Simsbury Troop 175

Simsbury Troop 175 At Summer Camp 2011

Our Philmont Experience From Eric's Eyes

Our crew to Philmont boasts not one but two scripes to record our adventures. Here is Eric’s Philmont Journal. You can see photos from the trip in the Troop 175 Photo Library.

 

July 2^nd

Today was a very eventful first day. We got off the plane and met Rob Pardue, our tour guide. He took us on to a bus. The bus driver’s name was Abraham, but we called him “Abe.” First, we went to lunch at the Country Buffet. There we enjoyed fantastic food and many naïve and helpless victims of the Pooter, a farting toy that Joey and Karl brought. Kevin is really bad at the Pooter.

After we were finished eating, we got back on the bus and watched a video about the Air Force Academy. By the end of the video, everyone had fallen asleep, even Abe. We got to the Air Force Academy and saw the chapel, which was really beautiful. The landscape was inspiring, and I think a lot of us are now considering applying, meaning only John.

After the Air Force Academy, we journeyed to the Garden of the Gods, which had spectacular views of red rock pillars. On our hike it started pouring. As we sprinted through the rain pretending to be under enemy artillery fire, we were all wondering if this was going to be what the weather was like every day. Then it started hailing. None of us had brought our rain gear except Isaac, who was entertaining himself by standing in a mud puddle while we all huddled under the overhang on a bathroom.

When we got back to the Visitor’s Center, we witnessed an enchanting Native American dance ceremony. The dancers were named Bob and Debbie, which were not the names that I was expecting. Bob did many dances including the hoop dance and the eagle dance. After that was over we watched a movie about the creation and donation of the Garden of the Gods. Finally it was dinnertime, and we exited the theater to go devour hot dogs, burgers, salad, chips, soda, and a cookie! We had fun having animated conversations with the other crews and admiring the views of the beautiful landscape.

Our last activity of the day, although not mandatory, was to swim at the recreation center of the university we were staying at (UCCS). The pool was complete with a hot tub, volleyball net, water slide, and a friendly lifeguard. She was really cool, and we were good friends by the end of the swim session. Anyways after a bunch of sliding and a few rounds of volleyball later we headed up to our dorm rooms and either went to sleep or wrestled and yelled and ate candy while we were supposed to be asleep.

 

July 3^rd

Today was our last day before Philmont. We spent this riding a cog railway to the top of Pike’s Peak. The ride was made humorous by the guides jokes, which, surprisingly, were actually funny. The one reward is that we can all now say that we have been on to of Pike’s Peak.

After our new tour guide, Josh, finished explaining how a cog railway works, we were driven to lunch at this Italian Buffet (Blue Sky Adventures likes Buffets), and then to the river rafting place. After a quick game of beach volleyball we were outfitted in wet suits, helmets, and PFDs. These made us look very distinguished. After taking a bus up the river, we got into our rafts. My guide was Melissa. We went down many 3.99 rapids, but no one fell out. Actually, Drew fell out, but that was on purpose. On the river we played a game called “Get the Stick out of the Water,” the rules of which are self-explanatory. When we got out of the raging Arkansas River we enjoyed a scrumptious steak dinner and performance by Tom Munch, a singer/songwriter who was a ranger at Philmont when he was younger. I thought that he was very good. When our stomachs were full, we went back to the university and enjoyed the pool and hot tub.

 

July 4^th

Yet another fun day in the untamed lands of the wild southwest! We were outside of the university at 5:30 am MST and had finished breakfast at precisely 6:15 am MST. What was the payoff for this early activity you ask? Why a 4 hour bus ride of course! At least we had the Matrix to entertain us. Except Abe refused to turn up the volume, so we spent 3 hours trying to figure out what the characters were saying by reading lips. It made for a fun game.

At long last, we arrived at Philmont Scout Ranch! We were put through orientation, lunch, and then logistics. We had our bags checked by our ranger, Matt, who is this awesome guy from the Air Force Academy. Jack will be mad at me for calling him awesome just because he’s Air Force not Navy, but he was the man.

Once all of our logistical issues had been taken care of, it was off to church for most of us. After a trek (we didn’t know the meaning of the word trek yet) down the hill, most of our crew broke off to go to the Catholic chapel, but Isaac and I kept walking and came to the Protestant chapel. It was a beautiful amphitheater with a giant cross behind the pulpit. The low angle of the evening sun made everything glow orange. It was a truly awesome sight. The Chaplain was brilliant and truly gave us the sense that God was with us. As the sun set behind the mountainous backdrop and deer grazed behind the chaplain, we got our first taste of Philmont beauty and what it had in store for us.

The service ended and it was time for us to go to the campfire where world-class actors collaborated to create a theatrical masterpiece that told the story of Philmont. I would give the campfire a whopping 6 out of 2 stars! I actually did think that the history of Philmont was intriguing, and found it amazing that Waite Phillips gave up all this land for no other reason than to do a good turn. We finished the day up with the Philmont hymn, which, although it didn’t rhyme, still captivated the essence of the ranch. We chanted USA in honor of Independence Day (started by our crew, of course) and then went to our tents, where Drew and I scribed about the day. Tomorrow’s our first day on the trail!

 

July 5^th

We got up today and ate breakfast, which consisted of this egg thing that nobody ate and then delicious bacon and a salubrious hash brown. We boarded a bus that took us to Zastrow Turnaround, our trailhead. Out we came through the bus doors, ready to embark on our journey of epic proportions. After going through one last orientation, the topic being how to poop in the backcountry (Drew was the first one to use an outhouse, more commonly referred to as a Deuce Plane), we got hiking. I was the first navi-guesser, the person appointed to lead the crew on the trail by reading the map.

