In God’s Country

I’m back in Virginia.  It’s sad.  I miss the Ranch already, as its been far too short a summer.  I could spend weeks more there and not see it all!

A few more things happened over the summer, including a trip to Pikes Peak.  However, I’m just not going to be able to write about it.  Rather, I will close up the summer with this post.

Philmont is God’s Country; it’s HOmE.  It’s also home.  I’ve never felt as comfortable with myself and others as I did there, and its been a blessing to be able to go there as often as I have.  I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to return on staff, and certainly there’s no way to experience the Ranch that is as special.  My boss recommended me for Rayado Trek Coordinator, and it’s tempting to apply for another summer and spend it in that position.  Yet the burdens of law school call, and I need to determine whether it’s possible.

As I drove home I was called to reflect on how important friends are.  More than the physical environs, the friendships are what bring me back to the Ranch; they are topped only by the spiritual and emotional growth I’ve experienced on that Blessed Plot.

So I don’t know if I’ll make it back to Philmont, but I’ll pray for those I’ve known there, and pray that I may see them again.

(Closing note 1: I’ll be blogging again at Stephen Says.  Closing note 2: listen to Will and Ry’s band here.)

Last week I went ahead and climbed Grays (14,270 ft) and Torreys (14,267 ft), two of Colorado’s 53 peaks above 14,000 feet.  It was awesome.

I left shortly after Mass with my friend Jon.  Five and a half hours later we were on the Forest Service Road that led to the trail head.  It was raining, and I drive a Camry, so we didn’t make it all the way to the trail head before pitching a tent and crashing for the night.  But a few hours later, we packed up and went to the start of the trail on under a cloudy gray dawn.

Because we were in a valley the sun did not hit us until later on the hike, but there was plenty of light to drive by.  The trail we took up is very well maintained and was practically handicap accessible for the first mile or so.  Winding through fields filled with wildflowers we started the ascent towards Grays, which would be our first peak.

After passing through a rocky patch we left the flowers behind and began to climb a ridge towards Grays.  The hiking, again, was easy.  The trail up required no scrambling.  Indeed, we passed two men who were descending from a morning trail run up to the top.

Looking down from the ridge.

As we hiked up the ridge the sun broke through the clouds and bathed us and the trail, still wet from the preceding night’s rain, in light.

It was still cloudy from the weather moving through the area, and our view from on top of Grays was very poor when we summited.  Enveloped as we were in fittingly gray clouds our summit photos were not too impressive.  Although it can be risky to climb into weather, we had not heard any thunder and were watching small patches of clouds move up and over the peak.  Otherwise we would not have climbed.

Jon leads the way down from Grays and towards Torreys.  It was like walking in fog.

As we passed the saddle and began to climb Torreys the clouds and the sun combined to grant us some amazing views of the valley below.  It was just gorgeous.

The day’s hike only got better with each passing moment.  The ascent to Torreys proved to be another relatively easy hike, but much more interesting for the steep drop off on the north facing slope.  Once on top, the clouds also passed by much quicker, granting us on and off views of the surrounding Front Range.  Our summit pics were much interesting.  I’m a particular fan of this one, which I took of Jon.

Got the halo effect with some unplanned wings.

The best section of the hike was our descent along Kelso Ridge from Torreys.  The ridge is a real knife’s edge, almost entirely a class 2 scramble with real class 3 sections to it.  I was, admittedly, a little reticent at first.  However, the exhilaration ultimately overcame any fear and it was a great way to end the climb.

About to hit one of the class 3 sections.

Obligatory photo of me.  Jon has some better shots, and I may update this post with them later.

The rest of our hike was pretty uneventful.  We took our time on the descent and shot photos of wildflowers and wildlife, primarily indian paintbrush and pika. They’re up on the Facebook album.  We crashed a great pizza place for lunch, and were back in base in time for evening Mass.

He’s the scruffy looking one.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to have my older brother Christian pay me visit while he was en route to a new assignment in Tampa, FL. Christian’s a former Philmont Ranger (’01, Mt. Trek ‘03) and has been a huge influence on my outdoors career. Really, I am the outdoorsman that I am largely because of him. He wanted to hike the backcountry, and I wanted to deliver. Thankfully, I could.

