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m high countrYDecember 2015 Volume 38, Number 6

Th e ma g a z i N e o f T h e Ph i l m o N T STa f f aS S o c i aT i o N ®

®

JJ Stevens shows off a Jicarilla Apache pot recon-structed by the 2015 Indian Writings staff. See story on page 23.

Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 from the prez 3 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

Members only AccessuSEr nAME: BLAcKJAcKS

Password: deancow

in this issue columns

3 from the prez4 from the editor18 ranch roundup - ranch committee19 ranch roundup - president’s circle34 mort’s gorp35 short stuff - summer of ‘65

articles 6 psa news - fall phestival11 psa news - staff scholarships14 psa news - new year’s at psr 15 psa news - 2016 psa elections 16 psa news - 2016 psa trek 20 philmont history - wild kingdom23 philmont history - the ponil pot26 philmont history - indian raids28 philmont history - historic places30 philmont history - baldy town

other

15 bulletin board36 trail talk38 poetry39 good campsite

The pleasant September breeze blew across our faces as we walked through a beautiful green meadow. I could not help but stare across at Baldy and Touch-Me-Not and marvel at the view from the other side of Highway 64. We were on a special PSA tour of the newly-acquired Cimarroncita property. Mark Anderson, Philmont’s Director of Program, explained that with this additional land, the Ranch would now encompass ap-proximately 219 square miles. (Take note all you former Rangers who memorized the 214 number!) How fortunate Philmont is to be able to add this particular piece of property so closely tied to the Phillips family and a part of the rich history of the region. It will certainly open up lots of potential for itineraries and crew pickups in coming summers. As we look back at 2015, the Cita property is but one example of forward thinking by Philmont to improve what is already the finest High Adventure base in the world. The PSA is think-

from the president

ing ahead as well. We are looking at improved ways to serve the Ranch and our membership and how we can better get information out to keep everyone in touch with the latest hap-penings. Adam Fromm, PSA Secretary, has organized a fine group of folks to update our website and online store. Those updates will make it easier to find information on Philmont, how to

sign up for fu-ture events and purchase new merchandise. Oh, and you can track our progress on do-nations to the Annual Fund goal for 2015 as well. Another sig-nificant piece of news- our Executive Di-

rector Randy Saunders married Nicole Duran September 19th. I hope you will join me in wishing the happy couple all the best as they start their wonderful life together. Construction plans are nearing com-pletion on the Seton Educational Center and our new PSA office building. Bids will be generated over the winter and if all goes well, construction is scheduled

2

Philmont Staff aSSociation®

Board of directorS

John murPhy, PreSidentcolleen nutter, Vice PreSident, memBerShiP

tim roSSeiSen, Vice PreSident, SerViceadam fromm, Secretarymatt lindSey, treaSurer

national directorS: amy Boyle, Ken daViS, Bryan delaney, catherine huBBard, lee hucKSteP, dr.

dan miller, SteVe ricKregional directorS: northeaSt - Kathleen Seitz,

ricK touchettecentral - mitch Standard, Phil Winegardner

Southern - anne marie PinKenBurg, doug WahlWeStern - nancy SticKelman, michael Waggoner

Jim lynch, immediate PaSt PreSidentmarK anderSon, Philmont Staff adViSor

ex officio memBerS: emery corley, legal adViSor, douglaS faSching, technology manager

randy SaunderS, executiVe directordollie o’niell, office manager

HigH couNtry®—Volume 38, numBer 6decemBer 2015

ed PeaSe, editormarK dierKer, layout editor

randy SaunderS, aSSociate editor

Bill caSS, coPy editor

daVe KenneKe, Staff contriButor

KeVin “leVi” thomaS, cartooniSt

coNTribuTiNg eDiTorS: roBert BirKBy, daVid caffey, Bill caSS, gregory hoBBS, Warren Smith , marK

Stinnett, mary StueVer, StePhen zimmer

coNTribuTiNg WriTerS: JaN gimar lee huckSTeP DaVe keNNeke Jerry lobDill JaSoN maSciTTi larry murPhy

DaNiel NelliS JJ STeVeNS mike ThomaS JameS VaN hecke

© 2015, the Philmont Staff aSSociation, inc. all rightS reSerVed. HigH couNtry® iS the official

magazine of the Philmont Staff aSSociation®

PSA® FELLOWS

BOB HArvEy FELLOW

PAUL And MARY JAnE HARVEY

GLEnn A. FOWLEr FELLOW

BRUCE BARnES

GEOrGE A. BuLLOck FELLOW

WILLIAM d. BRYCE

JOE DAviS FELLOW

BILL CASS

JOHn A. MAxBAuEr, Jr. FELLOW

AnOnYMOUS

the trail Ahead

Cover photo by Mark Dierker

PSA members will love the view of Baldy from Cimar-roncita, Philmont’s recent land acquisition.

from the editor 5 4 from the editor Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

from the editor

to begin in mid-August next year. By the time you read all this, we will have celebrated Thanksgiving and moved into the last month of the year. It’s a time when I like to pause and reflect on friends, family and Philmont. We are indeed thankful and fortunate to be a part of this great place. Our greatest asset at the PSA is you, our

dedicated members. Without your support and involvement, we could not step up and serve Philmont year after year. As we head toward the finish of 2015, let me wish each of you a won-derful holiday season.

John MurphyPSA President

In the special issue devoted to “The Summer of ‘65”, we queried our read-ers about whether a photograph sub-mitted as one of the staff at the Volun-teer Training Center (now the Philmont Training Center, or PTC) was in fact from that year. Two prompt responses confirmed that the photo we ran was not the VTC staff in the Summer of 1965. Here’s the first, from Larry Fox, a member of the staff there in 1963 and 1964, confirming that the photograph we printed was the 1964 staff.

“Good Morning-

Great job on both the special Flood edi-tion and the latest High Country! With respect to the question about whether that VTC staff photo in the flood edition is from 1965...I believe I can confirm that it is actually from 1964. I was on the VTC staff in 1963 and 1964, but not in 1965. I am in that picture (4th from right, top row), so it definitely was not 1965.

You caused me to dig back into my dusty old boxes - attached is a scan of my staff photo from 1964 and you can see that it is a match for the one you printed. Thanks for your great work- Larry FoxVTC- ‘63, 64 “

The second, from PSA Board Member Ken Davis, includes a photo of the actual Summer of ’65 VTC staff, to-gether with some reminiscences about folks in the photo. “OK - here is the actual 1965 pic, with note on back to me and Diane [Ed. Note. Diane is Ken Davis’ late wife, who was also a staffer at the training center] from the Director, Rudy Peterson (initials RGP for Rudy G. Peterson), since we missed the picture - think it was postponed because of rain the first time and we had to leave before the second pic was taken. You might be interested in the con-nection of this picture to PSA - in the

middle of the second row with glasses is Rudy Peterson, the Director. To his right is George Hay and to George’s right is his wife Barb Hay. They are the parents of Bobbie Hay, later to be Mrs. Greg Hobbs. Bobbie is the second from the left in the next to the last row, blond hair and an almost white dress. George and Barb were first introduced to VTC by long time Program Director from Denver, Max Jordan, who is the person to the right of Peterson. To his left is his wife Audrey. The Hays and Jordans worked for the Denver school system and, like the Loves, Chief Ranger Dunn and others from Arlington, TX, thus were free to come to the Ranch in the summer. Both the Hays and Jordans had multiple kids who worked one place or another at PTC over several years. Four places to the right of Bobbie Hay is Rachael Sisneros, who worked in the

office with my Diane as Asst. Secretaries under Loula Mae Love (as I had done as the FIRST Asst. Secy under Loula Mae in 1961) AND later returned to Cimarron and eventually became Rachael Ricklefs, married to Bob. In the far right of that same row, there is a blond girl (Johnnye Maynor) whose father was one of the key Maintenance guys full time at the Ranch and they lived at the Polo Barns. BUT next to her on the right is Molly Vigil, who might be the same Molly working in the PTC dining hall today, but maybe not.

-Ken Davis”

Staff of the 1965 Volunteer Training Center (now the Philmont Training Center, or PTC).

