LE Scouts trek to Philmont for 80-mile backpacking hike

Members of Boy Scout Troop 45 of Little Elm and its adult leaders left for Philmont Sout Ranch in New Mexico on Saturday and will return in two weeks after accomplishing an 80-mile backpacking hike in the mountains of New Mexico.

Training for this feat began 6 months ago as troop members when on up to three hiking campouts per month.

This is the first troop from Little Elm ever to attend this historic camp. Boyscouts have to hike with upwards of 50 pound packs including all gear and food along with them on the trail. Risk are high as the troop has to take measures to prevent injury, exhaustion and fatigue. Black bears create an added caution as they are amongst many other wildlife species to be found along the trails.

Members of troop 45 attending are Nathan Vivian, Cole Anthony, Josh Bolding, Kris Galbreath, Russell Kipp, Ryan Larkey, Ethan Malmer, and Dylan Meadows. Adult members also traveling with the troop are Keith Meadows, Kristin Anthony, Aaron Kipp and Scout Master, Scott Vivian.

Troop 45 is currently sponsored by Button Memorial United Methodist Church of Little Elm. For more information on the journey to Philmont, log onto the Troop Blog at http://troop45le.blogspot.com.

About Philmont: Born in 1938 as Philturn Rockymountain Scoutcamp, today’s Philmont Scout Ranch is a bustling center for high adventure and training. Youth and adults take advantage of the ranch’s camping, training, and work programs. Most activity takes place during the summer, but Philmont also offers its Fall Adventure and Kanik winter program.

More than 860,000 Scouts, Venturers, and leaders have experienced the adventure of Philmont since the first camping season in 1939. Throughout its existence, conscientious attention to low-impact camping techniques have helped maintain the ranch’s wilderness flavor.

The area surrounding the ranch is rich with history, from the Native Americans who made this arid land their home to the land barons of the 19th century. The town of Cimarron boasts a number of historical buildings, including the St. James Hotel—site of at least 26 killings during Cimarron’s wilder days.

Overview  Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America’s oldest national high-adventure base. Its 34 staffed camps and 55 trail camps provide an unforgettable adventure in the high country along hundreds of miles of rugged, rocky trails.

Philmont History

Over the course of many years, Philmont has been the home of Jicarilla Apache and Moache Ute Indians, a famous stop on the Santa Fe Trail, a prospecting community, and a working cattle ranch.