I recently had the privilege to go on a Philmont trek with our local scout troop. It was a fantastic experience, and I learned a lot about myself, my crew, and my son who was in our crew.
About Philmont
Philmont is located in northern New Mexico, and is a high adventure camp.
Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America's largest national High Adventure Base. It covers 137,000 acres - about 214 square miles - of rugged mountain wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) range of the Rocky Mountains in northern New Mexico.
http://philmontscoutranch.org/About/Overview.aspx
They offer various types adventures throughout the year. The most common is the 12 day Trek, and within that there are 35 itineraries ranging from 56 to 104 miles in length.
About The Trek
Our itinerary covered 89 miles of backpacking through the mountains of New Mexico and is labeled “strenuous”. There were two mountain summits, the highest of which was 12,441 feet, and the highest campsite was at 11,100 feet. Coming from Colorado, the elevation wasn’t an issue; It was just like going to Keystone. However, since I don’t backpack as often as I’d like, and I’m not 18 any more, it was a challenging trek. Well worth it, but it was a challenge.
About Our Crew
Our crew consisted of three dads, and four sons. We were the only father / son crew that we came across. That added a level of awesomeness to the experience. I was excited (and terrified) to go hike 89 miles in 11 days, but even more excited to be able to have my son there to share it with. Our crew was strong, and full of lots of hiking, backpacking, and camping experience.
About This Series
This series will focus on teamwork, pushing your team to its limits and beyond to find out what you’re made of. One of the greatest experiences in life is to accomplish something difficult. Whether that is climbing a fourteener, starting a business, raising a family, or trying something new for the first time. It’s all about taking the challenge head on, and learning from the experience.