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Before French Henry and Baldy Town served as backcountry camps, they played a major role in America’s mining industry. From the 1860’s to the 1940’s the two worked in tandem. The miners worked at French Henry in the surrounding mines, and their families lived in Baldy Town.

Though the majority of the mining around Baldy was for gold, the mining craze started with copper.

“In 1866 the Ute Indians found a piece of copper and went down to Fort Union looking to trade for some turquoise, the soldiers that were there liked the copper, so they asked the Ute Indians to show them where they found it. The Mystic Mine was then founded,” said French Henry Camp Director, Kyla Rohrbough

Quickly, word spread and many rushed to the mines.

It was not until 1896 that Frenchman Henry Burrell came and started his company. However, he experienced some disputes with Dutch bondholders operating under the Maxwell Land Grant and Railway Company who would not allow him to use any mills on their land.

Though French Henry offers

tours in the Aztec Mine, there were several other mines in the area, and they all utilized Baldy Town.

“French Henry and a lot of the miners in the area would go to Baldy Town to get supplies, Baldy Town had a lot of the stamp mills,” said Rohrbough.

The stamp mills were used to extract and process metallic ores and other minerals. These stamp mills used heavy metal to pound the ore down.

Baldy Town also had an assayer’s lab that allowed for further testing of the ore or other minerals found in the area. While historically, fire assaying would have been used at Baldy Town, Program Counselors of today demonstrate flame assaying. The assayer would burn the pounded up ore, and depending upon the color of the flame, they were able to determine the mineral present in the ore.

“Assaying is pretty much the way we started figuring out how much gold was in the ore that were pulling out and which minerals were in the ore. If you go on top of Baldy and you see all those exploratory pits, they check in there to see if they found anything good,” said Bryan Traxel, Program Counselor at Baldy Town.

Continued on Page 8

PhilNewsAugust 5th, 2016 issue NiNe

Tyler Sanders/PhilNews

In the Valle Vidal, far from the backcountry comforts of bear cables and red roofs, Olivia Starich, Katie Krzyvon, and Mary Price run the show. Though the job is not an easy one, the camp directors of Whiteman Vega, Ring Place, and Seally Canyon, respectively, hold their own in cat hole country. It’s the first time in recent memory that all three camp directors in the Valle have been women. It’s an area with a unique set of challenges.

“They’re remote camps,” said

Associate Director of Program Grant Reigelman, who oversees backcountry operations in the Valle. “I mean, even at their most basic, there’s no trails in the Valle. The only water source they’ve got is a water buffalo and the occasional windmill.”

Reigelman also said crews hiking in the Valle must practice Leave No Trace principles and land navigation “at a higher level.” This gives staff members a chance to build crews’ confidence in these skills.

“It’s also one of the most beautiful places that we operate on,” Reigelman said. “So it’s

definitely worth it.” North of the Philmont property

line, they also rely on each other on everything from rationing water to helping on hasties.When one camp’s water supply runs low, they communicate between camps to tell crews to top off water bottles at another Valle camp.

“Anytime a crew misplaces themselves in the Valle, all three camps get in on the action,” Starich said.

Whiteman Vega has nine staff members including Conservation staff stationed there for the summer.

During July, Ring Place hosted Cabin Restoration staff. These extra hands allowed more Program Counselors and Camp Directors to be available for search and rescue teams.

“It provides a whole lot of extra manpower for when something is not quite right in terms of crew arrival,” Starich said.

According to Reigelman, the Valle is seeing more Philmont use. More and more crews are hiking through Seally Canyon, Ring Place and Whiteman Vega.

“With that has come increased demands on all the programs that are being delivered up there,” Reigelman said.

Continued on Page 3

The Valle’s leading ladies

Eleanor HasenbeckStaff Writer

Suzannah Evans Staff Writer

A mine connection

Olivia Starich is working at Whiteman Vega for her first summer as Camp Director. “I think there’s a better understanding with age and experience,” says Starich. She attributes her successes as Camp Director to the knowledge she has gained from her experience. Alex Cenci/PhilNews

PhilmontScoutRanch.orgFriday, August 5, 2016 | PhilNews2

Friday, 5 Saturday, 6 Sunday, 7 Monday, 8 Tuesday, 9 Wednesday, 10 Thursday, 11

5 p.m.Olympic Opening CeremoniesRed River Dulcimer Festival

Alabama Shakes Red River Dulcimer FestivalTaos Ski Valley Up and Over 10K Trail Run

Day Hike- Tooth of Time

8-10 a.m.-2nd Breakfast8 p.m.Destress Night

9 a.m.- 5 p.m.Haircuts in SSSAC($15)Brat Day!

