Philmont Day 1 - Wednesday, June 12, 2002
Base Camp

Due to the uncertainty of our itineraries, we determined that we would try to be the first crews to arrive at base camp, and the first crews to go to logistics that morning.  We got up at 5:00am, and got the group up at 5:15am.  We got everything loaded, everyone out of their rooms, and checked out of the hotel at 6:00am, then had a small breakfast in the hotel parking lot.  We pulled out of Taos at 6:15am and started for Philmont.   There had been a north breeze overnight that pushed the smoke from the fires down into the Cimarron valley and over base camp, so the views were hazy and brown.  We pulled up to the welcome center at 7:40am – first crews of the day.  The base camp marathon had begun.

The crew leaders checked their crews into incoming tent city, and we quickly moved our personal gear and packs in.  Then it was back to the welcome center to meet our rangers.  Crew 2’s ranger was Sarah.  She is a sweet girl, new to the ranger job.  We were her first crew.  She did really well.  From the welcome center we went to administration and logistics.  In administration, we checked the crews in and set up crew and contingent pictures, then began the nervous wait to see what itinerary we would be given in logistics.  We worked with the staff at logistics, getting new itinerary 23 FM (Fire Modified) for both crews 2 & 3.  Crew 1’s itinerary was unchanged since their itinerary only covered the south and central regions of Philmont.  Logistics went very smoothly, then  we had our crew and contingent pictures taken before we went for medical rechecks at the med shack, and finished just in time for lunch at 11:30am, a very full morning with more to come.  We had free time till 1:00pm, and then picked up crew gear and food at the services building.  We put our crew’s food in Jan’s truck, and then had our shakedown over in a grove of cottonwoods across from the welcome center.  The wind had really gotten up by now, and the dust and smoke were everywhere.  

The shakedown ended just in time for the boys to take their packs back to their tents before their tour of the Villa Philmonte at 3:30pm.  While the crew went to the Villa, I stayed at base camp to do a couple of loads of crew laundry and have some ice cream from the snack bar.  The crew regrouped for dinner just before 5:00pm.  After dinner, I went over to logistics to copy the water board for our trek, and then rounded up the crew for chapel at 7:00pm.  The opening campfire started at 8:15pm and was over at 9:00pm (same campfire as 21 years ago, ho hum, but I’m sure the first timers enjoyed it).  Crew 2 had a Thorns, Buds, & Roses, then we broke up for final showers and bed.