Our first day started late, as we shuttled his Jeep Liberty to the Ponil Turnaround before heading to Maxwell Turnaround in my Camry. (That car has been through a lot at Philmont, and it sometimes amazes me with what it does after 195,000 miles.) From Maxwell we headed up to Baldy Town where we were able to catch lunch. Although the hike is not necessarily that difficult, Christian is an amazing hiker and for the first time this year I was out of breath following someone. It felt good.

From Baldy Town we traveled to Rich Cabins by way of French Henry, Pueblano, and then over Wilson Mesa. To our gratitude the folks at Rich fed us before starting their evening program. Relaxing in the dining room while they worked, we swapped stories with another Ranger about our Rayado and staff experiences. Then the real show started, and we got to enjoy the Rich Cabins campfire. Although they were a little off, they still rocked hard. It only got better after a late night raid by Ponil led to a midnight jam session with Ellie the Fiddlin’ Ranger. Great music. (Incidentally, there’ll be a new Tabasco Donkeys CD this fall, with Tim from Rich and Ellie playing on some of the tracks.)

Christian could only stay for two days, and so we hiked out from Rich early in the morning. After picking up our respective cars we headed back to Base Camp so that I could wrap up a few odds and ends. Then we headed to Lovers Leap Turnaround to start our second hike.

From Lovers we tagged the Tooth of Time, taking the Stockade Trail up and down. This is not advisable for crews, but for those who are day hiking its the fastest ascent. On top of the Tooth we could see the storms start to blow in. As static shocks passed from my camera to my hand we realized it was time to head down.

Just a brief while later we were back at the bottom and making our way to Crater Lake for their Phil-fiesta and campfire. Rather than taking the road we hiked up to Lovers Leap, through the eponymous camp, and on into Crater via the trail. By the time we pulled up the storm had dumped rain on us, and being without fleeces, we went into the cabin to warm up. While enjoying their burgers-and-dogs dinner, we watched the greased watermelon scramble. Dom, a former Ranger, won. Later, the Crater Boys rocked the campfire bowl with the best all-around campfire I had seen in awhile.  That night we hiked back down, and in the morning Christian continued his trip East.

Though its always good to see family, our hikes were particularly memorable to me because we both share a deep love of Philmont and what it can do to an individual.  It changes you; makes you a better man, if you let it.  Yet for the mutual love of the Ranch, and for the one season we had both worked here, I had never had the chance to do much — if any — hiking with him here.  So to have that opportunity now, at one of the last seasons it may have been possible for some time to come, was great.

I meant to post this awhile ago, but events overtook me. In the coming days watch for posts on hiking with my brother, a summit of Grays and Torreys (two 14ers), and what it means to be an Eagle Scout.

Whitney, you came to Philmont in 2006 to discover the meaning of Scouting.  That land and your trek embodied the Scout Law and the Scout Oath.  They challenged you physically, mentally, and spiritually.  You changed over those 21 days and returned to Washington a different man to encounter a different challenge.  Just as your Rayado trek brought with it special duties, so too does Eagle.

The foremost responsibility of an Eagle Scout is to live with honor. He makes his Scout Oath “on his honor”.  An Eagle Scout lives honorably, not only because honor is important to him but because of the vital significance of the example he sets for other Scouts. Living according to the values he hold dear reflects on his home, his church, his troop, and his community. Nevertheless, he knows that the character for which he is honored is sustained in private as well as public.  May the white of the Eagle badge remind you to always live with honor.

The second obligation of an Eagle Scout is loyalty. A Scout is true to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school, and nation. His loyalty to his troop and brother Scouts makes him pitch in and carry his share of the load. I can vouch that you carried your share of the load on Rayado.  All of his training help to build the loyalty which means devotion to community, to country, to one’s own ideals, and to God. Let the blue of the Eagle badge always inspire your loyalty.

The third obligation of the Eagle Scout is to be courageous. Courage has always been a quality by which men measure themselves and others. To a Scout, bravery means not only the courage to face physical danger, but the determination to stand up for the right. Rayado provided you with the opportunity to do both, and you demonstrated your courage there.  Trusting in God’s Providence, with faith in his fellowman, the Eagle Scout looks forward to each day, seeking his share of the world’s work to do. Let the red in the Eagle badge remind you always of courage.

