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| The crew shakes down its gear ahead of Tuesday's departure. |
Sunday evening into Monday morning saw a prodigious amount of rain that made the crew grateful for the walled pavilion at the campsite. The rain continued through the morning but did not stop the crew from checking into Philmont just after 9:00 a.m. The crew met ranger Danny Pearthree who will be leading training for the next few days. He checked the crew into the trailbound side of tent city and moved everyone through the registration, medical recheck, trail logistics, and emergency procedures.
The crew also drew tents and gear from the Philmont quartermaster and four days' worth of food from the commissary. During a break in the weather, Danny conducted a gear shakedown to make sure everyone had all of the gear needed for the trek. Lunch and dinner was consumed in the base camp dining hall. Lunch was Asian-oriented with mini egg rolls, fried rice, and sweet and sour chicken. Dinner was Mexican with burritos, rice and churros. It will be interesting to see if the crew will be touring the world through cuisine.
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| Monday evening's opening campfire. |
After dinner, it was time for advisor, crew leaders, chaplain’s aides, and Wilderness Pledge guia (Spanish for "guide") meetings. This was followed by religious services for various faiths, including Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The night ended with an opening campfire full of stories and music. The crew leader, Jake, was commissioned along with the other crew leaders to serve their crews well. It was a great send-off for Troop 50's trek.
On Tuesday, the crew will hit the trail for the next 11 days, with an expectation to cover 65 miles or more. Here's a little of what the crew has to look forward to.