facilitating the upcoming expansion of the Philmont Museum. With the new expansion, he said, there will be a reading room, “which will not only allow us to display more of Seton art, Seton books, and Seton origi-nal manuscripts, but will also give the staff, visitors, and participants a bigger place where they can qui-etly do research.”

The expansion plans also in-clude a gallery space quadrupled in size, a multi-purpose room that can seat more than 60 people, a large lobby, and a lockable scholar room for visiting researchers who would like to view some of the mu-seum’s special collections. There’s certainly a need for the space: the Philmont Museum has more than 3000 pieces of Ernest Thompson Seton’s art, more than 3,500 items from his Native American collec-

tion, and about 700 specimens of small mammals and birds in Se-ton’s natural history collection.

Along with raising money for the renovations, the museum’s capital project aims to create an endow-ment for the department. This will ensure that when the museum has needs – to take proper care of its collection, to create new displays, to provide educational opportuni-ties for Scouts and visitors – there is a dedicated source for that mon-ey. Therefore, improvements to the museum will not negatively affect Philmont participants. “Philmont tries extremely hard to keep the cost of coming to Philmont as low as possible, so it’s an open op-portunity to all the Scouts across

America,” said Werhane.Just like the rest of Philmont,

the Museums Department is busy creating good ripples. “I get to help change people’s lives here,” said Werhane.

One former participant returned this year to visit Philmont after his 1952 wagon train journey through the Ranch. His camera was stolen on his way home after his trek, but a photo album in the museum contained all the crew photos from 1952. The Scout was able to re-ceive his picture, next to all his fel-low crewmembers, 63 years later.

The Philmont Museums Depart-ment is helping Philmont move forward in education and program while focusing on the past.

Educating the future, preserving the past: Philmont Museums Department


Troop 1537 of Plymouth, Michigan, spends time in the library of the Seton Museum prior to their trek. Justin Gilliland/PhilNews


Hailing from such diverse loca-tions as Copenhagen, Denmark, to Manhattan, New York, the Welcome Center staff reflects the diversity of participants that come to Philmont every summer. From arrival to departure, the Welcome Center provides prompt, courte-ous service to crews across the United States and the world 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Every day, the Welcome Center checks 700 approximately people in and out of Camping Headquar-ters. They also assign around 500 tents to participants, coordinate with the Ranger Office to connect crews with their Rangers, and serve coffee and hot chocolate. If the Welcome Center makes a mis-take, people could be left without tents for the night, said Manager Steve Camp.

“Today, on 6/20, we have zero tents left,” Camp said. “We can-not make one mistake, and the crews all have to have their ros-ters correct so we’ll know how many [tents] to assign them. We have to follow all the rules about the adult versus youth separation and the male versus female.”

Recent collaboration with

News and Photo Services pro-vides the Welcome Center with easy-to-read, accurate informa-tion that allows their staff to ef-ficiently check crews in and out and issue tents.

Jaime Lopez, the Photo Lab manager, built the system for use for a wide variety of departments at Philmont.

“That’s been really accurate this year,” Camp said. “Every-body can do a better job with good information, and it makes us all look smarter.”

The Welcome Center not only wants to check crews in and out, but also make them feel wel-come at Philmont by providing hot chocolate and coffee. Over time, the Welcome Center be-came a place for rangers, partici-pants, and campers to congregate. Along the way, they have served about 250 cups of hot chocolate and coffee everyday.

“The Welcome Center is like the front desk of a hotel,” Camp said. “We thought it was go-ing to be really important for us to be a welcoming presence, someplace that people can come in any time and feels friendly. “We have a wide variety of ages, from college students to retired

people, and everything in-be-tween that can relate well to oth-ers,” Camp said. “We are literally the first 30 seconds at Philmont and the last because they are checking in and out of Philmont through us. We want them to have a good feeling about what they’re doing.”

Jack Murray, an advisor from Troop 162 in Austin, Texas, said the Welcome Center Staff made him feel welcome at Philmont.

“They were friendly and help-ful, and you could tell they were like a family,” Murray said. “They knew that there were all sorts of others behind us, but that was not my problem… I was un-aware that I wasn’t the only guy showing up.”

