I think most of the Crew agrees when I say that hiking Philmont was the greatest opportunity any of us could have been given. Everything from a Search and Rescue and climbing class to interactive evening programs made every day an adventure. Some of the Crew’s favorite activities were definitely climbing and fishing on our last couple of days out there! We were in the real outdoors, with bears being a common sighting on the property for other Crews. Fortunately or unfortunately we were only gifted with seeing does, bucks, and lots of turkeys, partially due to the loudness of the Crew Leader.
Learning about the conservation of forests proved an interest for many of the scouts, but not as much as getting to make .30-06 bullets and being allowed to shoot our own rounds! Nor as much as 3D Archery and a Tomahawk throwing competition within the Crew. The Wilderness Pledge Guide, Will, reminded us to be clean Scouts in the outdoors and helped us follow the Outdoor Code on our journey. Our wonderful Chaplain’s Aid, Jay, brought our spirits when times were rough. The only notable lows of God’s beautiful Philmont Scout Ranch was the hail and heavy rains that fell as we made some of our longer distanced hikes. I personally enjoyed the rain during those hotter days, but no one else seemed to! No matter what this Crew was faced with, we prevailed, and ended the great trek by seeing the sunrise on the Tooth of Time. The greatest outdoor adventure has been completed by Crew 709-Quicktrip!
