We had our first training hike to prepare for this summer’s trek to Philmont Scout Ranch on January 22-24, 2016. It turned out to be a most interesting hike!
This training hike was combined with a troop campout at Caspers Wilderness Park. We started on Friday night, with the Philmont crew using backpacking tents we had purchased from Philmont for the first time. The tents were different than the tents we’re used to using as they are not free-standing tents. We learned that these tents require a lot of stakes, all of which are necessary for the tents to stand up correctly!
We reviewed our hike plan in the morning and got a good start. Our plan was to follow an approximately 5 mile loop around the various trails through the park. Though we would be camping in the same spot the next night, the crew packed up its tents and equipment in order to better simulate a backpacking trip.
Things started well, with the crew learning basic skills such as counting off at trail junctions to ensure everyone was accounted for and reviewing the trail maps. About halfway in we realized that our path did not match the trail maps – we had incorrectly interpreted the location of one of the trail junctions and ended up on a different trail. We located our new position on the map, when it started to rain. Since this was our first training hike, we decided to return the way we came rather than continue on a more challenging alternate path that would take us back to the planned route.
We returned to camp. Everyone made it back to camp and, after a rest and debrief, continued the outing with the rest of the troop.
Hike Profile: Caspers Hike Profile