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It’s not your grandmother’s cooking, but backcountry eats are pretty darn close. Backcountry cooks make the soul food that keeps staff thriving at Beaubien, Cimarroncito, Clark’s Fork and Ponil.

“It’s the quickest way to somebody’s happiness,” said Erich Schick, Head Cook at Ponil. “The PCs and everyone else are out

there working with Scouts, but I’m lucky because I’m literally working on something that is going to fuel someone. I take a lot of pride in that.”

But preparing food in the backcountry comes with a different set of challenges than cooking in a restaurant or kitchen at home. It can be more difficult to keep food fresh. Propane refrigerators and stoves can be finicky. Many spices, specialty fruits and vegetables aren’t available on commissary

orders. People often appear in camp without notice, bringing more mouths to feed.

“It makes you more creative. You have to work with what you’ve got,” Schick said. “It’s the wild west. Crazy stuff happens.

In large part, the cooks also enjoy a certain freedom to prepare whatever they like. They are the kings of their kitchens, and their reign is only limited by dietary restrictions and ingredient availability.

“There’s no set cookbook or recipes that we have to follow,” said Jack Sutter, an Assistant Cook at Clark’s Fork.

For each of the cooks, making food is something they’ve always enjoyed. Schick has spent years between cafes, bar kitchens and food trucks. In the fall, he works at an upscale restaurant near his home in Columbus, Ohio.

Jonathan Phipps, Assistant Cook at Beaubien, got his start cooking Continued on page 3

PhilNewsJuly 8th, 2016 issue Five

Alex Cenci/PhilNews

Cooking up a deliciously successful summerEleanor Hasenbeck Staff Writer

Brand new bright blue Nalgenes hung on silver carabiners off of backpacks. The water bottles swung side to side as the members of the Crew 623 M from Southern California slung on their heavy packs. This group of young Scouts set out, knowing nothing more about Philmont than what their Lead Advisor had told them. Lead by Former Ranger Dr. Stephen Evans, the troop has been preparing for over a year.

Anticipation was high as Crew 623 M-1 boarded the bus that would take them to the Lover’s Leap Turn Around. Ranger Joe Newhall gave an exhilarating bus tour pointing out popular Philmont attractions. After arriving at the turnaround, Newhall taught the boys how to make their pack line magically disappear and the basics of mapping and trail etiquette. The Scouts were lead by the qualified trifecta of Crew Leader Brendan Daly, Chaplain’s Aid Connor Tuschla, and Wilderness Pledge Guia Sam Evans.

Continued on page 9

The story of a crewSuzannah EvansStaff Writer

Ponil PCs Joe Duffield, left, and Emily Engelbrecht, right, share a moment with Ponil Head Cook Erich Schick as they help to prepare breakfast on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. “I came on two treks here, and I just fell in love with the place and I love to cook,” said Schick. “So it’s really a no-brainer, to come to some place I love to do what I love.”Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

PhilmontScoutRanch.orgFriday, July 8, 2016 | PhilNews2

Philmont Olympics Update

The Conservation Tetrathlon Events were held at Rocky Mountain Scout Camp and included Fuel Canister Sledge, UTM Signpost Installation, Rock Rolling and Work Crew Sprint. Scores and placement updates to come.

The next philmont Olympic event will be the Backcountry Triathalon. Events will include Mountain Biking, Tomahawk throwing and a timed wall traverse behind the SSSAC.

TeamsFor the purposes of this event,

all base camp departments and the PTC will be grouped together,

and the horse department will compete with the backcountry department. Each team will have a liaison that will be responsible for coordinating with Activities.

The four teams and their liaisons are:

• Backcountry and Horse Department-Jimmy Fritze (Backcountry Manager)

• Base Camp and PTC- Savannah Moore (Security)

• Conservation- Nathan Coney (ADC for Conservationists)

• Rangers- Will Suggs (Associate Chief Ranger)

If you want to represent your department in the Olympiad, contact your team Liaison.

Friday, 8 Saturday, 9 Sunday, 10 Monday, 11 Tuesday, 12 Wednesday, 13 Thursday, 14

Olympic Event

Taos Pueblo Pow Wow

5 p.m.PhilNews DeadlineTaos Pueblo Pow Wow

Brat Day!

Taos Pueblo Pow Wow

8 p.m. Dodgeball- Baldy PavillionPTC Western Night

9 a.m.- 5 p.m.Haircuts in SSSAC($15)

Taos Plaza Live8 p.m.Root beer floats-SSSAC Kitchen


5 p.m.PhilNews Deadline

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Olympic Event 7:30 p.m.Full Moon Williams Lake Hike8 p.m.Open Mic Night- Baldy Pavillion


Brat Day!

Taos Plaza Live


5:30 p.m.Philmont 5K- Front of SSSAC

Fiesta de Taos

Fiesta de Taos Fiesta de Taos Christmas in July PTC Western Night 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.Haircuts in SSSAC($15)

Movie Night

Taos Plaza Live

July 8-July 28

Philmont Olympics

Marketing ManagerBryan Hayek

NPS ManagerCassidy Johnson

PhilNews EditorHannah McCarthy

PhilNews WritersSuzannah Evans Eleanor Hasenbeck

Photography ManagerTyler Sanders

PhotographersDrew Castellaw Alex CenciSkyler Ballard Clay HelfrickGabriel ScarlettLex SeligMadelynne Scales

Photo Lab LeadSean McElligott

Photo Lab TechsNathaniel AronLiam Inbody

Lead Marketing SpecialistAlexander Bohlen

Marketing Media StaffThomas Officer

Lead VideographerKreable Young

VideographerClaire Ficke

News aNd Photo team

Submissions to the PhilNews are welcome any time!

