Bama Ed's Retirement Camping Thread For Spring 2021

[FtW Mike]

Like Jim loving the pics from Base Camp at Philmont. Next month will be 50 my year anniversary of being.

 

[bama_ed]

Ed,

Loving the TR and the Philmont pics. It has been a LONG time since I was there. I turned 16 at Philmont. Still remember the trek number that we screamed at every chance. 717a-77. Started south, Uracca Mesa, and finished coming over the tooth into base camp. We topped Phillips, but didn't make it as far up as Baldy. Still amazing views at almost 12,000 ft.

j

Philmont has a digital archive of crew photos. Here is the link for July 1977. It looks like the 717A crews were a council contingent from St Louis which would make sense for you. But there are photos for crews A1 to A9. I scanned them all but hairstyles were different in the 70s so I couldn't pick you out. Can you?

https://www.philmontphotoarchive.org/Crew-Photos/1977/EXPEDITION/JULY/19770717/

Some crews have multiple photos on file (guess the photogs picked the best one to give you guys).

Yeah my first two trips as a boy in 1980 and 1983 the photos were in black and white too.

ED

PS - Jim I only have two Baldy Summits 12,400+ ft el in 2007, 2012 (no backpack just lunch, water, first aid, and rain gear) but I have three Mt Phillips (full backpack) Summits. You can imagine an all guy crew (my last Phillips was in 2010) and even though we SAY "anyone who needs a break can call for one", everyone is LOATHE to be the weak one and call for a stop. I thought my heart was gonna beat out my chest coming up from the south from Clear Creek Camp going up Mt Phillips 11,700+ ft el dyeing, hoping SOMEBODY ELSE would call for a break/rest. But we were all winded going up and stayed together and made it to the top (where there was still snow on the ground). And then it was easy - everything else is downhill from there. The Tooth included .....

 

[bama_ed]

Like Jim loving the pics from Base Camp at Philmont. Next month will be 50 my year anniversary of being.

Do you know what your crew number was? 1971 photos are in there too.

https://www.philmontphotoarchive.org/Crew-Photos/1971/EXPEDITION

ED

 

[DisneyDillyDally]

.

 

[garneska]

@Teamubr I am waiting for you to show us your picture

 

[bama_ed]

@Teamubr I am waiting for you to show us your picture

Kris, he might have the long bangs and coke bottle glasses ....

Hey Jim, you show me your pic and I'll show you mine (1980) ..... But I have a back story to add (of course I do).

 

[Teamubr]

Ed.

Oh MY GOSH! THAT IS SO COOL!

I didn't know these were out there. I took my 35 mm Pentax and shot at least 2 dozen rolls of film. I loaned them to one of the guys in the crew after we got back and he never returned them.

I was A7- https://www.philmontphotoarchive.org/Crew-Photos/1977/EXPEDITION/JULY/19770717/i-qLRrp8w/A

That is me. Top row, far right. I was only a Life scout then. Didn't make Eagle until I was in Explorers. This was taken the day before my 16th birthday.



The guy on the top row far left was my tent mate. We stayed the night before Phillips at one of the trail camps part way up. I don't remember the name. We had told the leaders we were getting up early, before sunrise and hiking to the summit. We were used to doing night hikes, so it wasn't a big deal. We made it above the ridge line just as the sun was coming up. It was amazing watching all the lakes in the valleys act like little mirrors just as the sun was rising. It was all dark on the valley floor, then the little things started shining. As it got brighter, the trees started coming into view and the lakes disappeared into the mix.

We were also full packs. We waited near the summit for about 2 hours waiting for the rest of the crew to catch up. I remember sitting there and a group of mule deer came walking through. They would stop a few feet from us, eat a little brush and walk a little farther. We could have reached out and pet them. They couldn't care less.

All I remember was I was glad we didn't listen to the ranger in base camp when he said to leave blue jeans and winter coats at basecamp to lighten our packs "because we wouldn't need it". Top of Phillips was in the 40s with wind blowing 30mph. I had a down parka and blue jeans. I still remember some of the kids wearing every shirt and shorts they had in their pack and still freezing.

That was the weirdest day I have ever had hiking. 40 degrees with a nasty wind chill to near 100 later in the afternoon when we got off the mountain on the "desert" side.

j

 

[bama_ed]

Ed.

Oh MY GOSH! THAT IS SO COOL!

I didn't know these were out there. I took my 35 mm Pentax and shot at least 2 dozen rolls of film. I loaned them to one of the guys in the crew after we got back and he never returned them.