8-10 a.m.-2nd Breakfast6 p.m.Taos Plaza Live10 p.m.Perseides Meteor Shower

Friday, 12 Saturday, 13 Sunday, 14 Monday, 15 Tuesday, 16 Wednesday, 17 Thursday, 18

Sundae Sunday

Final Opening Campfire

8 p.m.Glow in the dark capture the flag

8-10 a.m.-2nd BreakfastFull Moon Williams Lake HikeHot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights

8 p.m.S’mores NightTaos Plaza LiveHot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights

August 5-August 18

Marketing ManagerBryan Hayek

NPS ManagerCassidy Johnson

PhilNews EditorHannah McCarthy

PhilNews WritersSuzannah Evans Eleanor Hasenbeck

Photography ManagerTyler Sanders

PhotographersDrew Castellaw Alex CenciSkyler Ballard Clay HelfrickGabriel ScarlettLex SeligMadelynne Scales

Photo Lab LeadSean McElligott

Photo Lab TechsNathaniel AronLiam Inbody

Lead Marketing SpecialistAlexander Bohlen

Marketing Media StaffThomas Officer

Lead VideographerKreable Young

VideographerClaire Ficke

News ANd Photo teAm

Highlight EventEvent DescriptionsActivities Staff

Activities StaffTaos Plaza Live

Taos Plaza Live is a summer concert series, unsurprisingly located in the Taos Plaza. Through September 1, there is a free concert every Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

.4th Annual Red River Dulcimer Festival

Join Dana Hamilton and David Lindsey along with their wives Judy and Annette as they turn out the 4th Annual Red River Dulcimer Festival. Also known as the “Original Sweet Song String Band,” they have been entertaining, teaching, and putting on festivals since 1978. Come and step back in time at the historic Community House and mountain resort of Red River, NM August 6.Full Moon Williams Lake Hike, August 17, 7:30 p.m.

This is a free group hike to Williams Lake by the light of the moon. Led by the Mayor of Taos Ski Valley, the hike is 2 miles each way and moderate. Meet at 7:30 p.m. at Hiker Parking on Twining Road, near the Bavarian Lodge in Taos Ski Valley. Bring water, warm clothes, and a flashlight.“Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights” Music Festival and Cook-off, August 17-20

This four day event in Red River features live music all weekend with Larry Joe Taylor & Friends, then multiple cook-offs in Brandenburg Park on Saturday.Cook-offs include the CASI “Red River Red” cook-off, the New Mexico State Green Chile Championship and the Lone Star BBQ Society cook-off. Music fanslove this event because of the “up close and personal” concert venues and the unique access to world-class singers and songwriters.

Perseid meteor shower The Perseid meteor shower will

burst into light this August as Earth passes through the long trail left by Comet Swift-Tuttle — and this year, it’s slated to put on a spectacular show. Here’s how and when to see the Perseids

According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year. They will be in “outburst” in 2016, which means they’ll appear at double the usual rates.

“This year, instead of seeing about 80 Perseids per hour, the rate could top 150 and even approach 200 meteors per hour,” Cooke said. It’s the first such outburst since 2009.

When to see them?Earth will pass through the path

of Comet Swift-Tuttle from July 17 to August 24, with the shower’s peak — when Earth passes through the densest, dustiest area

— occurring on August 12.That means you’ll see the most

meteors in the shortest amount of time near that peak, but you can still catch some action from the famed meteor shower before or after that point.

The meteors will seem to originate from the constellation Perseus, which appears on the horizon at about 10 p.m. local time. However, the most meteors will be visible after midnight. They can appear all over the sky, but they will always look like they’re streaking away from Perseus.

You can see the Perseid meteor shower best in the Northern Hemisphere and down to the mid- southern latitudes, and all you need to catch the show is darkness, somewhere comfortable to sit and a bit of patience.

The full moon is on August 18, so you will likely get a better glimpse of the meteors earlier in the month, when the moonlight is not as bright and disruptive.

PhilmontScoutRanch.org PhilmontScoutRanch.org Friday, August 5, 2016 PhilNews | 3

Continued from page one: The Valle’s leading ladies

“The Camp Directors that are up there now have to be more efficient in how they’re using their people and their time.”

Each Camp Director brings a different experience and perspective on Philmont to deliver those programs.

Price spent four years in the Conservation Department as a Conservationist, Environmental

Educator, Conservation Site Foreman and Associate Director in charge of Conservationists. She said this has helped her at Seally Canyon, as the camp’s conservation site includes stream restoration, a restoration process she’s had experience with at the Ranch and outside of Philmont.

“What I’ve really been able to develop is the softer skills,” Price

said. “Getting to know the crews, getting more personal with staff and building those relationships. That’s probably the biggest thing I value out here at Seally Canyon-- the relationships we get to build.”

Starich’s first two years as a staff member were in the Ranger Department, then, in a last minute decision to return to seasonal staff, she worked as a Program

Counselor at Head of Dean in 2015. Katie, the self-proclaimed “baby” of the trio, was a Program Counselor at Baldy Town last year.

Each of them share a love for the Valle and the programs they coordinate. Price, with her background in Conservation, values teaching Scoutsto be responsible for the land as they learn more about Leave No Trace

camping. Starich and her staff are passionate about mountain biking. You can see it as they race downhill with participants, and in the care they give for the machines the participants ride. As for Katie, teaching participants about weather and astronomy is also teaching her about herself. She wants to become a special education teacher.

“It really helps me find my own teaching methods and what works for me for my own future,” Krzyvon said. “At the same time, I’m teaching crews stuff that will help them during their trek. Knowing what clouds do before a storm will help them a few days later when they see clouds that are stormy.”

And according to Reigelman, the ladies of the Valle have met the challenge. For him, a sign of a good Camp Director is one that helps their staff grow.

“They were assigned quality staff, and they’ve developed them throughout the summer… Those people will all be able to come back next summer if they want to be here and contribute at a higher level in whatever department they happen to be in,” Reigelman said. “That’s a testament to the strength of those three Camp Directors, and the same is true of all the backcountry camp directors.”