6 psa news psa news 7 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

psa® news

by Jason Mascitti

A full-circle study of the life of Waite Phillips prompted the 2015 Fall Phes-tival, the Philmont Staff Association reunion introducing PSA members to the Iowa birthplace of Waite Phillips. Though far from Baldy Mountain, a Sheraton hotel in West Des Moines served well as basecamp from October 2-4, 2015, and travelers were treated to splendid autumn weather, reminis-cent of the New Mexican blue sky and warm sunshine. The circle began in October 2013 when PSA members gathered in Tulsa, Oklahoma where Waite and Genevieve grew their petroleum company and real estate skills, including building their original mansion, now home to the Philbrook Museum of Art. In Janu-ary 2014, Los Angeles was the destina-tion for current and former staffers to see the fruits of the Phillips family’s land developments first-hand, and rev-erently visit their mausoleum during a PSA-hosted service of celebration. As the Curt Rom song, “New Mexican Cowboy” states, “Friends are joined from all about, from all across this land, a common memory binds us all to a place that’s truly grand. And this moment always lives with us as a smile begins to form on each young weary traveler’s face and the hearts begin to warm.” This event clearly had

an awesome feeling of New Mexico and the people that were (are) such an important part of our lives. On Friday, it was exhilarating to see close friends seeing each other again, some after as much as 35+ years. Later in the evening, more than half the group gathered for a non-Philmont-like dinner of fresh seafood at a local well-known establishment. For those that patronized the local Waterfall Grill, morning came fast (as the late Yogi Berra might say). All 52 travelers boarded a charter bus at 7:20 a.m. and off to Interstate 35 south, it was. The tour was led by former rang-ers, Joe Liesz, Jeff Ash, and Bob Birkby. Bob began the tour by telling some interesting anecdotes of his Philmont

beginnings at Harlan. Bob grew up in southern Iowa and was the perfect companion for an ad-venture into a land we may have never

seen if it weren’t for him. The journey actually began on a county road near Bedford, Iowa. As the bus pulled over on the side of the road, you could just feel the joy and excitement as we off-loaded from the bus. The looks from local farmers (the traf-fic seemed heavy for a Saturday morning) as they drove by was most perplexing. Our bus driver, Jim, was continuously cautious for our safety as having nearly 70 people on a county road is not customary. Agatha and Mark, mother and son owners of the Norton farm, greeted us from their pickup truck at the first tour stop as we

carefully unloaded from the bus to stand on a country highway, looking at what seemed to be not much more than

PSA Fall Phestival

left to right, Eda Rose, Gary “Roper” Rose, Bev Aldredge, Charlie Aldredge, Julie Huiras, Jason “Mort” Mascitti.

Professor Mark Rom (Georgetown) offers a view of a freshly harvested soybean from the field just in front of the boyhood home of Waite Phillips.

psa news 98 psa news Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

a healthy roadside field of soybeans. Warm, friendly, and with a big smile, Agatha surprised us by pointing to the location where the Lewis and Lucinda Phillips family’s original home stood. In addition to telling us about their own family farm, she recounted how she let a friend retrieve a chest of drawers from a corner in the attic of the original building, which was by then dilapidated, as a bulldozer was ready to begin it’s work. Agatha humorously mentioned she didn’t receive it back after the friend expertly restored the dresser and later passed away. The Nortons said they were awe-struck by PSA members’ curiosity and good manners and happily joined us for the tour. The second stop of the day was probably the most impactful. It was

our visit to the Taylor County Histori-cal Society in lovely, Bedford, Iowa. Bob Birkby had made prior connection with Rosalyn Cummings, President of the Society. Rosalyn had recruited her en-tire board and other docent volunteers to greet us and entertain us for the next few hours. The highlight of the morn-ing was a captivating recollection of a visit to the Phillips home for dinner, by 100 year-old Margaret Lucas when she was five years-old. Later, we explored the two floors of the massively sized museum, particularly for the size of the town of Bedford, and were treated to homemade cinnamon rolls and hot coffee. The museum grounds included a restored cabin, a school house, small chapel, and a stunning, rare, round barn where we were treated to a down-home good ole Iowa barbecue lunch.

PSA’ers were thrilled with the weather, the significant history, the food and of course the camaraderie that was gaining momentum throughout the morning. After lunch we visited the cemetery in Gravity where Wiate and his parents and sister are laid to rest. This was an especially emotional part of the trip at least for this author, as after hearing of the tragic story of Wiate’s untimely death for decades, we now were seeing the actual grave site where he was left to rest after Waite brought his body home on the train from Spokane. After the Gravity stop we checked in at the second home of the Phillips boys where Paul Chandler and his relatives were waiting for us. They showed what is likely to be the original foundation of the home where the boys lived. It was speculated that they may have boarded the train for the west, just a ways down the field from the site of this house. We were offered a sampling of delicious, tart red apples right from the tree! Many takers were present for this simple treat. Before heading back to Des Moines, we made a few more quick stops and fueled up on hot coffee and baked pastries at the Upper Crust bakery in downtown Conway. This small town is also an Amtrak stop for Scouts heading to Philmont. The bus ride back to Des Moines was full of lively conversation, memo-ries, napping and of course football scores for the loyal fans of their respec-tive alma maters. We arrived back at the Sheraton just

in time for a delicious dinner and later were entertained by the fine music of Tom Munch. Tom played several popu-lar Philmont and other tunes and later was joined by George Michaels, Ellyn Washburn, and Christine McCarthy Standard. There was a loud, large, fam-ily wedding occurring in the room next to us, but even the thunderous bass from the DJ couldn’t drown the fine and soft flow of many Philsongs, which were played well into the morning. There was another connection un-derway during the weekend, this one silent but crazy. On Monday evening following the reunion, our son Marco called (on the phone, not through text message!) to talk about the event. Marco is a senior

100-year-old Margaret Lucas tells of her family’s visit to the Phillips home for dinner when she was a child.

Members of the PSA Fall Phestival gather on the current Norton farm. This is site of the original Phillips family home where Waite and Wiate were born in 1883.

10 psa news psa news 11 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

62 Seasonal Philstaff Share $55,000 in PSA Seasonal Staff Scholarshipsby Jan Gimar

And from the PSA Scholarship Committee: Sixty-two summer staff have received awards totaling $55,000, the largest in the history of the Seasonal Staff Scholarship program. First-year staffers received $500; Second-years received $1,000; and vet-erans with three or more years of service received $1500. Because the scholarship fund received a last-minute windfall, the committee dipped into those not making the original cut and made awards of $300 to $800 to recognize as many additional candidates as possible. The unanimous lament of the committee members after reviewing all the applications was “It’s a shame we can’t help all these worthy staffers.” The PSA Seasonal Staff Scholarships are designed to recognize academic performance and encourage continued service on the Philmont Staff. Applicants must be members of the PSA, eligible for future staff service, enrolled as a full-time student, and demonstrate need. The Scholarship Committee, composed of 11 PSA members representing all BSA Regions and eras of staff service from the 60’s through today, is delighted to announce these 2015 Seasonal Staff Scholarship re-cipients with their schools, majors, and 2015 Staff position. The quoted comments are taken from the applications of the recipients.

FirSt YEAr StAFF:

Tim BawdenCole BestgenZachary ClaridaAndrew DillonWilliam DuggerDacia GiordanaDeForest Gould

Univ. of IowaKenrick Glennon SeminarySouthern Illinois Univ.Auburn Univ.Miami of Ohio Univ.Univ. of WisconsinIllinois Central College

Elementary EducationPhilosophy/TheologyGeologyIndustrial EngineeringUndeclaredSpanish/Intn’l StudiesEnvironmental Economics

PTC Group LeaderChaplainPTC Food ServiceGroundskeeperRangerPTC Small Fry Dir.TOT Traders Clerk

“Every day (on staff) I learned something new. Every day I met people with a wealth of knowledge that I didn’t have. Who knew that I would meet someone from NASA who works on the Mars Program? Or an Army Ranger? Or a chemical engineer? This instilled in me a desire to learn more every day.”

at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and a Philstaffer (Ranger ’13; Bear Researcher ’15). He was eager to tell us about an amazing one-degree of separation moment. Marco knew his good college friend, AJ Grill, was back home in Iowa City during the same weekend, perform-ing as a stand-up comedian on Friday. When the two college guys met up Monday, AJ asked Marco if he knew “…how that guy who gave that place Philmont to the scouts was born in Iowa?” Marco concurred. AJ continued to tell him that a group of people visited his grandpar-ents’ farm over the weekend to see exactly where “that guy” was born, and how his uncle and grandmother joined the bus tour. AJ told Marco he heard all about it during their family dinner on Saturday and his “…grandmother was happy

that people liked seeing the field, even though the orig-inal farmhouse was not there, and she showed AJ a ‘brochure’ describing all the stops…” I immedi-ately sent Marco a photo of Mrs. Agatha Norton for AJ to con-firm she is his grandmother. Marco wrote back with a

simple, “Yep, that’s her.” The Phillips’ gift of Philmont truly continues to enrich life, opportunity, friendship, fellowship…and quiet out-of-the-way places.

“I have also learned the most important things out here, like how to lead other people, how to solve tricky problems with a level head, how to be humble, and even how to drive a manual transmission!”

Joe Liesz and Bob Birkby at the Phillips 66 replica.

35 years later, 1980 buddies reunite: Camp Directors Gary “Roper” Rose, Pueblano; Ken “Schmeade” Block, Cypher’s Mine; George “Josh” Michaels, Black Mountain; Jason “Mort” Mascitti, Apache Springs; Charlie Aldredge, Associate Chief Ranger.

12 psa news psa news 13 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

“Since I want to be a teacher, I thought Philmont would be a good learning ex-perience. I have had many chances to share my musical talents with those around me. I’d love to come back….I will relish the chance to continue getting more expe-rience with kids.”

