Philmont hazards?

[kmgfineart]

My 14 year old is going to Philmont for the first time and I am getting a bit worried, after reading about all the hazards that are present there. Plus the fires. I understand that after the first few days your trail guide takes off, leaving you alone in the wilderness with your itinerary. The scoutmaster hasn't been able to get any infor from the Ranch about their trek due to so many of the trails being closed. Should I postpone this trip until a better time? I am very concerned, after reading about the fires, tornadoes, flashfloods and other hazards they can encounter out there. Plus I understand that the trails are very mountainous and dangerous. I'm ready to tell my son he can't go, after paying all that money for the trek up front. I don't care. I'd rather be out the money than put my son's life at rissk.

 

Any advice would be greatly welcome!!

 

KG

[Double Eagle]

GO!!! Having been there twice, once as a 14yr old. I think I can tell you that as a scout this will be an adventure of a lifetime. The fires closed some of the north area for a while but itineraries have been changed and safety is ever present. The hazards are nothing that the average camp cannot experience. The ranger doesn't abandon you. There is a lot of coaching and guiding in those days that he shares with the crew. Once the ranger leaves, the crew will be successful and will bond even more. It is the ideal place to live the outdoor portion of scouting. The scout will grow as big as a mountain and burst at the seams with stories. Let him go.

 

Parents have the hardest time at Philmont. Or should I say not at Philmont. Although a big trip for a young guy, parents will worry and try every way to contact junior on the trail. He will be in good hands. The staff is excellent and well trained. Support and have faith in your scout. He will be a little different when he returns. More confident and have the magic of scouting flowing. It may be hard to make him talk about anything else.

 

I took a troop of 20 to Switzerland to the Kandersteg International Scout Center and had scouts younger than yours go. This required several train changes (2 minutes to get all scouts and equipment on). Money exchanges, borders, and then transportation home. Many of the parents were worried, but the meetings before helped prepare them and the scouts with what to expect. We go again in Jan 03.

 

For more info on the current Philmont trail talk and info go to www.philmont.com and check out the site. Daily updates on treks, advice, and equipment.

 

 

[eisely]

Having taken two Philmont treks, and having just returned Thursday evening from my second, I can tell you that Philmont provides the safest environment for backpacking that I have ever seen. Of course there are hazards, just as there are hazards in every day life. Philmont provides challenges, but these challenges are tailored to the abilities of boys. There is no challenge that cannot be overcome there.

 

It is true that Philmont cannot provide much in the way of additional information until you get there. We were scheduled for a trek in what became the fire area for the Ponil Complex Fire. When we got there we got most of our original itinerary and more. The ability of the Philmont organization to adapt to changing situations is amazing. Few businesses or organizations with which I have been involved could have responded to the situation the Philmont staff faced.

 

Let's talk about the hazards.

 

The base camp is over 6000 ft above sea level. It is entirely likely that your son, like many people, will experience some symptoms of altitude sickness early in his stay at Philmont. The most likely symptoms are headache and/or nausea. We had a fourteen year old boy in our crew. He felt this way in base camp. Twenty four hours later we were on the trail at 7000 ft and he felt fine. If your son feels some of these symptoms, it is up to him to bring these to the attention of the adults in charge. While the highest elevation in Philmont is over 12,000 ft, you work into these higher elevations gradually. And, as Philmont people will tell you, drink more water.

 

Fires. I don't know if the drought is officially over, but we got rained on five days out of ten on the trail. Other than converting inches of dust into mud, we were not distracted from our goals or inhibited from enjoying ourselves. Philmont has a fire evacuation plan for every camp site, and is prepared to notify and evacuate campers on very short notice. This information is provided to trek leaders.

 

Tornadoes can happen anywhere in the US anytime, but the season is largely past. Tornadoes also are not a mountain phenomenon. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Flashfloods are a reality, but Philmont is adapting. The recent flash flood on July 14 on Ponil Creek was a direct result of the fire in June. We were in the area, but not affected. I was surprised to learn the next day that the staff at Ponil had been up in shifts all night on flash flood watch. While activities will still occur at Ponil, Philmont will not allow crews to stay there overnight because of concerns about flash flood potential. Our itinerary for the second day was changed to take this into account. What more can they do?

 

Bears. Bears are a hazard. Philmont places great emphasis on counter measures and indoctrinates all visitors heavily. If your son listens to what he is told, and your son's crew adheres to the methods and measures prescribed, he should have no problem. We had a bear in our camp on our third night, but he did no harm because we were smart.