So once we had finished our two-mile hike under the brilliant guide of our navi-guesser, we had arrived at Abreu campsite. This was a homesteading camp that I thought was pretty cool. They had chickens and goats and houses made out of adobe. John’s favorite feature was a cantina that served ROOT BEER!!! We headed up to our campsite, Old Abreu, to set up camp, where Matt taught us how to set up a bear bag and all the basics of Philmont camping. Then we donned our bathing suits and sprinted down to a water hole we had seen on the way up. Here we enjoyed sliding down a natural water slide (with no lifeguard to yell at us) and sneaking up on each other under water. When we were all tuckered out from swimming we headed back down to Abreu where we learned how to milk goats, which was pretty weird. We almost managed to cover the bottom of the bucket. We weren’t very good. Night had come upon us so after a round of root beer we went back to Old Abreu where we did thorns, roses, and buds. This was a tradition at Philmont where a crew goes around a circle saying what they didn’t like about the day, what they did like, and what they were looking forward to. Our Chaplain’s Aide, John, led it. With that peaceful ending to our night, we all went to bed, finally realizing that we were in for one of the greatest experiences of our lives.

 

July 6^th

Today was our second day on the trail. We quickly learned that the worst thing about being on the trail is waking up at 5:30 am MST. Our schedule today was relatively empty, but we did have one thing to do in terms of program: learn Search and Rescue at beautiful Carson Meadows. As we ascended the stairs up to the cabin at the camp we got our first glimpse of Tom. He had black hair and a big grin on his face. As we were doing pull-up contests, he decided to show off how he could do 5 pull-ups. When he saw that we were not impressed he said “fingertips,” as if he had done them on his fingertips. Surprisingly, no one from our crew was able to beat the standing record for pull-ups at Carson Meadows. Tom then took us over to a lesson about Search and Rescue. This was both informative and very engaging. A number of events ensued at Carson Meadows that included us searching and rescuing our ranger Matt, and Keegan and Jack arguing over whether Keegan could send a love letter to Jack’s sister. One of the rangers at the camp ended up writing the letter with Keegan’s name signed at the end, which was a good compromise.

After we said goodbye to the rangers there, we hit the trail, heading for our trail camp, Crags. After a switchback-filled scenic trail, we arrived at the campsite. It was complete with some shallow swimming holes, a bridge, and tons of flies and red ants. Isaac, John, and Kevin built a dam and created a pool that was waist deep. After they had had their fun, they had to destroy it due to the effect it would have on countless ecosystems. Everyone went back to the camp, and the clouds opened up just as we were finishing our dinners. As a result of this, we all went to bed at 7:30 pm.

 

July 7^th

Today’s morning marked a sad parting of ways. Because it was the third day on the trail, it was time for Matt to go back to base camp and let us spread our metaphorical wings. So we left, both going down paths in opposite directions after having a final early morning workout session led by Jack and Matt (but mainly Jack). On our way from Crags we saw a deer cross the path in front of us. We also saw many scenic vistas along the switchbacks. The natural beauty out in the preserved wilderness of Philmont is truly indescribable. Everything is awe-inspiringly huge. Not even pictures can show its full grandeur.

Eventually, after what felt like a short time but was really 4 hours, we arrived at Fish Camp. Here we were given a tour of Waite Phillips’ fishing cabin on the river. It was a gorgeous log cabin maintained and kept in its original form, save the solar panels about 50 feet away. What I found really cool was that the children of Waite Phillips had a trap door in their room to escape in case of emergency. Of course, this was an awful idea because bears kept coming in, threatening the children’s lives. Also, the lady there kept trying to convince us that she was Waite Phillips’ daughter and that we were in the year 1927. She couldn’t fool me though, because I looked at John’s watch and it said 2011. Nice try, lady.

We finished touring the beautiful log cabin and were ushered into the old banquet hall and some fluorescent light bulbs were flicked on. I thought it was 1927? It was a lesson on how to tie flies, and all of us who didn’t know before were amazed at how easy it was to do! Basically, all you have to do is wrap items around a hook and secure them with a thread. A lot of people made more than one, and some people made up to four!

We trickled out of the room as we completed our flies at different times. Some of us went to fish and others went to our campsite. Jack, Keegan, and I climbed up a “mountain” while a war on the mini-bears raged below. Mini-bears are the names that Philmont has given the pest (chipmunks) that try to steal food. They act like bears, but they’re small, hence the name mini-bears. After Jack, Keegan and I had finished admiring the beautiful views from the side of the mountain, we came down to find that the war was lost.

We didn’t actually try to kill the mini-bears, it was just fun chasing them and plotting to catch them. I even made a snare with Jack and Joey, but I took it down for fear of actually catching one. Anyways, a competition started up to see who could hit a target about 50 feet away with a rock they threw. Drew won; we found out that he had a great arm. He smashed the target to pieces, violently obliterating it and giving it no chance to exist. He treated it as if it had no feelings. Then, our whole crew burst into song, singing Amazing Grace for no reason whatsoever. We were tired, so after a freeze-dried dinner (chicken and rice), we slipped into our sleeping bags and fell asleep.

 

July 8^th

We arose at Fish Camp at a late 6:35 am MST. We ate a hasty breakfast and got on the trail again. We eventually got to Apache Springs, where we would be doing our conservation project. For this we all needed to wear pants, which stunk because all of our clothes were buried in the bottom of our packs (at that point none of us had changed our clothes). The breeze was blowing on that hot day, and it was one of those days where the moon was bright.

After Mr. Burke had found a place to change into his pants, we hiked up a trail to our conservation site. We learned that conserving meant ripping trees out of the ground to make trails so there was concentrated impact on the forest. So our mission was to spend 3 ½ hours digging up stumps. By the end of our conservation session, we had annihilated three out of six stumps. A nice 50% success rate. Still we were not happy that some of the roots had beaten us and asked if we could stay until we were done, but we were denied. Oh well.

We went back to camp, where some of us tossed the Frisbee around and Justin and Karl taught Drew and I how to play Presidents, a card game. I got first and Drew got second. Not bad for some beginners.