Sara SchmidtBrad ShineTaylor SiskindBrittany SmithAbigayle SytsmaDaniel TurnerSerina Wilson

Colo. School of MinesTexas Tech Univ.Texas A&M Univ.Univ. of ColoradoUniv. of VirginiaTemple Univ.Univ. of Baltimore

Geological EngineeringBiologyAnthropologyBiology/Ecology/EvolutionBiology/Cognitive ScienceEnviron. Sci./SpanishGovernment & Public Policy

Villa StaffRangerIndian Writings PCActivitiesMedical RecheckTOT Traders ClerkRanger

“This scholarship will influence my ability to continue studying Recreation Management. I love this major..have used lots of the leadership skills and teaching tricks that were taught in my courses (as Ranger).”

SEconD YEAr StAFF (r= 2014 recipient)

Bradley Auker RNoel BondMatthew Breeding RMitchell FransenColin HalpinMatthew Hill RJeffrey Maiden RMarco MascittiTimothy McCartyCarson McRaeDebbie Mitcham RJames O’Rourke RAaron PudlickiKaitlyn RichardsonKori St. MarieCarlo Sivilotti RJavan Stalls RWilliam Troske RBonnie Warrick RKristen Wieber RKatheryn WilkersonDylan Wilhelm R

Millersville Univ.Pennsylvania St. Univ.Sam Houston St. Univ.Univ. of IllinoisKansas State Univ.Rock Valley Comm. Coll.Kansas State Univ.Univ. of WisconsinIllinois State Univ.Red Rocks Comm. Coll.Auburn Univ.Hillsdale CollegeHumboldt State Univ.Texas A&M Univ.Northern Arizona Univ. Swarthmore CollegeTrinity Univ.Univ. of MichiganConcordia Univ.Univ. of TennesseeUniv. of MemphisWest Texas A&M Univ.

Social Studies EducationRecreation/Tourism Mgmt.Chemistry/PhysicsKinesiologyHistory/Economics/Pre-LawCisco NetworkingFood ScienceWildlife/Ecology Mgmt.Biology EducationFine WoodworkingPsychologyEconomicsForestryBiologyGeographic Sci/Comm. Plan.Computer Sci/Pre-MedNeuroscienceChemical EngineeringBusiness ManagementTherapeutic RecreationNursingEngineering Technology

Hunting Lodge PCRangerRanger TrainerCHQ Dining Asst MgrHarlan PCDan Beard PCUte Gulch CDBear ResearcherVilla GardenerClark’s Fork PCWelcome CenterCrater Lake PCEnvironmental Educ.Cimarroncito PCConserv. Site ForemanRangerRangerRangerRangerUrraca PCRangerOA Trail Crew Foreman

thirD YEAr - PLuS StAFF (r= 2014 recipient)

Carly CasperNathan ConeyShaun Frankow RCassie Hansen RAshton Jones RCassidy Johnson RJessi KauffmannMichael Martinez RRegan MilnerAlexander MousheyKyla RohrboughPatrick SmithCaroline UllrichCarl Vogt

Indiana UniversityLesley UniversityMarquette Univ.Willamette Univ.Missouri State Univ.West. Kentucky Univ.Luther CollegeDona Ana Comm. Coll.Univ. of So. IndianaDartmouth CollegeBrigham Young Univ.Auburn Univ.Univ. of TexasColorado State Univ.

PsychologyEnvironmental ScienceAccountingEnvironmental Sci.GeologyInterdisciplinary StudiesInternat’l Studies/SpanishFire InvestigationsGeologyBiochemistry/TheaterExercise Sci/Outdoor Rec.Aerospace EngineeringElementary EducationLandscape Architecture

Cimarroncito PCAssoc. Dir. Conserv.Clear Creek PCRanger TrainerRich Cabins PCNPS Ass’t Mgr.Dean Cow PCGrounds ForemanDean Cow PCRangerClark’s Fork Asst CDPhillips Junction CDPTC Program Mgr.Coord. Conservation

“This summer the flood was very difficult to deal with. After pushing through a fractured foot, a hernia, a flash flood, and a waterborne bacterial infection, I have absolute confidence that I can handle almost every situation.”

“I have greatly enjoyed working with the staff, participants, and the bears themselves. I know this scholarship will help me get the most out of my education so I can continue to serve as a steward for conservation and wildlife, ideals which have been largely shaped by my experience at Philmont.”

“I did my first year on staff before starting college, and I could not have imag-ined a better way to transition from high school to college.”

“My project was to find a correlation between memory and music in those with memory-impairing disorders like Alzheimer’s. One particular man could not remember his childhood. He was quiet and reserved; when he started listening to the music I prepared, his face lit up and he began to hum along with the tunes from his past”

Jacob HarrisMitchell HoffmanAnnie HumpherysKatherine JohnsBrooke KowalskiSamantha LintonJeremy MaleCallum MayRyan McNeilElla RauschDavilyn RohrJordan Rosell

Earlham College Colorado State Univ.Northern Arizona Univ.Univ. of DenverUniv. of Notre DameBrigham Young Univ.Emory Univ.Wichita State Univ.Mt. St. Mary’s Univ.Univ. of WisconsinKansas State Univ.Brigham Young Univ.

BiochemistryEngineeringChoral Music EducationNeuroscienceChemical EngineeringSpecial EducationBusiness AdministrationBiology/Pre-MedBusinessEnglish/Environ. StudiesAnthropology/BusinessWildlife/Wildlands Conserv.

Carson Meadows PCTOT Traders ClerkPTC Group LeaderClark’s Fork PCRangerRangerOutfitting ServicesWranglerWranglerUte Gulch TP Mgr.PTC Craft CenterBear Researcher

“Over the last year I have helped start a campus organization for the interna-tional program “Wine to Water” whose focus is to provide clean drinking water and sanitary facilities in several countries. Our campus group was formed last fall and has been recognized as campus organization of the year.”

psa news 1514 psa news Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

new Years at the ranch 2015-16

Philmont and the Philmont Staff Association are teaming up to welcome for-mer staffers back to the Ranch to celebrate the incoming new year. Come out to Philmont and join your Phil-friends for fellowship at this special time.

Lodging: Available at Philmont December 31 through January 3:• Roofed housing at PTC (duplexes, multiplex rooms, etc.): $30.00 per person per night.

Meals:• Dinner on December 31 is being provided free of charge by Philmont.• Build-your-own Omelet Breakfast on January 1 is being provided free of charge by the Philmont Staff Association.**These are the only meals that will be available at Philmont.**

new Year’s Eve Events:• “What’s going on at Philmont” remarks by Ranch Management. • Satellite television, games, karaoke, billiards tournament, and fellowship at Silver Sage Staff Activity Center.• Bring your musical instruments for a jam session.

new Year’s Day Events:• Football games on TV in the Silver Sage Staff Activity Center.• Philmont 5K run/walk and day hikes to be determined by weather conditions.• Activities and events in the area, including skiing at:• Angel Fire www.angelfireresort.com/winter/• Red River www.redriverskiarea.com• Taos Ski Valley www.skitaos.org

Roofed housing is expected to fill up quickly. Get your registration and money in today to reserve a room.

Are you staying nearby and just want to join us for the New Year’s Eve celebra-tion? Please let us know so we can make sure we cook enough dinner for every-one!

to make reservations:Contact DeeDee Montoya at (575) 376-2281 ext. 1135 or denise.montoya@scouting.org.

Pursuant to the By-Laws of the Philmont Staff Association, the follow-ing schedule has been adopted by the Board of Directors regarding the 2016 election of the Association. Officers and Directors for the term January 1, 2017, to and including December 31, 2019, will be elected. Those who wish to be considered for a position on the Board of Direc-tors or as an officer of the Association, or who wish to recommend others for these positions may contact Cathy Hub-bard, Nominating Committee Chair, at cahubb@tds.net, or by mail at Philmont Staff Association, 17 Deer Run Road, Cimarron, New Mexico 87714. Recommendations for Officer and Director positions must be received by the Nominating Committee not later than March 15 in order to receive con-sideration. Members are welcome to volunteer to serve on PSA committees, including: Membership, Service, Administration, Development, and Finance. If you would like to serve on PSA committees

2016 is PSA Board of Directors Election Year(which are appointed by the President and which do not require election by the membership), contact Randy Saun-ders, Executive Director, at psadirec-tor@philstaff.com or (575) 376-1138.

2016 Philmont Staff Association Elec-tion Schedule

December 2015: Notice of Elections published in High Country and put on PSA website April 9, 2016: Nominating Commit-tee report to the President at the Board of Directors meeting June 2016: Candidate biographies published in June High Country June 15, 2016: Deadline for addi-tional nominations from the general membership to be received at the PSA office July 1, 2016: Ballots mailed to mem-bership August 1, 2016: Ballots tallied by Executive Director and two members appointed by the President. Results will be announced shortly after August 1.