Chaplain’s Corner: Father Raymond L. Fecteau

Smiles and coffee: how the Welcome Center operates

The Philtower

I entered Scouting as an adult while in graduate theological studies. In 1969, the Daniel Webster Council hired me as a provisional scoutmaster at Camp Carpenter, New Hampshire. I returned each summer as a scoutmaster until my ordination as a Roman Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC (WDC), in 1972.I currently live in a suburb of WDC and serve as the founding pastor of Our Lady of the Visitation Parish (1991) and as the Canonical Administrator of Mary of Nazareth Regional Catholic School (1994) in Darnestown, Maryland. In 1981, I earned my doctorate from The School of Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America (WDC). I hold the rank of Associate Professor

at Montgomery College in Maryland. I also have served for thirty years as a volunteer police chaplain and as a police academy adjunct instructor for city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies in the WDC area. I was assigned to a post 9/11 recovery team with the Port Authority Police Department, and I was appointed chaplain to the Joint Operations Command during the WDC sniper crisis in 2002.I am registered currently as a volunteer with the national council as a member-at-large on the Religious Relationships Committee. I have held several leadership positions on the district, council, and regional levels: membership chair, camp chaplain, and regional camp inspector. I was an adult advisor on two high

adventure crews on the Lenhok’sin Trail; it is a high adventure program of the National Capital Area Council (NCAC) at the Goshen Scout Camps located in Virginia. I was the founding charter executive of Venture Crew 2003. I have received the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver. I am a Vigil Honor Member of the Order of the Arrow.I came to Philmont Scout Ranch for the first time as a course participant in “Scouting in the Catholic Church” at the Philmont Training Center in 1977. I returned to serve as the course instructor in 1986, course director in 1988, and course advisor in 2004, 2005 and 2010. I am most proud to have been a Scout Chaplain at Philmont Scout Ranch in the summer season from 2004 until now.

I served for several years as the Boy Scout Chaplain of my Archdiocese. I was a Scout Chaplain at Goshen Scout Camps (NCAC) from 1980-1987. An active member of the Executive Board of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) since 1983, I have received the St. George and the Silver St. George Religious Emblems. I served on the 2005 Jamboree Staff as a Headquarters Scout Chaplain. I held the position of the National Chaplain for the NCCS from 2007-2010; I presently serve as the Advisor to the NCCS Advisory Board. In October of 2012, I represented the United States and North America at the International Catholic Committee on Scouting Ecumenical Conference in Assisi, Italy.

Caleb WongPhilNews

Steve Camp, from Amarillo, Texas, meets with a trailbound crew welcoming them to Philm-ont and giving them a rundown of their base-camp activities. Camp, who used to work as a tennis coach, compares working at the wel-come center to the sport saying, “There’s a flurry of activity and then it’s nice and long and slow.” Josh Galemore/PhilNews

The Philtower building in Tul-sa, Oklahoma, was part of Waite Phillips’ gift to Philmont in 1941, intended to help make Philmont Scout Ranch an affordable oppor-tunity to Scouts all across Ameri-ca.

Construction began in 1927, orchestrated by architect Edward Buehler Delk. The building is 23 stories (323 feet) high, and com-bines Art Deco and Gothic Re-vival styles of architecture. The first tunnel in Tulsa’s underground tunnel system was constructed to connect the Philtower building and the Philcade, another com-mercial space financed by Waite Phillips. Waite Phillips worked in his office in the Philtower building before returning home to the Villa Philbrook, the Phillips family res-idence. Today, the Villa Philbrook, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the Phil-brook Museum of Art.

In 1977, the Boy Scouts of America sold the Philtower build-ing to a group of investors; the building continues to offer com-mercial space. In 2004, the twelfth through twentieth floors were converted to residential loft apart-ments. Waite Phillips’ 21st story office is still preserved today.


The Homebound Tent City assignments bind-er sits on a shelf next to the welcome desk. Josh Galemore/PhilNews

Rachel Averett, from Coeur D’alene, Idaho, signs in eight trail-bound crews the morning of the 22nd all in the nine o’clock hour. Josh Galemore/PhilNews


Intimidation sets in as you look up at the 10-foot wooden wall in front of you. Working to-gether, you and your crew must each get over the top. You use your arms, legs, and core to pull yourself up and over the edge, before reaching down to help your crewmates. Once everyone has conquered the wall, a new-found confidence rises within your group, and you feel ready to overcome whatever challeng-es come your way.

