Chapter 18

Friday, July 9, 2032 ñ Day 12, Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, NM

Kyle did not hear his watch chirp at 5:00 AM. Thankfully Penny did. “Honey, wake up,” she said as shook her husband’s shoulder.

“It’s dark,” Kyle grumped as he tried to ignore his wife.

“Base camp showers, clean clothes, fresh food and steaks for dinner,” Penny commented as she shook him again.

“Yeah yeah yeah, I know,” Kyle groused. He called out louder. “David, are you awake?” The tent he shared with Logan was only a few feet from his parents’ tent.

“Yeah, I am,” David replied, sounding about as pissed to wake up in the pitch black as his father. The moon was a day past new moon and would not rise until after sunrise.

“Get them moving,” Kyle advised. “We got a fifteen mile hike before showers, real food and our steak dinners.”

Penny leaned into her husband and gave his prickly cheek a kiss. “Happy birthday, honey.”

“Hell of a way to celebrate a birthday,” Kyle grumped.

Crew 628-J4 was well drilled by now. They tore down camp and packed up by flashlight in total darkness. Logan ran a police line through their campsite to make sure they left no trash or gear behind. Everyone grabbed an item from their last breakfast bag, to tide them over until they reached Shaefer’s Pass. The crew decided the previous night to eat breakfast at the pass, about an hour into their long hike.

It was twenty minutes to six when David announced “Hike on,” and the crew headed out of camp. They needed a little over an hour to climb the thirteen hundred feet to the camp at the pass. The crew settled down in an empty campsite between the trail they climbed in and the one they would hike out. Breakfast lasted about twenty minutes, just enough time to refuel their bodies and allow the lactic acid to dissipate from their muscles.

The crew assembled on the trail above the campsite where they ate, blowing off a few hundred yards of switchback. They followed the trail up around the north side of Shaefer’s Peak before the switchback took them west and then around the southern side of the mountain. The trail came out on the top of Tooth Ridge a couple hundred yards below the crest of Shaefer’s Peak.

The trail out Tooth Ridge was up and down and quite rocky. The crew, normally fast hikers anyway, set a record with their pace. The kids were motivated to get back for showers, clean clothes and fresh food. There was little climbing remaining. Sara, their navigator that day, reported they would drop down 700 feet from Shaefer’s Peak to the Tooth of Time. The crew scrambled over rocks and made their way east at a brisk pace.

Kyle was surprised when they crew reached the side trail up to the top of the Tooth of Time around a quarter after eight. Three packlines were left by crews up on top of the Tooth. David had his crew make a fourth packline before the group climbed the iconic Philmont landmark.

Theoretically, the crew should have hung bear bags with their food and smellables. If any bear really wanted their lunch, he was welcome to it. Their personal smellables likely would end up in the trash at base camp. Another crew pulled in just as 628-J4 started up the side trail to the peak of the Tooth.

Part way to the top the trail petered out. The rest of the way to the top was a scramble up the big rocks and boulders. The view from the top of the tooth was spectacular. The crew looked off to the north and saw Hidden Valley and Deer Lake Mesa. They could see more ridges further north. Baldy Mountain was visible off in the distance. They had hiked a hell of a long way in ten days.

They asked another advisor to take a group photo of their crew on top of the tooth. Everyone needed a photo of the USGS benchmark on the top of the Tooth, which reported its elevation as 9,003 feet above sea level. The crew scrambled back down the rocks when they were done. They pulled on their packs and obeyed David’s loud “Hike on” command.

There was a traffic jam as about six crews jockeyed for position on the seven-mile trail back to base camp. One of the crews in front of them was hiking slowly, with one of the advisors limping noticeably. After 628-J4 bumped into them twice, that crew decided to step off the trail and let David’s crew pass.

They had hiked for over an hour when the trail turned around the side of Tooth Ridge. There was Base Camp at their feet. It looked so close, just there at the bottom of the ridge. Jerry Shoemaker had warned them about that optical illusion. They had at least another hour of hiking before they would reach Base Camp.

Sure enough, the trail went of the top of the ridge and they hiked along the north face for a while before it looped back to the south face where Base Camp was visible again. It was right there, at their feet. The trail switched back to the north face of the ridge after a couple short switchbacks. The group didn’t see Base Camp again for quite a while.

Switchbacks took them lower and lower. The pasture below them seemed close. Soon you could make out the fence keeping cattle or buffalo in the pasture below them. Finally, the trail wound around the end of the ridge and there was Base Camp again.

