Second Philmont Shakedown -- a gorgeous weekend for being outside
The guys going to BSA high adventure camps (Philmont, Northern Tier, and Sea Base) need to prepare for those excursions with additional trips beyond the troop's standard monthly outings.
This past weekend the Philmont crew (+2) did their first 2 night backpacking trip together. The scouts in attendance were Braden, Charlie, Felix, Ian F., James R., Jason, Kai, Manuel, Mario, Matthew H., and Nino. And Mr. Harrington, Mr. Salt, and I did our best to keep up with the sprightly youth.
At Philmont, the crew will be be backpacking for 5 nights. So being able to keep gear organized & in good condition after repeatedly unpacking/repacking is critical--which is why the last 2 shakedowns were both planned for 2 nights each.
This weekend we went to Duncan Knob Hollow in George Washington National Forest--the same area as the full troop trip from December. But in December, we camped at the foot of the big climb. On Saturday night, we camped 1K feet higher with a great view of Shenandoah National Park to the east.
On Friday night, after coming down for hours, the rain stopped 10 minutes before we reached the trailhead. We could hardly believe our good fortune. We left the cars ~9 PM and walked quickly to our campsite (only a few hundred yards away) to get setup before the rain returned. Mission accomplished--tents pitched, bear bags hung, and all in tents ~10:30 PM. And as a bonus, the rain stayed away the rest of the weekend.
Saturday morning we ate breakfast, packed-up, and were on the trail a little after 9AM. We awoke to perfect hiking weather--clear, blue skies and midday temps in the 50's. The river crossings we remembered from December were a bit more exciting after the recent precipitation. We all opted for walking through the water (instead of over) for some of them. And several of us switched to sandals for most of the crossings.
The final climb to Saturday night's camp was a thousand feet up and only a half mile in distance. With full packs (including a re-stock on water for the dry camp above), there was a distinct lack of conversation for a while.
The campsite on the ridge was beautiful--views to both the east and west and lots of flat ground for tents. Our second camp setup was faster than the night before. Then afternoon activities included a side hike to the top of Duncan Knob and boy-led meeting to rank itineraries for Philmont (we submit our choices tomorrow).
Sunday's hike out was straight-forward. We were back in McLean by 1:30PM.
The only thing we need to alter on the next shakedown is mileage. Most Philmont days will be 7+ miles (at altitude). We did a little under 4 miles on Saturday (and we retraced steps on Sunday).
Looking back on the trip, it's easy to see how much these guys have improved after monthly hikes and several backpacking outings. And they are coming together as a crew--as evidenced by their meeting to prioritize itineraries. We'll be in New Mexico in less than 3 months--the plan is coming together.
-Mike