Seally Canyon Camp Director Mary Price stands in front of the search and rescue equipment on Tuesday, July 26, 2016. Seally Canyon is one of three staff camps that is located in the Valle Vidal at Philmont Scout Ranch. They specialize in search and rescue scenarios. Drew Castellaw/PhilNews

Right: Ring Place Camp Director Katie Krzyvon sits on the cabin porch on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Krzyvon is studying to be a teacher and says leading the discussions helps her find her own teaching methods for future classes. Drew Castellaw/PhilNews

Seally Canyon Camp Director Mary Price holds a hula hoop up as Scouts carry the litter through it during a litter carry scenario on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at Seally Canyon Camp. Drew Castellaw/PhilNews

Whiteman Vega Camp Director Olivia Starich works on a bike in the camp’s yurt on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at Whiteman Vega. Drew Castellaw/PhilNews

Ring Place Camp Director Katie Krzyvon, right, discusses constellations and stars with a crew during the astronomy program on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 at Ring Place Camp. Drew Castellaw/PhilNews


Best (Phil)Friends Forever

Last week, I spent my birthday with Jodi Hitchcock, my BFF from the days when I was a first-year Ranger.

I met Jodi for the first time when she, Cryse Canty and I were preparing to take out Mountain Treks and we discovered two really cool things: one, we had all chosen the exact same Mountain Trek itinerary, and two, we were all celebrating our birthdays during that week on the trail. My birthday was observed at Clear Creek by Snake (aka Tony Gerard) with 23 wooden matches stuck in a dubious pan of chocolate pudding. How we managed not to burn down the cook shack remains a mystery to me to this day.

Since then, I’ve spent many birthdays either at Philmont or with Phil-friends. In 1987 on July 7 th , I was served up a dinner of freshly caught Trout Amandine at Fish Camp. The next year, I was

helping a group of young men and women respond to a crew struck by lightning at Cimarroncito. In 1991 I was whitewater rafting down the Rio Grande Gorge with my Conservation Department peeps.

Skip ahead twenty years to 2011, when I was spending the day with Jodi at the Ojo Caliente spa in New Mexico. In 2012, Dawn Chandler and I were chilling out at her studio just outside Santa Fe. Two years later, I was enjoying a birthday dinner with John “Grizz” Deal in Denver. And this year on July 7, I was Scouting Quandary Peak outside Breckenridge with Jodi for an ascent later in the summer.

Here’s my point: It’s been 33 years since my first summer at Philmont and I’m still spending my birthdays with Phil-friends. The friendships you build this summer might very well last a lifetime. And how lucky you’ll be if that turns out to be true!

One of the best ways to keep

those friendships alive is through a membership in the Philmont Staff Association (PSA). The PSA gives us a chance to hike those hills again, rekindle old friendships and even make some new ones, all

while supporting Philmont and the staff that continue to make each summer special for thousands of young men and women. I’m especially thrilled we’re finally at the point where we can build the

PSA a permanent office...a HOmE.Philmont has been home to me

since the first time I stepped foot on that hallowed ground. It’s good to know that thanks to the PSA, I CAN go HOmE again. Someday, I hope you’ll be thankful you can too.

Get your

gear here!

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Mariah HughesPSA Member

Mariah Hughes (front) with the Sole Sisters PSA trek in 2016.

Mariah Hughes sitting in the Baldy Saddle during her first trip to Philmont in 1978.


PSA a permanent office...a HOmE.Philmont has been home to me

since the first time I stepped foot on that hallowed ground. It’s good to know that thanks to the PSA, I CAN go HOmE again. Someday, I hope you’ll be thankful you can too.

What does STEM stand for?Adam ScottEnvironmental Educator

People who have had contact with America’s education system in the past few years may tell you STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. They may also elaborate that STEM programs are part of a national educational initiative to cultivate the next generation of critical thinkers and innovators. Some camp welcomes at backcountry camps also humorously refer to STEM as sorcery, trickery, enchantment, and magic. It’s a good joke.

But what does the STEM program really stand for? Beyond the acronym there is a deeper meaning we can interpret.

STEM at Philmont is part of the Environmental Education (EE) program of the Conservation Department.

The EE program gives leadership to Individual Treks like Trail Crew Trek, Roving Outdoor

Conservation School, and works with the Ranger Department to coordinate STEM Treks as well. Environmental Educators also work on creating and managing educational programs to enhance the backcountry experience. These programs include board games, displays, and activities previously named the BEEP (Backcountry Environmental Education Program).

BEEP began in 2007 and set a strong foundation for STEM to be built. The term BEEP was phased out this year since the environmental science topics of the BEEP fit under the broader, more commonly understood term of STEM.

All of us involved in Scouting are working to teach values. Instilling the values of the Scout Oath and Law is, after all, the mission of the Boy Scoutsof America.

Through STEM initiatives, the Environmental Education program works to create stewards of our world and motivate the next

generation of problem solvers. We do this by cultivating wonder, curiosity, and awareness to the landscape by connecting Philmont participants to this place.

These attitudes are what the entire Environmental Education and STEM program are built around, and any staff member at Philmont can uncover them by encouraging participants to ask questions and make connections. This is what interpretation is all about.

