Friday, the plan is to meet at Church at 5.30 to pack all gear and Scouts and hit the road at 6pm. I am trying to get out from work a little earlier than usual on Fridays, like 3:30 PM, getting home, changing, and bringing my pack and Jonas and head down to Church. And what happens, one of these familiar deja-vue experiences. At 3.00 the phone rings, not one call, not two calls, but three. And what about, but extremely urgent orders that must go out today and no one knows how to get it done properly. This time it was easy though.

Got home, got ready, got down to Church as planned and got set-up in vehicles. Great!!
Crew 4 is ready, even if we won’t be all attending out at Worth until later as Shane and Sarah are coming out about nine-ish. Sad to say Sofie and Travis can’t make this shakedown. Even if this is a little bit negative the positive side is that all of us adults are going: me, Elmer, Robin and Shane. The most positive though is that Branden and Marshall are with us this time.

I’ve got a full ride. Rhys, Branden and Marshall are going with me as well as Jonas, Taylor and Jason (the last three are unfortunately not eligible to go to Philmont due to age and are going on the Troop 445 campout)

Take your marks, Go! [USA Swimming start command] And what happens? Rhys sits up in second row in the van, grabbing the door pillar while Branden closes the front door. Oooouuuuch, a finger-crunch. Nema proplema, we have plenty of Scouts around for first-aid. However, Rhys declines medical treatment (I realize he’s able to loose a foot or so at Philmont and still continue). This is a good sign. Friday’s word-of-the-day is made easy – AMPUTATE.

All right, we make it out on I-20 towards Worth Ranch. The weather forecast says “Rain Showers”. Outside Fort Worth we get a few sprinkles. After a few more miles I hear the fearful yell from the second row (Rhys and Marshall). “IT IS POORING DOWN”.
Yeah, yeah, the wind-shield is soaking wet, and the wipers are swiping rapidly. I just washed the windshield, so it was a very, very, very local shower.

We all safely made it to Worth. We got set up for the night at Todd. As we had set camp we had our cracker-barrel dinner, thanks to Branden. It was great, even if it seemed like he had shopped for all of the other crews as well, (could be a wrestler’s perception of food needs). Shane and Sarah joined us towards the end of our dinner. Sarah zoomed in on the summer-sausage, she controlled herself and took only one slice, a two-incher.

SATURDAY (word of the day - GESTICULATE)

Elmer-the-lesser and I shared tent this time. I slept many, many times this night and every time was great. I can’t recall if any of the times I woke up was caused by Elmer’s snoring. In the morning I realized I should have drank more water as I felt some cramps in my calf while getting dressed, a learning lesson to keep to your regular procedures.

Today our target, as a crew, is to tear down camp within 45 minutes and to set it up within 20. 

This morning was my introduction to Philmont food. We had a big breakfast (Sofie will have a problem with this much in the morning). I can’t remember all, but a few of the things were; Oatmeal, Hot Cider, Granola Bar, Honey-Ham-Sausage, Pop-tart, Dried Cranberries (the cranberries were good, actually nothing was bad). 

We made a couple of rounds tearing down and setting up camp, and Shane felt comfortable that we could do it in the stipulated time.

Now it is time to get up on Kyle Mountain. We hiked up to Hugo’s Crack. It is really steep towards the end, close to rock climbing. However, I realize I didn’t make a bad choice regarding my new backback. It is the first time I have gone on a hike like this with my Whitney and it feels gorgeous, definitely something different compared with my Swedish 25 year old external frame Alaska pack.

We got up to the top and we set up camp. Shane was delighted. We tore down camp, Shane was delightier. We took our packs on and hiked down to the boat ramp. 

On our way down from Kyle we met Brad from Crew 3. We told him that his crew was already down there somewhere and he could join us for the hike as we were headed for that direction. 

It was all downhill and we maintained a fairly good speed. Close by the boat dock we found Elmer the Elder, James, Chris and Brandon. They had set up camp and seemed to be taking a break. We left Brad and continued towards the stairs, even if our navigator, Rhys, had some problems interpreting our advice of the correct direction. 

And there they were, The Stairs that takes you from the lower campsites to the Parade Grounds. They are just awful to go down as each step has its own individual height. Just imagine going up, treading air half the time while stumbling the rest.

I believe Shane yelled “caterpillar” as the first crew member entered the stairs. However he recalled it before any damage occurred, it is merely impossible to pass each other, especially with the packs on. And we made it up, wow; I can’t believe all the huffing and puffing I heard when I came up as the last one. Break with packs off, if you wanted to. Amazingly no one wanted to go down the stairs and then back up, I can’t understand.

After a short break we hiked back up on Kyle to set up camp for the night and have lunch. Camp set up went fast. I suggested an alternative to my idea of using a pulley for the bear-bags. Why not use a carabiner, it is lighter and the friction is insignificant. We were ready for lunch. It was Crackers with Jalapeno Squeeze Cheese (yummy), Power bar, Gatorade. No KP!!!!!

After lunch it was service project time and shooting for the youth. Sarah decided the time would be best used for a nap (only a few hours, while her official statement was “sketching”). Rhys, Branden and Marshall went down to the shooting range. Elmer, Shane, Robin, and I went down to the parking lot. Just as we started descending at Hugo’s Crack, Shane did a “Hampton” though without his backpack on. I observed the original “Hampton” from the same position and this time I really feared a hit on a rock with his coccyx, but he is still young and acrobatic and only hit the ground with his butt. As we came down Robin decided she needed to exercise some more by walking up and down Kyle a couple of times. The rest of us went to see if the Ranger needed some help with the new check-in building, under construction. But it turned out that the rain scared the carpenters off to lunch. We decided to go down to the shooting range and see how the boys did. I ran into Jonas and asked if he had been shooting anything yet. It turned out he had a pocketful of used targets. He had a blast, I wish I could spend more time with him shooting (but this requires guns and somewhere to shoot).