As evening approached from the East, we began our hike up to what the staffers had named “Sunset Hill.” We hiked up a half-mile long path, where we started get glimpses of the spectacle that we were about to behold. As we crested the hill silhouetted against the sun, we all gasped or said “Wow” in genuine amazement. We were at the western edge of Philmont, and the view was spectacular. The sun cast its orange glow on all of the golden pastureland, and it looked like something right off a postcard. We all then felt a strong relationship with a higher power, I think. Keegan and Jack even looked up a Psalm to read and John, as Chaplain’s Aide, did a quick reading of the Bible. The sun dipped below the horizon, so, while singing America the Beautiful, we turned away. We got back to camp and did all the work to earn Backpacking merit badge.

 

July 9^th

Today was our layover day at Apache Springs. This means that we get to sleep in! As we all eventually got out of our tents, the early birds were greeted with the nice surprise of getting to eat Breakfast Skillet, by far the yummiest trail breakfast. There were also many other highlights of the day. While we were waiting to start our teepee tour, we started up a game of stickball with a ball that Joey had. Mr. Rice even joined in, but he used a giant log he found on the ground as a bat.

After a fun game with no clear winner, it was time for our teepee tour. This was not so much a tour, but a talk about how the Hickoria Indians lived while sitting inside a teepee. I guess there isn’t much to tour inside a ten-foot wide teepee. Nonetheless, it was very interesting to learn about the artifacts that had been found on the Scout Ranch and how the Native Americans lived before we came along.

After Paul, our tour guide, concluded his tour, we thanked him and left. Jack, Joey, Isaac, and John took this opportunity to play some kickball, using found objects for elements of the game. Jack drilled a killer home run, knocking it out… of the park.

Later, we went on a 3D archery course (because everything these days is 3D). This was really fun. The course consisted of a bunch of realistic-looking foamy animals that we had to shoot at. Our favorite was the bear, because it was standing up.

Out in Philmont, its weird how our lives are governed more by weather and natural things rather than time. There have been a lot of times when I don’t know what day of the week it is just because it doesn’t matter. Being out here makes you realize how weird society is run. The peace is nice, because it gives us time to think. So because it was raining, after our archery course we just went back to our camp, played some cards, and ate lunch. Then it hailed. While the rain may have put a little damper on our layover day at Apache Springs, the extra day definitely gave us time to think, relax, and enjoy ourselves.

 

July 10^th

Well today was the longest day we’ve had so far on our trek. And of course I mean it felt the longest, because they’re all the same length this one just felt longer. 10-23. We got up at 5:30 am MST, and immediately began rushing to see how fast we could break camp and get on the trail. Others told me that this was awful. I wouldn’t really know because I was basically asleep while I was packing my stuff up. Getting up in New Mexico at 5:30 am MST is miserable because there is no humidity to hold the previous day’s heat, so it is very cold (Karl explained this phenomenon to me). However, since we are all cheerful, enthusiastic Scouts, we all jumped out of our tents with joy. We got on the trail in 80 minutes (an hour and twenty minutes for those who don’t feel like doing the math) and ate breakfast while hiking.

After about 3 hours of solid walking we came to the Phillips Junction Commissary, where we restocked on food. After a couple bathroom runs, we got hiking again, which was pretty steep and rocky. After plodding uphill for a little while, we came to Crooked Creek, where we would be doing our program for the day. First, we got a tour of the homesteading cabin, where we learned that the term “Sleep tight” came from when homesteaders slept on beds of rope and you had to tighten up your ropes to be comfortable. After this, we went outside to chase their free-range chickens. We caught a couple, and then decided to break out lunch. As we were eating, Keegan realized he had left his hat and mug at Phillips Junction; 3 miles back down the trail we had just come up. I got elected as the young scouter to be his buddy on his run back down to the commissary. It turned out to be a very fun run. So we just ran a 10K in addition to what we had to hike that day. No big deal. For those interested, we did recover the hat and mug he had left. Once we re-arrived at Crooked Creek, the crew learned how to split wood, how to make a fence (also known as piling sticks against a post), and then we were back on the trail.

We muscled through another uphill hike, and then arrived at Wild Horse campsite, which was a really pretty grass campsite set on a hill. The climax of the day was John’s service. Because it was Sunday and because John is the Chaplain’s Aide, he organized a church service that everyone attended. Its theme was being grateful for what God has given us, and it was very heartwarming. It was so good that it brought one of our crewmembers to tears. After John’s sermon, we played some cards, talked a little, did thorns, roses, and buds, and went to sleep, ready to climb Mount Phillips the next day.

 

July 11^th

It seems that everyone for some reason wants to keep getting up earlier and earlier. We had to wake up at 5:00 am MST, because we wanted to beat the heat on our tough climb up Phillips. After a quick hike down hill where there were several conversations revolving around Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, we came to Clear Creek staff camp, where we quickly learned that the staff was crazy and everything was broken.

For example, the first thing that the ranger at Clear Creek did when he saw Isaac’s itinerary was bite the corner off of it. One ranger named Will left holding a roll of toilet paper to presumably ride a deuce plane. He came back about 15 minutes later empty handed, then left again with another roll of toilet paper in his hand. We were scheduled to shoot black powder, but one of the rifles blew up yesterday, so the range was closed. We wanted to do tomahawk throwing, but they didn’t have any tomahawk handles that weren’t broken. So after an extensive tour of the one room cabin, we decided that we could use our extra time to go and filter water from Clear Creek. It turns out that Clear Creek is not clear at all, so instead of using filters that clog, we just dropped in some purification tablets. Once we had filtered water, the strange staffers at Clear Creek decided that it was safe to open the rifle range!

Karl was very pleased, as black powder was what he had been looking forward to the whole time. There was a huge boom, not too much recoil, and a huge explosion down range. The staff there made us shout something American every time we fired. Such things included “America,” “I only eat red steak,” and “For Russia.” Isaac managed to blow a hole straight through the Ace of Spades.