The fourth obligation of an Eagle Scout is to be cheerful. Though the trail may be steep, the load heavy, and the challenges painfully intense the Eagle Scout labors happily, knowing that he can accomplish any task so long as he has the will to succeed and the enthusiasm to continue.  To remind the Eagle Scout to always wear a smile, the red, white, and blue ribbon is attached to the scroll of the Second Class Scout award, which has its ends turned up in a smile.

The final responsibility of an Eagle Scout is service. The Eagle Scout extends a helping hand to those who still toil up Scouting’s trail, just as others helped him in his climb to the Eagle. The Eagle stands as protector of the weak and helpless. He aids and comforts the unfortunate and the oppressed. He upholds the rights of others and fulfills the responsibilities that come with his own. In all of this he seeks no credit.  He will always “Be Prepared” to put forth his best.

You deserve much credit for having achieved Scouting’s highest award. But wear it with humble pride, ever mindful that the Eagle Scout is looked up to as an example. Let the Scout Oath and the Scout Law be your guide for tomorrow and onward as you meet the demands of your new position.

Just wanted to briefly note that I was traveling the last few days.  One of my Rayado participants from last year made Eagle and I traveled to Washington to deliver the Eagle Charge.  Along the way I finished reading Legacy of Honor, a new book about Eagle Scouts.  I’ll probably have some reflections on it later.

Route: Zastrow Turnaround to Rayado River via Zastrow to Urraca via Abreu & Toothache

I picked up my last crew of the summer, and possibly my Phil-career, on the 21st of June.  Hailing from all over southeastern Virginia, Crew 621-O2 was a well prepared contingent crew.  Whereas many contingent crews come out without much training together, these individuals had done a number of training hikes around Virginia; they were physically fit, well-trained but open to new training, and most importantly, knew one another.

We headed out to Zastrow Turnaround, where we baked in the sun as I ran through a fast turnaround talk.  Heading out, the crew took the trail into Zastrow camp.  Zastrow is the old home of Woodbadge at Philmont, and the day program there is land navigation and a cabin tour.  Although initially reluctant to stick around, under the direction of the crew leader they decided to stick around for a cabin tour and to relax.  They then discovered the swap box, which they promptly raided.

Zastrow was left for Rayado River camp, and the training for campsite set up.  We managed to run through things quickly (the benefit of good training and youth that will get off their cans to get the job done) and were soon preparing dinner.  The first night out I like to cook and clean for crews, which frees them up to set up tents.  Once KP was done all but four members of the crew made the hike to Abreu for evening program.  Milking goats and chasing chickens were fun for them, but the best times were had at the cantina.

Over root beer and Battleship the crew were persuaded to write postcards home.  Inspiration struck, and they were persuaded to include notes to send baked goods to me.  This is important.  Baked goods es bueno.  Good times were had by all and we headed back to camp around 9 pm.  The youth leadership and I sat down and discussed the day, and then it was to bed.

The crew broke camp in an hour the next morning and headed down to Abreu for breakfast.  From there it was up and over Urraca Mesa and into the eponymously named camp.  Challenge courses insued and the crew’s patience was tested.  Hopefully they are the stronger for it, as a unit.  Campfire featured some good guitar strumming and amusing ghost stories.

In the morning the crew woke at 4 and we hiked to Inspiration Point.  There we were able to watch the sun rise into the sky, from first light past the breaking of the horizon.  It was a gorgeous view and a beautiful experience.  The crew had gone from wanting to skip Zastrow “to go sleep” to waking up early to taste the fruits Nature offers to those who are willing to work for it.

So here’s the low down on my attempt at the Ranger Marathon.

My original plan had been to leave on the 19th after church services and head up to Ponil Turnaround.  From there, I was going to hike with another Ranger to Dan Beard; waiting for us would be a third member of our group.  In the morning, Mark Anderson (the Deuce) and Sean Casey (the Chief) would join us along with another Ranger.

This did not happen.