The range master asked if we adults would like to take a round, and so we did. Elmer turned out to be a good sniper. He hit 7 shots in the black area and another three down in the right corner, well grouped, I knew I lost two shots (outside the black) otherwise all well grouped. Our boys impressed on the shotguns. Jason took everything in the air, John turned out to be a great shooter after his initial instructions (first time he shot a shotgun), Curtis did well and so did several other boys.

At this time I decided it was time for me to get back up to camp and I approached Shane, who was helping out on the shotgun range, to ask if he locked his truck, as I had left my Gatorade bottle there. He searched all pockets for the keys - not there. OK, he gave the option they might have been left in the ignition; otherwise he had a spare key, somewhere. It turned out they were left in the ignition. As I was ready to bring his truck back to the parking he appeared in person, so we hiked up together.

Dinner time, that became the devastation for turkey-bag-cooking. Our dinner was Fetuccini, Mashed Taters, Pilot Crackers and Chocolate Cheese Cake, two of which required hot water cooking. We fixed it using two “turkey-bags”, after a long discussion about using a zip-lock bag for the desert. It took our cooks, Sarah and Rhys, some time to understand that they need to read the instructions before cutting up the packages and that they needed all packages of each prior to begin. Shane taught us all about creating smellables out of ourselves and the campsites by examples as regards to spreading the food powder over yourself and everything else in your close proximity. (I could almost feel the breath of bears from the Rockies in my neck). The turkey-bags “failed” us this time. It became messy, food to the elbows while scooping it out of the bags. My suggestion on food like mashed taters is to cut a corner of the bag and squeeze it out, as there is no broth like with Ramon Noodles. We tried it with the Chocolate Cheese Cake. It worked great, even if it reminded us about Elmer and his “Journaling” or “Journal Entries”.

Dinner was followed by KP. Next controversy, we realize the impact of Scotch-Brite on any polymeric (plastic) material – SCRATCHES. Our mess-kits are not “Chromed-High Alloyed-Stainless-Steel” just plastics(!). Elmer educated us in the manufacturing of canopies for jet-fighters where they use Scotch-Brite for polishing (close to grinding). Need to change this too. (WOW, these shakedowns are a REAL learning experience, Thanks Shane, love ya’).

We now realized we need more water for breakfast. –Breakfast?? Where is it, still in Shane’s truck? Elmer now also announces it was time for another journal entry, earlier today he had made a “short-story”. I decided to follow him down, to see Jonas. Elmer had made the “short-trail” from Todd up with Keith and Jacob and so he took the lead. He found a natural trail, known to most as a Creek-Bed. I followed, trusting my leader. He questioned the directions a few times to himself and headed on down. We finally landed, outside the sign-in stop, east of Old Gillespie, east of the Shooting Range. Am I glad not to have him as my Boss? YES!!! Whatever, we knew where we were, and Elmer still had time to go on his Journaling. We arrived at Todd and all the boys were bringing fire-wood to the fire (not as big as the one crew 3 made on top of Kyle Mtn though, I think). Jay said he had them under control and that he was expecting to see Elmer the Elder any minute. (We all owe Jay a big “THANK-YOU” for stepping up and taking care of our younger Troop Scouts going out this weekend, Thanks Jay). Jonas was doing just fine, having a blast.

Elmer and I filled up with six liters of water, brought the breakfast and hiked up Kyle in the dark. My flashlight turned out to do more harm than use as there was a moon (even if it was very dimmed by the overcast sky). We made it safely back up and joined the others around the campfire. We went to bed about 9pm and I didn’t sleep as many times this night and I once again slept very well every time. 

SUNDAY (word of the day - COCCYX)

At about 5.30am I woke up and started thinking about getting up to make a small journal entry. Elmer had to do it at 6am. We concluded we could just as well start to get dressed and stuff up our night gear.

Everyone got up easily; we maintained a terrific pace tearing up camp. Shane had fixed hot water, YES COFEEE!!!!. I’m happy, though Elmer beat me to it. It so happened that Shane, Elmer and I had headache this morning. We conclude it must be dehydration caused by too strenuous activities before bedtime with insufficient water consumption, even if I think the smoke from the fire pit contributed to mine.

Breakfast; Coffee, Coffee, Breadsticks with Cheese, Pop tarts, Oatmeal. It was all-right, Thanks again Branden. Marshall proved to be a great “Bear-avoider” by laying down flat on the ground, sucking up the oatmeal he dropped (I now have learned he doesn’t like oatmeal and took the opportunity to eat something more tasteful, like the dirt).

Now we face the third disappointment, we were pacing so good UNTIL breakfast. Here we are enjoying our breakfast to the extent we forgot TIME. I second Shane in that we need to break camp, hit the trail, hike, find a great place, and eat breakfast, But only as long as Elmer and I can get a cup of coffee before hitting the trail. 

Wow, it was a great weekend. I only wish Sofie and Travis had been there with us as I know Shane and Sarah is not joining us next time and we really need to be together, all of us.

I can’t wait. It is now 5 months left to Philmont. I am getting more exciting for every day.

Thanks,
Robert

(Journal of Robert Steffner)