If you would like a chance to contribute to the PhilNews,please send your articles, story ideas,and/

or creative writings to the PhilNews Editor at

[email protected].

Deadline: Saturdays @ 5p.m.

Submit your content for

Issue 6 by July 9

Taos Plaza Live A summer concert series,

unsurprisingly located in the Taos Plaza. Throughout the summer, there is a free concert every Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Alabama ShakesPlaying at Kit Carson Park in

Taos on August 6.Tickets: $60 in advance, $65 day of; Doors: 6:30 p.m.; Show: 7:30 p.m.

Taos Pueblo Pow WowIndian Country is made up

of many tribal nations, bands, villages, and pueblos, each with their own traditional tribal beliefs

and practices. A pow wow is the common fiber which draws Native American people together. It is a time for sharing with old friends and making new friends; a time for singing and dancing. It is a time for trading; trading craft goods and trading songs.

Fiesta de TaosAs they have for centuries, the

good people of Taos celebrate the Feast of St. Anne and St. James. The annual event, popularly referred to as “The Taos Fiestas,” allows the local population to put aside their labor for two days and bask in the leisure of the holy days.

Activities Staff

Event DescriptionsActivities Staff

PhilmontScoutRanch.org PhilmontScoutRanch.org Friday, July 8, 2016 PhilNews | 3


Olympic Event

Taos Pueblo Pow Wow

5 p.m.PhilNews DeadlineTaos Pueblo Pow Wow

Brat Day!

Taos Pueblo Pow Wow

8 p.m. Dodgeball- Baldy PavillionPTC Western Night


Taos Plaza Live8 p.m.Root beer floats-SSSAC Kitchen


5 p.m.PhilNews Deadline

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Olympic Event 7:30 p.m.Full Moon Williams Lake Hike8 p.m.Open Mic Night- Baldy Pavillion


Brat Day!

Taos Plaza Live


5:30 p.m.Philmont 5K- Front of SSSAC

Fiesta de Taos

Fiesta de Taos Fiesta de Taos Christmas in July PTC Western Night 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.Haircuts in SSSAC($15)

Movie Night

Taos Plaza Live

Philmont OlympicsSummer Chapel services every

night7 p.m.

Held at Camping

Headquarters, the

following services are

offered:

Jewish, Catholic,

Protestant, and Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints.

for his family at large reunions. Sutter learned to prepare meals as he cooked for himself while his parents were away.

Their hard work in the kitchen comes from a love for the job, the people and the place.

“It’s really a no brainer,” Schick said. “Come to a place I love to do what I love. It’s like a vacation.”

Phipps preferenced Backcountry

Cook as his fifth choice on his Seasonal Staff Application-- unsure of where he’d like to work, he added two more positions beneath the three blanks included on the application. As a first year staff member, now there’s no place he’d rather be.

“I get to make good food for great people,” Phipps said.

Continued from page one: Cooking up a deliciously successful summer

Backcountry staff prepare jambalaya and croutons out of left over hot dog buns. Clarks Fork Cook Jack Sutter said one of the challenges of being a Backcountry Cook is figuring out how to repurpose leftovers. Drew Castellaw/PhilNews

Ponil Head Cook Erich Schick prepares a french toast breakfast for the Ponil staff

on Wednesday morning, June15, 2016. Schick, who has been cooking since 2010,

is self-taught.Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

Clarks Fork Cook Jack Sutter lays out homemade croutons onto an oven sheet to bake for a few minutes on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at Clarks Fork. Drew Castellaw/PhilNews

Jonathan Phipps, Assistant Cook at Beaubien, rings the dinner bell Tuesday, June 21, 2016 on the front porch. After a few dings, Phipps screams out that it’s time for dinner. Madelynne Scales/PhilNews


Friday, July 8th

1-5 p.m. Check-in at the Philmont Training Center & Registration; Tent assignments will posted at the PTC & PSA Offices

2-5 p.m. Service Project: Amigo Boxes, Packaging & Distribution Preparation

5:30-6:30 p.m. Dinner at PTC Dining Hall

7 p.m. Chautauqua Performance, sponsored by the New Mexico Humanities Council, entitled “Ernie Pyle-Bringing the World to America’s Doorstep” performed by PSA Member, Baldwin Burr, PTC Assembly Hall

8:15 p.m. Music & Cracker Barrel, Murphy-Lynch Veranda at Philmont Training Center Dining Hall; PSA Members bring your instruments & playlist

Saturday, July 9th

7 a.m. Breakfast8 a.m. Meet at PTC Parking lot

for caravan to Ponil to visit new staff cabin & hike Hart Peak

9-11 a.m. possible Art Activity for PSAKids

11:30 a.m. Depart Ponil for PTC12-1 p.m. Lunch at PTC Dining

Hall1 p.m. Silent Auction Opens3-4 p.m. Annual Meeting5 p.m.Silent Auction Closes5:30-6:30 p.m. Dinner at PTC

