Philmont Training Center tips

[Lodge 489]

"To go on any trail at Philmont you will need to do the full Trek version of their physical."

 

While we were at PTC last year we were able to hike quite a few trails on the Philmont Trek side. There were no restrictions and no special physical was needed - just the standard PTC physical.

 

Now when I came to Philmont in the 70s as a Scout, and spent 12 days hiking all around the place (it was officially called Philmont Scout Ranch and Explorer Base back then) we all had to complete a more detailed physical for our trek and I'm sure that they require something similar to that now. But PTC doesn't require that in-depth of a physical for attending their regular classes.

 

Abreu, Uraca, TT Ridge were just some of the ones we went on. I was with my wife and 7-year old Wolf Scout for the week and they had a great time hiking all around on the Scout side of Philmont while I was in classes. You can actually get patches at PTC (in the handicraft building) for most all of the trails that they have designated hikes for, or you can go over to Tooth of Time Traders and get some others. On several of our hikes we were actually at times walking with Scouts that had just hit the trail from Base Camp.

 

Just go to the main office at PTC and ask them for the hiking sheets for all the trails. They will provide you with a one page description for each of the various hiking trails, including maps, etc. You can also ask some of the staffers (or the PTC Chaplain) for other hikes they might recommend on the Scout side of Philmont.

 

We are going back to PTC twice this coming summer (June & August) and are looking to take even more hikes on our Wednesday days off. We found out that you can actually drive to some of the main trek destinations on the Philmont side and then hike around from there so we're going to do that this year.

[emb021]

""To go on any trail at Philmont you will need to do the full Trek version of their physical."

 

"While we were at PTC last year we were able to hike quite a few trails on the Philmont Trek side. There were no restrictions and no special physical was needed - just the standard PTC physical."

 

While you just need a PTC physical, there ARE restrictions. When I was there in 08, they said I couldn't go on any of the trails. I took a look at my physical to determine that. Not sure if it was my weight or other factors.

 

 

 

[John-in-KC]

Lodge 489,

 

If the staff let you enter Philmont trek area as a PTC attendee, that is a substantial policy change.

 

As I recall, in 2008, Brian Gray (who was then still the PTC Director) at opening show, this was his one "Please don't" request of conferees and staff.

 

If a Scouter met trail qualifications, there were three (??) trails, including the Urraca, that were designated for PTC hiking.

 

I remember one attendee behind me, having done the conference only physical, being told he could not hike, he did not have the Philmont Trek physical.

 

I'll go to the FB pages on Philmont and ask...

[BDPT00]

John,

I don't think you and emb021 are on the same page. You are correct in your quoting of Brian. I think emb021 might just be talking about hiking on the non-PTC side of the road... not in the back-country (trek territory).

BDPT00

 

[John-in-KC]

Oops.

 

I wasn't responding to emb. I was responding to Lodge 489.

 

Of course, with the new standard national physical form, any over 40 like me has to get a Philmont spec exam, period.

 

I was also responding to the matter of the trails. Now, family members are a different story. Under escort of their staff, they get to do a lot of things. EagleSon did the Mountain Trek while I was at Philmont the first time. The second time I was there, in 2008, he was a camp staffer in our council; having done the "Ambassadors of Music" European tour as his HS graduation present, he wanted to work. Of course, our Council Camp Staff Scholarship program is a tremendous incentive

 

I tooled him and I a belt that summer.

 

I received an answer, by way of the PTC fan page at facebook:

 

John, there are a couple of reasons that PTC attendees are not allowed on the trek trails in the summer. Philmont backcountry training and heath and safety issues are big ones, but one of the most important is to keep the "wilderness" special for the Scouts on the trail. If a bunch of adult day hikers are in the way (and sucking all of the oxygen out of the air!) it can ruin the experience for Scouts.

 

If you want to experience the Philmont trails via PTC - attend one of the September conferences! Autumn Adventure and Kanik are also options if you do not have two weeks for a trek.(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[John-in-KC]

I'll agree, Lodge 489, that Urraca, and Lover's Leap are authorized trails for PTC attendees.

 

I just got another message from the PTC fan page on FB. The groups which can go to the backcountry in Philmont vans do so from the specific content of their conference. It's not a general feature offered to all conferences; it seems to support a training need.

[emb021]

"I think emb021 might just be talking about hiking on the non-PTC side of the road... not in the back-country (trek territory)."

 

Correct. Was not speaking of PTC participants hiking in 'trek territory'. There are a few trails available for PTC participants (Urracca trail and a couple of others). You need permission. They took a look at my PTC physical form and told me no. Not sure what factors, but there were 2 or 3 (or combo) that did it.