Along with numerous other challenge events, this is what Scouts will experience on the challenge course at Head of Dean this summer.

Head of Dean is located in the north country of Philmont with a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains. Their evening pro-gram consists of a heated game of Wizard Ball (HoD ball), a popular game at Head of Dean much like kickball, and chil-dren’s bedtime stories read by

candlelight. C.O.P.E. trained program counselors work with crews to enhance their cooper-ation and communication skills through physical challenges and morale boosting activities.

Camp Director Corey Mul-lins said, “the challenge course is important because it can help negate crew conflict but it also teaches them to work as a team. Effective teamwork can help ev-erything that happens on their trek from setting up camp to hik-ing along the trail.”

Many times crews come from the south country to Head of Dean before hiking over Baldy Mountain – Philmont’s highest point and most popular hike. Head of Dean staffers use their time with each crew to portray different challenging scenari-os and encourage the Scouts to prepare for how they will tackle them.

Mullins said, “Hiking Baldy is a challenge. If a crew knows how to work together and use different hiking techniques such

as the ‘caterpillar’, they will have a much quicker and more enjoyable hike.”

Planning ahead and prepar-ing is key to all of the chal-lenge events throughout Head of Dean’s meadow. As a crew finished an event called “Criss Cross”, Mullins debriefed with the Scouts about their experi-ence, which happens after each event.

“It was easier for you guys to succeed in this challenge be-cause you took time to plan,” Mullins said. “A lot of people struggle with this, but because you guys prepared, it helped your crew and how you work as a team.”

According to McCarn, Head of Dean sees at least 18 crews per day and half of them will stay the night. Each crew has an individual experience with one of the counselors and is able to develop the C.O.P.E. skills on a more personal level, which helps crews have a more effective time on the course and a more

successful outcome during their treks.

Participant Zarek Price said, “The challenge course is awe-some. We only did an hour, but I wish we could have been out there for longer because it was really a lot of fun. It was a stress reliever for us. We shared a lot of laughs.”

More often than not, Scouts are excited to get out there and

try their hand at the different events.

Camp Director Mullins said, “sometimes you have crews who are excited and sometimes there are those who are not. The most amazing thing is seeing a kid succeed even when he thought he couldn’t, so the challenge course gives them a newfound trust in their own bodies.”

Overcoming challenges at Head of DeanMarie Reynolds

PhilNews

While Mike Good reaches for the top of the wall, His crew member all work to help him climb over. Many of the challenge courses at Head of Dean are designed to teach crews to rely on one other. Tyler Sanders/PhilNews


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At the Railyard

Jordan Rosell & Marco MascittiBear Researchers

Do bears attack? Understanding the nature of human-bear in-teractions

In our job we are often asked about bear attacks by staff and participants alike. We hear all kinds of questions ranging from “What do you do if a bear sits on you?” to “For real, am I going to be attacked and eaten this sum-mer?” and “What if a bear comes into my tent?” Many people do not have experience with bears prior to Philmont, and it is im-portant to ask these questions to stay safe in bear country. Unfortu-nately, there is also a good deal of misunderstanding with regards to bear attacks on humans; we hope this article will answer some of these questions.

Since 1900, there have been 139 documented fatal bear attacks in North America. Of these, nine were from polar bears, 62 from brown bears, and 68 from Amer-ican black bears. All of these inci-dents were from non-captive ani-mals; there have also been attacks from bears in zoos or privately owned animals.

Recent research published by

the Journal of Wildlife Manage-ment (JWM) found that annu-al black bear attacks have been increasing since the mid 1900’s in direct correlation with the in-crease in human population. In Yellowstone National Park studies have observed grizzlies venturing closer to people than they had be-fore. Despite these findings, bear incidents at Yellowstone have shown a significant decrease since the mid 1900’s, a result of strong efforts towards education and bet-ter camping procedures.

We too can practice bear safe-ty by following all of the Philm-ont Bear Procedures both in Base Camp and the backcountry, and during your camping outside Philmont property. Among these procedures include proper storage of smellables, making loud noises and grouping up on a bear that has entered your camp. Many of our procedures have been initiated as a result of past incidents at Philm-ont.