Anyways, we finished shooting, so we went down to the river, ate lunch, and began the steep ascent to the summit of Mount Phillips. The hike was brutal, but we finally summited the mountain. Then we realized that we had only reached a false summit. Then we summited the mountain for real. After a couple of photos, we went down to our campsite. While scoping out the campsite and trying to figure out which was the best one, we spotted a blonde bear, which was cool and kind of intimidating at the same time. We didn’t think that the bears would come up this high, but they did. We were extra careful about eating crumbs as we had lunch. Then since it was cold and rainy, we all flopped into our tents. After a while, for no other reason than because we wanted to have a story to tell, me and Drew ran out of our tents back to the summit, took a bunch of pictures of us posing on top, went to the bathroom, then hopped back into our sleeping bags. All that wearing only shorts.

Keegan and Jack woke up 2 hours later freaking out because they thought that they had slept through the night and it was the next day. John woke up hallucinating, asking Isaac were he had hid the stranger who had been in their tent a second earlier. Sleep does weird things to people. We all got up a little later and hiked to the summit to see the sunset. All of us were very sleepy then so we got in our comfy warm sleeping bags and dozed off.

 

July 12^th

Today’s morning was awesome because we got to sleep in until 7:30 am MST! After we had gotten everything packed away, we took a short hike to the top of Mount Phillips to admire how beautiful the sunrise was. Then, like so many mornings before, we started hiking. Another reason why today was awesome was because the whole hike was virtually downhill.

After an easy trek, we arrived at Cypher’s Mine. This campsite had the most interesting program by far. First, we actually got to go on a tour inside the mine. The tour was awesome, and it was amazing to think that we were essentially walking through a mountain. The tour guide left us on our own, so we had to find our way out by holding the shoulder of the person in front of us and feeling the wall on our right. Isaac led the way.

Once we were out it was time to go visit the forge. This really demonstrated how useful Scouts are. We had about 15 Scouts trying to get the fire started, and we weren’t able to do it. Nonetheless we still learned the parts of an anvil and learned the function of a forge at a mine.

The next big event of the day was the strong man competition, where members of different crews brag about things that they’ve done that show they’re the strongest man in Philmont. Drew was our candidate, and he was hilarious. He should’ve won, but this guy with a beard walked up said “I’m 16” and won. I don’t understand how having a beard shows you are strong, but it wasn’t up to us.

After the strongman competition we went up into a small cabin to witness the Stomp, which was basically a late-1800’s concert. It was really awesome, and the rangers there were really good at the instruments they played and entertaining in general. They even played songs that we recognized from when Tom Munch played for us when we were with Blue Sky. After the Stomp was over we stayed for a while and listened to the rangers play songs on request like “Hotel California.” The music made the evening a night to remember.

 

July 13^th

Today was my birthday, so we woke up at 5:30 and everyone sang the birthday song to me. Then, they gave me the best present I could ever ask for: a bag of food that I actually like. Inside were Rice Krispies, Corn Nuts, Gatorade mix, and more. Keegan also gave me a bag of chewy Starbursts. I was so grateful to everyone that they had given up these treats so that I could have them. Thanks guys!

We packed up all our stuff, which was made easy by the fact that we didn’t have any tents to put away, and then started walking downhill. After an easy hike, we arrived at Cimarroncito staff camp, and there were mini-bears everywhere. There were so many chipmunks that when the ranger brought us up on to the porch to give us the welcome-to-out-camp talk, we had to leave to guys behind to fend off the mini-bears.

We learned that Cimarroncito had HEATED SHOWERS, a welcome luxury after days of being filthy on the trail. We also learned that Cimarroncito’s program was rock climbing, which was awesome because so many kids in our crew love rock climbing. We brought our packs up to our campsite, set up camp, and ate lunch. By now, everyone was saving food and eating it when they felt like it, so everyone had something that was a little different. When it was 12:45, we headed down to the porch, where they brought us up to the rock-climbing wall.

We suited up in harnesses and helmets, and then listened to the necessary safety talk before we started climbing. Climbing was more challenging than it looked, but not too challenging. It was really fun because the staff gave us climbing names that were based on Disney movies. For example, mine was Sully from Monsters, Inc. They probably named me that because I’m so big and muscular. Drew wanted to be Scar, but they called him Nala instead.

After we climbed up the face, we got to rappel down it further down the wall. We clipped into the figure 8 and the belay and then walked down the wall while holding on to the rope. It was really fun and I felt like Rambo. When I got to the bottom and unclipped, the guy gave me a snack pack pudding cup because it was my birthday! He was really nice.

So, as we finished we left the rock climbing area and went back to the main camp. Here we enjoyed trying to beat the bouldering wall challenge, which was to get all the way around the bouldering wall. Some of us got 7/8^ths of the way there, but none of us made it. Then Isaac informed us that it was time for us to go down and get our food from the commissary. This entailed 4 of us walking 5 miles round trip to load up our packs with our food for the rest of the trek and bring it back to distribute among our crew. Isaac, Karl, John, and I went, and it was really fun. The scenery along the way was really pretty, and because we are all somewhat weird we got into a deep discussion about the pros and cons of building your own sustainable house. Along the way we took some trick photography of us scaling impossibly high cliffs and found a lizard with a blue belly.

When we got to the commissary we got free donuts! They were the most delicious thing I had tasted in a long while. We filled our packs up to the brim with food and then hiked back to Cimarroncito. We got back, dumped the food in a pile in the middle of the campsite then ran off to take hot showers, which were HEAVENLY. After that, we spent some time in the rock gym they had there then went to bed, realizing that our trip was soon coming to an end and feeling mixed emotions about whether we wanted to leave or not.

 

July 14^th

We started today just like every other day by waking up at early, packing up, and leaving. After an easy hike we arrived at Clark’s Fork camp. Today we were all looking forward to program because it was horse riding! This was really awesome.

First, we all got assigned horses (mine was named Snip), and then learned how to mount them. Once we were all on top of our steeds, we were led out of the corral and on to the trail. Drew’s horse (Apples) ended up being a total bully who bit other horses. Drew seemed pleased by this. Once we were on the trail, we started to enjoy the fact that we could get around without actually walking for once. It was really fun trotting down washouts and just looking at the Philmont landscape. The sight of an almost endless supply of open land was a weird and great sight. Before we knew it, we had been led back to the corral, and after a group photo of us mounted on our horses, we ran back to the main camp and made for the branding pavilion.