Instead, a large monsoon struck.  Really, it was the first of the season.  Rain started to fall during church services and didn’t let up until past 11 pm.  Meanwhile, the Ranger who was going to hike up with me went into Taos, and his return was delayed.  Consequently, I opted not to hike in the rain, in the dark, up a mountain lion infested canyon by myself.  Rather, I would try to wake up at 3 am and catch a ride with the Deuce.

This did not happen, either.

What ultimately did happen was that I caught a ride to Cimmaroncito Turnaround with Catholic Chaplain Joseph Palacios and started hiking around 9:30 am.  From the ‘burban I hiked towards the Rt. 64 crossing, knowing that the others would eventually have to hit that bottle neck.  The plan worked and I met them at Upper Bench Camp.  Everyone was still pretty chipper and full of steam, and we made good time to Ute Gulch Commissary.

After lunch at Ute Gulch, we continued on around the base of Hidden Valley and into Clarks Fork.  Unfortunately, the hours were getting on and it was approaching 5 pm.  The staff were cooking a sweet smelling dinner and they gave us some sweet tea.  It was mildly tempting to stay, but this was a day for accomplishments (for everyone else, who had started at Dan Beard.)  Hike on!

Up and over Schaeffer’s Pass we went.  Tired and dragging by the time we hit the top, those that had started at 4 am were beginning to hurt.  It was a slow burn into Miners Park, where aches and pains of the trail necessitated a pit stop.  Resting the dogs and grabbing more water, everyone pulled themselves together.  It also offered the opportunity to visit with a former Rayado Ranger who had turned to the Cons department.  While he got to lead a sweet hike (the ROCS trek) the job isn’t for me.  Fortunately, it was for him and he enthusiastically promoted it.

From Miners it was a tough hike for the rest of the time.  By the time we approached Lovers Leap camp it was 11 pm and dark.  Headlamps were on and the rain was beginning to fall.  Over Stonewall Pass you could see some lightning flashing from cloud to cloud.  With a Ranger leading the way, we headed up and over the pass and down towards Abreu camp.  In the distance we could see the lights of Carson Meadow camp, our final destination.

Night hiking in the rain has a way of disorienting you, and it was nearly 1 am by the time we pulled into Abreu.  Contemplating the nearness of our goal, we pressed on after a 20 minute break.  Up the hill to Carson Meadows we climbed, our feet gaining weight as we hiked on a muddy road.  It seemed to take too long, but we finally made it.  Wet and tired.  Knowing how much I ached, I could only imagine the pain the others were in.

By the time we rolled back to Base Camp in a ‘burban, it was past 2 am.  Exhausted, I collapsed on my cot.  In a few hours I would pick up another crew.  The hike reminded me of the need to test yourself on a long hike every now and again, but reinforced the fact that I have no strong desire to do the full marathon.

 Moved up to continue to drum up support for this important cause.

Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers of Philmont staff who read this blog, pay attention!

Close your eyes, and imagine the following…

You’re a poor logger child at Pueblano. You wake up every day at the butt crack of dawn to hike 12 miles up Wilson Mesa where you climb spar poles, cut down trees, and learn everything else about being a logger. After 12 hours of hard manual labor you hike another 18 miles back up to Pueblano. Once you’re home you go right to the pantry looking for something to eat, but there are NO BAKED GOODS!

Have some humanity. Send baked goods to the logger children at Pueblano. Address:

Logger Children c/o The Pueblano Boys
47 Caballo Rd.
Philmont Scout Ranch
Cimarron, NM 87714

Do it now… because yesterday was too late.

Note: This is the last of three pre-written reflections. If the system worked right (and I’m not sure it did in regards to Facebook) you’ll be reading this on the 19th. Tomorrow I leave for the Ranger Marathon.

The other day I came in as a replacement for a Ranger who had to come off the trail for health reasons. The advisor for this crew will remain nameless, but I will say that he came from my council, National Capital Area, and was very proud of the fact that he had been out to Philmont on 12 treks. This was his baker’s dozen.

