Scout Troop 94

Philmont Trek 2013
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This page will be used to provide information for Scout Troop 94's 2013 trek to the Philmont Scout Ranch.

Current News and Announcements

INFORMATION FOR PHILMONT 2013
UPDATED on 16 June 2013.
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR THIS WEEK!!!

WHITES PEAK FIRE THREAT
As you may have heard, a lightning-induced fire is located just south of the Philmont Scout Ranch. For safety, the southernmost sector of Philmont has been evacuated and many of the itineraries hiking through the southern part of the ranch have been reworked to the northern portion of the ranch. Crew 2's itinerary (#10) should be unaffected as it is completely in the northern portion of the ranch. Crew 1's itinerary (#24) starts in the portion of the ranch that is currently evacuated due to the fire. I DO NOT KNOW if this restriction will persist through our arrival. Get the latest information directly from Philmont here. I have full confidence in the Philmont Scout Ranch to make appropriate decisions that will keep all participants safe and provide the best experience possible considering the current unavoidable natural circumstances.

STOVE AND EMPTY REFILLABLE FUEL BOTTLE COLLECTION ON MONDAY, 17 JUNE With less than two weeks until our Philmont expedition, we now need to collect all stoves and empty fuel bottles required for use during our trip.
  • If your stove is fueled by disposable canister, bring the stove but NOT fuel canisters - we will purchase those in NM.
  • If your stove is fueled by "white fuel," bring the stove and the empty, washed, dried, bottle - we will purchase "white fuel" in NM.
I will collect stoves on Monday and package, box, ship them to Philmont in plenty of time to be received by us once we get there.
NOTE: The TSA prohibits any fuels or flammable liquids in carry-on or checked baggage. This not only includes stove canisters, but also torch lighters. "Strike anywhere" matches are also on the prohibited list. Camp stoves are allowed, but only if they are completely free of fuel vapors and residues. Philmont recommends avoiding any risk of confiscation and ship the whole lot of stuff via postal.

CREW 1 COORDINATION MEETING ON MONDAY NIGHT
Crew 1 (701-P-01 on Itinerary 24) will meet on Monday, 17 June at 6:45pm to coordinate equipment needed, who's bringing what, tenting assignments, and youth leadership roles (Crew Lead, Leave No Trace Guia, Chaplain's Aide).

FINAL MEETING ON MONDAY, 24 JUNE Our final prep meeting will be on Monday, 24 June at 6:45 at Toney UMC. We will distribute our expedition t-shirts, neckerchiefs, pack covers for baggage check, packing lists, final agenda and schedule, etc. We will collect from you all release forms, signatures, medical forms, payment for extra t-shirts, baggage check fees, etc. PLEASE have your medical form complete and ready to turn in by this meeting!!! This meeting is being held a full five days in advance of our departure to ensure enough time to correct problems should someone need to order something or fix a problem.
Troop 94 has been confirmed for an expedition to the Philmont Scout Ranch in July 2013!

We will be participating in the popular 12 day trek program. Please get informed on our trip by reading the information in this table and at the Philmont Scout Ranch website.
The information discussed at the most recent Parent/Participant meeting held on 17 Dec. can be downloaded in Adobe Reader (.pdf) format here.
BASIC PHILMONT INFORMATION:
A wealth of information about the Philmont Scout Ranch is available from their website, and particular to our expedition, the camping portion.
Required reading for all participants is the Philmont "Guidebook to Adventure."
Even more information on planning an expedition is found in the Philmont "Council and Unit Planning Guide."
This year is Philmont's 75th Diamond Anniversary! If you want to begin shopping for souvenirs or keepsakes, try this Tooth of Time Traders website.
CREW SIZE:
We are currently set to take 21 participants: 7 adults (defined as 21 years or older) and 14 youth.
We will divide this group into two crews, one of 10 persons, one of 11. Adults will be split among the crews.
Philmont requires each crew to have at least one adult trained in Wilderness First Aid and CPR. I recommend ALL adults on the expedition strive to get these certifications.
COST:
We now have all the quotes necessary to compile the final cost of the trip. The cost breakdown is as follows:
  • $770 - Fee to Philmont Scout Ranch.
  • $411 - American Airlines round trip ticket HSV-ABQ, ABQ-HSV (see schedule below in Logistics).
  • $255 - "No Frills" Package from Blue Sky Adventures.
  • $64 - Other costs including possibly tee-shirt, extra crew supplies, incidentals, contingency, etc.
  • TOTAL COST = $1500
PAYMENTS:
We have tallied up fundraiser contributions and now have a final payoff amount for each Philmont participant. See ASM Beeson or email ASM Keys if you need to know your payoff amount. All final payments should be submitted by 20 May to ensure our ability to finish purchasing airline tickets and to have a contingency fund available as needed.
PHILMONT HEALTH AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Do not wait to get your medical form completed. They are good for twelve months and should be done as soon as possible. Refer to this page for the physical health and medical requirements for all Philmont participants - including height and weight charts. You will need to complete Parts A, B, C, and D prior to departing for Philmont.
Download the BSA Annual Health and Medical Record Form
  • Parts A, B, C here
  • Part D here
  • ...and if applicable, an Immunization Exemption Request Form here.
LOGISTICS:

30 June 2013: The actual trip will begin VERY early that Sunday morning. We will meet at Huntsville International Airport in the ticketing area at 5:15am on Sunday, 30 June 2013. The schedule for airline transportation is as follows:
  • AA1599 30JUN Huntsville to DFW 645A to 845A
  • AA1099 30JUN DFW to Albuquerque 1030A to 1115A
  • AA644 13JUL Albuquerque to DFW 1200P to 245P
  • AA2208 13JUL DFW to Hunstville 415P to 600P
Once we arrive in Albuquerque, NM, we will use the transportation services of Blue Sky Adventures and their "No Frills" package to get from the airport to the Marriott Pyramid for one evening. Occupancy is four per room for youth, two per room for adults.
Additional information from Blue Sky Adventures on trip preparation is here.

01 July 2013: Blue Sky Adventures will transport us from Albuquerque, NM to Cimarron, NM and the Philmont Scout Ranch. Our expedition begins at Philmont with lunch.

13 July 2013: Our expedition ends at Philmont early Saturday. Blue Sky Adventure will transport us from Philmont Scout Ranch to the Albuquerque airport. We should be back in Huntsville, AL by 6:00PM that evening.

14 July 2013: Madison county runs completely out of hot water and detergent.
HIKING ITINERARIES
We now have hiking assignments for our two crews! I fully expect each crew to come up with a creative name prior to our departure to Philmont.

CREW ONE: #701-P-01, Itinerary 24
CREW TWO: #701-P-02, Itinerary 10

Youth and adult participants should both study these maps and links to assist in deciding which crew to join.
BE WARNED - both itineraries include burro packing!
PHYSICAL CONDITIONING:
The Philmont trek will be a strenuous and physically demanding backpacking activity. The participants are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to implement some form of physical activity and conditioning prior to the trip. Participants will want to enjoy the trip. The best way to do that is to be physically prepared.
Some suggested activities and training schedule are located here.
CONTACT ASM Keys for additional information.

Scout Troop 94, Talakto District, Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America