There is usually a 10 foot hole dug under it, but since it’s out in the open daylight you can see down it. Then there was the 3rd option, which was digging a hole in the ground to poop in. Anyways, once we arrived at Lover’s Leap trail camp, we set up shop and Jonathan showed us how to put up bear lines, the dinner fly, and taught us more about camping in Philmont. It was also looking like it was going to rain, so it was a little rushed. He told us to ask to come onto the porch when at a trail camp and at the main cabin, and ailments that might affect us while on trail. We ended the night with beef stroganoff for dinner, cooked by Johnathan. The total hike was around 2 miles.

Day 3: We hiked down to Miner’s Park, where there was a program. It was roughly 2 miles away from Lover’s Leap. We did the rock climbing, of course after we set up camp, ate lunch, and picked up our commissary, which is just a food pickup for the next couple of days until our next one. After rock climbing, we just hung around camp until advisor’s coffee, where the kids get to do things that vary from staff camp to staff camp and the advisors, or the adults, go up to the porch and sit with other advisors and staff of the camp and talk and drink coffee. In this camp, the kids had the option of doing crate stacking and doing a rock gym that was very difficult. After Advisor’s Coffee, Jonathan sat us near the meadow and had us look upon the stars and reflect on the future of Philmont, so that other Scouts may enjoy it. We gave him a troop shirt in return. Dinner was Santa Fe Chicken and Beans in a tortilla. Jonathan somehow humped down a pound cake for us. 

 Day 4: Jonathan left us this day, and we hiked down to Lower Bonito trail camp. We had a little difficulty going across the meadow, as there was no clearly defined path across, by sight or on the map, but we just meadow walked across, like Jonathan showed us. We set up camp there, and used some micropure to purify water there. I got my first look at a freedom toilet, and I used it after hyping myself up. There were a lot of bugs at that camp. It was one of the prettier camps. Additionally, in the wildlife exclusion area, where we were going to tomorrow for our conservation project, was a lot of prairie dogs. We learned how to play cribbage that day. Dinner was chili mac and cheese.

Day 5: We had our conservation project today, where we were camping. Our job was to basically dig up mud, put it into a pile, then take mud from that pile and stack it onto other mud into a dam. It was really fun, and there was a hole in the bottom so that the water was up to our upper stomach area. We had waders, gloves, eye protection, and  helmets. After the cons project, we hiked up to Fish Camp, another staff camp, to see if we could do a program, which was fly tying. We did get to do one, but most of our flies unraveled by the end of the trip due to rough conditions. As we finished up lunch and started leaving, it started raining heavily and thundering. We were delayed for a while, until there was a break and the staff advised us to go for it. We eventually got to Lost Cabins trail camp soaking wet. We had to hike through the rain, but it cleared up when we got to camp. Set up camp, then relaxed for the rest of the day.

Day 6: We passed through Apache Springs, did the programs there, which were 3d archery, which is just shooting at foam animals, (I knocked the badger over) and you got a pudding if you hit the apple on some of the animals. Additionally, there was obsidian carving and commissary pickup there and a trading post. Afterwards, we hiked up to Crooked Creek, which was a special staff camp as there were no roads leading into or out of it. It was a total of around 6 miles. Only one other troop had stopped and stayed the night there before us. There, we pet and learned about the two goats, Que (the one without any ears) and Yonose (they didn’t know what to call her) and the two burros, Nero and Caligula, named after Roman emperors. The one showing us them, Cosmo, talked a lot about bees as well. After returning to camp, we relaxed before turning in for the night.

Day 7: We woke up, said our farewells to the staff at Crooked Creek, and hiked to Wild Horse trail camp, an easy 2.4 miles away. The rest of the day was easy relaxation.

Day 8: We woke up a bit more sluggishly, broke camp, and hiked up to Clear Creek staff camp. While there, the programs we were able to do consisted of black power rifle shooting and tomahawk throwing. We chose to do the tomahawk throwing, as it was quicker, and I got a very good group on the axes on my second try. On Santi’s third try, when everyone was walking back to the main cabin, he somehow split an axe with another. We had to load up with water that day, as Mount Phillips was a dry camp, meaning that we would not be able to get any water there. So we set out again, hiking up to the Mount Phillips camp at the top. When we finally got there, all sweaty, and admired the view for a solid hour or so. We also discovered some snow up there. After that, it was just more relaxation. This is also the first day I noticed my big toe was numb of feeling.

Day 9: We set out hiking down Mt. Philips, past Comanche Peak, into Cypher’s Mine. We set up camp after meeting with the staff there, and after a while went to our first program, which was blacksmithing. We each took turns to fan the coals and smash the metal into shape, in order to create a J hook. Afterwards we ate lunch, which not surprisingly, had nuts. Afterwards we did a mine tour, while they explained how the mine would have worked back then and showed the hints to possible gold they were searching for. At end, when we were going back, Mr. Asher had us (me, Sam, Santi, Gavin) put our hands on each other’s shoulders and turn off our lights to simulate what it would be like if the lights went out. It was a little scary, some of us bumped our heads a few times, but it was fun. Mr. Asher claims that he felt hands on his shoulders, but he was at the back of the line and I think he was trying to scare us. At night, we slept in an adirondack, where we surprisingly all fit in. Dinner was three cheese mac n cheese.

 Unfortunately, my phone died these next few days so I don’t have any pictures of the trip after this. All I can say is that view from the Tooth of Time was amazing, the fact that you could see most of where you hiked gives me such a feel of accomplishment.

Day 10: We hiked down a little ways to the Hunting Lodge trail camp, which was once upon a time a staff camp, but it was shut down for renovations. Because of that, we had to hike a mile out of our way to Cimarroncito staff camp, where some people did rock climbing again, and we did our food pickup. We also played beach volleyball there, on the small court and some people had to be taught how to play. When we were coming back, it suddenly became very foggy, to the point you couldn’t see around 50 yards in front of you. When we got back to Hunting Lodge it started to rain, and we had to play cards under the rainfly. When it started to rain less, the adult somehow got a fire going, and eventually it stopped raining altogether, but the fog was still there. 

Day 11: Today was my birthday. We hiked down to Clark’s Fork that day, passing through a demonstration forest there and met a kind naturalist from Arizona who taught us more about the trees there, like the ponderosa pine which had a scale like bark to defend against fires. When we got to Clark’s Fork we set up camp and relaxed before we headed down to the chuckwagon, where we got to eat a meal that we didn[‘t cook ourselves. It was chili and peach cobbler, so I just got multiple helpings of peach cobbler. 

Day 12: Today was the big day. We were hiking 12 miles over the Tooth of Time ridgeline and back into Base Camp. It was hard work, but at the peak of Tooth of Time, the view was incredible. A notable sight there was the amount of ladybugs, they stuck together like clusters. It was a lot of switchbacks down, but when the pack weight was finally lifted off of my back, it felt like heaven. I visited the infirmary to check out my toe, but I wasn’t aware of the other people searching for me to go eat lunch. We had to rush to the security office to get my phone and stuff before going to town to eat some pizza. After returning, we attended the closing campfire and turned in for the night.

Day 13: We woke up early to start driving back. We finally got the Canes we were all hoping for, but some of us didn’t feel too well while eating it due to the amount of driving. We finally arrived at the meeting point for our parents, said our farewells, then went home. After eating my mother’s soup, I threw up because I ate too much and I was feeling a little ill.