June 15, 2022 – As summer months approach at Philmont, a palpable excitement grows in the air: crews arrive soon. All of a sudden, this small corner of northeast New Mexico turns from a village into a metropolis. People from all over the country, even the world, arrive on Philmont’s doorstep with the gleam of wilderness adventure in their eyes.
The first scouts arrived for their treks on June 8, 2022, at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, N.M.
Photo by Parker Johnson.
Crew 608-A1 members had that gleam in their eyes as they stepped onto the ranch as the very first crew of the season. From Kansas City, Kansas, this crew had been trying to come to Philmont for many years now but due to the 2018 Ute Park fire and the 2020 pandemic, the participants were unable to until now.
“We’ve been trying to get out here for six years, so I’m just excited to finally be here,” said Carol Nold, an advisor for 608-A1.
After two closed seasons in the past few years, it is a special moment to open Philmont’s doors once again to thousands of young people who will learn from this magnificent land. As 608-A1 prepared for its trek in Basecamp the members became familiar with, as so many have been, the magic of a Philmont trek.
“I think everything will be untouched since we’ll be the first ones out there,” said Nate Moll, a 608-A1 crew member.
Recently closed summers have limited the opportunities for Scouts to come to Philmont for the first time or return to experience the magic once again.
“My other sons have been out here three times, but I think this is the only time [my youngest son] will get to because of the fire and COVID,” said Candy Wagner, a 608-A1 advisor.
Crew 608-A1 poses for their trek photo in front of the Tooth of Time.
But, now the crew is here. Before its first meal, the crew participated in its first Ranger Bell.
Marking the beginning of mealtimes and, for many, the beginning of their Philmont experience, the Ranger Bell is a special tradition on ranch. Located outside of the participant dining hall, the Ranger Bell provides a gathering point for all crews in Basecamp. Rangers stand on top of the bell and regale the crowd with a story. The story can relate that Ranger’s own experience on trek, or perhaps an impactful moment while on staff. Whatever it may be, the story is concluded with a trust fall off the bell into the waiting arms of coworkers, and then a ring, ring, ring of the bell, marking the beginning of the meal.
Crew 708-A1, and all crews who will arrive throughout the summer, will soon now also have stories of grand Philmont adventures to tell. Over the next 74 days, thousands of participants will be welcomed to the ranch and thousands will pass beneath the “You made it!” sign. Common to all these crews, whether they be the first or the last, is that their experiences on ranch will change their lives forever.
The reason staff become so excited as the summer approaches is because there aren’t many other places on earth where “Change Lives” is held as such a sacred guide. 608-A1 marks the beginning of another summer where we can all change lives.