Dining Hall6:30 p.m. Group Photo Villa

Lawn7:15 p.m. Silver Sage &

Distinguished Awards8:15 p.m. Tom Munch Concert,

Baldy Pavilion at SSSAC

Sunday, July 10th

7 a.m. Breakfast8 a.m. PSA Treks check-in at

CHQ Welcome Center8 -9 a.m. PSA Reunion attendees

move out PTC tents. Must be moved out by 9 a.m. to allow time for staff to prepare for Sunday check-in for PTC Participants

10 a.m.-12 p.m. PSA Reunion participants possible visit or schedule a tour the Chase Ranch, Villa Phimonte or Rayado

12 noon Departure

Philmont Staff Association 2016 Reunion Schedule of Events

Carrie AndersonConservation Department

“You’re spending your days off doing what?” was the overwhelming response to my choice to spend my weekend break volunteering for a ranger work day.

While it’s true that ranger work days do not have a reputation of being the most fun task the rangers take on, they are a vital part of getting things done on the Ranch. Besides this wasn’t just any workday I was spending two days at Crooked Creek helping out

the Cabin Restoration Crew with chinking and daubing.

I will admit I became a bit apprehensive when we loaded our truck up with about 16 bags of mortar and over 40 bags of soil and compost for their garden; I wondered if I’d actually be spending my work days hiking in materials.

With the threat of lightning upon us, the three Rangers, David, Cate, Sarah and myself departed the Buck Creek drop off (thanks for the ride unit 45!) and raced down the trail to camp.

I was delighted to learn the Cabin Restoration team had adequate supplies and the original plan for us stood!

After meeting the camp’s staff and the Cabin Restoration Crew, we were given a demonstration and began working. This experience was the embodiment of the Philmont staff’s mantra, “one Ranch one team.”

People from different Philmont departments, backgrounds, ages, leadership levels, all working together and putting in full effort because we knew it would

improve the place we all love. To say I had a new experience would be an understatement.

Not only did I learn new skills, such as debarking logs and daubing mortar in between the cracks of a log cabin; I experienced my first ranger work day and visited a camp to which I had never been. I drew water from a spring and carried it back to camp in a bucket, and of course met new friends.

Isn’t that why we all come to work here? To have new experience in the place that we love, to meet people with whom, though we just met, we already share a common thread? My ranger work day reminded me of all the opportunities we have as staff to leave our fingerprint on the Ranch, and it also gives us a chance to add to our list of adventures we accumulate throughout our time at Philmont.

I would like to thank Stuart and his entire Crooked Creek Staff, as well as Pete and the Cabin Restoration Crew for feeding and housing me!

Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

PSA Ranger work day

Katie GavinPhilmont Staff Association


Carrie AndersonConservation Department

Since the first gift of land and resources from Waite Phillips to the Boy Scouts of America in 1939, the number of participants trekking in the Philmont backcountry has increased from 196 to a peak visitation of 23, 325 in 2012.

All of those visitors experienced the beauty of the backcountry, pushed their comfort zones, made memories, and grew into leaders while hiking at Philmont and sleeping in established campsites and Leave No Trace (LNT) areas. Participants and staff alike have enjoyed the land to the fullest, but are we loving this land to death?

The increasing level of use in our campsites has manifested as a growing spider web of social trails, expanding zones of trampled vegetation, and rapidly filling latrines. Philmont recognizes the need to consider the impact of recreation on the land and is

taking steps to monitor, reduce, and prevent these impacts in the future.

The Philmont Campsite Assessment and Monitoring Project (CAMP) is how we measure campsites as they get beaten down throughout the course of the summer. We use the information collected to make decisions about the best allocation of our resources in the future.

The project goals are to compile photos of 36 individual research campsites throughout the summer, involve Philmont staff and participants in the data collection process, educate staff and participants about the importance of concentrated impact including LNT principles, and encourage staff and participants to become involved in efforts to conserve their favorite places.

The project itself is simple:

1. Hold up your camera or smartphone inside the red box on the CAMP sign posted within each campsite.

2. From the red box, point your camera out towards the campfire ring or program area.

3. Take a picture!

4. Take a picture of the sign describing the instructions to remind you what to do later when you return to cell phone reception or Wi-Fi.

5. Email your picture to [email protected] or upload your picture to Facebook or Instagram with the correct caption or hashtag, for example: @philmont.camp, #CarsonMeadows, Site 11, 6/27/2016.

By contributing your photos

to CAMP, we can gain a better understanding of how our campsites are used from June through August.

The decisions made will ensure

that Philmont stays wild and beautiful long into the future.

Philmont CAMP: Are we loving Philmont to death?

Camp Campsite #’s

Olympia Carson MeadowsLover’s LeapMiners ParkCathedral RockHunting LodgeBaldy Skyline Head of DeanAnasaziIndian WritingsSeally CanyonWhiteman Vega

3, 2, 11, 4, 113, 5, 1220, 2, 59, 6, 2 7, 5, 122, 3, 6 5, 8, 9 8, 9, 48, 10, 6By the Yurt By the Yurt

The camps and campsite numbers listed will be participating in the CAMP program.