BULLETIn BOARd Upcoming PSA® Events

New Years at Philmont – December 31, 2015-January 3, 2016Philmont Scout Ranch

Contact: Randy Saunders at psadirector@philstaff.com

PSA Annual Reunion – July 8-10, 2016Philmont Training Center

PSA Summer Trek – July 10-16, 2016Philmont Scout Ranch

16 psa news Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 psa news 17

by Lee Huckstep Since 1987, PSA members and their eligible family members have gathered at the Welcome Center to meet their Rangers and kick off what has become a summer ritual in many members’ lives: the annual PSA Trek. This most enduring of PSA tradi-tions is back again in 2016. The Trek dates are July 10-17, 2016, and the cost is $515 per person. There is a non-refundable $25 cancellation fee for each registration, and payment of the Trek fee allows you to attend the Annual Reunion the weekend before, July 8 to 10, at no additional cost. You can register after January 1, 2016, by sending your check to the PSA, 17 Deer Run Road, Cimarron, NM 87714. Alternatively, you can register on-line at www.philstaff.com beginning in early January 2016. If you register by mail, please include a slip of paper (or complete the attached form) with the names, ages and gender of your eligible family members. This helps identify Youth Protection and tenting issues early-on. Also, if you or your eligible family members have not done the PSA Trek in the past five years, please include a de-scription of each person’s back-packing or other strenuous activity experience during the past five years. This will assist us in getting you crewed-up with persons of similar experience and abil-ity. If you register on-line, we will be contacting you for the information de-

scribed above. Please respond prompt-ly. The basic Trek information is as fol-lows: Spend the night of Saturday, July 9 in the Philmont area. Report to the Welcome Center at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 10. Hit the trail on Monday, July 11.Come off the trail on Saturday, July 16.Depart Philmont Sunday, July 17. The Trek eligibility requirements are as follows: (1)Be physically and mentally fit. (2) Be a member of the PSA or Trek-eligible family member, (3) Be a member of the BSA, (4) Have a current completed Philmont medical form, (5) Be 14 years old OR completed 8th grade and be at least 13 years of age prior to participation. Your doctor’s approval and signa-ture on your medical form are alone not enough clearance for trek participation. Ask yourself: am I physically and men-tally fit enough to work at Philmont? If the answer to this question is “no,” the Trek is probably not for you. If you are not physically and mentally fit, you will not enjoy the Trek and there will likely be negative impacts on your crew members, as well. You are encouraged to bring your Trek-eligible family members. Trek-eligible family members include your spouse, child or stepchild, sibling, parent, grandparent, grandchild, niece, nephew or in-law of PSA member who meets the eligibility requirements

above. We have 60 Trekker slots to fill. We have had no trouble filling these slots (and more) in past years and in 2016 we will fill them all. Don’t dawdle and wait, because your slot will be sold and you will be left weeping at the Wel-come Center as your friends head to the bus drop-off points. As always, your crew will be free to design its own itinerary, subject to the PSA’s itinerary planning guidelines. By registering early, you can form your own crew or join the crew you want-- before it fills up – and be a part of the itinerary planning fun. And with information requested above about your past backpacking and strenuous activity experience, we can help you find the right crew. Register after January 1 – several persons are already chomping at the bit to register. For further information

contact:Doug Latimer at latimerdk@verizon.net

Lee Huckstep at lee.huckstep@kbr.com

Dave Romack at dromack@tx.rr.com

Cancellation policy: (1) All registra-tions are subject to a non-refundable $25 cancellation fee. (2) Cancellations prior to the registration deadline of June 1, 2016 will receive a full refund, subject to the $25 cancellation fee. (3) Cancellation after the registration deadline will not receive a refund. Monies paid can be used for another PSA event prior to the end of 2017 or can be contributed to the General Fund. (3) In exceptional cases, the Executive Director AND Vice President of Service can authorize full refunds for cancella-tion after the registration deadline.

PSA trek: An Enduring tradition

the staff and volunteers of

High Country Magazine and

the Philmont Staff Association

Wish you and yours the

Blessings of the Season

ranch roundup 1918 ranch roundup Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

ranch roundup

• The 2016 Capital Budget (maintenance, repairs, replacements, new investments) in the amount of $2,487,000 was ap-proved. $100,000 was added to the 2017 capital budget for repairs to the dam at Webster Lake.• Attendance at the various Philmont museums in 2015 was announced as: Philmont Museum and Seton Memo-rial Library – 16,768 Chase Ranch – 4,172 Villa Philmonte – 15,957• Historic restoration of the southwest room at LaPosta at Rayado is in final stages of completion.• Digital archiving of all crew photos in the Philmont archives continues. In 2015, all photos from 1982-1986 were digitized and uploaded to make them more easily accessible. Since the Philmont Museum began this program, more than $7000 has been generated in online orders for photos from years gone by.• Attendance at the Philmont Training Center in 2015 (these numbers do not include fall conferences, which were not available at press time) totaled 4,442.• Attendance for camping programs during 2015 totalled 21,992.• The 2015 Philmont staff consisted of 1,130 positions. All 50 states were repre-sented on staff.• A new program called PASS (Philmont Advisor Skills School) is being intro-duced this fall to first-time adult leaders. The first three will be held at Philmont

Bullets from the Fall ranch committee Meeting

Scout Ranch with others to follow in locations around the country. Com-ing soon – another new program called PAWS (Philmont Advisor Workshops).• Tooth of Time Traders is on track for another record sales year in 2015 (currently up 6% over same-day sales a year ago). The biggest sales day of the summer was June 25, with one-day floor sales of $65,940.00.• Tooth of Time Traders was again recognized by the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance as one of the Top 100 specialty outdoor stores in the country.• As of mid-September, snow and rainfall for 2015 was 20.3 inches. Annual average at Philmont is 13.8 inches. For the first time in memory, Philmont had to throw away hay (1400 bales) because it was so damaged by excess rain.• The Horse Department reported 6,052 participants on trail rides, and 334 par-ticipants in Cavalcades.• The number of bear sightings was the lowest in ten years, with only 15% of crews reporting sightings.• John Murphy’s report on behalf of the Philmont Staff Association included membership growth of 6%. Membership now exceeds 3100 members.• Dr. Ken Goertz and the Order of the Arrow were the recipients of the 2015 Silver Sage Awards.• Over $337,000 has been raised by the PSA for the Seton expansion, including the new service center for the PSA itself.

The weekend of October 23-25 was a splendid sampling of autumn in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that are the home to our beloved Philmont. PSA members that contribute to the President’s Circle campaign in the first quarter of the year made their way HOmE for a weekend of fellowship and fun on that very weekend. Participants attended a reception at the Philmont Museum on Friday night. Mark Anderson provided an insight-ful talk about the expansion project for the museum and library. On Saturday, the group took a Suburban tour of the Backcountry, heading south and west to Beaubien, Phillips Junction, Fish Camp, and Crater Lake. While most of the fall color was fading, there were still gold-en aspens in the hills. Later Saturday afternoon, a smaller group ventured up to Baldytown. The mountain was

snow-capped and under the clouds. On Sunday morning, Mark Ander-son gave a tour of the Cimarroncita property. Kathy Leach, PSA Life mem-ber and former Cimarroncita counselor, provided some memories of her experi-ences at the girl’s camp. The view of Baldy from Cimarroncita is breathtak-ing. Overall, everyone had a great time and a wonderful visit to Philmont. The President’s Circle is a first quarter Annual Fund drive that gives members the opportunity to donate $1,000 or more in the first three months of the year. The President’s Circle campaign provides cash flow to the PSA early in the year which allows us to operate “in the black” all year long. Any PSA member or friend of Philmont is invited to donate to the President’s Circle. Contact the PSA office for more information. 575-376-1138.

President’s circle Weekend: An october treat

President’s Circle participants pause for a group photo at Crater Lake.

philmont history 2120 philmont history Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

philmont history

by James Van Hecke

I hope Mutual of Omaha will forgive me for revealing some of the “behind the scenes” information about the filming of “The Philmont Trail”. It has been over 50 years since we filmed this program. Before there was cable TV or satel-lite TV, with Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Nature there was Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. Wild Kingdom was a weekly network television show during the 60s and 70s, about animals and their behavior in their natural habitat. The “in nature” scenes were shot with scratchy 8mm or 16mm cameras, usually with elevator music in the background. The host, Marlin Perkins, an older gentleman, mostly described the part of the world the show was visiting that week, while his young enthusiastic assistant, “JIM” Fowler got to run from lions and wrestle the alligators. Marlin was often chided for lines, such as, “Jim’s in trouble here, since he is in the alligator’s home turf. Uh, oh.” “My assistant Jim is now approaching the bear and will proceed to wrestle him to a standstill, while our crew gets a close up view of the bear’s unique incisors...” In June, 1964, NBC and Mutual of Omaha were planning to shoot an

the Wild Kingdom Meets god’s country

episode of Wild Kingdom at Philmont Scout Ranch. They contacted the Kit Carson Council (now the Great South-west Council), in Albuquerque, looking for a quality unit to participate in the filming. Air Explorer Squadron 99 of Los Alamos, New Mexico was just such a unit. I was a member of the Squadron at the time, and participated in the film-ing of the show, as the Crew Leader. When we first arrived at Philmont, we were clueless about film mak-ing. We showed up the first day, in complete uniform, as was required by the National Council, and full back packs. Fortunately, we were told that we didn’t really need all the stuff in our backpacks for the filming, so the next day we could fill the packs with slightly inflated air mattresses to simu-late a full pack. Boy, were we relieved! Jim Fowler was a big, athletic guy. That is why he and not Marlin went in the river to wrestle the beaver. In fact, it was kind of an industry joke that you would regularly see Marlin on the side-lines describing the action, while Jim wrestled with the alligators or fought with the bear. In all fairness to Marlin, I have seen episodes where he did the wrestling. Jim was a very personable guy, and we all liked him immediately, but for a bunch of teenage boys, he was a target for a little mischief. Jim was carrying a backpack, like the rest of us. Every time

