Seven members of Oxford Boy Scout Troop 366 boarded an Amtrak train in Lapeer on July 27 and headed southwest to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Philmont Scout Ranch is one of four National High Adventure Bases operated by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It is also the world’s largest outdoor youth camp. Scouts attend to gain leadership, teamwork and self-reliance skills as well as further develop their outdoors skills and volunteer their time in an ongoing conversation project.

According to one of the Oxford crew’s adult supervisors, Matt King, once in camp, scouts readied themselves for a week-long hike.

“The seven day trek included one day at Base Camp to acclimate to the altitude and receive their issued gear — tents, food, cooking utensils, Bear bags,” King said. “The Scouts then began their five days of backpacking in the back-country.”

The first two days they received training from a Philmont Ranger who taught them the necessary skills of low impact camping, navigation, water sanitation, proper waste disposal, predator safety and teamwork. The Ranger then left the crew and they used those skills for three more days of backpacking using a map and compass to reach each day’s destination.

“The trails were very rugged and it was made more difficult with 40-pound backpacks, but the views were stunning,” King said. “The trek included five days of backpacking from point to point as we made our way up approximately 4,000 feet of elevation culminating in summiting Mt Philips.”

Over the course of the trek the crew visited four staffed camps where staff reenacted historic homesteads from Philmont’s past. Philmont was a significant part of the famed Santa Fe Trail. The final day consisted primarily of an eight mile hike descending 4,000 feet back down to base camp. — Don Rush