It’s an elementary school playgoundWhere the jack rabbit walks tall And chases the fawns Around the grassy field.

But then...A quick turn.

The fawns realize they are greater In size and in number.

It isA chase reversed.

Meanwhile, the birds are up In the monkey-bar tree limbsMimicking. mockingIn their chit-chat above.

All along the mountain looms,An azure innocent, And watches the other children play.

A storm rolls over the horizon lineLike a whistle blown, And once againSilence falls on the schoolyard.

Life Play

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong. The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercise walking is best.” Working at Philmont provides many opportunities to exercise. In the July 4, 2016 issue of Time Magazine, an article by Alexandra Sifferlin outlined important new reasons to exercise:

1. It has mind-body benefits. People who start a routine of yoga

for exercise and stress relief often continue exercising with yoga to be more relaxed and more mindful.

2. It improves memory. A new study shows that a single session of exercise can improve memory retention in the hours that follow. It has also been found that exercising four hours after learning a task can help people remember that task over the long term.

3. It increases energy. Men who cycled for 20 minutes experience a 166% increase in self-reported energy levels, compare with a

15% increase when they sat and did nothing for the same amount of time. J.O. Connor wrote that “If people need a reason to work out, the energy boost is a worthwhile one.”

4. It may stave off depression. A study showed that women who meet the current guidelines for exercise (2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week) reported about 50% fewer depressive symptoms.

5. It can curb cravings. Exercise can be the key to keeping your appetite in check. A study found that people who exercised for 15 minutes after doing mental work – like the work we all do each day – ate 100 fewer calories than people who did mental work and then remained sedentary.

6. It reduces risk of serious cancers. A study showed that people who were more active had a 20% lower risk of certain serious cancers, including cancer of the esophagus, lung, kidney, stomach,

colorectal, and endometrium. This study was based on information about physical-activity levels of 1.4 million people over an 11 year period.

One of the points of the Trail of Courage program is to exercise, using a fitness program that matches your lifestyle and that may vary with the seasons of the year.

This summer is a great time to improve your level of exercise. Ask a friend or two to join you in this effort. Challenge yourself to do more. This can include activity in the backcountry, around basecamp, or in the Fitness Center at CHQ.

Thomas Jefferson also wrote, “Exercise and application produce order in our affairs, health of body, cheerfulness of mind, and these make us precious to our friends.”

Reasons to exerciseMark AndersonDirector of Program


Out of Eden Walk essay contest

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting has selected a winner and ten runners-up in its Out of Eden Walk essay contest. The winner will go on an all-expense paid hike in Central Asia later this year with journalist and National Geographic fellow Paul Salopek.

One member of every crew coming to Philmont this summer was eligible to enter the contest, which asked Scouts to use the principles of “slow journalism” to write about walking or hiking experiences.

“Slow journalism means taking the time to observe and record things we might otherwise miss because we’re moving too fast,” said Mark Schulte, the Pulitzer Center’s Education Director.

The concept of slow journalism

was born in a unique project called the “Out of Eden Walk,” a trek around the world on foot by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Salopek. Salopek began the 21,000-mile journey in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia in 2012, and is making his way eastward, following in the footsteps of our earliest ancestors who migrated out of Africa to populate the planet more than 50,000 years ago.

Over an estimated ten years, Salopek will be walking through the major stories of our day -- climate change, human migrations, water and food scarcity -- recording what he encounters in National Geographic magazine’s print publication and website.

Along with his partners at the Pulitzer Center, a nonprofit journalism organization based in Washington, DC, Salopek has called upon Philmont to join him

in practicing slow journalism. For the second year, Scouts are using blank pages in their Passport Journals to record what they observe along their hikes, sharing these journal entries periodically at their campfires.

This year, the Pulitzer Center sponsored the essay contest, which ran until June 1 and garnered dozens of entries. The winner will join Salopek on his walking route in Asia for a unique hiking experience along the Silk Road.

“We were excited to see so many strong essays,”said Schulte. “Selecting a winner was not easy and we’d like to thank everyone who submitted an entry.”

The ten runners-up will be featured in the PhilNews over the summer, and the winner will be announced in August. The runner-up essays can be read at pulitzercenter.org/philmont

Denali Spring SandersBremerton, WA

“I think the most important thing Salopek is doing is connecting with people. When he connects with native peoples, that’s when he gets the best stories. The way he actively takes time to talk to people, to observe, and to learn, adds something special to his writing and his experience.”

In Denali’s essay, “The Bigger Picture,” she reflects on the great beauty of the natural world she sees, hears and smells while hiking in Olympic National Park, west of Seattle. Read Denali’s essay at pulitzercenter.org/philmont

Jackson BlayTallahassee, FL

“The biggest lesson I learned from studying Mr. Salopek’s walk was that you can learn as much from a journey as you can from a destination.”

Jackson wrote about our urge to speed through our lives as quickly as possible, to beat a clock that can’t be beaten, and found that only by slowing down do we really appreciate “the intoxicating vastness of our world.” Read Jackson’s essay at pulitzercenter.org/philmont

This week’s runners-up

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting

A few more feet than usual pattered and played in the Small Fry Center last week. Families attending the Latter Day Saints Scouting Leadership Conference at the Philmont Training Center brought with them 45 small fries, children ranging in ages from two weeks to four years old. In a usual day, there are around 10 small fries altogether at PTC.