we stopped to rest, one of us would sneak a rock into Jim’s pack. It was three days before he noticed. By then, he was carrying 50 pounds, and won-dering if the altitude was really getting to him. He took it well, but we were on the lookout for payback for the rest of the shoot. The final scene was a bear cub loose in the corral. That bear was native to Philmont, and so was its mother who was in a cage nearby, and mom was not all that happy to be there. The script called for the bear to run loose among the horses in the corral. The wranglers would get the horses out of the corral, and we (Marlin, Jim and Explorers) would do what we could to capture the bear with garbage cans. I have no idea who thought up the gar-bage cans. Well, the bear cub didn’t want any-thing to do with us. Within five seconds of our entering

the corral, the bear shot out of the cor-ral, under the fence, and down to the river a hundred yards away. It took the wranglers a while to recapture the bear and bring it back to the corral. Again, the bear was released, and we chased after it, with packs and the garbage cans. The bear saw the open garbage can, and seeing it as a sanctuary, darted right into the can. Well, we still didn’t have enough film footage, so the bear was dumped out, and we started the chase again – and the bear darted back into the can again. We did this several times, before we had enough “chase time” on film. When the bear ran into the can for the last time, the lid was placed on the can, and we had our bear.Two different sized garbage cans were used during the chase, one smaller than the other. The small lid was tried first, and went directly into the can with the bear. The second lid fit the can, and sealed the bear in the can, with

Marlin Perkins (left) and Jim Van Hecke (right) examine Philmont porcupine “Quilly Mays.”

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the smaller lid. The bear was thrash-ing around in the can, and the lid was making all kinds of noise, so Marlin decided to get the smaller lid out. He removed the top lid, and reached into the can to get the smaller lid. He yanked his arm out and immediately began sucking on his hand. He had been bitten by the bear, on the fleshy pad below his thumb. He said, “I guess I can’t blame him for that, can I?” They took Marlin to the doctor at Health Lodge. He got a shot, and was back in no time. A poster was made to publicize the program. I was selected to be on the poster, along with Marlin Perkins, and Quilly Mays, the porcupine. The film aired in November of 1964, but our 15 minutes of fame actually lasted for about 4 years. As TV produc-tion companies were known to do back then, they repeated the show each sea-son for the next three years. It would

air on the east coast, and work its way west, one time zone each week. Each week, I would get calls from friends or relatives telling me that they had seen me on TV, so I knew when it was on the way. It was a great experience, and we had a wonderful time for that week. I developed an interest in movie-making that has lasted until now. I have made several films from my Explorer Post’s Superactivities, I was a cinematography merit badge counselor for many years, and now I work as a movie extra, when-ever I can. Mutual of Omaha has put many of their programs on Youtube. You can view this Philmont Trail episode at: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Philmont+Trail

In 1964, Jim Van Hecke was a nineteen-year-old Air Explorer from Squadron 99 of Los Alamos, NM.

After the Fire, After the Flood: the Ponil Pot restorationby JJ Stevensphotos by Mark Dierker

From all the stories emerging from the 2015 Flood, this one is unique; it’s of a close-knit staff fractured, and then binding together again, restoring more than themselves. This is more than a “feel good” story, it is a story of two calamitous events and family. All camps have their histories and legacies, and Indian Writings has its own that few can rival. Imagine having history reach out to help heal. Philmont’s archaeology program has its roots in 1941’s Philturn Archaeological Expedi-tion, and the tale of the “Ponil Pot” re-construction begins with the aftermath of the 2002 Ponil Complex Fire. The desolated areas of the burn revealed many archaeological finds.

Cached in a niche near the confluence of Horse and Middle Ponil Canyons, a pot and moccasins rested for centu-ries. At some point prior to the fire, the moccasins deteriorated, leaving only an awled leather fragment, and the pot in numerous sherds. The intense heat of the fire caused the pot to oxidize dramatically, causing discoloration and further breakage. What could be recov-ered was wrapped, boxed, and shelved in the Philmont Museum vault for over a decade. Dave Werhane, Director of Muse-ums, showed the box’s contents to me in May of 2014 while we were prepar-ing and installing exhibits. It was immediately obvious that the pot could be restored with care, but no plans were made. It wasn’t until this last July that the

Douglas Fasching examines the Ponil Pot as JJ Stevens explains how and where it was found.

Backcountry Cookbook recipe AppealThe Backcountry Cookbook was first created years ago to provide Philmont’s Backcountry staffs with a resource useful for preparing meals using items pro-vided in a the typical commissary. The first edition had plenty of SPAM recipes. The latest revision of the cookbook was done in 2009. Now it is time to update the cookbook again. If you have recipes that were used in Backcountry camps, please send them in to be added to the newest ver-sion of the Backcountry Cookbook. We are looking for recipes for entrees, appetiz-ers, desserts, drink concoctions (non-alcoholic of course), dips and other edible treats that have graced dining tables in the Philmont Backcountry. To submit your recipes, send them to: psadirector@philstaff.com or mail to: PSA, 17 Deer Run Road, Cimarron, NM 87714. The new Backcountry Cookbook will be available for purchase in the Spring of 2016.

24 philmont history Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 philmont history 25 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

restoration idea came up again. Many of the camps and others directly affect-ed by the June 27 events were brought into Base for further de-briefing and opportunity for crisis counseling. The days (and some long nights) follow-ing the tragedy at IW had us all looking out for each other, searching for some-thing, anything to help us all through. Some of us were reluctant to go down - we wanted to be in our canyon home with each other. Dave Werhane saw me on Mark Anderson’s lawn after the debrief. It was obvious I was a mess, but a simple request came of its own accord, “could we have that burnt pot to put back together?” The answer was simple in return, “Of course!” A week later the boxed sherds and moccasin fragment arrived in camp, and for the first time in several years, the IW Field Lab was fully utilized. Quincy Kennedy used the old museum section as an office workspace, and the lab section was converted to foul weather program area. The pot then

became the focal point in the lab as it was spread across a worktable. Many crews had the opportunity to not only witness the restoration process but to handle some of the pieces. Of its own accord, the project became a metaphor

for IW, of ‘picking up the pieces and putting them back together.’ In just under three weeks, every pro-gram staff member learned more about Jicarilla pottery

techniques, helped sort the puzzle pieces, and glued the pot together. It was enshrined in the IW Field Museum in time for our Phil-fiesta. One of the difficulties in the project was the heat warpage from the 2002 Ponil Complex Fire. Individual pieces fit well together, but larger spans and multiple pieces created challenges. Approximately 85% of the pot survived into the 21st century. The pot may not hold water or stews again, but it’s a beautiful work of art. Best research places the pot as Jica-rilla Apache, who mastered thin-walled micaceous pottery. Dating between 1600-1850, this utilitarian ware vessel

was once in daily use. For archaeology geeks such as the IW staff, the oppor-tunity to put together a pot is thrilling beyond dreams. This is how history can heal, imag-ine seeing and handling a locally made pot, and be wonderfully overwhelmed by the myriad details. The eyes easily detect the scrape marks from a wooden paddle used to smooth the coils inside and out, and puzzling, tiny crescent incised grooves appear randomly. Then, handling and caressing reveal simplicity. The crescents are fingernail marks, and the bumps and grooves inside and around the neck are indeed the impressions left by the Jicarilla woman’s hands who made this pot! To feel the labor and skill involved in the pot’s creation as we restored it-even writing about it gives me the tingles, a sensation that never gets old when han- dling antiquities. Like passing through

a sipapu, each of us connected directly with the past. Moments like this are precious to the soul. Recovered following a devastating fire, restored following a devastating flood, by need, with love and skill, the Ponil Pot is its own legacy.

Originally from the St Louis area, JJ has lived in the Southwest for over 20 years, teaching, traipsing, and writing mostly. He first served on Staff 1987-92, and again 2012-15. Except for a season in Logistics, all the others have been in the Backcountry (IW, Apache Springs, Abreu, and Ponil).

The 2015 Indian Writings Staff were Chris Heden, Isabelle Herde, Quincy Kennedy, Kellie Looper, Taylor Siskind and JJ Stevens.

The interior of the Ponil Pot showing clues to how the pot was made.

JJ Stevens talks about how the pot was made.

JJ discusses the challenges of reconstruction.

