Outdoors
Backpacking made to order
Over the course of seven days, your group is given the location of your campsite for each night. The route you choose to take to each campsite is up to your team. In the mood for a challenging climb over a scenic vista? Go for it. Feel more like taking it easy and backpacking through the shade of a dried creek bed? That’s fine, too. Here it’s adventure, made to order.
Have GPS, Will Backpack
“To demonstrate our dedication to preservation and conservation by living with nature and not in spite of it, we shall learn and practice the tenants of leaving no trace.” You’ll end up hiking a shorter distance (probably 35 to 40 miles) than you would at Philmont (up to 100 miles), but chances are, when it’s over, you’ll fi nd the journey more challenging.
“I was definitely hurting more here than I was at Philmont,” says veteran backpacker Cooper Collins, 17, Troop 362, Maplewood, Mo. “Overall, this was a little harder. We went over mountains instead of going around them.”
Each group gets one global positioning system unit, and hikers are briefed on using the GPS with their compass and map to fi nd that night’s campsite. “It’s pretty easy to use,” says Josh Berggren, 15, Venturing Crew 37, East Grand Forks, Minn. “It gives you the degrees of roughly where something is, then you use the compass to point yourself in the right direction and follow the map to the spot.”
Trails? Who Needs ’Em?
“We will do our part to ensure that this land…shall be enjoyed by thousands to come….”
Once they’re sure about the direction, hikers lock onto a spot on the horizon and head straight for it, stopping regularly to make sure they’re going the right way.
Mountain in the way? Climb over it. Or go around it. Your choice.
To borrow the words printed on Tshirts created by Venturing Crew 382, Newtown, Pa., “Trails are overrated.”
Good point, but you can easily see why the lack of trails means you have to be extra careful. Take the case of Bobby Milburn, 15, Troop 362, Maplewood, Mo., who had a too-close encounter with a cactus as he was making his way down a trailless slope.
Good thing for Martin Camp. Halfway through the Double H trek, Bobby and the other Scouts and Venturers get a much-needed break at Martin, which features lessons in black-powder shooting and archery. It also features a home-cooked dinner, a welcome relief after three days of freeze-dried grub. It’s even better if you can find a staffer kind enough to remove the cactus spikes from your hand.
Plan Ahead, Work Together
“Let what you learn here not be left here but carried on to whatever direction you head.” John Mat son, 15, Troop 16, Columbus, Ohio, didn’t have a problem with cacti, but he did learn that, without a charger for miles around, you can’t rely too much on your GPS. “Our GPS ran out of batteries, so we’re just using a compass and a map,” John says. “You have to plan ahead and take your bearing. You can’t just follow a trail.”
After a day of rest at Martin, the Scouts hit the wilderness for the last three days of their trek. Most groups will find a conservation project started by another group that needs to be finished, such as adding one-rock dams to a creek bed to prevent erosion. By now, most groups are beginning to grasp their responsibilities when exploring such a wild, pristine place where cell phones are allowed but few will work. “Teamwork is really important when you’re out here camping,” says Mark Conard, 15, Troop 211, Peachtree City, Ga. “It can be a life-or-death situation sometimes.”
The closing ceremony allows Scouts and Venturers to reflect on their adventure. Just a short hike remains the next morning, and the guys will take what they’ve learned to their lives outside of the Double H. “It’s been really cool, just to hike up a random mountain that looks like it’d be fun to hike up,” says Cuyler Jenkins, 15, Troop 50, Park Ridge, Ill., “and then you get a great view that’s pretty sweet.”
Want More?
Philmont Scout Ranch is one of three highadventure bases operated by the BSA’s National Council. the others are:
Northern Tier
From June to September, Northern Tier offers wilderness canoeing out of bases in Ely, Minn.; Bissett, Manitoba, Canada; and Atikokan, Ontario, Canada. Trips range from 6 to 10 days. In the winter, Northern Tier shifts into Okpik mode, offering cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, ice fishing and other cold-weather activities. For more information, visit www.ntier.org or write to Northern Tier National High Adventure Programs, P.O. Box 509, Ely, MN 55731-0509.
Florida Sea Base
The Florida Sea Base operates out of its main facility in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. From there, Scouts and Venturers can sail to the area’s coral reefs, become a certified scuba diver and explore the Keys on a six-day boat ride. There’s also an adventure in the Bahamas, in which guests spend seven days on a sailing vessel, stopping only to fish and snorkel. In the end, you’ll leave with a greater knowledge and appreciation of sea life and water safety. For more information, visit www.bsaseabase.org or write to Florida National High Adventure Sea Base, P.O. Box 1906, Islamorada, FL 33036.
Read 2 comments about “Backpacking made to order”
June 4th, 2007 at 9:59 am
This great information.
June 4th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Sorry, I forgot to put in the is.