“You don’t get bored at all,” said Amanda Baima, Small Fry Director. “You’re always doing something.”

Children made crafts, colored, watched movies and played outside. Tyler Kendall, age 4, said his favorite activity was coloring on the Small Fry Center’s outdoor chalkboard. Isabelle Savage and Autumn Francis, both age 4, said they liked playing jail on the small, yellow jungle gym on the PTC playground.

Age specific programming like that of the PTC’s Small Fry Center allow entire families to enjoy the Philmont experience, as adult leaders learn skills to better themselves at Scouting conferences.

I entered Scouting as an adult while in graduate studies in theology when, in 1969, the Daniel Webster Council hired me to serve as a Provisional Scoutmaster at Camp Carpenter, New Hampshire. I returned on staff in that position every summer until my ordination in 1972 as a Roman Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.

I currently serve as the founding pastor of Our Lady of the Visitation Parish (1991) and as the Canonical Administrator of Mary of Nazareth Regional Catholic School (1994) in Darnestown, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. In 1981, I earned my doctorate from The School of Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America. I hold the rank of Associate Professor at Montgomery College in Maryland. I also have served for thirty-one years as a volunteer Police Chaplain and as a Police Academy Adjunct Instructor for city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies in the Washington, DC area. I was assigned to a post

9/11 recovery team with the Port Authority Police Department, and I was appointed Chaplain to the Joint Operations Command during the DC area sniper crisis in 2002.

I am registered currently through the National Council as a Member-at-Large on the Religious Relationships Committee. I have held several leadership positions on the District, Council, and Regional levels: Membership Chair, Camp Chaplain, and Regional Camp Inspector. I was an adult advisor on two crews hiking on the Lenhok’sin Trail; it is a high adventure program of the National Capital Area Council at the Goshen Scout Camps located in the mountains of Virginia’s Presidential Range. I was the founding Charter Executive of Venture Crew 2003. I have received the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver. I am a Vigil Honor Member of the Order of the Arrow.

I served for several years as the Boy Scout Chaplain of my Archdiocese. I served as a Scout Chaplain on the seasonal staff at Goshen Scout Camps from 1980 - 1987. An active member of the

Executive Board of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) since 1983, I have received the St. George and the Silver St. George Religious Emblems. I served on the 2005 Jamboree Staff as a Headquarters Scout Chaplain. I held the position of National Chaplain for the NCCS from 2007 – 2010; I presently serve as the Advisor to the NCCS Advisory Board. In October of 2012, I represented the United States and North America at the International Catholic Committee on Scouting Ecumenical Conference in Assisi, Italy. In April of this year, the Executive Committee of the NCCS presented me with the St. Barnabas Founders Award.

I came to Philmont Scout Ranch for the first time as a course participant in “Scouting in the Catholic Church” at the Philmont Training Center in 1977. I returned to serve as a Course Instructor in 1986, the Course Director in 1988, and the Course Advisor in 2004, 2005 and 2010. However, I am most proud to have been on the seasonal staff at Philmont Scout Ranch as a Scout Chaplain from 2004 until now.

Father Raymond FecteauCatholic Chaplain

Small Fries, big funEleanor HasenbeckStaff Writer

Malcolm Dibble plays with toys Thursday, June 28, 2016 at the small fry. On a regular day, the small fry has roughly 8-10 kids, but on this day during LDS week, the small fry was filled with about 40 kids. Madelynne Scales/PhilNews


THE PORCH RESTAURANT

DINNER

Thursday, Friday, Saturday 5pm-9pm

SUNDAY BRUNCH

10am-2pm

575-376-2228 Reservations Recommended

Cash or checks only.

Deer Lake Mesa may be one of the most overlooked scenic places on the Ranch. Despite hosting the trail camps of Devil’s Wash Basin, Lost Gap, Deer Lake Mesa Camp, and Deer Lake Camp, the mesa is often sadly passed over by staff either heading down to Turkey Creek from Harlan, or to Cimarroncito through Ute Gulch.

Admittedly, the route up isn’t exactly a pleasure hike: the road up from Harlan to Deer Lake Mesa is comparable to the road up to Wilson Mesa. The trail to Deer Lake from Ute Gulch is a longer but more enjoyable route.

Switchbacks take you up the side of the mesa until you reach the top, with a panorama stretching from the backside of Tooth Ridge all the way to Touch-Me-Not. From there the trail is relatively flat around the

side of the mesa heading to Deer Lake.

Soon, however, there will be a new means for getting from Harlan to the top of the mesa. A new trail is currently under construction!

Crews and rangers participating in conservation at Harlan have the pleasure of knowing they are saving future hikers the hot dusty climb up that road. But the trail isn’t quite finished yet. So don’t go up that way; it doesn’t connect anywhere.

The campsites at Deer Lake Camp border a large grassy meadow full of wildflowers. Looking west, the small lake reflects Cimarroncito Peak and Bear Mountain. Deer and cows wander through on a regular basis, as well as bears (one of which recently tore up a dining fly and a few packs; be forewarned). A steep Pilot to Bombardier trail near

Campsite 7 offers a spectacular aerial view of the meadow.