26 philmont history Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 philmont history 27 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

Philmont ranger hat

The Philmont Ranger hats are back! Based on two Ranger hats from the past, you may choose from a green cap with gold lettering or a tan cap with green lettering. Both have the words “Philmont Rangers” embroi-dered on the front and “Humble Pride” on the back. $20. Order online at philstaff.com or by calling the PSA office at 575-376-1138.

indian raids on the rayadoEditor’s Note: Staff members of the late 1960s will remember Larry Murphy as Philmont’s Assistant Program Director, working in tandem with longtime Program Director Jerry Traut. Murphy circulated in the Backcountry and coached staff mem-bers in “unnatural” programs including burro racing and Indian ethnology, while Traut worked with program counselors responsible for “natural” programs like field biology and paleontology. Propelled by his Philmont experience, Larry became a historian, writing his Master’s thesis on Baldy mining and earning a Ph.D. at Texas Christian University. As a univer-sity professor, he specialized in western American history and increasingly took on administrative roles. Larry held faculty ap-pointments at several universities. He was Professor of History and Director of the Lifelong Learning at Wayne State Univer-sity in Detroit at the time of his death in 1987. Murphy’s notable historical works include Philmont: A History of New Mexico’s Cimarron Country (1972), and Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell: Napoleon of the Southwest (1983). Following the organization of the Philmont Staff As-sociation, Murphy was an early editor of High Country, serving in that capacity for approximately five years.

Without doubt the greatest danger to Beaubien’s settlement at Rayado came from hostile Indians. Just as they had traditionally raided the Utes and Apaches in northeastern New Mexico, the Comanches and Kiowas now turned their attention to the newly-

arrived whites. As Carson had told Pancoast, livestock was their favor-ite prey. Occasionally a herder was killed, keeping the settlers in constant apprehension that an all out attempt would be made to drive them out of the region. Early one morning when most of the men were gone, a German boy working at the ranch came running from the creek where he had been get-ting water. Indians had massed on the hill for an attack. Soon a large party approached the gate demanding food and threatening hostilities if it was not provided. Mrs. Tom Boggs – wife of the famed mountain man – was staying at the village and recommended that rather than try to repel the natives, the settlers should give them a feast; one man should be sent south toward Fort Union to get troops. Teresina Bent recalled what fol-lowed: “So we women all set to work cooking – coffee and meat and what-ever else we had. I was twelve years old and the chief of the war party saw me and wanted to buy me to make me his wife. He kept offering horses – ten, fifteen, twenty horses. Mrs. Boggs said for us to act friendly with the Indians and not make the chief angry.” “My, I was so frightened! And while I carried platters of food from the kitchen the tears were running down my cheeks. This made the chief laugh. He was bound to buy me, and when they all got through eating, he said that they would wait; if I was not delivered

to him by the time the sun touched a hill there in the west he would take me by force.” As Teresina waited nervously, the Indians camped outside waiting for the sun to set. Inside the adobe enclosure, everyone scurried to take bullets to the men who were preparing for a fight. But just as the moment of attack neared, Kit Carson and a company of soldiers rode dramatically up the road from Santa Fe. The Indians fled. “I was so glad,” remembered Teresina. “I did not want to go with the dirty chief.” A similar, although perhaps legend-ary, incident gained fame for Vidal Trujillo, who had married Beaubien’s daughter Leonora and moved to Rayado. One morning a party of Apache warriors appeared on the ridge north of Rayado. A fight seemed inevi-table when two men who went out to see what they wanted were fired upon. As the men turned to flee, 600 warriors topped the hill, pursuing the pair until they were inside the compound. Conditions were especially bad since most of the men were gone and the ammunition supplies had run low.

Someone, Trujillo knoew, would have to ride for troops. So he volunteered. The mount he chose was Rayado, a fine race horse named for the settle-ment. Once mounted and ready the great gates flew open and out sped horse and rider. “Like a thunderbolt,” a later writer recalled, “the big chestnut horse shot into the midst of the circling savages. Crouched low over his with-ers, Vidal, a professional jockey, guided him through the savages in the greatest race of his career. So unexpected the act, and so complete the surprise, the flying rider was through the line before the Indians knew what was happen-ing…Fate rode with Vidal Trujillo that day. Miraculously he escaped their missiles, and by virtue of the great horse under him, outran them.” Never daring to spare his horse, Trujillo pushed on as rapidly as pos-sible until he reached Fort Union. There, Rayado, his last energy spent, fell dead. But the soldiers, having got-ten the message, departed northward, driving away the attackers. Once again Rayado was secure.

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by Larry Murphy

Ed. Note: In addition to the column that Larry Murphy wrote for the Springer Tribune, he wrote a regular column for the staff newspaper at Philmont as well. These three columns appeared in the summer of 1966.

i. rayado

Rayado, Philmont’s oldest settlement, traces its origins back over a cen-tury to 1848. In that year, Don Carlos Beaubien, who had been granted a vast tract of land by the Mexican govern-ment seven years before, decided to es-tablish a ranch along the Rayado River near Philmont’s southern boundary. To direct the Rayado colonization, Don Carlos selected his two sons-in-law. One, Jesus G. Abreu, was de-scended from a line of distinguished Mexican residents and had married Petra Beaubien. The other was Lucien B. Maxwell. Originally from Illinois, he

historic Philmont Places

had long tramped the Rockies, explor-ing, hunting and trapping with such mountaineers as John C. Fremont and Kit Carson, who lived for a short time with him at Rayado. By July 1849, primitive structures had already been constructed at Rayado. High adobe walls protected inhabitants from the Indians; inside, a two-story building and several adobe houses provided temporary accommo-dations until more sturdy ones could be erected. A large corral, stables, and slaughter houses stood outside of the wall. When the United States government established a military post along the Rayado, the fledgling settlement was even better protected against attack. The troopers also bought cattle and wheat in the area. It was evidently with the hope of leasing lodgings to the army that Maxwell began to erect the spacious adobe buildings which still grace the area. Rayado’s military contingent soon

left for the newly established Fort Union to the south; by 1857 Lucien Maxwell moved north to the Cimarron River where he built a new home and began to expand his holdings. Only the Abreus remained. Until his death in 1900, Don Jesus maintained an exten-sive ranching and farming operation on the Rayado Ranch. Later several others owned the property before it was ac-quired by Waite Phillips, who gave it to the Boy Scouts of America in 1941. Today Rayado is one of Philmont’s most interesting areas. A museum there portrays the history of the ranch in a building much like one where Kit Carson lived in the 1850s. To the west of the museum lie the graves of Abreu and his wife, pioneers of Philmont and long masters of Rayado. After standing for over a hundred years, the old Abreu home is only slightly changed. Today it is the headquarters for the Individual Training Center, where Scouts from throughout the nation learn skills of leadership and conservation. For any staff member of Philmont, or visitor, Rayado is worth an afternoon visit for a glimpse into New Mexico’s historic past.

Vi. Philturn rockymountain Scout-camp, Part i.

After acquiring the Urraca Ranch from George H. Webster, Jr. in 1923, Waite Phillips continued to enlarge it through the acquisition of additional property. The Rayado Ranch to the south, Math-ias Heck’s Cimarroncito homestead, H.M. Porter’s Ponil property and nu-

merous small tracts were added. Thus by the mid-1930s, the Tulsa oilman owned some 300,000 acres of prime New Mexico ranchland. Much of Phillips’s property seemed ideal as camping areas. Even during Webster’s ownership, a group of Boy Scouts had visited the Urraca Ranch, camping on Deer Lake Mesa near present Harlan camp. Albuquerque Council Executive Carroll Thomas held a district camp in Cimarron Canyon in August of 1934. Afterward he and as-sistant executive Arie Poldervaart were asked to make “a preliminary judgment as to where on the Phillips ranch might be the best place to locate a perma-nent national wilderness camp.” “We made a horseback tour over the ranch property,” Poldervaart remembers, “to look for the possibilities with a view to accessibility from the existing roads, types of timber, scenery, streams, and nearness to communications facilities.” The man most responsible for Scout-ing’s acquisition of Philturn, however, was James P. Fitch, longtime Region 9 Scout Executive from Dallas. Knowing Phillips and his brother Frank, who in 1938 gave the National Council a sum of money to train scout executives, Fitch often visited Tulsa and apparently suggested the possibilities of obtaining a part of Philmont as a national scout camp. The Tulsa oilman believed very strongly that it was the responsibility of those who acquired wealth to share it with others. In addition, Phillips thought that all boys should develop self-sufficiency, inventiveness, and

“Future Philmont Staff” Stuffed Animals

We have the perfect gift for the Future Philmont Staff member in your life! Each PSA stuffed animal has a removable hoodie with “Fu-ture Philmont Staff” embroidered on the front. Available in five 7”-8” animals: Bear, T-Rex, Horse, Wolf, Eagle. $12

30 philmont history Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015philmont history 31 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

industriousness. A gift of part of his ranch would, he thought, be a great contribution to the Scouting program. Thus late in 1938, after conferring with Chief Scout Executive Dr. James E. West, Arthur A Shuck, and others, Phillips deeded to the National Council Boy Scouts of America 35,000 acres of his ranch north of U.S. 64. Named Philturn Rockymountain Scoutcamp, the tract included most of Philmont’s colorful northcountry, except of course for the Baldy tract. In addition grants totaling $61,000 were made for the improvement of the area. During the next three summers, Philturn would be Scouting’s showplace in the West.

