Philmont Reflections

I'm back at the office for the first full day back from Philmont (our trek ended Saturday, July 12, but you know how Amtrak travel can be) and I wish I were still there.

I'd never been to Philmont before, but, in our crew of 7, only one other was there as a first-timer as well, and that was a youth. We did Trek 22, adding about 11 miles of side hikes to the 70-mile basic trek. If anyone wants specifics on this trek, just ask.

General notes:

• It was very dry and very warm. I'm used to hiking in the Sierra Nevadas, where we live, so the heat was a bit unconventional for our typical hiking weather. Lots of dry camps which meant we carried extra water on some long days (Miners' Park to Base; and Lamberts Mine to Mt. Phillips, specifically).

• Be prepared for lots of flies. Lots. And white moths on Mt. Phillips that like to hide in any open pack compartment.

• Lots of ups and lots of downs (I know, what did I expect, right?). I used my trekking poles on the rocky downhills and ridges (Phillips and Tooth Ridge).

• I was the only female in our crew and that wasn't a problem at all. Perhaps it's because our crew was the same Venturing Crew that we have at home so we're very used to backpacking together; a contingent thrown together with previously unacquainted folks might have a different experience. I used a pilot to bombardier once (at Lamberts Mine); it was tipped permanently to one side, but what a view! Philmont has evolved to more and more Red Roof Inns; while the goal is to use the permanent facilities only for bowel movements (urine doesn't aid the decomposition process, they tell us), there were a few staffed camps where it was nigh impossible to find an unpopulated, available area to pee on a rock. I was told by female staff at these areas to go ahead and use the Red Roof Inn for urinating--that's what they did. This would include Cypher's Mine program area and Abreu program area.

• Definitely encourage your crew chief to consider paring down food right at the resupply locations. Our guys saved more than 10 pounds getting rid of stuff none of us were going to eat anyway. Cook dinners for lunch if you're gonna be at a dry camp, but don't eat too much if you're planning on a strenuous hike ahead of you.

• I never want to see another honey ham stick (unless I get to go back to Philmont!).

• The nicest Red Roof Inn I found: At Phillips Junction resupply--but use the Red Roof that you see north on the trail approaching PJ from the Porcupine/Clear Creek direction. So clean, no smells and wildflowers abound just outside the door. Combine this with the solar-heated showers at PJ and it was a great morning break on the trail up to Beaubien.

• Let the kids do it; it's their trek, as much as we'd like to think it's ours. They'll rise to your expectations. Keep your mouth shut more than you might like to; make sure they *need* to hear what you're about to say. Encourage your chaplain aide to do a "Thorns and Roses" every night; it gets things out in the open in a safe environment.

• Drink a lot of water. And then drink some more.

• Watch for swelling of your fingers, starting with the first few miles hiked in the morning. If they're swelling, remove any rings or wedding bands before it gets too tough to slide them off later in the day. Whether using trekking poles or just hiking along, I found that the conditions made for significant finger swelling. Perhaps it was the heat, the altitude and/or the lack of much finger movement. Regardless of why it occurred, I started to feel a little panicky one day when my wedding band seemed irretrievably stuck on a pudgy finger--I could just picture myself being sent back to Base Camp to have it sawed off. After that I just stowed the ring in a pack pocket.

• I'm not an emotional weeper by nature, but some elements of Philmont seemed to draw that out of me--and I discovered that same experience in talking with other women I met. Perhaps it's just the adrenaline thing and it comes out of tear ducts in us women? Regardless, I had a few tears at reaching camp at Mt. Phillips after a long climb, upon clambering up the final pack-off portion to reach the top of the Tooth of Time, when seeing the "Congratulations, You Made It" sign back at base camp coming off Tooth, and when that very kind young man passed out the ice cold canned apple juice upon hobbling into the Supply department at Base Camp (he should be sainted, I'm sure). These were not all out bawling times, just a weepy little relief thing--I just was surprised at first and discovered other women reacted similarly. Maybe the guys get that way, too, but they just expel it in intestinal gas?

• Don't worry about compacting "feminine" trash--it's not required. The only odd feeling I had was having to surreptitiously drop a small packet in the covered trash can while a ton of guys/men were on the same crowded porch. Not a big deal at all, though.