If you do make your way up the mesa, plan on bringing lots of water. Deer Lake is an ample supply, but even Micropur can’t take out the murk. However, there is also a well at Devil’s Washbasin in case you run out.

Whether you’re looking for a quiet place for some reflection (and/or a WP talk) or just enjoy exploring the beautiful places around the Ranch, Deer Lake Mesa would make a great stopping place on your next hike.

Jenny WashburneRanger Trainer

The Ranger Mile: Deer Lake Mesa

This week’s runners-up

Children made crafts, colored, watched movies and played outside. Tyler Kendall, age 4, said his favorite activity was coloring on the Small Fry Center’s outdoor chalkboard. Isabelle Savage and Autumn Francis, both age 4, said they liked playing jail on the small, yellow jungle gym on the PTC playground.

Age specific programming like that of the PTC’s Small Fry Center allow entire families to enjoy the Philmont experience, as adult leaders learn skills to better themselves at Scouting conferences.

Top: The meadow on Deer Lake Mesa in the morning Jenny Washburne/ Ranger Department

Bottom: An aerial view of Deer Lake from the Pilot to Bombardier trail Jenny Washburne/Ranger Department


Continued from page one: The story of a crew

Many people associate Philmont with the plethora of adventures available for youth, however, there is another realm of opportunities that exist for those in medical school.

Philmont’s full functioning Infirmary serves not only as a great resource for participants needing medical assistance; it also serves as a place for either first or fourth year University of Kansas medical students to continue their education.

“This is the best place to learn adolescent medicine. There’s no place else in the country that has this many adolescents coming through... it’s adolescent medicine at its best,” said Dr. Dan Miller, visiting Ophthalmologist and Pharmacist.

Miller, a Florida resident, is spending his seventh summer on the medical staff at Philmont. This year, Dr. Miller will be spending the entire summer at the Philmont Training Center, instead of the

usual one or two week rotation. This will help him to better accommodate to the needs of the entire community. Miller, who did his residency at the Cleveland Clinic, is passionate about the KU/Philmont arrangement. This arrangement has been in place for the last 58 years.

“The thing about this rotation for the medical students [is that] it just opens up so many opportunities

for them that they don’t get at a teaching hospital. There [would be] so many other people in front of them, interns and residents. They get more opportunities to make decisions. And their decision usually counts. They’re not turned loose. That’s important. They’re supervised,” said Miller.

Miller doesn’t just donate his services to Philmont during the summer. He also donated a Zeiss

Slit Lamp to aid in diagnosing eye injuries. The addition of this equipment will not only help those with eye injuries, but it offers a unique educational opportunity for the KU students. Not many students have the opportunity to use the instrument during their education.

The success of this program has inspired the creation of a similar one at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia.

“...We’re trying to do the same thing at the Summit because this has worked out so well for the University of Kansas,” said Miller.

The students participating are also satisfied.

“It’s a unique program, especially for medical students. We spend a lot of time in the hospitals and in the clinics and even nursing homes, but to be able to come out to a Ranch, out in the wide open spaces...to be able to help them and then get them back on the trail or help them get back home, it’s a really good experience,” said Tomica Blocker, a fourth year medical student who

is spending her first summer at Philmont.

Both Miller and Blocker commented on the ability the KU students have to gain a more hands-on training. Because there are no residents at Philmont, medical students have more of a chance at actually practicing care.

“We don’t get to make a lot of decisions in medical school, that’s more up to the resident. Here, there are no residents. So we are that level underneath the attending where we get to see the patient, we get to make decisions about the patient and we get to administer treatment to the patient,” said Blocker.

Though the medical students work hard, they also get to take in all that Philmont has to offer.

“I’m pretty excited about my days off that are coming up, because we don’t get to do a lot in medical school [other than study]...I’m going to do as much as I can while I am here and not at work,” said Blocker.

The Philmont Infirmary: A new vision in medicineSuzannah Evans Staff Writer

Dr. Dan Miller checks a staff member’s eyes with a Zeiss Slit Lamp. The lamp was donated by Miller to Philmont this year. Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

Logan Shetlar answers a call to the Infirmary as other staff members work to answer a radio call. Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

University of Kansas students listen to a quick lecture given by KU Medical Professor Brad Barth on Thursday, June 30, 2016 in the Infirmary. Barth is working as a visiting Physician for the next two weeks, and in his free time he gives lectures to his students. Skyler Ballard/PhilNews


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Daly, though a first timer at Philmont, kept control of his crew.

“Hey guys, listen up!” said Daly. He exuded confidence in his

role, keeping his Crew on task and making sure they listened attentively to their Ranger. When Daly found out he was going to be Crew Leader, he was excited and “thinking of advancing.”

After Newhall’s Turnaround Talk, the Crew and their four advisors made their way to Lover’s Leap. Here Crew 623-M took in their first PhilViews, gazing out over the prairies and forests that so many consider a home away from home.

It was on this rocky precipice that Crew 623 M-1 made their first call out to their Sister Crew, 623 M-2. In an air of friendly boyish competition, M-1’s cries of “Who is faster, stronger, meaner, leaner, better, M-1!” echoed against Window Rock and the Tooth of Time.

