Trail day 10


Monday, July 27th, 2009

Miranda to Flume Canyon

GPS stats: Mileage: 11.69 mi

Today we got a late start on the trail. We had to learn about Burros and how to take care of them and pack them correctly. We got two of them, one was white 71. We named him Samson and then later changed it to Zeus because he was so big. The other one was Blue 45 aka Cracker. He was pretty small and cute.

We hike to Flume Canyon tonight. We are about 6 miles away from Miranda. I led Zeus most of the way until he kept trying to eat my pack and tent. Then I handed him over to someone else. The burros were both pretty well behaved and good walkers, they weren’t awfully slow.

We stopped at Pueblano for spar pole climbing. We signed up for a 4:00 time slot. We hiked on to Flume where we set up camp and ate supper early. Dad and I stayed back to do dishes and hang to bear bags. We got to Pueblano in time to see our crew climb. Archey (a staff member) challenged us to switch gear from one person to another under 45 sec. We tried and tried and finally got it at 37 sec. We got a bag of chips out if it. The Pueblano campfire was great! By far my favorite campfire ever. DJ filled 21 minutes on my memory card and filled his too. We stayed long after campfire talking to the staff. One guy built a banjo for $100. It was great. DJ got a picture of it.

We got back to Flume by 11:30

Thorn: Zeus was being stubborn sometimes.

Rose: Pueblano campfire and staff

Bud: Root beer at Ponil

Trail day 9


Sunday, July 26th, 2009

Layover day in Miranda, Hiking Baldy

GPS stats: Mileage: 15.79 mi

Elevation: 12,441 ft

Speed: unrecorded

Baldy was amazing! It was so windy and cold it made me feel like a real mountaineer. I tried to call Sev twice but he didn’t answer. I called mom and Remington. Dad tiered up when he talked to mom. Dad, DJ, Tiff and I all walked hand in hand to the top. Julie has a video of it. I got two rocks from Baldy; DJ got me one on the way down to French Henry and DJ got himself one of the top of Baldy that is the size of his boot. And I got three from gold panning.

Thorn: none

Rose: Finally seeing/ getting to the top of Baldy.

Bud: Getting closer to base camp

Trail day 8


Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Santa Clause to Miranda (day 1)

GPS stats: Mileage: 9.6 mi

Elevation: 8 800 ft

Speed: 3.2 mi/hr

Today we’re at Miranda. This camp is beautiful. You’re hiking along the trail when you come to a vast meadow, there are white pines lining all sides of this camp and over the tops of the trees you can see the reddish mountain top that gave Baldy it’s names. It is absolutely gorgeous.

We’ll be here for two days and tomorrow we hike Baldy. I’ve waited two years to summit Baldy, so I can’t wait. We’ll be on the trail before day break. It should be exciting! Baldy is 12,441 ft in elevation, that’s 11,700 or more feet about Lewistown.

We shot muzzle loader today. That was fun. I really like Miranda so far and the staff has been great.

Thorn: None

Rose: Shooting muzzle loader

Bud: Summiting Baldy.

Trail day 7


Friday, July 24th, 2009

Vista Grande to Santa Clause

GPS stats: Mileage: 7.91 mi

Elevation: about 8000ft

Speed: about 2.8 mi/hour

Today we went from Vista Grande to Santa Clause. Not much to say about today. Santa Clause was a staff camp at some point, there’s an abandoned cabin here. I finally figured out black magic! It is so obvious, I’m going to teach it to Seven Mountains Staff when I get home. We played black magic with B2 tonight, only Bill and Colton figured it out.

Thorn: More blisters

Rose: Spending time with B2 ( we’ve been so busy hiking we haven’t spent much time with our sister crew)

Bud: Seeing Baldy and having a layover day in Miranda.

Trail day 6


Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Harlan to Vista Grande via Devils Washbasin

GPS stats: Mileage: 10.3 mi

Elevation: roughly 7500ft

Speed: slow

Went from Harlan to Vista Grande. Stopped at Devil’s Washbasin for conservation. For our conservation we helped build a trail from Devil’s Washbasin to Deer Lake camp. DJ pulled out some HUGE rocks. There was a staff member there (Dan) that reminded me a lot of Severin. After conservation we ate lunch on the top of the mesa, which ended up being a very bad decision. On our way down Deer Lake Mesa it started hailing again. A lightning bolt hit not more than 10-15 feet away from us! No lie. Pretty sure my hart skipped quite a few beats. The hail hurt so badly. It covered the hills of the Mesa it looked like snow.

Thorns: Feeling too worn down. Not having enough energy and getting 3 blisters due to having a great lake in my boot after the hail storm.

Roses: Puddle jumping. And being able to see Baldy from Deer Lake Mesa.

Buds: Getting one day closer to Baldy

Trail day 5


Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Clarks Fork to Harlan via Ute Gultch and Window/Cathedral Rock

GPS stats: Mileage: 12 miles

Elevation: 7500

Speed: 2.7 miles/hour

Today we hiked from Clark’s Fork to Harlan and stopped at Ute Gultch to pick up food. We had lunch at Ute Gultch witch was probably the best decision because the trail to Harlan was so bare. There was no tree cover at all. DJ got majorly dehydrated on the way to Harlan and we had to lighten his pack. But he’s doing fine now.

I’m slowly starting to miss home but I know once I leave here I’ll miss Philmont even more.

Thorn: Bad headache after getting into camp

Rose: Beautiful day rain held off until we get to camp and set up camp

Bud: Getting closer to Baldy

The view from Window Rock.

Ute Gulch Commissary

Trail day 4


Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Miner’s Park-Clarks Fork via Tooth of Time Ridge

GPS stats: Mileage: about 15 mi

Elevation:

Speed: 3.1 mi/hour<-- Amazing speed!

Today was a great day! We got up at 4, tore down camp pretty fast and nicely. We were at Shaffer’s Pass by 8 and on top of the Tooth by 10. We had a 15 mile day! And we were in camp before 2. This is incredible time.

The view from the Tooth was just as I remembered it to be. We’re camping at Clark’s Fork tonight and we had a chuckwagon dinner. The chuckwagon dinner was beef stew and biscuits and peach cobbler for dessert. It was the closest thing to real food since we hit the trail.

I finally saw a mini bear! I was beginning to think they were extinct.

I’m ready for bed. 15 miles in 9 hours is so exhausting.

I broke my sporkniff in half tonight, I went to put it in my squishy bowl and it broke. Dad duct taped it back together for me. I’ll but a new one tomorrow.

We’re headed to Harlan tomorrow and pick up food at Ute Gultch Commissary. We are planning to stop by Window and Cathedral rocks. I think it’s going to be a good day tomorrow.

They sang Wagon Wheel at the campfire tonight. It was a great staff camp. I have to write some post cards tomorrow.



Thorn: feeling a bit dehydrated going over the Tooth and having sucky chlorine water mixed with Gatorade.

Rose: Seeing the views from the Tooth of Time and seeing a mini bear!

Bud: Window Rock and seeing parts of Philmont that I haven’t seen yet. (I’ve seen everywhere until this point)

The Tooth of Time from Base Camp. The Tooth was the icon of the west when it was being settled. It symbolized that people were getting close to Santa Fe, Arizona.

Julie is holding a white bull. The white bull was given to female participants until the 80s when it was discontinued. Females that completed their trek were to wear the tail of the bull over their shoulder on a jacket or vest.