Here we branded everything that we were allowed to, including boots, hats, and even water bottles with the Philmont symbol and other symbols. After this, we kind of did whatever we wanted for the rest of the day. Whether it was napping, roping fake cattle, playing chess on the porch, or tossing the Frisbee around, it was very peaceful.

Then, at 6:00 pm MST, it was time for CHUCK WAGON DINNER. We were all expecting delicious hot, steaming food, so imagine the looks on our faces when we peeked into the boiling pots and saw a bunch of plastic bags sitting there. But to our delightful surprise, when the food was dumped into our bowls, it was salubrious beef stew! After we wolfed this down and had had our share with seconds, we were also each treated to one slice of pound cake! That night was a great night, just because of the food.

When we got back to camp, we organized all our packs and rid ourselves of all extra weight, so that we would be ready for our 2:30 am wake-up. Our hike tomorrow is 11 miles, and we would like to come in before noon, hence the early wake-up. So anticipating the grand finale of our adventure the next day, we all fell asleep.

 

July 15^th

We woke up in the dead of night, and were immediately awake. Contrary to what some crewmembers had thought, the early wake up was invigorating rather than exhausting. We broke camp faster than ever in a record-smashing half hour. Everyone could feel the excitement in the air; we were on a mission.Under the moonlight and the brilliance of a full sky of stars, Isaac snuck up to the porch and signed us out, leaving the time of departure blank. He was startled to turn around and see a man sleeping on the porch. What a sketch. And then, our hike began.

We hiked through the twilight. The most beautiful parts were when we were hiking along ridgelines and we could see the landscape stretched out beside us. It was turned kind of blue from the lack of night, and the silence was complete. Everything was asleep. Just as dawn started to break we came to Shaffer’s Peak. Where we ate breakfast and watched the sunrise. We took tons of pictures to preserve the beautiful memory.

After the sun had risen substantially and everyone’s stomachs were full we got back to hiking. It was a weird transition to be adjusted to hiking at night under the full moon (without headlamps) to hiking in the bright orange of the morning. We came up on top of a ridgeline where we had 360-degree views of the ranch and our first glimpse of the prize: Base Camp. All along the ridge we caught glimpses of the Tooth of Time, our next destination, as well as smoke that had drifted from some forest fire.

We eventually got to the Tooth of Time, and essentially ran up it. The view was spectacular. It was pristine untouched land for miles around, except for Base Camp in the distance. After sitting around for a while and eating lunch on top of the Tooth, that sight of Base Camp spurred us to keep on moving. After a short time, we came to the Tom Trail, a series of switchbacks that cut back and forth pointlessly across a hill with a very low grade. Our dear friend Tom cut the trail. Eventually we did make it down the endless switchbacks, and our bitter moods were soon changed ecstatic when we saw a sign in the distance. We all started speed hiking towards it, thinking about our great times on the trail but also thinking about pizza and cots. We finally reached the sign, led by our fearless leader Isaac.

After a final picture on the trail under the sign that read “Welcome Back- You Made It!” We came into Base Camp walking tall with pride. After dumping our packs in our tents and picking up our other gear out of the lockers, we caught a bus to Cimarron where we had the most heavenly pizza ever. It probably wasn’t even that good, but compared to what we had been eating it was divine. We also went to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, where we, needless to say, had ice cream. We also had fun playing awful songs that we had never heard of on the jukebox.

We went back to camp, and our last planned activity at Philmont would be to watch the closing campfire, which was actually held under a pavilion due to the weather. The acting was about as good as the opening campfire, but we enjoyed just sitting there laughing at it together. The dull parts were made exciting by Isaac’s brother, Jake, who entertained us with stories that he had about all sorts of topics. We sang the Philmont hymn, and then were off to sleep in tents one last time.

 

July 16^th

Today was our last day at Philmont Scout Ranch. We boarded the bus and started driving. After a couple of hours we stopped at the Country Buffet again to get some lunch. The food was marvelous. Once we got to the airport and through security, we entertained ourselves by playing on the escalators and/or treadmills. It would have been awesome to have escalators on some of those hills at Philmont. When it was time to board, we all got on the plane. As we soared home, we were all thinking about the great times we had had at Philmont, and how our lives would never be the same because of it. We landed and came to a cheering group of parents, where we were happily reunited with them. While we are all very glad to be home with our families and electricity, there will still always be part of u

Summer Camp Merit Badges

In preparing for summer camp, it is a good idea to think out which merit badges you want to try to earn while at camp.  Most scouts earn 2-3 merit badges while at summer camp, however they are not required.

Suggestions for first year scouts include Indian Lore, Fishing, Small Boat Sailing, Weather, Woodcarving, Basketry and Leatherwork.

2011 Camp Mattatuck Merit Badge Time Schedule

SCOUTCRAFT - All Take Place at Mohawk Cabin
Camping ......................................2:00 & 3:00
Cooking .......................................Mon. and Wed. 4:00, Tues. 7-8:30am, Thurs. 4-6:30pm, 

                                                             Fri.  11:30-1
Fire Safety....................................2:00
Orienteering ................................ 3:00
Pioneering ...................................1:30-3:00
Indian Lore ..................................2:00
Hiking & Backpacking ..................... 6:45pm
Wilderness Survival ....................... 3:00
Geocaching .................................3:00

NATURE - All Take Place at the Joe George Nature Pavilion (unless noted)
Environmental Science ................... 1:00-2:30 or 2:30-4:00
Forestry ...................................  3:00
Geology* ................................... 2:00
Mammal Study ............................ 2:00
Plant Science ............................. 1:00
Reptiles and Amphibians* ...............3:00
Nature* ................................... 3:00
Weather .................................. 4:00
Fishing ................................... 1:00 (Marston Amphitheater)

Fly Fishing ............................... 4:00(Marston Amphitheater)