Shortly thereafter Crew M-1 hiked on. Dr. Evans encouraged the crew to start each hike with one of his favorite Wayne’s World quotes, “Party on Wayne,” to which the crew responded, “Party on Garth.”

As the Crew arrived at Lover’s Leap trail camp, Newhall taught the Scouts about how to select a campsite.

“[You want to pick] a campsite

toward the middle of the [trail camp]... that way any crews coming in later can [set up camp on the perimeter],” said Newhall.

Newhall let the Scouts pick the site that they thought would be most convenient for their early hike the next morning to Crater Lake.

Having the Crew gather all of the smellables that they didn’t need, the Ranger taught the boys how to both properly tie and hang a bear bag.

“We want to keep the rope off the bark as much as possible,” said Newhall as he demonstrated Leave No Trace tactics by placing

small sticks and twigs between the bear rope and tree.

Newhall added a bit of flare to the bear procedure as he tied the slack line off.

“I like to use the daisy chain [knot], it just looks cool,” said Newhall.

Newhall then had the Scouts try their hand at tying anyone of the three bear ropes. The Crew was eager.

“Let me try! I’m never good with knots...maybe this will be my turning point!” said Tuschla.

After getting the bear bag up, Newhall instructed the Crew in Philmont First Aid tactics. The

Scouts asked lots of “what if” questions. Newhall reassured his Crew that if they followed basic procedures, they shouldn’t have to deal with too many crazy scenarios.

As the sun began to set, Newhall showed the Crew how to cook a trail meal. After the last bits of alfredo had been consumed, the group learned how to properly use a sump.

Minutes later, 623 M-2 came over for a quick evening visit. During this time, both crews, who are Catholic, joined each other around the campfire for a Rosary.

After the sister crew left, Chaplain’s Aid Tuschla led the group in Roses, Thorns, and Buds.

“OK, guys, so a rose is something that went well today, a thorn is something that could have gone better, and a bud is something you’re looking forward to,” said Tuschla.

After expressing their struggles and hopes for the next day, the crews headed off to their tents.

The Crew awoke early the next morning to set out on the next part of their journey.

After eating hot breakfast burritos, 623 M-1 headed up the trail to Crater Lake, stopping to smell the pungent Ponderosas along the way.

Once at Crater Lake, they eagerly scrambled up the spar

poles. Every Scout and Advisor made it up at least once.

Advisor Gilbert Leon was rather impressed.

“I’ve been in the Utility Business [for a long time]... climbing poles isn’t the easiest thing to do,” said Leon.

Gathering for lunch at Crater Lake’s scenic campfire bowl, the Boys munched on beef jerky and Honey Stinger Bars while Newhall talked about Philmont’s Leave No Trace initiative.

“[LNT] helps in keeping the environment looking as cool as it does,” said Newhall.

After going through the seven step process, the Scouts talked about ways that they could keep Philmont looking the way it does. Many of the Scouts and Advisors seemed to be in a permanent state of perpetual awe, so LNT will likely be an easy feat for this group.

“It’s been beautiful and wonderful…and [it’s nice to be] out of range of cell phones,” said Advisor Jon Daly.

This was Newhall’s first solo Trek. Though he has shadowed other Rangers, this is the first Crew he gets to call his own.

“They’re a pretty great crew,” Newhall said.

Continued from page one: The story of a crew

Guia Sam Evans prepares to cook for his Crew at Lover’s Leap Trail Camp on June 24, 2016. It was Evans’ duty to prepare food for the first day of the trek. The rest of the Crew will be taking turns. Suzannah Evans/PhilNews

Ranger Joe Newhall looks on as his crew successfully hangs their bear bags on June 24,2016 at Lover’s Leap Trail Camp. Advisors Jon Daly and Gilbert Leon offered advice as the Scouts attempted to get the heavy bags over the bear cable. Suzannah Evans/PhilNews


Games drawn by Cassidy Johnson

Last week’s Answers


The Philmont Scout Ranch staff consists of a diverse range of individuals, each contributing a unique personality and perspective integral to the success of what we do here. For all the splendor of Philmont, it is the people that make this place so special.

The distinctness of all of us is what enables Philmont and the awesome participant experiences to be realized. However, with such an array of people, a measure of consistency and unity throughout the Ranch is maintained: our uniform is symbolic of this unity and is crucial to our success.

Publilius Syrus, an ancient Latin writer, wrote, “Where there is unity there is always victory.”

Here at Philmont, the staff is a team — a cohesive group of people working together for a common goal. To that end, it is imperative that each of us look the part. Be you Backcountry staff or Ranger, Dining Hall or Commissary Driver, Conservation or Infirmary, the uniform should be respected and worn with pride. As we seek to provide excellent customer service and participate in work worth doing, let us stand in unity by upholding the uniform standards set forth by the Philmont Staff Guidebook. Here below are addressed some common uniform faux pas.

Let us begin from the top: the hat. The cover on your head should

be a Philmont Scout Ranch, Boy Scouts of America, or Western style wide-brim hat. Additionally, appropriate wide-brim hats as well as bandanas may be worn while in the backcountry.

Regardless of your aesthetic leanings, your hat should be oriented in the appropriate direction (e.g., baseball caps should be bill-forward, and not backwards). Though unfortunately your Patagonia hat, your fishing hat, and your fedora will have to wait until days off to be donned, a beanie may be worn when weather appropriate.

