Philmont; Wow, where to start? Philmont is one of the oldest and most classic scouting adventures. Based in Cimarron, New Mexico, Philmont covers about 137,000 acres (that’s about 346 miles of extreme backpacking). The 2010 Philmont crew from Troop 845/Troop 9, consisting of a total of 7 members (5 of which were from 845), hiked a itinerary of 56 miles that lasted 12 days with a day before and a day after spent in base camp. The 2010 year was not important only for the crew but also for BSA, which celebrated its’ 100 year anniversary.

Before hiking Philmont none of the crew had hiked more than 30 miles. So we set out on training hikes and had planning meetings. We assembled gear and checked it off. Philmont requires a lot of gear. Everyone’s packs weighted at least 20lbs, some weighing as much as 50lbs! That’s a lot of weight to try to carry on your back if you’ve never hiked before. Finally, after 4 hikes totaling approximately 86 miles, we were ready to go.

Philmont was tough at first but after the 2nd or 3rd day we really started acting like a team. Philmont offered a wide range of hiking environments ranging from desert to forest. The day was spent hiking until around noon and then we would pull in to a camp and do some activities such as rock climbing (the real stuff, not some fake rock wall.), shotgun shooting, branding (not cows or people), and much more.

If anything, one of the most amazing things about Philmont is the views you can get while hiking. You’re almost constantly surrounded by mountains. Every time you stop to take a break you can see almost 360˚ around yourself, usually for miles. When you stop for lunch it’s on the top of a mountain or mesa that looks out onto miles of windswept plains or dense forests of aspen or even rocky mountain ranges.

For most of the crew, Philmont may have started out as a seemingly impossible journey but ended with a profound and exciting sense of achievement. Philmont has and will remain a huge milestone in the lives of all those that have hiked it. Philmont is something every scout should experience during their time with Boy Scouts.

--Caleb Roenigk, Troop 845 Life Scout