“Half a mile to go,” Sara announced as the already fast pace quickened again. The crew hiked up to the “We All Made It,” back gate to Base Camp a little over ten minutes later. Everyone posed for pictures as the big sign welcomed them back to civilization.

The crew hiked through Base Camp to the Welcome Center. Everyone they passed was clean! Over half of the Scouts they saw weren’t tanned or sunburnt like them. Newbies! The crew hiked by them with big smiles and pride in their step. They made it.

David had the crew from a packline against one of the posts at the Welcome Center. He and his dad went into the office to check them in and get their Tent City tent assignments. Kyle glanced at his watch. It was 11:22 AM. Soon the crew hoisted their packs and hiked over to their assigned tents. Kyle dropped his pack and made a beeline for Registration, so he could retrieve their valuables. He met David and the crew at the lockers, where they picked up their travel gear, including the vital full-sized towel, soap, shampoo and deodorant.

Kyle had one more critical duty to do. He turned his phone on for the first time since they left Base Camp ten days ago. He still had a charge, thankfully. He walked over to the Welcome Center to get the phone number he needed. He found it on the bulletin board outside the office. Just was he was ready to dial the number, Bill and the crew leader from 628-D2 walked by for the office.

“Hey Bill, I am ordering pizza for my crew for lunch,” Kyle said. “You guys want in on this too? My treat.”

The crew leader looked expectantly at his advisor. Bill smiled and held up his hands like he was weighing his options. “Ritz crackers and lemon pepper tuna or pizza? What do you think Tyler?”

“Pizza,” Tyler replied emphatically.

“Six pies enough for your crew?” Kyle asked.

“There is only eleven of us,” bill answered.

“They are starving teenagers who haven’t seen pizza in two weeks.”

“OK, six pies will be fine for my crew,” Bill said.

“What do you want for toppings?” Kyle asked, looking towards Tyler.

“Anything is good,” Bill replied.

“It’s got to be better than tuna fish on Ritz,” Tyler grinned.

Bill and Tyler headed inside to check in. Kyle placed an order with the local pizza place in town. The place could deliver twelve pies to the Welcome Center in an hour and fifteen minutes. Kyle hung around to pass the word to Bill and Tyler. They agreed to have a few people back at the Welcome Center when the pizzas arrived to help carry them back to their tents.

Kyle headed back to their tents but did not find anyone. He grabbed clean clothes and his shower stuff and headed to the Adult Male showers. He met up with Matt, who had just finished showering.

“Damn, clean feels good, Kyle,” Matt commented as he pulled on his shorts.

Kyle stripped down and stepped into the next open shower. Damn, hot water, soap and shampoo did feel great. The whole crew was back at their tents when Kyle came out. David laid out assignments for everyone to get the work done once Services, Security and the post office opened at one o’clock that afternoon. Penny collected uniforms from everyone. No one was going to dinner tonight or going home tomorrow in a dirty uniform. Base Camp had a laundry where things could be washed.

Ben, Jordan and Kyle headed down to the Welcome Center a little before the pizza was due to arrive. They met up with Tyler and two other Scouts from 628-D2, intent on the same mission. They had to wait a bit for the delivery car to arrive. Kyle settled up the bill with his credit card while the kids carried the pizzas.

Kyle found David had pulled three cots from the tents and had them out in the common area in front of their tents.

“Guys, let’s put all the pizzas on the cots,” Kyle suggested. “We’ll sort out which goes down to your crew, Tyler.”

“No, Coach Martin,” Tyler replied. “David and I already worked it out. My crew will come down and eat with your crew.” He chuckled. “It’s time to celebrate” Suddenly he shut up. “Uh I’ll go get my crew.” He hurried off.

Kyle was surprised when Penny showed up carrying a box twelve inches by eighteen inches and roughly four inches high.

“What’s this?” Kyle asked.

“None of your business yet,” Penny replied with a giggle. Knowing after nineteen years of marriage, how much his wife loved surprises, he knew something birthday related was going on. He wisely did as he was instructed and asked no more questions.

Crew 628-D2 showed up. David took charge and announced, “Please remove your hats and bow your heads. We will recite the Philmont Grace.” The two crews did. “Now, we have four types of pizza, plain, pepperoni, meat lovers and mushroom and green peppers. Dig in everyone.”

There was a mass movement to the boxes. Everyone grabbed plates and a slice of pizza. The adults hung back, to avoid getting trampled by the hungry teens.

“Mushrooms on pizza for kids?” Bill commented to Kyle and Matt, who were standing nearby. “That’s ballsy.”

