In Boy Scouts, there are certain trips that are at the top of the list. These trips are called High Adventures. Philmont is one of the most popular High Adventure trips known across the nation. I had the opportunity to participate in Philmont with my troop 3 summers ago.
Going into the trip, I was not looking forward to all the hiking and no cell phone service. We were out in the New Mexico desert for 2 weeks and I enjoyed it way more than I was expecting. I was one of the 8 boys in my crew and 4 adults, one being my dad, and it was an amazing experience. The best part is that we got to do what we wanted as a crew. We got to pick our own trek before the trip and planned out all the activities we would do along the way. We saw the hot and dry parts of New Mexico, we saw the hot and wet parts of New Mexico, and yes we also saw some snow at our highest elevation. We got to go rock climbing, horseback riding, and we used a burro to help carry our goods, etc.
The first 3 days of our trip, we had a guide to help us and teach us all of the ways, but after that 3rd day, we were on our own. We had to pack all of our own food, we had to pack out all of our trash, we had to put all smellables up in bear bags at night, and many other things.
My crew and I got to climb the highest Mountain with an elevation of 14,000+ ft. and we learned lots about teamwork and helping others to reach our goal. As a crew, we helped out and worked on building more trails for future crews so we will always have a place in the Philmont History. This trip showed me some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen and that I ever will see. One thing that I wish I hadn’t done was to wear the same clothes for the entire two weeks.
This trip was a huge bonding experience not only for me and my fellow scouts but also for my dad and me. After the two weeks with no phone and nearly no stress, I didn’t want to go back. My crew finished our trip and we had finished about 100 miles of hiking in the time span. We got to see parts of our country that most people can only see on google images, but we had it right in front of us. It was truly an amazing experience.
Overall, the most important thing to have on this trip is a good pair of hiking boots. Unfortunately, I didn’t believe this and my boots fell apart about halfway through and I had to rely on duct tape to keep them together.
My crew was there the summer that they were having their 1 millionth camper which is an amazing accomplishment at a Boy Scout camp. This trip is at the top of my list for all trips I’ve taken for Boy Scouts and if you have the opportunity to participate in this trip, do it.
Sam Kyle
Eagle Scout
Troop 97 actively sends scouts to high adventure bases. We have a crew going to Philmont and a crew going to Sea Base this summer.
The photo is taken from the top of Lover’s Leap at Philmont Scout Ranch.