Vii. Philturn rockymountain Scout-camp, Part ii.

After four years of planning, Walter M. Head, President of the Boy Scouts of America, announced October 20, 1938, that Waite Phillips had deeded 35,875 acres to the National Council. A group

of prominent scouters including Chief Scout Executive James E. West, Arthur A. Shuck, director of the Operations Di-vision and later Chief Scout Executive, Region 9 director James P. Fitch, and the Engineering Service, had already visited the ranch, Head announced. After surveying the entire camp site on horseback, they had unanimously recommended acceptance of the gift. In announcing the acquisition, President Head elaborated on the place of Philturn in Scouting’s program: “There is a demonstrated need for op-portunities where troops and patrols with experience, training, leadership and proper equipment may secure the benefits of what may be termed wilder-ness camping. I believe this will appeal to older boys in all parts of America. This is implicitly a more rugged experi-ence with ‘nature in the raw’ than is possible in the existing local Boy Scout council camp.” To select a director for the new property, Dr. West wrote letters to

The theme for this year’s buckle is the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Arrow. All proceeds from sales go to the PSA Staff Scholarship Fund.

Crafted by a local artist, buckles will be available in the following metals:

Pewter - $25 retailBronze - $30 retailTwo-tone - $65 retail

2015 PSA Belt Buckle Available!

Order online at philstaff.com or by calling the PSA office at 575-376-1138.

leading professional scouters in the nation requesting their suggestions as to the ideal program for Philturn. On the basis of his suggestions that the area remain as primitive as possible with minimum facilities at a central starting point but very few elsewhere, B.B. Dawson, Cornhusker Council Executive from Lincoln, Nebraska was selected for the position. Arriving in Cimarron, Dawson set up headquar-ters in the Don Diego Hotel and began answering inquiries about his new national Scout camp. Five Points (now Ponil) was selected as the administrative headquarters and starting point for all groups. Under the direction of Ray Bryan, a mess hall, the long house, director’s home, and other required facilities were erected from rustic logs and native rock during 1939. A commissary was equipped with food and supplies which would be sold to campers requiring them. Staff members were informally hired from surrounding towns.

Few boys ever attended Philturn. Transportation difficulties restricted at-tendance primarily to boys from Region 9 where Jim Fitch continued to promote the camp. Still, without previous ar-rangements, planned itineraries, or tour permits, groups rolled into Five Points. Greeted by Director Dawson, they soon headed out with guide, horse or burros to enjoy the wild surrounding area. As the first campers began to arrive at Philturn, Waite Phillips carefully ob-served their reactions. Riding through the canyons of the northcountry on horseback or quietly driving towards the main camp, he chatted with the boys. Were they enjoying their wilder-ness experience? Could the spirit of industry and self-reliance be fostered by a camp such as this? In general, Phillips must have heard affirmative answers. That Philturn had succeeded was demonstrated in December of 1941 when Phillips gave an additional 92,000 acres to create Philmont Scout Ranch.

Who’d a thought….?

As your old editor was sifting through past issues of the staff newspaper to find Larry Murphy’s columns about Philmont, an array of other nuggets from the past appeared as well. Here, the listing for movies showing in the Philmont area during late July, 1966:

85 Drive-In (Raton) Days of Wine and RosesCimarron Theater Cat Ballou

Zia Theater (Springer) North to AlaskaEl Raton Around the World Under the Sea

What struck your editor was not so much the recollection of movies from days gone by – but the number of theaters in the Cimarron area at the time!

32 philmont history Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 philmont history 33 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

by Daniel Nellis

As anyone who has spent much time at Philmont knows, the place grabs a spe-cial hold on our hearts and stays there, forever pulling on us to go back. So it was for me this year. In the summers of 1972-1975, I was a Ranger, Gateway Ranger, Training Ranger and Camp Director at Baldy. This year my son, Brad, is a Ranger and for me, this sum-mer marks the 40th year since spending three great months at Baldy Town. As a PSA life member, I saw that a PSA trek this summer had space for two more, and the North Country itinerary would take us right through Baldy. How could my wife, Kathleen, and I not go?!

Brad requested to be the Ranger for our trek and took the ribbing he re-ceived by eight former Philmont staff-ers, several of whom had also worked as Rangers, with grace. I thought he led us admirably! When it was time for him to leave us the morning of day

Baldy town, then and now – A ranger Perspective

three of our hike, his role became that of trek participant as he had planned to use three days of leave so he would be able to finish the weeklong trek with all of us. At Baldy, we were treated like VIPs! The staff all wanted to know what it was like working there, back in 1975. Staff housing was wall tents where the hotel used to be and there were fewer crews coming through to pick up food and to climb Mount Baldy. Forty years of growing vegetation is making it harder to see some of the ruins. And of course, there was no new staff building 108 steps up the hill. Several years ago I sent pictures of the 1975 staff to Baldy Town. I was delighted to see those pictures in the cabin scrapbooks and hanging on the wall, showing them to my family and fellow trek participants, and to have my picture taken with the current Camp

Director of Baldy, Sean Murphy. I can’t help but wonder what changes the next forty years will bring to Camp Baldy and to Philmont as well. Maybe our grandson or granddaughter will follow in our Ranger footsteps and work a summer or more, at Philmont Scout Ranch!

2015 Baldy CD Sean Murphy with 1975 CD Dan Nellis.

Baldy Town in 1975. left to right - Steve Peck: PC, Mark McCandless: Commissary, Dan Nellis: CD, Don Donnelly: Trading Post.

Baldy Town CD Dan Nellis and Don Donelly from the Trading Post in 1975.Trek 712 PS5 atop Baldy Mountain.

34 mort’s gorp Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 short stuff 35 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

To the Editor -

I’ve only been a PSA member a couple of years, but always look forward to reading High Country. You and your staff are to be commended for the spe-cial “Flood” edition. Best yet! I was not on the Philmont staff in ‘65, but was a camper the latter part of the summer. I recall few, if any, signs of flood damage on the itinerary route we hiked. I had a brief, chance meeting with Darrel Kirkland (the author of several of the pieces in the “Flood” edition) in ‘66; he worked at Porcupine while I was assigned at Cypher’s. We jointly assisted in getting a non-ambulatory injured camper from atop Comanche

short stuff

Peak to HQ for medical aid. At the 2015 PSA reunion, I ran across Darrel for the first time in forty-nine years. I remem-bered few details of the ‘66 rescue. Dar-rel remembered small details as if they happened yesterday. His incredible memory is further evidenced by the recent articles he wrote. Darrel is quite a unique personality, probably good for many more stories in addition to the ones just published.

Pardon this long-winded message. Again, thanks to all who made the “Flood” edition the great work that it is.

Mike Thomas

Ed. Note - The special issue commemorating “The Summer of ‘65” resulted in it’s own “flood” of communications, electronic and otherwise. From the many, we reprint this one.

While working in the Backcountry for several summers, there were many evenings when the crew load was at a maximum, the camp was near full, and program ran right up till the dinner hour. After a long day’s work, it was pretty important to enjoy some good hot food complete with nourishment. We often needed to squeeze in this meal in less than 30 minutes after the last program and before advisors came up for coffee hour. Meals like this needed to be easy to prepare, quick, and full of zest. Sound easy? It is easy, but the pronunciation of this fine Italian dish is far from easy. It’s called Aglio Et Olio. Just try to say, “I oie ya”…..That’s it, “I oie ya.” Aglio Et olio is basically a garlic and olive oil sauce served over hot pasta. It is often enhanced with some fresh grilled or baked chicken, tuna, fresh grated parmesan. I even recall using freeze dried pork chops diced and mixed in with the pasta. Even when you aren’t in the Backcountry, this is a great, warming winter dish that is comforting to most palates, especially kids. Kids seem to just love spaghetti noodles with this sauce. It also can be thrown together on whim and ready to eat gourmet style in less than 20 minutes. Prep time 10 minutes Actual cooking time 8 to 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cloves fresh garlic3 tablespoons olive oil

mort’s gorp

1 cup grated parmesan cheesepinch of grated black peppersea saltdash chile pepper1 lb spagetti or linguine

To prepare:

In a separate pot, boil the water for your pasta. While the water is heat-ing, place two tablespoons of olive oil in cast iron skillet. Turn heat to med high. As the oil gets hot, crush the garlic and place in the hot oil, add ground black pepper to cover the garlic. A dash of sea salt is preferred as well. Sauté the garlic until it begins to brown and look toasty. Boil the pasta per directions. Drain the pasta - always keeping a bit of the pasta in the pasta water. (This prevents the pasta from getting sticky). Move the pasta to a separate serving bowl, drizzle the garlic sauce over the top of the pasta. Add one more tablespoon of olive oil……. Garnish with fresh grated parme-san, ground black pepper, red chile pepper and top with any type of meat or protein, though not required.

trail talk 37 Volume 38, Number 6— December 201536 trail talk Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

trail talk1970sWilliam A. Mills, Jr. (72) has hung up his boots and is enjoying retirement. Contact: 1976 Maple Grove Circle, Williamsport, PA 17701. 570-971-8563. wam1976@hotmail.com.

