Boy Scout Troop 343 press release
An Athens crew of teenage Scouts and their leaders armed with hiking poles went on a June 2014 life changing trek through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. Philmont covers 137,000 acres of vast wilderness with trails that climb from 6,500 feet to as high as 12,441 feet. Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America’s premier high adventure camp and the largest youth camp in the world, serving nearly one million participants since it was gifted to the Boy Scouts by Oklahoma oilman and philanthropist Waite Phillips in 1938.
The crew made what amounts to a Scouting pilgrimage with their trip to Philmont. During their trek, Boy Scout Troop 343 hiked 74 miles over 12 days, including 22,916 feet of vertical ascents up and over a number of mountains and ridges. The group of Scouts and their advisors carried 50-60 pound backpacks with everything they needed to survive during the trek while hiking from camp to camp. Along with their tents, sleeping bags and gear, sometimes this also included a 4-day supply of food and 2-days of water. While on the trek, the Scouts endured tough challenges including backpacking in bear and mountain lion territory, pitching a new camp every evening with a hot meal while implementing strict bear procedures, near freezing temperatures at night, drinking safe water from mountain streams, steep climbs, and driving rain with threatening lightning. Continue reading “Athens Troop 343 Boy Scouts Trek Through Wilderness”
