Philmont Scout Ranch, one of three high adventure bases for Boy Scouts of America, was a life-altering event for 12 scouts from Troop 168 of Plainsboro. During their seven-day trek through the mountains of New Mexico, Nikhil Kulkarni, Peter Maa, Cory Simmons-Edler, Brian Wood, Brent Henry, Chris Foo, Jason Kuo, Jerry Foster, Matt Foster, Brad Paskewitz Jr., Brad Paskewitz Sr., and Aric Ng hiked from camp to camp through bear territory and often-inclement weather.##M:[more]##
Nikhil Kulkarni filed this report:
As we trekked along the Rockies, we encountered hardships and challenges. We witnessed the same rolling plains that the Native Americans once lived on. We climbed the colossal mountains that brought us into the clouds. We strolled through the meadows that west bound settlers once drove their wagons through.
Throughout our trek, we beheld the heaven-like beauty of the Wild West. It was beautiful; in the morning we could wake up to see the clouds hugging the mountains. From the top of the mountains, we saw breathtaking green meadows that went on for miles. At one point, we were so high, that we could see the clouds when we looked straight ahead. The sky was a bright baby blue and always complemented with snow white clouds. The lakes were lovely, even though they were infested with diarrhea causing viruses.
With 50-pound backpacks on our backs and an anticipation of reaching our next campsite, we hiked through Philmont. Along the way we participated in activities including shotgun shooting, borough racing (which was basically racing donkeys), rock climbing, rappelling, branding, black powder rifle shooting, and blacksmithing. I enjoyed these activities because most people never get to participate in such things. I mean, how many people have ever raced donkeys or shot a 35-caliber black powder rifle?
Along the way, we did encounter hardships. We had to carry the food, the tents, and the crew gear along with our personal belongings. We had to wake up at 5:30 everyday so that we could reach our campsite in time.
We had to climb Black Mountain, which had the steepest trail. This was challenging because the air up there was so thin and the trail so steep that every five steps, we would get out of breath. Each day was hard work. We had to pack everything up, start backpacking, and then set up everything after we reached the next campsite. Uphill was strenuous and downhill was stressful because we knew in the back of our minds that the more downhill we went we’d have to ascend the same amount uphill.”
We enjoyed Philmont because it taught us to have confidence in ourselves and strengthened the bonds that we share as a group. It was a true vacation because of the excitement, the scenery, and the fun. It was an event that I will never forget.
Philmont was an awesome experience. I’d go back in a heartbeat.””
