Venturing Crew 2016 Iowa City / Coralville , Iowa: Philmont Scout Ranch Trek July/Aug 2019

Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts of America's premier High Adventure™ base, challenges Venturing Crew members with more than 214 square miles of rugged northern New Mexico wilderness. Backpacking treks, horseback cavalcades, and training and service programs offer young people many ways to experience this legendary country.

Crew 2016 has secured a reservation for a 12 day trek at Philmont Scout Ranch for the Summer of 2019!!!

This is an amazing high adventure opportunity that provides a "once in a lifetime" (or twice or more for some) backpacking experience.

Philmont provides an unforgettable adventure in sky-high backpacking country along hundreds of miles of rugged, rocky trails. Philmont is essentially the largest youth camp in the World. Along with backpacking, many stops will provide program in the afternoon and evening. Program features combine the best of the old west -- horseback riding, burro packing, gold panning, mining, chuck wagon dinners, archery, and interpretive history with exciting challenges for today -- rock climbing, mountain biking, and .30-06 rifle shooting -- in an unbeatable recipe for fast-moving fun and outdoors.

What itinerary are we doing?

Venturing Crew 2016 has secured their first itinerary choice, number 19. This is a 62 mile trek in the mountains which includes summiting several peaks including Mt Phillips, Big Red, and Tooth of Time. This rugged trek will let your crew hike, shoot, ride, and climb your way into Base Camp via the Tooth of Time! Not long after you begin from historic Rayado Rancho on the Santa Fe Trail, your crew will learn about GPS technology at Zastrow and wilderness medicine at Carson Meadows. Tour Rayado Lodge at Fish Camp to discover why Waite Phillips enjoyed spending so much time in the backcountry, and tie a fly and give fly fishing a try. Next, your crew will shoot 3-D archery targets and explore Jicarilla Apache life at Apache Springs, ending the day with a spectacular sunset. Visit the homesteaders at remote Crooked Creek on your way to Comanche Creek Camp. Continue on and visit the Rocky Mountain Fur Company before making your ascent of Mt. Phillips. Once on top of Phillips, views of the Moreno Valley, Wheeler Peak, and Baldy Mountain will leave lasting memories for your crew! From there, enjoy the view from Big Red, then hike to Beaubien for branding, roping, a Chuck wagon dinner, a cowboy campfire, conservation, and horse riding down one of the most beautiful canyons the southwest has to offer. Hike over Trail Peak to see the wreckage of a B-24 Liberator that crashed in 1942. Rock climb and rappel at Miners Park before your last night on the trail at Tooth Ridge Camp ( great sunset and sunrise at Tooth of Time). Rest up and prepare for the final challenge…the Tooth of Time! Hike to base via Tooth Ridge and celebrate your accomplishment!

Philmont trek participants must be at least 14 years of age OR completed 8th Grade and be at least 13 years of age prior to participation. All members must be in excellent physical condition for the trek. All members must meet height and weight requirements found on the BSA medical form. All members must complete the BSA Healthform parts A, B, and C as well as have the high adventure box checked off by a physician.

Philmont is a back-country trip that will be physically challenging. Therefore, anyone that wishes to go must commit themselves to getting in to shape (especially the adults). This is not usually a problem for most crew members who are in sports or are quite active. It can be more of an issue with the adults with less oxygen available in the mountains along with hiking up and down mountains. The trip will be more enjoyable, the better shape you are in. Adults and crew members must be in good health and must meet the high adventure height/weight restrictions that are found on the BSA medical form. There are no exceptions.

We will have at least 3 shakedown campouts and plenty of training hikes. Each participant must participate in at least 2 of the shakedown campouts and at least half of the training hikes. You must be familiar with your equipment.

By signing up, you are committing yourself to these requirements. If you do not follow through with your commitment and Crew 2016 leadership is concerned that you are not in good enough physical shape to go, Crew 2016 committee may withhold you from the trip with a loss of your funds unless another crew member takes your place.

We anticipate the 2019 itinerary to be:

Wednesday, July 24 - Depart Coralville

Friday July 26- Check-in at Philmont

July 27th - August 6th - Trek

Wednesday, August 7th - Depart Philmont

Thursday, August 8th - Arrive in Coralville

The cost for this trip will be $970 per participant for Philmont plus travel costs. Travel costs are estimated at $250 each. Exact travel costs will be determined a couple of months prior to the trip and will be dependent upon the mode of transportation. Travel will either be by car or by train.

We can take a maximum of 12 participants, the vast majority being youth. We will take a maximum of four adults. Currently have room for only one more adult female leader.

Payment Schedule:

September 16th: $535 per person

February 1st, 2019: $435 per person

May 1st, 2019: Approximately $250 per person.

Please note that Philmont does not provide refunds. Once you are signed up , Philmont expects full payment for your slot. So if you sign up and then choose not to go, there may be no recourse to get any money back unless another participant takes your place.

Other costs will be gear related. This is a self-contained backpacking trip and there will be costs related to personal gear some of which you may already have. Crew 2016 will provide all crew gear including tents, but there is personal gear needed that can add up to a significant cost dependent upon quality and weight of items. The gear is identical to what we took on Isle Royale There is a mandatory personal gear list available(see link below) that all crew members must abide by. We will need all participants to obtain all required personal gear by March of 2019.. The Big ticket items are a quality backpack(70L minimum and weighing less than 5lbs) and and a backpacking compressible sleeping bag(under 2.5lbs and good to 30 degrees).