Now the adviser in question was not the greatest. Although he had prepared the crew well enough, his conduct on the trail was the model of that which makes Rangers wince at having to take out a crew with the “experienced” lead adviser. I’m writing this reflection not so much as an attack on him, but to provide advice to those advisers who have been here, and want to be good representatives of their Troop or Crew, their Council, and all advisers who have previously been to the Blessed Plot.

The most important thing an experienced adviser needs to have is humility. You may have written a book on Philmont, or in this case, several e-mail missives, but the fact of the matter is this: you’ve been away from Philmont for at least 9 months… probably more. Policies, camps, trails… everything… changes from year to year, and what you did last year does not necessarily hold for this year. Thus humility becomes the best disposition to take. Trust what the Ranger and backcountry staff tell you, because they know this year’s Ranch better than you do. Indeed, they may even have more Phil-experience than you do, and almost certainly have more Phil-experience in the last 3 or 4 years.

Take a 6 term adviser, for example. Having taken that many 12-day treks, he had you would have 72 days of Phil-experience in your life. Your typical Ranger will have had that much experience in one summer on staff; if they’ve gone on a Rayado trek or a couple of regular treks they would have passed that point in July. More importantly, their experience and trail time is concentrated in the last 3 months. The Ranger will have tested and seen many ways of doing things, and though there are more than one way of doing things, the Ranger usually knows the best one.

Now this is not to say that the advisor’s experience is in vain. It can be terribly useful in assessing those things that do not change. For example, naming peaks and wildflowers. An experienced adviser can also do an excellent job of preparing a crew for the physical rigors of the trail and getting a crew used to some of the Philmont policies. It is important, however, that they also reinforce with crews that those policies may change and they need to go with whatever the Ranger says. Many Rangers appreciate hearing about how Philmont used to operate, provided that those stories aren’t told in such a way as to disparage the current “Philmont way”.

Beyond humility, it is also important that the experienced advisor also be mindful of the Philmont goal of turning boys into men. An advisor who has been out here frequently has undoubtedly seen crews make many mistakes, whether its choosing a trail or choosing how to cook a meal. That said, those mistakes are how crews learn and its important for advisers to let crews make them. This is all the harder for the experienced advisor, making it all the more important for them to remember that the moment they placed their boot hit the backcountry the youth were 100% in charge, save for safety concerns.

This is simply a brief reflection on the role of the experienced advisor, and for advisers in general. Following these simple guides will do more to impress your Ranger, and engender a greater thanksgiving on his part than any T-shirt or ice cream could. So while Philmont exists for the youth, if you’re also interested in impressing a Ranger that’s the way to go.

Note, this is the second of three pre-written reflections. Please find the value of this one in how you can apply it to your own life.

I am once more at Christ in the Desert Monastery. Once again, I find myself attracted to aspects of the monastic life and of the priesthood. The former live simply, with a life structured around prayer and prayer is everything that I need, besides the sacraments. Prayer “is the simplest and most widely practiced way of releasing the energy of grace,” said Cardinal Woytjla, and grace is the force that moves us towards Christ. Meanwhile the priest is so outstanding in the Mass, acting in personae Christae. Here we encounter an individual Christ has made worthy of acting in his stead. What could be of greater honor than God saying do this work in my place: dress me in the garment of bread and wine?

Yet in my heart I return to the sense that I developed while steeping in the spiritual at the Pines: the priesthood and religious life are callings, things to which God seeks to bring us, not things we want to have ourselves. And while our own longings can inform us, it seems that those longings should be rooted in our “hard wiring” rather than our “soft wiring,” by the effects of nature rather than nurture. If the latter was a proper input to discernment it would be shaped so much by those we surround ourselves by. What then of those that are surrounded by poor influences? No, it seems we must rely on those aspects of ourselves that God has given us from birth. In my case it seems that God has wired me to seek marital love. He does not do this for all, but he did for me. This seems more important in discernment than any desires, shaped as they are by trips and studies. Importantly, I do not feel I can attribute my desire for marriage to a culture I have stood outside of for much of my life.

Still, I can take hope that this does not preclude the possibility of other vocations later in life. Neither does it mean full separation from the monastic or priestly life. For example, you can experience the former in part through the life of an oblate, or the latter through the diaconate. These are things that remain open and which I can still participate in.