We can also use the broader idea of interpretation to share the values of the STEM program. “To explain the meaning of (something)” is Merriam-Webster’s definition of the word interpret. Many other definitions from the National Park Service, National Association for Interpretation and the Association for Heritage Interpretation all suggest that “interpretation helps visitors relate to the resources of a place which, in turn, makes their experiences personally relevant and meaningful.”

This is our task as Philmont Staff, no matter our department or position, and it is my challenge to you, dear reader. If we continue to dig deeper into the ideas behind the STEM program a little more, we can see the threads of what STEM really stands for can be woven into the very fabric of our program here at Philmont.

Many activities at Philmont and in Scouting challenge Scouts to develop confidence and character through the mastery of a skill. Fostering wonder through science-based activities is one of many tools to this end.

So, no matter what type of sorcery or science you are interested in, you can share your passion and spark interest in the mysteries we encounter every day. We can enrich someone’s life by connecting them with the magical processes of the entire universe!

I often ask participants what their favorite part of their Philmont experience was. One Scout said to me, “Everything here is just so

beautiful; it’s like a green screen from a movie!” Except that it’s not a movie.

The beauty, the danger, the challenge, and the wonder of a Philmont experience is as viscerally real as anything in life can be. The land we live on should not be merely a background; the land is the context for our entire experience.

This ranch is our habitat and our home. By sharing our wonder and curiosity, we can help others to be aware of the true magnificence of purple mountains, an azure sky, and the starlit skies above.

By learning more about our HOmE, staff and participants alike can grow a connection to this Scouting paradise and develop a stewardship for the land across the United States for generations to come. We can all help to make Philmont a home to all those who visit. This is what the STEM program at Philmont stands for.

Margo Lawless just after her spar pole climb at Crater Lake on July 26, 2016. Lawless was mildly scared to climb the pole due to a fear of heights but quickly overcame that fear and reached the top were the Tooth of Time was ever so visible as the spot where they would be the following day. Clay Helfrick/PhilNews

Lennard Droege leans back at the top of the spar pole at Crater Lake and enjoys the view of Tooth Ridge before descending. While at the top it is the Donkey’s jobs to keep the safety rope tight while the climber prepares to descend the pole. Clay Helfrick/PhilNews

Miles Reid turns a tree sample bore into a pine tree near the Crater Lake campfire bowl on July 26, 2016. This tool drills a small hole into the center of the tree while keeping a small core intact. Later the small core can be removed from the center on a tray that reveals the interior layers of the tree. “This sample is like opening a history book of that particular tree,” says STEM leader, Luke Wajrowski. Clay Helfrick/PhilNews


Listening: Effectively and actively understanding information provided by a person speaking to you.

I love cartoons. Some are simply funny. Others put a point across with humor. One of my favorite newspaper cartoons is Dennis the Menace. Dennis is talking to a playmate, “I love Mrs.

Wilson. You should hear how she listens to me.”

I had only been at Philmont a couple of days. One of the Rangers asked me, “What does a chaplain do?” God bless young people. They always cut right to the heart of the issue. It was a simple question. My answer was equally simple, “We listen to people.” Sometimes we listen to a person’s joy. There are times when we listen to a person’s pain.

Of course, there are others things that are done by chaplains. But everything we do comes out of our interactions with people and that which our spirits sense as “Holy.” When we counsel a person, it is essentially an occasion to listen to the individual’s life story of defeats and victories.

When we preach, we attempt to put into words the concerns and aspirations of people we have listened to. When we pray, our intention is to bring the fears

and hopes we we have heard into the Divine presence. When we live disciplined lives, we strive to embody the best character we can manage as humans in the face of tempting choices. We celebrate the mysteries of our faith such as Christian Holy Days, the Jewish Festivals and Islam’s Rituals with voices we listen to from the past. When we solemnize life’s transitions such as funerals and weddings, we are leading people by both recognizing the tragic in life while offering courage through the paths of faith that have been trail blazed for thousands of years.

For me, it relates to something Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Chaplains attempt to humanize the “spiritual being” in each of us by the most humble human activity: Listening.

Chaplain’s Corner: Listening effectivelyPastor Pete VaughtProtestant Chaplain

The Ranger Mile: Greenwood Canyon

Out of Eden Walk essay contest

Aidan SchoffRipon, WI

“Paul Salopek’s Out of Eden Walk has taught me that every sight, sound, and feeling has a meaning, we just have to be willing to slow down and decipher it.”

Aidan is 16 years old. He has been a Scout for 11 years. He enjoys hiking in the backcountry woods of Wisconsin. Read Aidan’s full essay at pulitzercenter.org/philmont

Colin Henry StevensSouth Boston, VA“The Out of Eden Walk was

a focused lens to see the things my own Scoutmaster had always taught me about observation and allowing yourself to be humanly connected. It showed that in real life, the easiest thing is always to talk to people rather than isolate yourself...noticing the small beauties and conflicts in life is important.”

Henry was a Cub Scout for four years and has been a Scout for five more years. He is 16 years old, and his favorite place to hike is a section of the AT known (possibly colloquially) as Three Peaks. Read Henry’s full essay at pulitzercenter.org/philmont

This week’s runners-up

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting has selected a winner and ten runners-up in its Out of Eden Walk essay contest. The winner will go on an all-expenses paid hike in Central Asia later this year with journalist and National Geographic fellow Paul Salopek.

One member of every crew coming to Philmont this summer was eligible to enter the contest, which asked Scoutsto use the principles of “slow journalism”

to write about walking or hiking experiences.

