Local Scouts on 80-Mile Trek

1. Twenty-five Boy Scouts and 10 Scout leaders from Troop 79 chartered to The Clifton Lutheran Church headed out Wednesday morning to embark on one of the premiere Scouting experiences – a 10-day, 80-mile backpacking trek through Philmont Scout Reservation in Cimarron, NM.

The contingent, divided into three crews of 11to 12 people each, will travel on three separate treks in the rugged Sangra de Christo Mountain Range through semi-arid terrain, wilderness, meadows, and soaring ponderosa and aspen pine forests and seeing the iconic “Tooth of Time” and “Baldy” with a variety of opportunities including panning for gold, blacksmithing, rock climbing, racing Philmont’s hallmark burros, homesteading, fly fishing, geocaching, conservation and performing service projects.

Hiking through Philmont gives the Scouts an opportunity to develop their leadership and analytic skills while having an extraordinary experience. Each crew is led by a Scoutelected by his peers to serve as crew chief. The crew also elects a chaplain’s aide and a wilderness pledge guia who is responsible for ensuring the crew follows all “leave no trace” principles. From the moment the group arrives at Philmont, the boys themselves make all decisions.

Philmont was once a famous stop on the Santa Fe Trail, the home of Jicarilla Apache and Moache Ute Indians, a prospecting community and a working cattle ranch. In 1938, Oklahoma oilman Waite Phillips offered 35,857 acres of the property he had acquired to the Boy Scouts of America for a national wilderness camping area. In 1941 he augmented his original gift. The property now totals 127,395 acres.

“Of course, Philmont is about hiking and camping, but of the skills needed for Philmont are mental, for example attitude, self-reliance and confidence in an independent setting. Many of us see this as the ultimate personal and outdoor adventure away from cell phones and the internet,” said Andrew Barnett, one of the adult leaders.

Prior to arriving at Philmont, the group will go white water rafting on the Arkansas River through Royal Gorge while acclimating to the higher altitude. They will return to Marblehead on August 21 around midnight.

For more information about Philmont Scout Reservation, visit philmontscoutranch.org. For more information about Troop 79 and its adventures visit troopwebhost.org/Troop79Marblehead.

2. Weather Watch: 

Thursday's forecast calls for scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly an afternoon thunderstorm with a high temperature of 76.

• Sunrise: 5:43 a.m.
• High tide: 1:07 a.m.
• Low tide: 7:04 p.m.
• Sunset: 7:54 p.m.

3. Town Notes: The Conservation Commission meets at 7 at 7 Widger Road.

4. Sea Notes:

The Marblehead Maritime Festival, from August 8 - 11, will include the Lee Mansion, kayaking, the Schooner Ardelle, live music, a talk by Leighton O'Connor, a Bags tournament and a beer truck.