Philmont, Crew 2 (August 2023)

By: Annika Verma

We kicked off our Philmont Scout Camp adventure in the classic early-morning style—half-asleep but buzzing with excitement. After flying into New Mexico, our group finally checked into a hotel, eager to relax and prepare for the upcoming hikes. That night, we made the questionable decision to watch The Ring as our idea of “unwinding” for the evening. Any hope of a peaceful night vanished as those scenes replayed in our minds.

When morning came, we packed up, hopped on a bus, and headed to our drop-off point. The view that greeted us was straight out of a postcard: a beautiful lake surrounded by lots of trees and mountains. As we began hiking along a creek, we encountered several mini river crossings that crisscrossed the trail. Each crossing reminded us that we were finally diving into our big adventure. Sure, our packs felt heavier than we’d anticipated, but our spirits remained high as we made our way to our first campsite near Hunting Lodge.

We arrived a bit later than planned, so we missed a staff activity at the lodge. Still, we made up for it by spending the evening laughing and working together to hang our bear bags. Who knew that stringing up food 20 feet in the air could be so tricky? It took us a solid hour, but we cheered on every bit of progress until we finally got them up. That small victory made us feel like we could handle anything Philmont might throw our way.

The next day, we continued our hike to a place called Cypher’s Mine, where we had plenty of fun. Once we arrived, we set up camp, and then the festivities began. First, we tried our hand at blacksmithing, and then we got a bit of a scare while touring the mine. Afterwards, we headed to a nearby cabin, where skits were being performed and people were singing songs.

On the third-to-last day, we took on an incredibly tall mountain—one that had everyone sweating from the heat and the relentless uphill trek. When we finally reached the top, we celebrated with cake for Kaustaub Uncle’s (Mahika’s dad) birthday! We started singing “Happy Birthday,” but suddenly, kids from other troops came running over, shouting and waving their arms. We had no idea what was happening until someone told us that singing “Happy Birthday” can sometimes signal the presence of a bear. They thought we were trying to scare one off! Once that little panic subsided, the sun set, and we were treated to a beautiful starry sky—so at least the day ended on a magical note. 

The next day, we continued on to an even higher spot with stunning views of Mount Phillips. After snapping a bunch of pictures, we realized we were running out of time and couldn’t stay too long. It turned out our sister troop, who was on the same path, had accidentally walked three extra miles because they got lost. We almost made the same mistake but managed to stay on course. Later, we reached a lovely meadow for our next campsite, only to find yet another large herd of cows waiting for us. At first, we tried to ignore them, but they kept following us, and it felt like they might charge at any moment. Feeling trapped, we raised our hiking poles in a sort of standoff. That’s when Laya decided to improvise: she turned to the cows and said, “Let’s just talk girl to girl,” which spooked them! Whether they found us intimidating or just plain strange, they started backing off as soon as we all began yelling and running toward them. It was a hilarious victory, and we ended up sleeping soundly after that. 

Our last full day in the wilderness was dedicated to conservation work. Bright and early, we teamed up with some rangers to remove some big rocks to clear a path for more backpackers. By the time

we finished, we felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing our efforts would leave a small mark on Philmont’s landscape. 

When we returned to Base Camp, it felt almost surreal to be surrounded by so many people again. We concluded our journey with the closing campfire, where our entire group shared memories of the miles we’d traveled, the unexpected cow encounters, and our lingering fears from The Ring. We stayed up late, too excited to sleep, swapping stories and laughter, realizing how quickly this wild week had passed.