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Day Four

The Crew showered before heading to Black Mountain Camp. It felt good to get clean as some took the opportunity to wash a few clothes. As we backpacked out of camp, clothes were hanging from our packs and drying in the sun. The trail to Black Mountain Camp was along the North Fork of the Urraca Creek and runs through a narrow canyon.  
   The trail was beautiful with rock formation, wild flowers, and the stream tumbling over the rocks. The only problem was crossing the creek almost 40 times. The crossings were sometimes logs across the creek, sometimes hopping across the creek, and sometimes there didn't seem to be any really good way to get across. There were also wild strawberries all along the trail. Once the crew discovered them, the berries went fast.

Since Black Mountain was a mountain man camp, the crew shot black powder rifles and did some iron work in the forge. This camp had no road so the staff had to bring in their own food and supplies by burro. The staff members saw the flag and played up their mountain man re-enactement by saying, "Look at this flag! How many stars are there? How long have we been out here anyway?"

Those who hit the anvil rather than the hot iron had to kiss the anvil once for each miss. Brian made to 175 kisses. The staff put the crews through mountain man games….spinning brooms, etc.

Day Five

The day stared with a bear outside the tents. When everyone was up it appeared it was only a raccoon who had made a snack of 2 meals left in a backpack overnight. We picked up our provisions for 3 days and headed for Comanche Camp.
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2003
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Troop 32


2003
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2001
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Day Five ... Continuation of 1999 Philmont Diary 		 
  There was a log cabin up the valley from a small stream. Sitting on the porch, it made a relaxing view of the meadow. The crew chopped wood, played on a giant seesaw, and had fun on a tree swing.

After taking a tour of the cabin and waiting for some rain to stop, we came across a herd of cattle. A calf had gotten stuck so Brian and Terry helped the cow along and the herd moved on. The cows really left their "mark" if you know what I mean.

Day Six

We climbed over Mount Phillips into a dry camp. We got up early and made good time to Clear Creek Camp where we filled water bottles. The weather started coming in fast so we rushed lunch, got our rain gear on and headed to Camp. It was raining when we pitched the dining fly and it started to get cold. We dried some of the clothes, at dinner and had another rain storm come through.

Day Seven

We filled all the water bottles and headed down the trail to Thunder Ridge Camp. We discovered 2 maps had different trails to Sawmill Camp. The crew decided to follow the new trail but it wasn't done yet. So we backtracked and made it to Sawmill and enjoyed loading and shooting 30-06 rifles. The geezers took showers, washed clothes and relaxed.

Day Eight

Terry and Mike got up for the sunrise and it was beautiful. The crew hiked down the mountain and into the Ute Gulch commissary where they had our last food provisions. Someone read the map wrong and said we were ½ mile from Harlan Camp. Two miles later, we finally arrived.

Day Nine

The hike around Deer Lake Mesa was fast. They traveled to Cathedral Rock, climbed some rocks and then ventured to Clarks Fork Camp. The crew enjoyed branding irons, a chuck wagon dinner, wood cutting and roping. After setting camp, everyone branded their boots and even a few flip flops. The chuck wagon dinner was wonderful after 9 days of spreadables and squeeze cheese.

Day Ten

The last full day started out with a horseback ride north of Tooth Ridge. It was fun and relaxing to sit and get somewhere without really trying. We saw arrowhead rock and the back of the Tooth of Time from horseback. While Terry went to fill his water bottle, he came across a coyote, a mule deer and 2 fawns. After the ride, the crew climbed Shaefers Peak into a dry camp. The trail from Shaefers Peak to Tooth Ridge Camp was very rocky and made everyone tired. After dinner, Sean, Brian, Jimmy, and David went back to the Tooth of Time. The view was great. You could see Urraca Mesa (Day One), Black Mountain, Mount Phillips, Deer Lake Mesa and Base Camp. It was a great way to end the trek with a view of everywhere we'd been.

Spirits were high as everyone knew hot showers, flush toilets and hot food awaited us in base camp after a short hike.

Day Eleven

A few got up to watch the last sunrise of the trek as others went to a large rock formation east of camp. The crew was so excited that we pitched camp and started hiking in the wrong direction. A trail crew happened by and corrected our mistake before we had gone too far. We finally saw the sign that said, "Congratulations, You Made It!"

The crew checked in, turned in equipment, picked up care packages, took hot showers and ate dinner. They visited the Villa Philmonte before attending mass and watching the closing campfire.

Homeward Bound

We ate one more breakfast before heading home and arrived around 9pm.