“My crew choose the toppings,” Kyle said.

“We’re from Chester County, Pennsylvania,” Matt added, pointing to the mushroom on the logo of his CCC Philmont Contingent shirt. “We live in the mushroom capital of the country.”

“Oh kay,” Bill said. All the teens had their mouths full of pizza, so the adults could finally get some. Nearly all the pizza was devoured by the hungry teens. At the end when everyone had their fill, there were two slices of plain pizza left. David easily got rid of those by giving those to a couple passing Scouts.

“Some of you know,” David announced. “For those who don’t, today is my dad’s forty-first birthday. Everyone, we are going to sing, ëHappy Birthday, Coach.” Penny unveiled the cake. She placed two candles on it, one shaped like a four and the second shaped like a one. She lit them. The two crews sang a slightly off-key version of “Happy Birthday, Coach.”

Kyle made a wish and blew out the candles. He was pretty certain his wish would come true, to return to the Ranch in two years when Danny came here. Technically, Danny met the age requirements for Philmont this summer, but he wasn’t a member of the venture crew fifteen months ago when he would have needed to sign up. Anyway, if he came this summer he would have struggled to keep up with these older kids and wouldn’t have shared this experience with his close friends like Logan Robertson, Matt’s younger son.

Every crumb of the cake was devoured by the hungry, teen-aged hoard. “J4, let’s get this mess cleaned up so we can get to our other tasks for the afternoon,” David announced.

“David, D2 has got cleanup,” Tyler interjected. “You guys hosted us. We can clean up to say thanks for your hospitality.”

“Cool, thanks, Tyler,” David responded. “It’s been a blast having you guys as our sister crew.”

“It’s been our pleasure too,” Tyler agreed. Each crew leader put their crews to work. Kaylie was assigned to assist Penny with the laundry. Sara, Logan, Jessie, Jackson and Colton were returning equipment to the Services building. Ben and Logan were assigned to help Matt get the crew equipment cleaned and boxed and delivered to the post office for shipping home. David would be the busiest person. He needed to check-in at all those places, as the tasks on his checkout list were finished.

Kyle had to pay a visit to the main office to sit down with Jim Harrell, Philmont’s program director. He needed to know if arrangements were set for his crew’s final dinner. Kyle had to wait a few minutes to get into to see him.

“How was your trek, Coach?” Jim Harrell asked as Kyle had a seat opposite him at his desk.

“It was fantastic,” Kyle replied. “I plan to come back in two years when my middle son is ready to come here.”

“Was he too young to come this year?”

“He meets your age requirement,” Kyle replied, “but these older kids in my crew would have walked his legs off, even though he’s six feet tall. Danny was way too young to sign up with our venturer crew fifteen months ago.”

“I am glad you enjoyed it,” Jim said. “What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to confirm the arrangements for tonight,” Kyle said.

“Dinner is set for Dining Hall 2 across the road at the training center,” Jim explained. “Class A unforms are required.”

“No problem, we’re set.”

“The menu is steaks, baked potatoes and garden salad with all the trimmings,” Jim continued. “The meal will conclude with ice cream sundaes.”

“The crew will enjoy that,” Kyle said.

“Your press conference will be at 7:00 PM,” Jim said. “Your crew will get a guided tour of Villa Philmonte while you are busy at the press conference.”

“Cool.”

Jim Harrell shuffled through a stack of paper on his desk, pulling out one. “I took the liberty of preparing some talking points we hope you will use for the press conference.” He handed the paper over to Kyle, who scanned it.

“I agree pretty much with everything in these talking points,” Kyle said. “I’ve been doing press conferences since I was in high school. It will seem more natural if I speak from the heart, rather than following this list, point by point. Trust me, you will like what my heart has to say about this place.”

“I am certain you have done far more press conferences than I have,” Jim replied. “I’ve been part of three since I got this job five years ago.”

“I will give the Ranch a rave review,” Kyle said. “Thank you for setting all this up for us. By the way, will we have enough time after the presser and the Villa tour to get to the closing campfire?”

“It should not be a problem, Coach,” Jim replied. “If we run short on time, I will grab a van and haul all of you over to the closing campfire. You do not want miss it.”

“Thank you for setting all this up,” Kyle said.

“Thank you for agreeing to do the press conference,” Jim replied. “Maybe the reporters will stop hounding me after tonight. I have had a dozen calls from reporters just today.”

Kyle headed back to find his crew. No one was at Services, Security, the post office or the advisors’ lounge. He finally found Penny and Kaylie at the laundry.