*** Astronomy, Fish & Wildlife Management and Soil & Water Conservation will be offered only on even numbered years with Reptiles & Amphibians, Geology and Nature being offered during odd years. ***

 

SPORTS
Archery ............................. .....1:15 - 3:00 - Archery Range
Athletics .................................3:00 - Climbing Tower
Rifle Shooting ......................... .1:15 - 3:00 - Rifle Range
Shotgun Shooting ...................... 3:00 - 4:30 - Rifle Range
Cycling ...................................6:45pm - Mountain Biking Center
Golf ..................................... 1:00 and Friday 9:00-12:00 - Picnic Grove
Sports .................................. 2:00  -  Picnic Grove
Climbing ............................... 1:30 – 3:00 and Friday 12:00- 3:00 - Climbing Wall
Personal Fitness .......................3:00 - Climbing Tower

AQUATICS
Canoeing .............................. 2:00 or 3:00 - Waterfront, Boating
Lifesaving ........................... . 2:30 - 4:00 - Waterfront, Swimming
Rowing ................................. 3:00 - Waterfront, Boating
Small Boat Sailing .................... 1:15 - 2:30 - Waterfront, Swimming
Swimming ............................. 2:00 or 3:00 - Waterfront, Swimming
Whitewater............................ 1:15 - 2:30 and 7:00am -12:00 Fri. - Waterfront, Boating
Aquatic Supervision (Both parts) ....1:30 - 4:00 - Waterfront, Swimming
Snorkeling BSA ........................ 4:00 Monday and Tuesday - Waterfront, Swimming
Kayaking BSA ..........................6:45-7:30pm Monday and Tuesday - Waterfront, Boating

HANDICRAFT
Art ..................................... 4:00
Basketry ...............................1:15 – 2:00 All Take Place at the
Leatherwork .......................... 3:00 Chapel/ Handicraft Pavilion
Photography .......................... Monday and Friday 6:45-8:00pm
Wood Carving ........................ 2:00
Woodworking .........................6:30 Camp Office
First Aid ..............................4:00 Health Lodge

Unless otherwise stated all sessions are one hour long and will meet each day of the week. Our badges are based on quality not quantity. Please realize that many of the badges require previous work before coming to camp. All merit badges and times are subject to change due to staff and equipment limitations.

What To Bring To Summer Camp

Here is a suggested list for scouts. Double check the list carefully. Add any items you feel are important. We suggest that each item of clothing be labeled with name and troop #175.

CLOTHING and BEDDING:
Complete Scout Uniform
Comfortable Hiking Shoes
Insect Repellent
Extra Shorts or Pants and Shirts
Daily Change of Underwear and Socks
Handkerchiefs
Swim Suit
Raincoat or Poncho
Pajamas
Sweater or Jacket
Sneakers
Sleeping Bag or 3 Warm Blankets
Pillow
Sheet or Mattress Cover

MUST'S for a HAPPY WEEK:
Flashlight w/ extra batteries
Scout Handbook
Pencil, Pen, & Pad
Compass
Merit Badge class work

OPTIONAL:
Camera
Musical Instrument
Fishing Tackle
Mess Kit and Canteen
Bible or Prayer Book
Sewing Kit

TOILET ARTICLES:
Tooth Brush and Paste
Hand Towels
Bath Towels
Wash Cloth
Comb, Brush and Mirror
Soap & Shampoo

Please leave at home radios, comic books, game systems, MP3 players, TV’s, cell phone etc. Articles such as these tend to detract from the scouting atmosphere that should prevail in a Boy Scout Camp.

 

Reprinted from June, 2009

What to Expect at Summer Camp

Sunday Afternoon . . . After being guided to the campsite, scouts get into their swim trunks and get ready for check-in. They walk down to the Dining Hall porch, with Medical Forms signed by a doctor within the last three years (and a parent within the last year) in hand for a medical recheck by the Camp Nurse. At this time all medication must be turned in to the nurse to dispense along with the Troop Medication form  listing all medications for scouts.

After the medical recheck, it's down to the Waterfront for a boating talk, and then a swim check. This check, covering 100 yards consists of ”Jump into the water feet first then swim 100 yards continuously in a strong manner, with 75 yards on your stomach or side and 25 yards on your back in a resting manner.” This check is required for all scouts and leaders who wish to go in or on the water. At 4:30 PM the unit leader and Senior Patrol Leader have a meeting with the Camp Director and Program Director in the Dining Hall. It will last about 30 minutes. 5:50 is flag lowering, followed by dinner at 6:00 with everyone in uniform of course. After dinner is the merit badge sign-up for scouts to talk with their counselors. That evening there is a campfire, which all troops must attend, sponsored by the staff to introduce themselves and to get the scouts acquainted with camp. Just prior to the campfire is an orientation for the Archery and Rifle ranges.

A Typical Day . . . The morning starts out with reveille at 7:00 AM, flag raising is at 7:50, with breakfast at 8:00. During the morning, the troops attend various activities (see program section); Nature hikes, Scoutcraft skill sessions, Archery and Rifle ranges where they learn how to shoot safely. Also during the morning is instructional swimming and boating where every scout can improve their skills or learn new ones. Older scouts might find the mountain bikes or the weeklong PROJECT COPE program more to their liking. Newer scouts can work on the Outdoor skill requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class. At this time the Camp Commissioner is inspecting the campsites and rates them on how clean, neat and safe they are. Lunch is at 12:30 PM followed by more activities including merit badges that run all afternoon.

From 4:00 – 5:00 there is open swimming and boating, a time for cooling off and fun. Sailboats are available all morning and afternoon, especially if adult leaders want to try their sailing skills; also available are kayaks and fun-yaks for qualified individuals. Open shoot at the archery and rifle ranges with open climbing at the climbing tower (13 and over) and mountain biking (13 and over) are just some of the activities going on now to help everyone have fun. 5:50 is flag lowering, followed by dinner at 6:00 with everyone in their scout uniform of course. After dinner, troops enjoy free time and can do things like water polo, open boating, volleyball, the climbing tower, softball, Frisbee, troop campfires, etc.

