I Just Got Back

[Mark Rash]

I just completed my second Philmont Trek. Here are my thougts:

1.) Take a Fly Swatter. Flies are horrible this year in every camp. You might want to take one per person.

2.) Some type of camp shoes would be a nice luxury. I've never taken them and didn't this time. My shoes got soaked due to high water and multiple creek crossings. Even though I had dry socks, they also got wet when introduced to the still-wet shoes (duh). It's not always convenient to just sack up in the tent until your shoes are dry

3.) My 20 degree down quilt was too much. Evening temps were always in the 50s. A 30 degree quilt/bag would have been lighter and more comfortable.

4.) Mechanical water filtration is unnecessary. The Micropure tablets this year don't taste as bad as the previous one.

5.) The food is still not awesome. Take tabasco sauce.

6.) Titanium shepherd stakes worked great… the ground is not as hard as years past due to all the rain this year.

I'm sure I will have other thoughts. I had fun, but probably my last Philmont trip. I just don't sleep well on the ground and need to go somewhere I can hang in my hammock.

[Stephen M]

I pack a pair of Goretex Rocky socks, I wear them over my clean dry
socks (I clean my feet with baby wipes) inside trail runners with the laces opened out for comfort.

It works well.

[Daniel Budd]

Thanks for the update. My Crew from Red Hook , NY will have our first Philmont trip 8/08. We just got the letter from Program Director Anderson that we need to bring sturdy closed toe camp shoes, with heel strap because they will be used for river crossings. Most of my guys have flip flops for camp shoes, so I just gave them the update. I was thinking my water shoes might be good for this. What do you think. They are light and have rubber soles that grab the rocks pretty good. Although they do not have stiff soles. Most of us also have Keen sandals, which would qualify, but they are super heavy, and even more when wet.

We are on Itinerary 7-9, if anyone has done this one and wants to share any tips, please do. Thanks!

[ed dzierzak]

Are you on trek 7 or 9?
Or, do you have TWO crews, one doing 7 and the other doing 9?

[Daniel Budd]

Its Itinerary 7 Day – 09

[ed dzierzak]

Just two comments, I've not camped at the majority of camps in this trek.

Mt. Phillips – dry camp. It'll be a long haul with the water you'll need for the hike up and over Phillips. Since you're starting at Wild Horse, you may want to have dinner for lunch when you pass through Clear Creek. That's where you'll water-up also.

Ponderosa Park – dry camp. Also a long haul for water. You may want to do the dinner-for-lunch on your pass through Clarks Fork. It's a long uphill to Shaeffers Pass. You'll do part of it on your way to Ponderosa with the majority the next day. Check the water board at Logistics. There may actually be water at Shaeffers Pass, but I wouldn't count on it. It's a long, dry day on Tooth Ridge (with the stop at the Tooth) before you get into Base Camp. Once you start the switchbacks, you'll be calling it the neverending trail…

[Daniel Budd]

Thanks, sounds like a challenge :). This is our first trip, so I'm sure we will learn a lot.

[Mark Rash]

Daniel:

Water shoes may be sufficient for water crossings. Scuba booties with a thicker sole would be better (and heavier). I saw several people with Keen sandals, but I didn't take mine because of the weight. I would take at least 3 pairs of socks, maybe even 4. Keep one dry for in your tent.

You will be completely dry (if not a bit muddy) all the way to Fish Camp. From Fish Camp to Apache Springs you're going to get wet immediately. Probably 10-20 river crossings, but the worst ones are just West of Fish Camp. It's less than 4 miles. If you try and change shoes/socks every time you get to a crossing you'll never get there. I would be tempted to hike in water shoes through the first 3 water crossings then put your hiking shoes back on. If your shoes get wet, just ignore it until you get to Apache where you can dry out.

You can get water from a stream at Crooked Creek before going into Wild Horse, although I'd be tempted to carry what you need from Apache.

Stop at Clear Creek and get your water before going over Phillips. You've got a really steap hike there. I would eat your dinner for lunch at Clear Creek before going to the top of Phillips. It's a long way to Sawmill and there really isn't anywhere that's not a BIG sidehike to get water. Take 5L per person out of Clear Creek to get you to Sawmill the next day.

You and your crew owe it to yourselves to watch the sunrise from the cabin porch at Sawmill. Get up early enough to get everything packed and take your packs down to the cabin before sunrise. It is a really hard climb up to the campsite and you won't want to have to go back up there for your gear once you're already down at the cabin.

Get to Cimarroncito before 5PM so you can get a shower. They have the nicest shower facilities on the ranch… propane heated hot water. It is ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT to sidehike to Window Rock… it was one of my most pleasant surprises on the trip.

Your final day over Tooth Ridge is L O N G and HOT!!! Take 5L or more of water out of Clark's Fork. If you can eat your dinner for lunch there and ditch the trash you'll be better off.

Have a great trip and report back here!!

[ed dzierzak]

Just one other add-on.

The Guidebook to Adventure still has listed in the "Equipment provided by Crew" 2 or 3 2.5 gallon water containers. Don't do it!!!

When full those 2.5 gallon containers weigh 20 pounds. Better to have everyone have a 4-5 quart collapsible container to provide crew water for dry camps. Better weight distribution.

Anyway, that's what we've done when we've needed extra water for dry camps. It's worked well.

[John Myers]

Agree with the above on crew water.

We've always had everyone bring one extra 2 litre platypus for water for dry camps and that is plenty (as long as everyone brings enough personal water).

Virtually no extra weight and its distributed fairly.

[Daniel Budd]

Thanks Mark, Ed and John,

I came out early to visit the Grand Canyon, so I haven't been on the internet. Wow you guys have some good tips there. Sounds like it will be challenging week. I saw some scouts on a hike to the bottom of the GC yesterday, talk about HOT, 108 degrees at the bottom! I'll be riding a mule down tomorrow.

Before I saw your message I ditched the water shoes for the exact reason you mentioned, I thought the bottoms were way too flimsy. I did however find some super cheap and incredibly light Champion sneakers at Pay Less for $24(they weight the same a flip flops). My son and I both got them figuring they will be our river crossing shoes and we'll just throw them away when the trip is done. They have cheap mesh sidewalls and I think they will dry fast too(if there is a chance). I tore the foam insoles out because they would just hold water and add weight. We both wear Spenco orthotics, and they basically make these wimpy sneakers feel fine. I have been walking in them for days out here in Arizona and I'm impressed. They may blow out if we do too much hiking in them, but I think they will last the week. Easy to slip on and off as well.

Thanks again for all the notes. I'll let our CL know about these pointers.

I'll report back.
Dan

[ed dzierzak]

Well, there's a dumpster behind Services (where you pick-up/drop-off Phil-gear) where you could leave those toxic sneakers – at least there used to be one. :P

[Daniel Budd]

Hi Guys,

We had a great trip. Only one partial day of rain. Here is my gear review video.
https://youtu.be/V4aMfqFAUX0

I hope to go back in 2017.

Sincerely,
Dan

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