Philmont 2023

For those Scouts that get the opportunity, participating in a trek at Philmont National High Adventure Base is usually the highlight of their scouting career. Philmont is located on 214 square miles of rugged backcountry near Cimarron, New Mexico and offers tailored backpacking treks to crews from across the country. This year, Troop 581 sent two crews to participate in an 11-day backpacking trek. Crews prepare long in advance, choosing from 35 staffed camps that each provide a unique program experience. Scouts must prepare physically and mentally as they must carry all their personal and crew equipment the entire time while navigating the rugged terrain. Our crews this year got to participate in lots of great adventures this summer and you can see just a fraction of their experience in the pictures below. Hopefully it will not be long before the Troop heads back to Philmont!

Before arriving at Philmont, the crews stopped at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado
That’s not the Sahara Desert, that’s Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado
Philmont Base Camp where crews get situated before starting their trek
Early on a guide gets you started
On the trail
There is lots to see along the way including native glyphs
Setting up camp for the night
Scouts cooking a meal
Stopping for a photo along the trail
Mt Baldy in the distance is a key destination for many crews
At the summit of Mt Baldy
Scouts got to spend sometime on the trail on horseback
And for a portion of the trek used a pack mule to carry crew gear
Panning for gold is one of the options along the trail
Spar climbing is another option