“Slow journalism means taking the time to observe and record things we might otherwise miss because we’re moving too fast,” said Mark Schulte, the Pulitzer Center’s education director.

Along with his partners at the Pulitzer Center, a nonprofit journalism organization based in Washington, DC, Salopek has called upon Philmont to join him in practicing slow journalism. For the second year, Scoutsare using blank pages in their Passport Journals to record what they

observe along their hikes, sharing these journal entries periodically at their campfires.

This year, the Pulitzer Center sponsored the essay contest, which ran until June 1 and garnered dozens of entries. The winner will join Salopek on his walking route in Asia for a unique hiking experience along the Silk Road.

The ten runners-up will be featured in the PhilNews over the summer, and the winner will be announced in August. The runner-up essays can be read at pulitzercenter.org/philmont

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting

Drew Castellaw/PhilNews

Mark Anderson Director of Program

As we near the end of the 2016 season it is important that we continue to strive for excellence in everything that we do. Each day allows us opportunities to demonstrate the many skills we learned during training and have repeated many times over the summer. The repetition has allowed us to grow and improve, learning from each success or challenge, learning from our fellow staff members and making a difference in the lives of those we come in contact with. It is now important that we continue to demonstrate the excellence that we have prepared for, every day until we depart at the end of the season.

Aristotle wrote, “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

In his book “The Little Big Things”, Tom Peters writes about excellence:

“Excellence is the best defense.

Excellence is the best offense.Excellence is the answer in

good times.Excellence is the answer in

tough times.(Excellence is the answer in

tough times.)Excellence is about the big

things.Excellence is about the little

things.Excellence is a relationship.Excellence is a philosophy.Excellence is an aspiration.Excellence is immoderate.Excellence is a pragmatic standard.Excellence is execution.Excellence is selfish.Excellence is selfless.Excellence is what keeps you awake.Excellence is what lets you

sleep well.Excellence is a moving target.Excellence is that which …

knows no bounds.EXCELLENCE. Always.If not EXCELLENCE, what?If not EXCELLENCE now,

when?”I would say that the “Brand” of

Philmont Scout Ranch deserves our excellence and the time to demonstrate that excellence is now, every day until the end of the season!

Excellence is...


THE PORCH RESTAURANT

DINNER

Thursday, Friday, Saturday 5pm-9pm

SUNDAY BRUNCH

10am-2pm

575-376-2228 Reservations Recommended

Cash or checks only.

Chip CampbellAssociate Chief Ranger

The Ranger Mile: Greenwood Canyon

observe along their hikes, sharing these journal entries periodically at their campfires.

This year, the Pulitzer Center sponsored the essay contest, which ran until June 1 and garnered dozens of entries. The winner will join Salopek on his walking route in Asia for a unique hiking experience along the Silk Road.

The ten runners-up will be featured in the PhilNews over the summer, and the winner will be announced in August. The runner-up essays can be read at pulitzercenter.org/philmont

Beautiful and forgotten, Greenwood Canyon is endured by crews and often left unappreciated by staff. There are 5,000 feet of elevation change between Rich Cabins, our historic homesteading camp nestled in the Vermejo Park, and Baldy Mountain; the breadth of what can be seen travelling this swath of land is spectacular. A creek, the Middle Ponil, ambles along the heart of this canyon, weaving past mountain wildflowers and grassy pastures, pooling in fish filled pits, and cooling a morning walk. So, after a night filled with music, depart from Rich Cabins in the peace of the dawn and begin the journey towards Philmont’s highest summit: Baldy Mountain.

Though the hike I recommend can be done in a single day, this is best appreciated over a two day stretch. Spending

the night in Philmont’s backcountry, away from staff and participants, will

expose you to the splendor of Philmont’s night sky without distraction. Further, it provides the opportunity to camp as perhaps you once did as a Scout: in a tent. So, bring a rope and a bear bag, a tent and a stove, and prepare to tent in Upper Greenwood camp.

Navigation is simple: head west from Rich Cabins and turn left at the fork. The trail is easy to follow, though at times steep, and will wind from 7600 feet of elevation to Baldy’s 12,441. Pass through

Greenwood Camp and continue on until signs mark that you have reached Upper Greenwood. This is a low impact camp, required special considerations for you night’s stay. Do not allow this to deter you, though, as all you must do is hang your food between two trees and disperse your grey water 200 feet from camp.

The next morning, set off early towards the Copper Parking lot. The trail here is particularly steep and should be done in the chill of the morning crepuscular hours. Once you have reached the crest of the ridge, turn right and follow the ridge towards Baldy Mountain. Along the way, don’t forget to look over your shoulder and appreciate Colorado’s 14ers, the Spanish Peaks, and other prominent mountains now capped with snow. Upwards and over, continue on until you reach your end, Baldy Mountain. Soak in your reward and breathe the rarified air gusting over the mountain summit.

Once you have taken in all the wonder you can, make your way down, down, and down, towards Maxwell Turnaround where you have a car waiting, or, if you have the time, hike onwards and into the land you have just seen from above.

Who is in charge of the plodding crew?(with apologies to Edward James Milliken)

By Stephen Fite

Who is in charge of the plodding crew?Their packs overstuffed and boots are new.An hour late out of camp. Yes,And we’re eight now to the bad- no less!At every day, an hour must gain anew. Who is in charge of the plodding crew?