Most black bear attacks have occurred in Alaska and Cana-da where there may be regional

shortages of natural food sources and human-bear contact is low. Most fatal attacks in the JWM study were by a solitary male, suggesting that females with cubs may not be the most dangerous, though they should always be re-spected.

The majority (91 percent) of these attacks were on people who were alone when attacked, show-ing that hiking or exploring in groups is a much safer practice. Additionally, 38 percent of the in-cidents were associated with food or garbage attracting the bear into the area. The majority of incidents at Philmont are associated with campers leaving food or other smellables where they shouldn’t be. Recent attacks in the South-western U.S. have involved peo-ple illegally camped at garbage dumps.

Grizzlies are often believed to be more dangerous and ag-gressive, and there are several seemingly unprovoked grizzly attacks throughout history and in recent years. Grizzlies are larg-er and more powerful, and tend

to be less fearful of humans than black bears. Often these attacks are territorial, and knowing one’s surrounding while hiking in bear country can mitigate conflicts.

It is important to recognize that bear attacks do occur and to understand the possible reasons behind them. However, the risk of being attacked by any species of bear remains extremely low. There is a much higher chance of being killed by bees, a traffic ac-cident, or another person (60,000

times more likely) than by a bear. There is an average of three

bear injuries in North America each year, but there are millions of bear-human interactions (several hundred at Philmont) without con-flict, which demonstrates a bear’s natural reaction is not to attack a person. In order to avoid future incidents in a world where hu-mans are rapidly moving further into bear habitats, it is essential to continue to better understand and adapt with these unique animals.

Philmont’s Bear Resaerchers Marco Mascitti, of Wisconsin, and Jordan Rosell, of California, sit with bear remains in their office. Justin Gilliland/PhilNews


Perhaps while perusing last week’s PhilNews, you read Kieran Meyer’s Ranger Mile column on hiking in the Valle Vidal. To build upon the groundwork established in that article, I thought it would be appropriate to profile a specific route that accesses the vistas and programs that are part of this gor-geous section of the Carson Na-tional Forest.

This route is not only one of my favorite hikes in the area it is also one of the easiest ways to go from Philmont property into the Valle. Although the mileage is not insig-nificant (11.3 miles), the hike con-sists of very gentle elevation gain.

Start by waking up at Metcalf Station, Philmont’s newest staff camp. Perhaps the night before you did the straightforward hike from 6-Mile Turnaround, did some program at Indian Writings, made it in time to do some rail-roading at Metcalf, and were there to witness their Company Cele-bration (campfire) replete with railroad-specific stories and songs.

The next morning, head north.

You will quickly find yourself headed up the North Ponil Canyon through the Kimberlin XA Ranch, one of our generous neighboring properties that allows us to use their land for hiking. In order to maintain this working relation-ship, be sure to hike between the hours of 8am and 4pm. Note any cattle that you see on this land and relay this information at the next staff camp. As you hike along the bottom of this canyon, the rem-nants of the historic railway dis-cussed by Metcalf can be seen.

Soon you will be exiting the Kimberlin’s property and enter-ing the Valle Vidal. One addition-al factor that makes this hike so attractive is that from this point Seally Canyon, Ring Place, and Whiteman Vega are all easily accessible. If you want to visit a secluded wilderness first aid and search-and-rescue camp, turn to the west to soon reach Seally Canyon. If you want to continue to mountain biking at Whiteman Vega or astronomy at Ring Place, venture north.

If you continue north, you will reach the ghost town of Ponil Park.

You may have heard of this place from Metcalf’s campfire. Ponil Park used to be a stop on the rail that went through these canyons to extract timber. The town was ex-tant for as long as there was timber to be removed; when the loggers could no longer find suitable trees, the town was abandoned around 1900. There are remains of some railroad trestles, a few cabins, and the graveyard of the town. Enjoy lunch here, perhaps, and contem-plate the history of the place, as well as the view that Ponil Park offers of Little Costilla, the high-est peak that Philmont participants are able to hike.

This is not your final stop, however. Continue on. Consider making Whiteman your primary objective, and then stopping for the night at Ring Place for some stargazing after sunset. Depending on the number of participants they have at Whiteman, they may be able to fit you in for a ride on their bike trail.

