A group of local boy scouts, along with their leaders, will be heading out on a summer trip through the Sangre de Cristo mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.
Philmont is a total of 214 square miles, with trails that can climb anywhere from 6,500 feet to 12,441 feet.
The scout ranch started in 1938, originally named Philturn Rockymountain Scoutcamp.
Youth as well as adults have continued to take advantage of the camping, training and work programs offered.
Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America’s high adventure camp, as well as the largest youth camp in the world. More than 1 million scouts, leaders and adventurers have been a part of the adventure at Philmont since its first camping season offered in 1939.
Although most activities and programs are offered in the summer, Philmont does offer autumn and winter adventure programs.
Boy Scouts from Bradford, Kane, Mount Jewett, Port Allegany and Olean, N.Y., will be led by Scoutmaster Tom Geer. This will be Geer’s 13th trip to New Mexico with Boy Scouts since 1982.
Geer was the leader of seven trips with his troop in Louisiana during the 1980s, and this year will be his 6th trip with the Mount Jewett troop.
Adult advisors accompanying will also be from Troop 410 in Mount Jewett. There are seven Eagle Scouts and a Kane Elementary School teacher participating in this trek.
The group will hike 100 miles in 12 days.
“They may meet only one other group of Scouts on the trail in an entire day of hiking,” according to Backpacker Magazine. “Even in the most crowded destinations, each Scout group camps in isolation, out of sight and sound of all other groups.”
Ryan Geer, one of the adult advisors for the trek, is an Eagle Scout with Troop 410 in Mount Jewett. He received that honor in 1998.
He moved back into the area in 2011, and joined the last group as an advisor that went on the trip in 2015.
“The trip across the US is something that a lot of youth in the small town wouldn’t normally get to do,” stated Ryan Geer. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these scouts to experience this national scout ranch, and the experiences they will encounter.”
Mount Jewett has had a number of Eagle Scouts from its ranks. And according to Ryan Geer, Tom Geer always pushes to get the best out of people. Also, Ryan Geer’s grandfather, Vic Peterson, was very active in the scout troop even though he never had any kids in scouts.
Even though living in Kane, Ryan Geer brings his 8-year-old son to Cub Scouts in Mount Jewett, keeping it in the family.
The group has been preparing for this trip for over a year, due to the high cost. The members of the troop through fundraising, running pancake breakfasts, fish fry’s, yard sales, and selling products, raised enough funds to be able to participate in this trip.
“With the help of many great individuals and local organizations they have raised over $45,000 to make this trip,” said Ryan Geer.
The scouts will participate in various programs along the way including burro packing, obstacle courses, spar pole climbing, rifle and muzzleloader shooting, mine tours, blacksmithing and gold prospecting.
The trek also includes a conservation project where they will learn the upkeep of Philmont’s ecosystem.
While along the trek, the group will go backpacking in bear and mountain lion territory.
The boy scouts will be leaving June 20 and returning July 3.
More information about Philmont can be found at www.philmontscoutranch.org.