Why youth as a matter of course!You may talk of vigor and brute forceBut, after all, and do what you can doYouth is in charge of the blundering crew.

Youth in the shape of a modest ScoutIn a wicking shirt, a crew leader no doubt;A smelly lad but somewhat gruff Yet, though unpolished, of sturdy stuff...

Only a boy, but following behind A dozen members all in a line.A dozen Scoutsplace their trust In this fellow of fustian, camp suds and dustThe miles they pass, one step at a time, Lull them to think all is just fine.

What is that sound, tis the staff radio.

The 10-15 requests received a ‘no’.Full eight days of continuous hikeMidst the odor of dirt, and sweat alike.Have taken a toll on the Scout that we knew,And Exhaustion is in charge of the plodding crew.

The crew’s muscle and will of steel Even with conditioning hikes will start to reel.Strained too long, exhaustion will feel.Over-packed and under-skilled,This crew of hikers, their trek not fulfilled.

Though tougher than a Boy Scout, this youth portrayed. Fails at last on half-strength Gatorade.His strength all gone, like a zombie he walks,Unaware that beside him a Specter now stalks. His crew still follows the trail, the route,Unaware that their leader has mentally checked out.

For the day is hot and the trail signs nighAnd fatigue has dulled the Advisor’s eye.They plod along their trek soon throughExhaustion is in charge of the plodding crew.


Girls just want to have fun

A North Carolina dad and Venture Crew Advisor went the extra mile in order for his daughter to experience the adventures of a lifetime.

In May of 2013, Christopher Willingham, advisor for expedition 714 F 4, made the shift from all-male venture crew to coed after recognizing his daughter’s passion for adventure.

“I think there’s a lot of girls out there that want to be able to participate in activities like this,” Willingham said.

Willingham knew how beneficial Scouting was for his sons, and it quickly became apparent to him that his daughter, Maddie, could experience the same adventures.

Since the 1970s, Philmont has been a coed Scouting program, so for the Willinghams, Philmont was the perfect place for their first trip as a coed crew.

“Philmont in 2013 happened to represent the first year that my daughter was eligible and it’s no

coincidence that that’s the year we went coed,” Willingham said. “If it weren’t for my daughter, I wouldn’t have started Venture Crew 58.”

Willingham said he was initially concerned with the girls’ lack of experience with camping and hiking, so leading up to their first Philmont trip in 2013, the girls participated in activities to prepare for what was to come.

“By the time we got to Philmont, there was no having to wait on the girls there was just no deficiency between what they could do and what the boys could do,” Willingham said.

Maddie Willingham, 17, said her first time to Philmont made her realize she could accomplish things she never thought she could.

“There’s been so many times on the trail where I’m thinking, like, ‘I can’t do this,’ and then somehow I do,” Willingham said. “[Philmont] shows you how much you can really do.”

While some boys were skeptical about adding girls into the mix, Maddie’s mom, Laura, had no doubt her daughter would thrive.

“I never doubted that she could do any of this stuff; I would have been surprised if she couldn’t,” Laura Willingham said. “It makes me happy to see when she’s as strong as all the boys.”

Rob Lewis, Crew 58 leader, said he was skeptical about including girls in the crew, but quickly after the girls proved themselves as equals on the trail, Lewis’ stereotypes were shattered.

“It’s kind of opened me up and I’ve realized that they’re pretty much on our level,” Lewis said.

Venture Crew 58 is the largest in both North and South Carolina with 68 total members. Of the five crews, two are coed and the other three are all male.

Ryan Barnes, Program Counselor at Miranda, was helping Maddie and her fellow crew members with black powder rifle shooting on Tuesday, July 19, the crew’s sixth day on the trail.

“Even though Waite Phillips gave Philmont specifically to the Boy Scouts, I think he gave it to Scouting... not just the Boy Scouts, so that everyone could make use of it,” Barnes said.

Madelynne Scales Staff Photographer

Myths of the Mesa

The Spanish word for a magpie is “urraca.” Perhaps this is how the Urraca Mesa got its name-- from the birds that, according to legend passed on by generations of staff and Scouts, will one day swarm the eye of the mesa, re-opening an Anasazi portal to the fifth dimension releasing an array of demons and evil-doers into our world. It’s one of many myths of Philmont’s haunted mesa.

The Urraca Mesa has several legitimate features which attract supernatural explanations. From a topographic view, the western side of the mesa is shaped like a skull. In 1970, the skeleton of a Santa Fe Trail trader who perished on the mesa in the late 1800s was found near the staff camp. The mesa is

frequently struck by lightning, which may explain why the mesa contains deposits of lodestone, magnetized rock. This lodestone causes compass needles to spin in circles on portions of the mesa.

Though staff tells legends of cat totems, a lost Scout, and “the Imp,” a demon which got stuck on our side of the portal, few of them have roots in actual experiences.

According to current staff members, crews and NAYLE staff have reported seeing blue lights on the mesa, a symbol of the Anasazi Shaman who remained to protect this realm after his tribe entered the portal to fight evil.

There are also reports in camp and online of tents inexplicably rotating 90 degrees in the night and sleeping bags moving ten feet from their original placement from staff members who sleep on the eye of the mesa. The only strange

experience Camp Director Kelly Mazzanobile and her staff have had this summer have been bad dreams. One night, they all had nightmares with similar plots.