Aylmer E. (Eugene) Montgomery iii (74-77) was elected to the Executive Board of the BSA’s Louisiana Purchase Council in January of this year. Con-tact: 3806 Deborah Drive, Monroe, LA 71201. 318-348-0086. emontgomery@cf-ins.com.

1980sAmi (Fine) hazell (82) has been teach-ing Montessori (lower Elem) for 18 years and has gotten into competing in making gingerbread houses (and she has been known to bake cakes for friends and family as well). She and her husband enjoy boating and camping. Contact: 1400 Wrighton Rd, Lothian, MD 20711. 410-741-9401. afhazell@gmail.com.

1990sJon copeland (92-94) after Philmont, completed his undergraduate degree at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in criminal justice and will complete his MBA with a concentration in finance in the Spring of 2017. He and his wife have both remained deeply involved in Scouting (ASM, NOAC, Jamboree, Wood Badge, NAYLE, Philmont and more); their oldest son is an Eagle and the youngest is on the Trail. Contact: 4601 Rolling Meadows Road, Bartles-

ville, OK 74006. 918-214-2711. speed-junkie96@att.net.

Valerie Mollet (96-97) graduated from Virginia Tech in 2000, served as an Army officer from 2000-2009, then studied at Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville, 2009-2012) and is now a functional analyst with a military contractor. Her second child is “on the way”! Contact: 2024 Dammer Dr, Highland, IL 62249. valkyrie88a@gmail.com.

Brents Priestley (96) is a financial advisor for Edward Jones Investments in McKenzie, TN. He serves as SM for Troop 78, and he and his wife Shalya have three future Eagle Scout sons: Logan, Landon, and Larson. Contact: 5512 Hwy 124, McKenzie, TN 38201. 731-415-6039. bkpriestley@me.com.

2000srev. Steve hickle (04, 10, 14) is retired United Methodist clergy, now the faith outreach director of Stop Hunger Now. He can offer Scouts and leaders guid-ance in developing Eagle projects that are “high energy, high volunteer en-gagement, world-changing and a whole lot of fun.” Contact: 712 Mordecai Towne Pl, Raleigh, NC 27604. 919-412-3548. shickle@stophungernow.org.

2010sLyman Paden (15) remains involved in Scouting as an Assistant Scoutmaster, and District Cub Scout and Boy Scout Training Chairman. He was a 2015

recipient of the District Award of Merit. Contact: 2015 Bolsover, Houston, TX 77005. 713-526-1654. scouterpaden@gmail.com.

Lela Puckett (12-15), after attending the University of Richmond, is now a student at the University of Colorado (Boulder). She was recently appointed to the Camping Task Force of the national council of the BSA. Contact: 1925 30th Street, Apt. 254, Boulder, CO 80301. 806-676-9886. lelapuckett@gmail.com.

nicole (Duran) Saunders (12-13) completed coursework and received her Paralegal certificate in August 2015. The following month, on September 19, Nicole and randy Saunders (90-91, 93-94) were married in Albuquerque. Fred cribbett, PSA Life Member officiated the ceremony. Nicole and Randy are grateful for the outpouring of love and support shown by PSA members and

iN memoriamforeVer oN The Trail

We learn from his son Peter of the passing of rev. clifford crook, “Pa-dre Cliff”, on June 24, 2015 at the age of 87. He was a Protestant Chaplain at Philmont in 1975 and Life Member of the Philmont Staff Association. He was a camper/participant, Advi-sor and Contingent Leader and also the High Adventure Chairman at Indianhead and Central Minnesota Councils, sending many contingents to the trail and Scouters to PTC from 1974-1987. He was a World War II veteran, and his ministry spanned four states, but his special passions were always young people, social justice, and the out-of-doors.

the Philmont family. Contact: randyni-cole2013@gmail.com.

38 poetry Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015 good campsite 39 Volume 38, Number 6— December 2015

poetry

Ed. Note: Life Member Jerry Lobdill recently shared with us a couple of poems he wrote in 1954 after returning home from a summer as a wrangler at Philmont. He had forgotten about them, but his sister – to whom he sent them more than sixty years ago – surprised him with them earlier this year.

Philmont

Far away from noisy citiesLies a cleaner, fairer land

Where I spent a carefree summerWrangling horses in the mountains

Far away and long ago.

the trail to Beaubien

There’s a green and pleasant valleyAnd I know it has no twin.

Near its head there is a meadowAnd a camp called Beaubien.

Take the trail past old Abreu;Climb until you think you’ll drop.But you mustn’t waste a minute‘Cause there’s paradise on top.

You’ll top out where quaking aspen And blue spruce trees mingle in.You will think you are in heaven

On the trail to Beaubien.

There’s a little brook a-runnin’Down this valley of the Lord.

It continues up the canyonInto parts you’ve not explored.

Very soon you’ll see the meadowsWhere the valley widens out.

You will marvel at their beauty;You’ll be glad you are a Scout.

When you see in blazing sunsetWhat appears to be the head

Of this green and pleasant valley—Well, there’s Beaubien—and bed.

When you wake up in the morningThere’s a freshness in the air,

An invigorating freshnessThat you’ll find no place but there.

You will hear the anvil soundingAs the wrangler shoes a steed,

And a mule train leaves for Clear Creek

With Jim Godfrey in the lead.

When you leave Bonito CanyonThere’s a feeling deep within

That when springtime brings back mem’ries

You’ll return to Beaubien.

Jerry LobdillWrangler, 1954

StonewallPass,locatedbetweenUrracaandFowlerMesasisafamiliarandoftenphotographedlandmarkonPhilmont,yetisoftenonlyseenfromadistance.StonewallPasswasusedasaTrailCampinthe1960sandearly‘70s.OnagoodyearafewseepscanbefoundalongtherimrockofUrraca,butoneshouldplanonitbeingadrycamp. StonewallisnamedfortheactualrockwallorfencethatseparatedtheoldUrracaandRayadoRanchosoftheMaxwellLandGrantera.AlthoughtheCimarronCountryandallofthesurroundingareaiswidelyknownandheraldedasCowboyCountry,“Stonewall”andmanylikeitinthecountryrecallthedayswhenlargeflocksofsheepwerebeingtendedinthearea.Withanabundanceofrocksavailableatnocostotherthansweatandlabor,stonefenceswereconstructedbyshepherdsandranchhandstohelpcontrolthemovementofthevastflocks. Occasionallythekeeneyedhikercanstillspottheoldrockcairnsstackedupbytheseearlystockmentotrapeagleswhichwereknowntoplayhavoconflocks--especiallyduringlambingseason. AvisitortoStonewalltodayneednotbestressedbytheworriesofthoseearlydays.Sitbackandwonderattheintensityofthatlongpastlabor,enjoytheview,andwatchtheeaglessoar.

-DaveKenneke

Another Good Campsite

Stonewall Pass with the Tooth of Time in the background and the wall which gives the camp its name.

2016 PSA trek – July 10-17 – registration Form

Please complete the attached form and return with payment. Please include backpacking and/or strenuous activity experience for those participants that have not participated in a PSA Trek in past five years.

Participant name: ___________________________________________ Age: __________ gender: __________ Backpacking Experience:_________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Additional Family Participant name: _____________________________ Age: __________ gender: __________ Backpacking Experience:_________________________________ _____________________________________________________Additional Family Participant name: _____________________________ Age: __________ gender: __________ Backpacking Experience:_________________________________ _____________________________________________________Additional Family Participant name: _____________________________ Age: __________ gender: __________ Backpacking Experience:_________________________________ _____________________________________________________

trek fee is $515.00 per person. total Fees Submitted: $___________________credit card ###: __________________________________________________ViSA or Mastercard Expiration Date: __________________

Make checks Payable to: Philmont Staff Association 17 Deer run road, cimarron, nM 87714

High Country Annuals, A whole year of High County magazines

wrapped up in one attractive package. 2008 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 avail-

able. $12.95 each now $8

Let the Coyotes Howl, The first known book about a Philmont expedition is the

PSA’s newest addition to our growing library of Philmont literature. Prior to WW II, a veteran Scout leader takes a group of boys from Quinnipiac Council in Connecticut,

after intensive preparation at Yale, to Philmont to conduct the first archeological “dig” on the Ranch. The introduc-tion and afterword by Dave Caffey put the story in con-

text of the times – both American and within the Scouting movement. $10.00 now $8

The Other Side of the Road, $12.00 now $8

$8 book SalePriceS gooD uNTil December 31, 2015

Born at the Confluence, by Dr. Ken Davis, is a history of the Philmont Staff

Association. Published in 2010, the introduction was written by Ed Pease, past PSA President (2001-2007).

$19.00 now $8

other titles on Sale include:

I Wanna Go Back, $16.00 now $8

Carry On, $16.00 now $8

The Life and Times of Jack L. Rhea, $17.00 now $8

Return to the Summit of Scouting, $16.00 now $8

Head for the High Country, $12.00 now $8