By Arya McCarthy

As a young Scout, I had heard stories of how Philmont Scout Ranch, outside the city of Cimarron, New Mexico, is a place that changes the lives of all who enter its confines. In June, I was among twelve members of Boy Scout Troop 80 who found out just how true that is.

The late Waite Phillips, an oil magnate and wilderness enthusiast, donated the land comprising this wilderness to the Boy Scouts, bringing Philmont Scout Ranch and Explorer Base to its full size of nearly 137,500 acres in 1941. Many Scouts dream about the beauty and challenge of a Philmont wilderness hiking adventure. A crew of four adults and eight Scouts from Troop 80, chartered by Highland Park Presbyterian Church, joined nearly 20 other crews from the Dallas area for a twelve-hour bus ride on June 11.

Our challenge was an eleven-day adventure hike that covered 70 miles, through campsites with names like Zastrow and Crooked Creek, between altitudes of 6,600 feet at our base camp and 11,713 feet when we reached the peak of Mount Phillips on our ninth day. We carried our provisions in backpacks that weighed as much as 50 pounds when fully loaded with tents, pots, sleeping bags, clothes, food, and other hiking essentials. Sometimes our packs felt a lot heavier than that. Dropping our packs during rest stops or to establish camp for the night was always welcome, especially after hiking ten or twelve miles on some days.

The weather heightened our challenge — throughout our trek it was unpredictable, yielding hail, rain, strong winds, both hot and cool days, and cold nights. We struggled to remain cheerful during 20 hours of continuous rain. Life Scout Richard Deulofeut, our chaplain's aide for the trek, led us in prayers at mealtime and helped us reflect and find the positive aspects of the trek at all times. Switchbacks, complete turns in the trail to decrease grade when climbing and descending mountains, were trying, slow, and sometimes gave the impression we were making little progress being made. Singing “Loch Lomond,” with its references to high and low roads, seemed fitting whenever we reached switchbacks, and Eagle Scout Michael Withers gladly led the chorus.

Each day’s hike ended at a new campsite. The crew often passed through at least one other site before arriving at our destination; many of these areas had activities in which the scouts and adults could throw a tomahawk, climb and rappel a rock face, skinny up a free-standing lodgepole about as tall as a telephone pole, fish, and make candles. We also visited Waite Phillips’s hunting and fishing lodges, which were mostly unchanged since when he used them, sending us more than seventy years into the past.

We spent two days at the Apache Springs campsite, where we were able to make use of a sweat lodge, practice archery, and participate in a conservation project to reduce erosion. We also enjoyed scenic views from the tops of Mount Phillips and an igneous intrusion known as the Tooth of Time, which we free-climbed to its 9,003-foot crest. We crossed streams and rivers, traversed grassy fields, climbed mountains and hills, and passed through narrow valleys, which could never be seen outside of Philmont.

Each night, we had to prep our campsite, establish an eating area, erect tents, cover our packs, begin dinner, and hang “bear bags,” large sacks hung high between trees to keep bears and chipmunks (referred to by Philmont campers as mini-bears) away from food and “smellables,” items whose scents would attract animals.

We learned that any scent not normal in the woods can picque the curiosity of its residents — not only food and anything which had come in contact with it but also sun screen, toothpaste, batteries, moleskin, and even duct tape! We had to get used to swallowing toothpaste at the end of the day as well — not a favorite practice for some.

A ranger stayed with us the first two days to instruct and assist us while he acclimated to these routines. To preserve the beauty of Philmont for future generations, we followed strict “Leave No Trace” guidelines to minimize impact on campsites, trails, and wildlife.

The Philmont experience tested each of us, even the adults. We grew closer as a group and learned more about what we are capable of, as we enjoyed a 70-year tradition of what most Scouts consider to be the highlight of their Scouting career highlight, second to earning the Eagle rank. I haven't earned my Eagle yet, but in joining the trek, I earned my Philmont patch, which I proudly display on my uniform.

Scoutmaster John Withers and adult leaders Bo Tye, David Howard, and Bill Stone accompanied current Troop 80 Scouts Wen Stone (crew leader), Richard Deulofeut, Daniel Withers, and Elliott Clayton, and me on the trek. Three older Troop 80 Eagle Scouts, Michael Withers, Sam Howard, and Cooper Tye, joined us as well.

On the way home from Philmont, our buses stopped at Golden Corral for an all-you-can-eat buffet. While it was unquestionably the best food we had eaten in weeks, something was missing. Where was the smell of nature? The challenge of arriving at our destination? The majestic views? It remained in the wilderness near Cimarron, New Mexico. We could all feel it: Philmont was beckoning us to return.

Arya McCarthy is a Life Scout with Troop 80, chartered by Highland Park Presbyterian Church.