“It’s really fun to have Boy Scouts play into the myths and the legends, and we really try to deliver that at campfire with the way we present our stories,” said Mazzanoble.

Staff members scream at tense moments and wear masks to spook participants.

“It’s mostly for their enjoyment, but also we love just scaring them.”

Eleanor HasenbeckStaff Writer

Urraca staff members Olivia Koury, left, Charlie Ostrem, Kelly Mazzanobile, and Austin Applegate, right, worked hard on Friday, July 29, 2016 to deliver a “spooky” campfire for Scouts, complete with scary stories and songs that warn the Scoutsof the many creatures living on the haunted Urraca Mesa. Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

Martha Kate Bragg from Venture Crew 58 shoots the target three times in a row Tuesday, July 19 with a black-powder rifle at Miranda. Bragg is one of four girls in the coed crew, which started in May 2013 when Christopher Willingham, advisor, wanted his daughter, Maddie to have the same Scouting experiences as his sons. Madelynne Scales/PhilNews

Maddie Willingham, center, chats with her crew members Martha Kate Bragg and Callie Hnilica Tuesday, July 19 at Miranda as they wait to shoot black-powder rifles. Venture Crew 58 is from North Carolina whose first trip as a coed crew was Philmont in May 2013. Madelynne Scales/PhilNews


Continued from page one: A mine connection

For a while, many miners came to find copper, but soon, it was realized that, geologically, often times gold was located near copper.

“They first found gold in 1866 and they said those famous words, ‘don’t tell anyone,’ that was at the start of the winter of 1866, but then in 1867, the entire valley region was flooded with miners, so someone told someone,” said Baldy Town Program Counselor, Christian da Luz .

The gold was sent from French Henry to Baldy Town using a tram system.

With this deluge of miners came families who inhabited Baldy Town. In addition to having the largest stamp mill in the area, Baldy Town had a two room school house, four hotels, and a post office.

“They had a baseball team up here, and the hotel had two dining rooms,” said Baldy Town Program Counselor Clifford Eade.

Despite the presence of the schoolhouse, mining was still the center of daily life. Even children worked in the mines.

“The only people not allowed to work in the mine were women,

they were seen as bad luck, because if the women showed up in the mine, that meant that they were there to identify a body, it meant that someone had died,” said Baldy Town Program Counselor Kirsten Connell.

The miner’s life was not an easy one, nor was it glamorous.

“There were three districts of Baldy Town, there was Whistleville, which is what we believe we are standing on right now, a nicer area where the superintendent lived, we had Poverty Flats...along with Bug Scuffle,” said Traxel.

Along with the hardships, mining was not always a reliable source of income.

“They’d find a vein of gold, and then everyone would come here again, and a couple of months later, it would dry up, and they would filter again, and then it would happen again,” said da Luz.

The mining industry would go through booms and busts, causing sporadic levels of inhabitants in French Henry and Baldy Town.

“Baldy Town, Elizabeth Town and everything else in this area would go through booms and busts and it would die off right before a war because all the materials would be needed to go to the war,”

said Rohrbough. The last bust for Baldy Town

came in the 1940’s. “World War Two is pretty much

what killed Baldy Town,” said da Luz.

About two decades after Baldy Town was left for the last time, Norman Clapp donated the land to Philmont Scout Ranch. Those visiting the camps today will notice a surprising lack of buildings.

There are several mines in the area, but in the 1990’s the State of New Mexico felt it necessary to close the openings to the 38 mines found.

As of today, the only mine accessible by the Scouts is the Aztec Mine located near French Henry.


Bottom: Mark Anderson donated a miner’s assaying kit to Baldy Town for the summer, that includes many chemicals that helped the goldminers separate the gold from the other rocks and minerals. Lex Selig/PhilNews

Top: Charlie Mistic inspects his pan for gold at French Henry Camp on July 27, 2016. “Gold mining was fun, I had never done that before,” explains Mistic. “But it’s a lot harder than it looks.” Gabriel Scarlett/


It was 2007, and a young Sean McElligott had just stepped off the bus and onto Philmont soil for the first time. Little did he know that after his regular 10-day trek through Philmont’s backcountry, he would return again...and again...and again. In fact, after his 2008 Rayado trek, he began the first of seven years as a staff member in the Dining Hall.

McElligott seems to have done it all. From Dining Hall to Cons Work Crew to his current job as NPS Photo Lab Manager, he has devoted many summers and even a fall and winter season to bettering the Ranch with his talents. Although, this summer might just be his favorite thus far.

This year, he encouraged his girlfriend Jenny Kelm to come along with him to work at Philmont.

“We were dating last summer when I was out here working as a photographer. So she got to hear a lot about my experiences out here, and she grew curious as to why I

Games drawn by Cassidy Johnson

Last Week’s Answers


It was 2007, and a young Sean McElligott had just stepped off the bus and onto Philmont soil for the first time. Little did he know that after his regular 10-day trek through Philmont’s backcountry, he would return again...and again...and again. In fact, after his 2008 Rayado trek, he began the first of seven years as a staff member in the Dining Hall.

McElligott seems to have done it all. From Dining Hall to Cons Work Crew to his current job as NPS Photo Lab Manager, he has devoted many summers and even a fall and winter season to bettering the Ranch with his talents. Although, this summer might just be his favorite thus far.