To return to Base or other re-sponsibilities, you could plan this hike with rides going up to the Valle staff camps. Alternatively,

hike back, and soak in more of the history of these canyons at Rich Cabins and Ponil.

Enjoy your hike, say hello to all the lovely staff, and cherish this land deeply seeped in the past.

Ranger Mile:Metcalf to Whiteman Vega routeStuart DavisonRanger Trainer

A view of the Valle from Little Costilla. Matt Hart


Out of Eden Milestones

Reader Submissions

Crew Log Day 5: Today we hiked from Cimarroncito up to Schaefer’s Pass and then side hiked to the Tooth and back. The FitBit clocked us at the end of the day at 20 mile. Schaefer’s was DIFFICULT. Tomorrow we hike Black Mountain. It can’t be any harder than today.

Crew Log Day 6: WRONG. We were so wrong. Black Mountain AHHHHHHHH!

Day 9 on the trail: All throughout Cottonwood Canyon we had our eyes peeled for mountain lions. My crew had me lead the hike because apparently my socks smelled so bad it would deter them. My feet were hurting so bad all throughout the hike and all I could think about was a nice shower at Base Camp. Suddenly we caught a glimpse of Baldy in the distance and it reminded me of how much fun Philmont is and how lucky I was to be here with my amazing crew.

A special milestone our super crew completed was climbing the tallest mountain at Philmont with a 75 pound kid and three men over the age of 50. We final-ly realized on top of Baldy that we were a brotherhood and help our brothers through tough trials.

Nikolas JensenCrew 613-K-2

Ethan BainsCrew 613-I-2

James MeadCrew 613-E-2

The two-hander,a chunk of granite (approx. a foot), scraps my arms as I try to

set it in the wall for the Nth time

From behind, amongst juvenile guffaws and the grunts of parenting,come father and son – matching hats.

They stop, admiring my handiwork, and leave, with the father stating,

“Son, that’s why you go to College”.

The rock slides in perfectlyfrustration as some sort of emotional lubricant. Dirtwork, soil neath

the fingertips,an unforgiving farmers tan,

has produced trustworthy soulsones with more respect to man

the land,and themselves,

than many of those to turn themselves to an immediate degree.

I restrain myself from cussing aloud,and give into my own labor.

My hands reach down for another stone, spreading some more dirt upon my character.

Go to collegeNathan Coney

Assistant Director of Conservation

“We were at the dinner table having a family meeting and we were going to see what we were doing wrong and what we were doing right. So, Lee [camp director] leaves the room and comes back with a portrait. It was a portrait of the Abreu fam-ily. She made us realize that we are here because of them. Without them Philmont wouldn’t be the same,” said Dani Coley, Abreu program counselor. Doyle Maurer/PhilNews


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Left: Rachel Cordeiro, also known as Sybil O’Connor while in interp, is a program counselor at French Henry. Cordeiro holds a piece of iron in the fire while Tristan Owen fuels the fire and Michael Gromyko waits to mold the iron into an s-hook at the forge on Tuesday, June 23. Erin Irwin/PhilNews

Jake Gamper climbs up a spar pole at Pueblano on Thursday, June 25th, 2015. Tyler Sanders/PhilNews

STEM participant Emily Grob hangs in the air after jumping off of a pole at the challenge course. Justin Gilliland/PhilNews

Cameron Moore watches as Baldy Town staff member Katie Krzyston applies a dressing to blisters on the feet of Elijah Bagley on June 23, 2015. Leanora Benkato/PhilNews

STEM participant Catherine Colleti gets passed through the tire in a stage of the challenge course. Justin Gilliland/PhilNews

Left: In order for crews to climb over the wall at the challenge course at Head of Dean, all members must learn to support one another to get them on top. Tyler Sanders/PhilNews

An advisor and ranger hike by Carson Meadows June 17, 2015. Doyle Maurer/PhilNews

Joanne Rios of Cavalcade crew CX-17 from San Antonio, Texas, pans for gold in the stream at French Henry on Tuesday, June 23. Erin Irwin/PhilNews

philnews - boy scouts of america · the external frame of the pack. the camping checklist continued...

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