“Where is everyone at?” Kyle asked.

“Uh I suspect either the trading post or the snack bar,” Penny replied. “David has gotten signatures on everything on his checklist that he can do this afternoon.”

“Good,” Kyle replied. “Everything is set for tonight. Dinner is at six o’clock. Class A uniform is mandatory. The Ranch is going to give the crew a guided tour of Villa Philmonte after dinner while I do the press conference.”

“Excellent,” Penny responded. She glanced at the dryer nearby. “Kaylie, why don’t you head over and join your friends. Come back in twenty-seven minutes, when this load is finished.”

“Sure, thanks Doc,” Kaylie grinned. “Um I guess since the trip is nearly over, I should start calling you Doctor Martin again.”

“After two weeks together, Doc is fine here and when we get home.”

Kyle and Kaylie headed across Base Camp for the Trading Post. Kaylie decided she wanted to visit the snack bar more and went around the end of the building to buy some ice cream. Kyle went into the Trading Post and found both David and Jessie browsing, trying to decide what souvenirs they wanted to take home.

The three stocked up on souvenirs, including T-shirts, fleece jackets, leather Philmont belts with the buckles with the Philmont bull, and hats. Kyle purchased a youth-sized, tie-die Philmont T-shirt featuring the bull. He knew the colorful shirt would appeal to Robbie. Danny got a T-shirt showing the outline of a bison framing a scene showing a sun setting over the mountains. Robbie also would get a stuffed black bear toy. Danny would get a Nalgene with the Philmont logo. Kyle paid for the souvenirs and arranged to have everything shipped home to Pennsylvania, except the belts and buckles. Those they would wear home.

The four headed around the corner to the snack bar. They found the crew outside at one of the tables, except for Jackson and Colton. Sara, taking charge as the crew’s chaplain’s aide and second-in-command, had sent Jackson and Colton to help Penny take the laundry back to their tents. Kaylie had done her duty. David fully approved of his girlfriend’s decision.

Kyle took his offspring inside to buy ice cream and drinks. The three rejoined the group outside. Penny, Jackson and Colton met them outside the snack bar. The crew hung out for an hour, talking about the trip and enjoying each other’s company. The snack bar closed at 5:00 PM. The crew took that as a hint that it was time to head back to their tents.

The crew changed into Class A uniforms. Every crew member proudly wore their new Philmont belts, to let any “newbie” who crossed their paths know that they had been there and done that. The crew headed across the road and followed the path past the Scouting Museum down to the training center and Villa.

The training center must not have been very busy. Dining Hall 2 was empty except for three staffers completing arrangements for their dinner. The older staffer greeted them and suggested they hit the salad bar first. They dinners would be out in about ten minutes.

The salad bar was well stocked with greens, shredded veggies, cheese, bacon bits, croutons and a large selection of dressings. Everyone loaded their plates. They hadn’t had anything green since their final dinner in Base Camp eleven days ago. The salads were devoured with relish.

The staffers wheeled out a cart loaded with their dinner plates. Each of them received a big steak, a large, foil covered potato and a pile of mixed vegetables. The staffers let them know that butter, sour cream, chives, bacon bits and shredded cheese were available at the salad bar to top their baked potatoes.

The huge meal was fantastic, after ten nights of freeze-dried meals. There wasn’t a speck of food left on any plate when they finished eating. The staffers wheeled out a cart loaded with bowls of vanilla ice cream, along with bowls of sprinkles, chopped peanuts, cherries and bottles of chocolate and caramel sauce. The ice cream sundaes were great. They disappeared quickly.

The crew relaxed and talked together freely. Everyone got to know each other quite well in the last two weeks. It would be good to be home soon but they were going to miss the comradery of their crew.

A staffer came in and announced, “Crew 628-J4, if you will follow me, I will take you over for your Villa Philmonte tour. Mr. Martin, I will drop you off outside Assembly Hall so you can get ready for your press conference.”

The crew disappeared with the staffer when Kyle met Jim Harrell outside the hall. “I was afraid I might be late,” Jim commented as he greeted Kyle. “I had to cut my part short at the advisors’ briefing tonight. My boss is covering for me.”

“I forgot about that,” Kyle commented. “You have to do that briefing every night, don’t you?”

“Seven days a week all summer,” Jim laughed. “Let’s get you set for the press.” He handed Kyle an Philmont Arrowhead patch. “Hang this on your right pocket, Coach. You need to look like an experienced Philmonter tonight.”