Parent’s Night . . . Wednesday night is Parent's Night. Because camp and unit programming is going on other times during the week, we ask that visitors and parents only come up on Wednesday night. Parents are invited to come up anytime after 5:00 PM. Picnic tables are available in the Picnic Grove on a first come-first serve basis. Scouts can eat with their parents at these tables, but there is only enough room in the dining hall for scouts spending the week. Afterward at 8:00, the scouts and staff put on a campwide campfire for the parents. Come up and join in on the fun, singing, cheers, stunts, and skits. You never know what lunacy the scouts and staff might be up to; plus you're never too old to embarrass yourself.

Hawaiian Shirt Thursday . . . Thursday is Hawaiian Shirt day at camp, make sure you bring yours! During the morning and afternoon, everyone can wear their loud, colorful shirt throughout camp.

Court of Honor . . . Saturday morning, directly after breakfast is the camp Court of Honor. This event is where camp and departmental awards, as well as any unit awards are given out. It’s also a great place to tell your parents to meet you to pick-up their scouts. Pick-up time should be planned for 9:15am.

The Trading Post . . . A Trading Post is available at camp. We sell merit badge books, scouting supplies, patches, candy, soda and ice cream.  Items stocked are on a first come, first serve, while they last basis.

 

Reprinted from July, 2009

Simsbury Troop 175 At Summer Camp 2010

Summer Camp Medical Forms Due

An email was recently sent out via the Troop Google Group requesting that all scouts going to summer camp have their forms, including medical forms, completed and turned in by June 25th.

See the Google Group email for complete details.

Please see Mr. Burke if you have any questions.

2010 Camp Mattatuck Merit Badge Time Schedule

SCOUTCRAFT
Camping ............................................. 2:00 & 3:00
Cooking .............................................. Mon. and Wed. 4:00, Tues. 7-8:30am,
                                                                       Thurs. 4-6:30pm, Fri. 11:30-1
Orienteering ......................................... 3:00 All Take Place at
Pioneering ........................................... 1:30-3:00 Mohawk Cabin
Indian Lore .......................................... 2:00
Hiking & Backpacking .............................. 6:45pm
Wilderness Survival ................................ 3:00

NATURE (All Take Place at the Joe George Nature Pavilion)
Environmental Science .............................. 1:00-2:30 or 2:30-4:00
Forestry ............................................... 3:00
Fish and Wildlife Management* .................... 2:00
Mammal Study ....................................... 2:00
Plant Science ........................................ 1:00
Astronomy* .......................................... 3:00
Soil and Water Conservation* ..................... 3:00
Weather.............................................. 4:00
Fishing .............................................. 1:00 ........Marston Amphitheater
Fly Fishing .......................................... 4:00 ...........Marston Amphitheater

*** Astronomy, Fish & Wildlife Management and Soil & Water Conservation will be offered only on even numbered years with Reptiles & Amphibians, Geology and Nature being offered during odd years. ***

SPORTS
Archery ............................ 1:30 - 3:00 ......................... Archery Range
Athletics ........................... 3:00 ................................. Picnic Grove
Rifle Shooting ..................... 1:30 - 3:00 ........................ Rifle Range
Shotgun Shooting ................ 3:00 ................................ Rifle Range
Cycling ............................ 6:45pm ............................. Mountain Biking Center
Sports ............................. 2:00 ................................ Picnic Grove
Climbing .......................... 1:30 – 3:00 ........................ Climbing Wall
Personal Fitness ................. 3:00 ................................ Picnic Grove

AQUATICS
Canoeing ......................... 2:00 & 3:00 ................ Waterfront, Boating
Lifesaving ........................ 2:30 - 4:00 ............... Waterfront, Swimming
Rowing ............................ 3:00 ........................ Waterfront, Boating
Small Boat Sailing ................ 1:15 - 2:30 .................. Waterfront, Swimming
Swimming......................... 2:00 & 3:00 ............... Waterfront, Swimming
Whitewater ....................... 1:15 - 2:30 and 7 :00am -12:00 Fri. ......... Waterfront, Boating

Aquatic Supervision (Both parts) .... 1:30 - 4:00 ........................... Waterfront, Swimming
Snorkeling BSA .................. 4:00 Monday and Tuesday ................. Waterfront, Swimming
Kayaking BSA ................... 6:45-7:30pm Monday and Tuesday ......... Waterfront, Boating

HANDICRAFT
Art .................................................... 4:00
Basketry .............................................. 1:15 – 2:00 All Take Place at the
Leatherwork ........................................ 3:00 Chapel/ Handicraft Pavilion
Photography ........................................ Monday and Friday 6:45-8:00pm
Wood Carving ...................................... 2:00

Unless otherwise stated all sessions are one hour long and will meet each day of the week. Our badges are based on quality not quantity. Please realize that many of the badges require previous work before coming to camp. All merit badges and times are subject to change due to staff and equipment limitations.

Summer Boy Scout Camp at Mattatuck

Once again Simsbury Troop 175 scouts will enjoy a week of summer camp at CAMP MATTATUCK, Plymouth, CT July 11 (Sunday) - July 17 (Saturday).

Camp Mattatuck is in Plymouth, CT. Established in 1939, the camp has 500 acres of land that is home to approximately 2,000 scouts a summer, spread over a 6-week period. The 1100 Boy Scouts stay in 2 man wall tents, sleep on beds with mattresses and have 3 square meals served daily in the Dining Hall. The camp has its own private lake for swimming, fishing and boating.

Summer Camp provides Scouts the opportunity to learn new skills, acquire knowledge, make new friends and earn merit badges (including some of the Eagle Scout required merit badges that are difficult to do through the Troop’s regular program.)

A Typical Day

The morning starts out with reveille at 7:00 AM, flag raising is at 7:50, with breakfast at 8:00. During the morning, the troops attend various activities (see program section); Nature hikes, Scoutcraft skill sessions, Archery and Rifle ranges where they learn how to shoot safely. Also during the morning is instructional swimming and boating where every scout can improve their skills or learn new ones.  Newer scouts can work on the Outdoor skill requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class. Lunch is at 12:30 PM followed by more activities including merit badges that run throughout the afternoon.