• If you have an emergency, there are plenty of contingencies to take care of you and the Health Lodge folks are super. I, unfortunately, had occasion to experience them, but it truly added to my whole Philmont experience. In brief, unlike the guys who like to boast that they've taken a leak off an airplane wing at 10,000 feet (the wrecked WWII plane at Trail Peak), I can now brag that I was *attacked* by an aircraft at 10,000 feet on Trail Peak. A miss-step over a piece of the wreckage caused a sharp sheet of metal to bounce up and puncture up high in my inner thigh. It was a deep wound (as in you could insert your little finger up into it) but thankfully not a bleeder, not the artery in that area. I was able to hike it back to Beaubien but was accompanied by three wranglers on horses and an emergency crew, then a ride down to Base Camp for debridement, cleaning and stitches. Tetanus shot was current in May! I got back out on the trail the next morning with a really cool see-though dressing and I'll have a very special Philmont memory scar that won't be visible by many other than my dear hubby or at poolside. I only missed one night and a six-mile hike. Hooray! For days afterward, I was approached by staff members and hikers who asked if I was "that lady on Trail Peak" (the Philmont radio system is heard by all). Sigh, too bad my 15 minutes of fame was wasted on a wound...

• Philmont was different than I expected (even though I've seen untold numbers of slide shows of two previous treks made by hubby and sons). Previously I had thought of it more as a backpacking trek, but my discovery is that this is just one *huge* Scout Camp with lots of activities that just happen to have backpacking between them. Once I realized this, I was able to shift my perspective and have a more positive outlook; I initially kept comparing it to straight backpacking and found the backpacking itself a bit lacking. Our backpacking is in quite unpopulated areas and at first I was shocked by the "freeway" nature of some of the Philmont trails. It wasn't as if we very often had to hike behind or in front of other crews, but just seeing crews meeting you going the other direction was odd for me at first.

• Women are definitely in the minority. Last year 2.7 percent of the campers were female (includes youth and advisors). I had this feeling, especially in Base Camp, of being looked at and studied quite often (and I don't dress or look provocative, just your average 46-year-old mom), yet also feeling kind of lonely, even though I had my crew around me. Us women are typically more social than guys; the female adult bathrooms were great places to hook up at Base and compare experiences.

• What I'm really glad I took:
  • Most importantly: Small spray bottle filled with (potable) water. I used it every time after urinating; it did a great job keeping me fresh and rash-free without the use of toilet paper. If possible, I'd let it the area air-dry a bit before pulling up the CoolMax undies.
  • The Philmont New Testament (I decided to make this a spiritual trek as well and left my "light" novel at home in favor of some meatier material).
  • A great floppy sun hat.
  • Sunscreen enough to share.
  • Boots that were proven on the trail before hitting Philmont. No blisters!
  • Aveda Lip Tint lip balm. Yes, it smelled like berries and had to be in the smellables and not used after late afternoon, but it just gave me a little lift when I'd put it on instead of the standard Blistex. And this is from a lady who doesn't wear makeup on a regular basis!
  • Small steno pad for a journal. Helpful to record those intense reactions that weren't appropriate to share with the group/individual at that time ("wait, where's my journal--I've got to get this down!) as well as a great diary/reminder of a memorable experience. Also good for recording contact information for the new friends you'll be meeting.

I've written too much, I know, but feel I've really benefited from some others' postings before leaving, so if anything here helps even one person, I'll feel good. Any details desired? Trek 22 is super--write me offline and I'll tell you more. I can also tell you what items I carried; my "pre-crew gear" backpack weight was 32 pounds and, with water and crew gear added, was very manageable for a 70+ mile trek.

Please note that I am *not* a super athlete. I prepped at my local Curves for Women franchise, wearing a heart monitor to make sure I worked 30 minutes at 85 percent of my heart rate. I didn't want to heave out a lung while climbing Mt. Phillips!

Thanks, all, for the great preparation. I want to go back to Philmont!

Tonya

• Selden's Philmont,
• High Adventure and
• Scouting Web Pages

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