 

Some trails are rough and difficult. Most of these trails have been used for decades and it shows. Wearing proper boots, not running, taking shorter steps up and down steep grades, are all things one can do to travel these trails safely. I am 61 years old with a bad foot and arthritis. If I can handle it, a fit fourteen year old can handle it. I do suggest taking along a hiking stick or trekking pole. If you do not have time to get a trekking pole, they sell them in the trading post at Philmont. These are very valuable for difficult terrain.

 

One thing that has improved since I was last there is trail signage and the maps. It is very difficult to get lost at Philmont.

 

In closing, you are never that far from help at Philmont. The presence of numerous staffed camps in the back country is one of the things that makes it so safe. Any other place in the US, if you take a 10 day trek, you may be lucky if you have a ranger to file your plan with. They won't start looking for you until day 11 at the earliest. At Philmont you have a planned itinerary that will take you to many staffed camps. If you do not show up as scheduled they will start a search. All Philmont staff are trained in search and rescue.

 

The only variable Philmont cannot influence is the quality of the crew leadership and the adult crew advisors. If you are confident in the abilities of the adults going on the trek, there is no reason to hold back. It can't get any safer.

 

It is very difficult for Philmont to respond to inquiries from crews scheduled to arrive. They receive about 25 crews each day, and have them on the trail by the end of the next day. They are shifting arriving crews back into some of the previously closed fire areas, based on safety and water availability. In fact it is probably safer in the fire area since so much of the fuel has already been burned. We did not know our itinerary until we showed up, and we did great.

 

Do not hold your son back. This will be the experience of a lifetime for him. I understand parental anxiety, but your son will never backpack in a safer environment.

 

 

[Mike Long]

Your concern for your son is admirable but you are overreacting in a major way.

 

Your son is at more risk taking a stroll to the corner store than by taking a trek at Philmont. His Scout training should have prepared him for any situation that presents itself at Philmont or anywhere else. You need to put some faith in his abilites and those of his leaders and the Philmont staff. After all, they have been doing this for quite a while now and have the single best record of any outdoors youth activity camp.

 

Let him go.

[bt01]

Have your son go!! He will have a safe and wonderful adventure at Philmont. Hazards???? There might be more hazards in Central Park in New York City.

[Bob White]

Philmont is a high adventure base, and high adventure comes with risk. In fact all scouting comes with risk. We play with fire, sharp tools, water activities, snow sports, cave exploration, rock climbing and rappelling, among other potentially hazardous activities.

 

However in scouting all these activities are preceeded by training. Your son has hopefully been training for his Philmont experience along with the other members of his crew. The Ranger staff at philmont will help to prepare him further for his trek.

 

The other posters are right, trust in your son's abilities to do what is required of him, and trust in the programs ability to develop and train scouts. Your son is going to have a great experience and so will you.

 

Bob White

[kmgfineart]

Well, we shipped him off on Amtrak to the Ranch this afternoon! There were about fifty scouts total from several different troops on the same train. They're going to have a good time!

 

I really appreciate your support and I am confident that he will be able to deal with most of whatever comes his way. His scoutmaster and the assistant have both been there before, and I bought him some new liner socks and an extra water bottle. So he's set with equipment, and he has a good attitude.

 

I'll keep you posted if I hear anything! But I don't expect to get a call for two weeks.

 

Thanks,

 

Kathy

[eisely]

Katy,

 

You will be glad he went. He will return home somewhat less a boy and somewhat more a man.

[dbraxtonw]

Others have expressed very well what I would have said, had I seen your post prior to your son's departure. Now that he is on his way, rest assured that the entire Philmont staff is rigorously trained regarding safety.

 

I have been to Philmont twice myself and I found the entire staff to be very conscious of safety issues both times.

 

One young adult who was with one of the trail crews in the expedition that I coordinated two years ago stayed on as staff for the remainder of the summer. His primary assignment was working the overnight shift as the basecamp radio operator, coordinating emergency needs of backcountry camps, arranging for internal and external response as necessary.

 

Two Scouts who were a part of that trip returned to Philmont last year for the Rayado program; one of those is working at Philmont this year at Apache Springs camp. I have received brief email messages from him on the rare occasions that he has been back to base camp, including his comments about his involvement in emergency responses.

 

Through my personal experiences, my contact with staff and my contact with other participants, I have high confidence that everyone in the Philmont operation is committed to preventing accidents and extremely well prepared to respond to any illnesses or injuries that may occur.

 

I am looking forward to accompanying my daughter on a coed Venturing Crew trek next summer.

[kmgfineart]

Just got a call from my son saying that he climbed up and down Baldy, got back to base camp, and that, in spite of some blisters on the toes of one foot, he had a great time and would go back again. I appreciate all your support and help during his trip!

 

Kathy G