From 4:00 – 5:00 there is open swimming and boating, a time for cooling off and fun. Sailboats are available all morning and afternoon, especially if adult leaders want to try their sailing skills; also available are kayaks and fun-yaks for qualified individuals. Open shoot at the archery and rifle ranges with open climbing at the climbing tower (13 and over) and mountain biking (13 and over) are just some of the activities going on now to help everyone have fun. 5:50 is flag lowering, followed by dinner at 6:00 with everyone in their scout uniform of course. After dinner, troops enjoy free time and can do things like water polo, open boating, volleyball, the climbing tower, softball, Frisbee, troop campfires, etc.

How to sign up

Scouts should sign up for summer camp by completing the required forms and payment before May 7th to receive a discount. If you are sending more than once scout to camp in your family, there is another discount. All scouts are required to have completed medical forms which are due by June 25th. See the Troop 175 Google Group for all required forms.

General information on the Camp Mattatuck website. The 2010 edition of the Camp Mattatuck Summer Program Guide is a helpful guide for all scout families attending summer camp.

Simsbury Troop 175 At Summer Camp 2009

Troop 175 Scouts Enjoy Summer Camp At Mattituck

43 Scouts from Simsbury Troop 175 spent a week in the woods at BSA Camp Mattituck.

Highlights from the week at camp include swimming, boating, earning merit badges, family night, earning merit badges, firing rifles, archery, and being with friends.

For photos of the week at camp, go to the Troop 175 Photo Library.

For those in the pool to guess how many photos Mr. Rice would take, the final number 808. He was hampered by a broken lens for part of the week.

Camp Mattituch Dive Competition Dominated By Troop 175

Scouts from Simsbury Troop 175 demonstrated their flying ability as they won three of four diving events at Camp Mattituck. 

Mike R led the way with a win in the small splash competition, followed by Matt Z who showed that technique is more important that physical size.

Senior scouts Keegan R and Kevin B did not have any competition willing to take them on in the tandom diving competition. Keegan R also showed his style with a 1 1/2 flip that won the freestyle competition.

Also at the waterfront, Troop 175 first year scouts won the Waterfront Treasure Hunt and Rowing Without Oars events.

For  additional photos, go to the Scout Photo Archives.

Troop 175 Wins Ryan Duff Oar

 
Each year at Camp Mattituck, Troop 175 and Troop 76 compete in a high-spirited water polo game to claim the Ryan Duff Memorial Oar as a trophy for the year.

Troop 76 had retained the Oar for the past two years, but it was not to be this year. An outstanding offensive performance from troop 175's first year scouts and a strong defense from a Philmont-depleted senior scout team allowed Troop 175 to reclaim the prized oar.

The Oar is named for Ryan Duff, an Eagle scout from Troop 175, and brother to current scout Michael Duff, who tragically lost his life in a car accident. Ryan had many friends in both troops and this oar honors his memory.

For additional water polo photos, go to the Troop 175 Photo Library.

Scoutmasters Win Iron Chief Competition

Troop 175 Assistant Scoutmasters Mark Bushey, Tom Nichelson, Gerry Burke and Bill Rice, led by camp cooking legend Bob Gilmore, won first place in the Camp Mattituck Dutch oven Iron Chief competition.

Drawing from the same ingredients as the other troops and required to use tuna in the meal, the group combined their  efforts to create :Scoutmaster Pie" with layers of beef, french toast, mixed veggies, more french toast and a cheesy tuna topping. This was followed by a cinnamon cake with apples and zucchini with a blueberry compote.

  

Parents Night at Summer Camp is Wednesday July 15th

Parents Night is Wednesday July 15th starting at 5:00 PM ... with a Campfire Program until 9:00 PM.  The Troop is supplying hamburgers & hotdogs for dinner for Scout(s), siblings & parents at our Campsite.

Families with last name starting with A-G please bring appetizer or salad.

Families with last name starting with H-Z please bring dessert.

All families bring a bag of chips!

You should make prior arrangements as to when and where you will meet your son(s) ... the amphitheater at the bottom of the hill from the parking lot is a good spot.

Boy Scout Summer Camp 2009

Summer Camp provides Scouts the opportunity to learn new skills, acquire knowledge, make new friends and earn merit badges. Troop 175 will go to Camp Mattatuck in Plymouth, CT beginning July 12 (Sunday) to July 18 (Saturday).

Established in 1939, the Camp Mattatuck has 500 acres of land and runs both a Boy Scout resident summer camp and a Cub Scout day camp. The Boy Scout staff, of which there are 55, are chosen by Connecticut Rivers Council and are highly skilled and trained. The Boy Scouts of America train department directors, as well as the Camp Director, at their National Camping Schools.  The camp is conveniently located off CT Route 8 in Plymouth, CT, just a few miles north of Waterbury. Camp Mattatuck is part of Connecticut Rivers Council and is supported by the Camp Mattatuck Volunteers.

The camp fees and payment are made to the troop and deadlines are as follows:

• Camp Fee (Early Bird) - $325 - Payment in full is due to the Troop by May 8, 2009.

• Brother at Camp (-$40 Discount) - This is the fee for a second Scout from the same family. The
discount is applicable before and after May 8, 2009.

• Camp Fee - $350 - This is the fee if your payment in full is made after May 8, 2009.

Each Scout attending camp must have a completed medical form that has been signed by a parent/guardian and a physician. A medical examination within 36 months prior to attendance at camp is required.

The best source of information on what to expect from boy scout camp is the 2009 edition of the Camp Mattatuck Summer Program Guide. It explains what to expect and what is offered each week at Mattituck.

If you have any questions, please call Gerry Burke at a troop meeting.

Simsbury Troop 175 At Summer Camp 2007

Simsbury Troop 175 At Summer Camp 2006

Simsbury Troop 175 At Summer Camp 2005