Moving along, let us address the shirt and the nametag. Your collared green, and even your

field uniform, should be clean and tucked in throughout the day. Though the tail may pull out from time to time, remain aware of the image you present to those around you and tuck it in. Regarding the nametag, the right lapel is a great place for this, or, if it suits you better, in the middle by the buttons is appropriate too.

Pants are a contentious issue it seems, but the standard is quite simple: When wearing a collared green, BSA or Philmont issued pants are required. If you choose to wear the BSA field uniform, then only BSA pants are appropriate. However, if you are of the venturing variety, again you may wear either BSA or Philmont

issued pants.Additionally, excluding a hem,

long pants should not be rolled. As a note, a belt should always be worn with your uniform and should also be BSA or Philmont issued.

As we move forward with the season, let us come together in solidarity as we wear our uniforms. We represent ourselves, our peers, Philmont, and the Boy Scouts of America in what we do, how we do it, and in the image we present while doing it. Hold yourself and those around you accountable in this, and we, as a team in unity, will find victory and success throughout the summer.

Uniforms and unity

Zastrow is a camp of happy endings. For many crews, Zastrow is the first or last staff camp they’ll visit. Those ending there participate in a “Rededication to Scouting” ceremony. A staff member reads a symbolic meaning, attaching each step of a crew’s trek to a symbolic meaning which correlates to each of the four cardinal directions. Staff members shake the crew’s hands, then join them in reciting the Scout Oath and Law.

The ceremony is only one part of Zastrow’s hodge podge of programming. Staff members also lead participants in cooking cobbler in Dutch Ovens, geocaching and orienteering. Treks hiking itinerary two participate in an ATV trail ride after completing a four-hour-long certification course through the

ATV Safety Institute. “You never have too many

people on the porch,” said Program Counselor Brett Chatoney. “Everyone is always doing something here.”

Each Wednesday, the camp hosts a tour of the Wood Badge Museum. On display are historical items related to the Wood Badge program, a leadership skills training for Scouting leaders. The program was once administered by the National Council, but it was shifted into individual Scouting Councils control. In addition to the historic Wood Badge, the museum houses a mounted Kudu (an African antelope), and every make of hatchet ever made by the Plumb Company.

On your way outEleanor Hasenbeck, Staff Writer

Clayton Jaleskis rides in front of the group while doing the quick maneuvering part of the ATV training course at Zastrow on June 30, 2016. ATV is one of the programs offered at Zastrow which certifies each one of its participants to be able to ride ATVs in 28 states. Lex Selig/PhilNews

Greg Spraker, right, serves his son Jack Spraker some of the hot cobbler they had just made, right out of the cast iron pot on July 1,

2016. Zastrow staff helps crews make cobbler every night a their

trek-ending program. Lex Selig/PhilNews

Scouts participate in the orienteering program at Zastrow staff camp on June 30, 2016. Orienteering is a sport which involves running and navigating to the next point using a map and a compass. At Zastrow the record time is 12 minutes flat to complete a 12 mark course. Lex Selig/PhilNews

Don Winn, center, explains orienteering to a group of Scouts from PTC on June 30, 2016. Orienteering is a sport which requires navigational skills using a map and a compass. These Scouts navigated to 12 points on a map to reach the end of the Zastrow orienteering course. Lex Selig/PhilNews


Rayado/Kit Carson Program Coordinator Tyler Wertz stands in front of a building in interpretive clothing at the Kit Carson Museum on Wednesday, June 29, 2016. Drew Castellaw/PhilNews

Cobbler-making is a common occurrence at Zastrow staff camp at Philmont Scout Ranch. Crews make a cobbler with pie filling, cake mix, and a lot of butter. The containers are then placed in the fireing pit with hot coals on the top and bottom. Lex Selig/PhilNewsAnna Washburne works on teaching the baby goats some tricks. “My goal is to get them to dance,” said Washburne.

Alex Cenci/PhilNews

Left: Zachary Garmoe, Camp Director of Metcalf Station, stands with the Metcalf pump cart on Sunday, June 26, 2016. Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

Right: The Milky Way rests in the sky as crews return from Metcalf’s campfire program on June 28, 2016. Grayson Wolf sits on the porch of the cabin after campfire that ran late because of great audience participation. Clay Helfrick/PhilNews

Brecklyn Bushman awaits her dad’s arrival Thursday, June 28, 2016 after playing at Small Fry. At regular, Small Fry has 8-10 kids, but today during LDS week, Small Fry was filled with about 40 kids. Madelynne Scales/PhilNews

Troop 18 of Freeholt, NJ lifts instructor Matthew Hill in the litter to understand the feeling of using it in an emergency situation on July 1, 2016. Lex Selig/PhilNews

Kendall Seiter of Troop 6630 from Mesa, Arizona lines up his atlatl before attempting to hit the targets at Indian Writings on Sunday, June 26, 2016.Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

A group of Scouts work to lower a hula hoop to the ground with just their pointer fingers. The activity is meant to help the Scouts work together and prepare them for the C.O.P.E. challenges. Alex Cenci/PhilNews

Documents

PhilmonscoutRanch.org PhilNews