This year, he encouraged his girlfriend Jenny Kelm to come along with him to work at Philmont.

“We were dating last summer when I was out here working as a photographer. So she got to hear a lot about my experiences out here, and she grew curious as to why I

kept coming out,” McElligott said. After applying and being hired

as a 2016 staff member, Kelm was excited to finally see what was so great about this place.

“I was incredibly excited [to come here] because Philmont runs

in my family...I know it means a lot to the men in my life, and I wanted to have this great big adventure after I graduated college,” Kelm said.

Perhaps the only connection more enduring than his love for Philmont

is McElligott’s almost 10-year connection with Kelm. They have known each other since high school, where they met on the same bus route in their Virginia neighborhood.

They attended their high school prom together, at which point they were merely friends within the same circle. They kept in touch in the years after high school graduation and would be sure to hang out if ever they were both back in

their hometown. On New Year’s Eve

in 2014, McElligott and Kelm officially began

their romance. Although they were often a long-distance couple, they did not let the miles come between them.

“This [summer] is actually the longest time we’ve spent in

close proximity to each other...and we’ve been wandering around New Mexico and all over the Ranch,” McElligott said.

They had been discussing the possibility of marriage in their future for a while. McElligott decided, if Kelm could come to Philmont this year, it would be the perfect place to propose.

On July 27, 2016, after hiking to the top of Baldy Mountain the previous day and reaching Wilson Mesa for sunrise, McElligott got down on one knee. Awe-stricken and with an uncontrollable smile, Kelm accepted his proposal as the sun kissed the peak of Baldy behind them.

“[I felt] super content and calm and very happy with the world,” Kelm said.

As for the wedding plans, nothing is set in stone yet. However, the couple hopes Philmont is involved in the Big Day. Whether it be the venue for the wedding or a place they return to reminisce, Philmont will always hold a special place in their hearts.

While a summer doing retail is probably not what typically comes to mind when one thinks of working at Philmont, those who work in the Tooth of Time Traders greet every customer with a big smile and enthusiastic offers to help.

“I just try to be 100% there, so that the person feels like what they want or need actually matters, because to them, it does matter and it should to you as well,” said Warehouse Clerk, David Gregorio.

While working retail at a summer camp is anything but relaxing, the staff at the Tooth of Time Traders refuse to have bad days.

“Our motto here is ‘What an Opportunity,’ that’s just kind

of a funny thing that we say, it keeps us going. There’s no such thing as a bad [day] at work, it’s just an opportunity to improve,” said Assistant Manager Brandon McCormick.

McCormick is studying Criminal Justice. He says that when he has tougher days, or is running low on sleep, he remembers that he will have more difficult days in Law Enforcement some day. He hopes to apply what he has learned at Philmont to his future career.

“It’s definitely a different opportunity every time you come out here...at the end of the day, I think it’s just like any job at Philmont, you get to work on your leadership and teamwork skills and your communication skills, which is a big thing...learning how to work with different personalities, and then being able to transfer that

into the professional world, to me that’s just such an opportunity,” said Brandon.

As his fellow managers do, Brandon strives to keep the mood at the Tooth of Time Traders light.

“Shelley is just a fantastic overlord, and she treats her employees fantastically and to be honest she’s a fantastic boss, and all the managers from there treat everyone fairly, they’re strict,

but fair, and I love it, it’s a good environment,” said Warehouse Clerk, Austin McCormick.

The rest of the Tooth of Time Traders staff live up to this sentiment of having fun at work as well.

“You gotta have fun while you get stuff done,” said Gregorio.

The average retail worker’s day can be full of spontaneity and unexpected events, however, the staff at the Tooth of Time Traders takes each day as a unique opportunity.

“I try to live every day as a fantabulous day, as just a wonderful opportunity, every day feels rewarding, I just throw myself out there and I just do whatever,” said Austin.

What an opportunity!

The story of Sean and JennyHannah McCarthy PhilNews Editor


Tooth of Time Traders Manager Brandon McCormick heads change to an advisor on Saturday, July 30, 2016. Skyler Ballard/PhilNews

After their engagement, McElligott holds up a sign made by a friend in Maintenance. McElligott and Kelm plan to hike the sign to a few more locations in Philmont before hanging it up in their home as a symbol of this day. Tyler Sanders/PhilNews


“Dripping Faucet.” Photo by Nathaniel Aron, News & Photo Services. First place Black & White. “New Spoon.” Photo by Aaron Richards,

Ranger. First place Philmont Selfies.“Yummy Chicken.” Photo by Hayden Larman, PTC COPE. First place Humor.

“Storm Flees Zastrow.” Photo by Alexander Bohlen, News & Photo Services. First place Philmont Skies; Second place overall.

“Bonding Time.” Photo by Peter Randolph, Logistics. First place Camper Activity; First place overall.

“Blue Columbine.” Photo by Gregory Gamble, Ranger. First place Plant life.

“Bunny Rabbit.” Photo by Ian Klaus, Tooth of Time Traders. First place Animals and Wildlife.

“Goats.” Photo by Alexandra Cenci, News & Photo Services. First place Staff Activity.

“Fiddler’s Song.” Photo by Nathaniel Aron, News & Photo Services. First place Philmont Portraits; Third place overall.

“Misty Mountains.” Photo by Drew Castellaw, News & Photo Services. First place Landscape.

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