Scaling the Mountains Kim Davis kicked at a piece of shale as she ascended the mountain’s north face. The rock skittered behind her in a virtually vertical descent and broke into several pieces as it came into contact with one of the few trees able to thrive at the given altitude. Davis’s resolve almost broke with it, as she had started the climb hours before and still had not reached the summit. Her legs were beginning to cramp up from the sudden change in temperature, and each step was increasingly challenging. Davis was three-quarters of the way up Mount Baldy, aptly named because the peak of the mountain is several thousand feet above the tree line and, thus, bare. Mount Baldy, which tops off at 12,441 feet, is the highest point of elevation on the 137,493 acre property of Philmont Scout Ranch (Philmont), located in Cimarron, NM. A coed venturing crew out of Stafford, including Kim Davis, Bob Davis and John Martin, visited Philmont in the summer of 2004. “Philmont will kick your ass, but it’s something that everyone should experience if they get the chance,” said Kim Davis, a sophomore psychology major at Virginia Tech. Philmont is a national camping area with staffed and un-staffed campsites where crews of up to 12 people take guided backpacking treks during the summer. The treks can be planned to accommodate any level of hiking experience from beginner to expert. They are ranked from “not strenuous” to “super strenuous” so that potential hikers have an idea of what they should prepare for. Newcomers to the activity are advised to hike in the southern part of the ranch, where the terrain is flat, and most of the campsites have water on the premises. The northern region of Philmont is much less forgiving, as it has several mountains and very few water sources. This particular crew chose a trek ranked strenuous, not knowing that it had been ranked super strenuous the year before but was knocked down a rank with the addition of a newer, harder trek. The crew spent 12 days hiking just over 90 miles. It climbed five mountains along its journey, three of them in two days. Philmont is divided into more than just North and South. There are 13 sections, each with its own name and its own associated campsites. There are different activities at each staffed camp, and crews are free to do as they wish at un-staffed camps. Activities range from teamwork-building exercises, to softball, to panning for gold. “My favorite campsite was Harlan because I got to do shotgun shooting and burro racing,” said John Martin, a senior political science major at Virginia Tech. “Our burro would have won if it hadn’t been distracted by someone off to the side eating food.” Females are a rarity at Philmont, as it is owned and operated by the Boy Scouts of America, but there are some coed crews that pass through, such as the one from Stafford. Bob Davis, a junior mining and mineral engineering major at Virginia Tech, has been to Philmont twice, first with an all male crew and then with a coed one. When asked why he went back a second time, he said that it was for the “time spent and experiences had with friends, the physical challenge, the idea of accomplishment.” When asked if it was a different experience having females in the crew, he said, “It was different but not so much, really. Other than little things, like showers and whatnot, I’d say both groups progressed in the same manner in terms of how they handled the daily challenges of breaking camp, hiking, chores, activities, cooking, etc. The biggest differences are more a result of age than anything else, the time between my two trips and the age gap within the group itself.” Kim Davis shared his sentiment about the relative insignificance of gender. “Once you’ve started hiking, and proven that you’re not all talk, your pack becomes just another one in the line,” she said. For both males and females, Philmont can be as agonizing as it is rewarding. “About mid-trip most everyone starts to get annoyed at another person in the crew, and there is subsequently a lot of arguing,” said Bob Davis. “The biggest factor is probably just the amount of time we all spend with each other.” Kim Davis took issue with the extra ground she covered trying to find a suitable place to relieve herself of the gallons of water she drank throughout the day. She got annoyed toward the end of the trip when the male members would simply pivot away from her to participate in what she called the “Clear and Copious World Tour.” Davis was referring to the fact that, when backpacking, one should drink enough water so that one urinates often and that it is clear. “I have to go again,” said Kim Davis. “Mount Baldy is calling my name, and I want a rematch.” |