I was A7- https://www.philmontphotoarchive.org/Crew-Photos/1977/EXPEDITION/JULY/19770717/i-qLRrp8w/A

That is me. Top row, far right. I was only a Life scout then. Didn't make Eagle until I was in Explorers. This was taken the day before my 16th birthday.

View attachment 589890

The guy on the top row far left was my tent mate. We stayed the night before Phillips at one of the trail camps part way up. I don't remember the name. We had told the leaders we were getting up early, before sunrise and hiking to the summit. We were used to doing night hikes, so it wasn't a big deal. We made it above the ridge line just as the sun was coming up. It was amazing watching all the lakes in the valleys act like little mirrors just as the sun was rising. It was all dark on the valley floor, then the little things started shining. As it got brighter, the trees started coming into view and the lakes disappeared into the mix.

We were also full packs. We waited near the summit for about 2 hours waiting for the rest of the crew to catch up. I remember sitting there and a group of mule deer came walking through. They would stop a few feet from us, eat a little brush and walk a little farther. We could have reached out and pet them. They couldn't care less.

All I remember was I was glad we didn't listen to the ranger in base camp when he said to leave blue jeans and winter coats at basecamp to lighten our packs "because we wouldn't need it". Top of Phillips was in the 40s with wind blowing 30mph. I had a down parka and blue jeans. I still remember some of the kids wearing every shirt and shorts they had in their pack and still freezing.

That was the weirdest day I have ever had hiking. 40 degrees with a nasty wind chill to near 100 later in the afternoon when we got off the mountain on the "desert" side.

j

So lots of "sevens".

Year 1977.

Arrival Date 07-17

Crew A7

This resource lists all the Treks that crews could make. These were the pre-planned routes around the Ranch. You likely did one of these.

https://registerphilmont.org/MuseumArchives/PDFs/Camping Programs/12-Day and 7-Day Treks/Itineraries/1977_Peaks.pdf

Visiting Urraca Camp, summitted Mt Phillips and coming into Base Camp from the ToT.

Looks like you did Trek #7 (rough map page 29 and itinerary page 30 of the PDF above). On night 8 you would have been at Clear Creek (highest staffed camp at Philmont) and from there hiked over Mt. Phillips to get to your night 9 camp which was Cypher's Mine (old gold mine last panned by Charlie Cypher). I've hiked that ridge from Clear Creak over Phillips to Cypher's three times. Coming up from Clear Creek to Phillips is where I wanted to "pull the ripcord and bail out" but didn't. Ugh.

On your last night #11 you camped at Ponderosa (a dry camp with no water source so you the itinerary suggests getting water at Clark's Fork) and then hike up Schaefer's Pass to Schaefer's Peak then along the Tooth of Time Ridge and obviously scramble up the ToT then hiked down the ridge into Base Camp. Victorious.

Too bad you don't have your film. For my 1980 trip I have 12 fuzzy photos but lots of memories.

We can compare notes on the Marceline trip.

Ed

 

[Teamubr]

So lots of "sevens".

Visiting Urraca Camp, summitted Mt Phillips and coming into Base Camp from the ToT.

Looks like you did Trek #7 (rough map page 29 and itinerary page 30 of the PDF above).

We can compare notes on the Marceline trip.

Urraca Mesa was a side hike. We started at Rayado River Camp. It looks like we did itinerary 3. Those camps sound familiar and we definitely finished coming in to base camp on the Tooth Ridge.



Definitely have to share old stories.

j

 

[bama_ed]

Fair is fair.

Here is my 1980 (16yo) crew photo. Top row third from the left (my hair was parted in the middle back then). 7-25-A1 1980

https://www.philmontphotoarchive.org/Crew-Photos/1980/EXPEDITION/JULY/19800725/i-57f4q67/A

Can't get the photo to post here.

We were a co-ed Explorer crew (unique for 1980) which made us VERY popular on the trail (although the girls were as good a backpackers as us boys were). We took two crews (A1 and A2) but did the same itinerary.

If you did Trek 3 that was actually a better trek for you. Camping at the top of Schaefer's Pass meant you were already up high that last night on the trail and hiked the Ridge and ToT then down into Base Camp. Bet you had a hot shower by lunch time.

We did Trek 6 starting in the middle country, running through the south country (Phillips to Clear Creak and beyond) and up over ToT and into Base Camp down the ridge.

https://registerphilmont.org/MuseumArchives/PDFs/Camping Programs/12-Day and 7-Day Treks/Itineraries/1980_Peaks.pdf

Pages 30 (rough map) and page 31 (itinerary) in the PDF link above.

Ed

PS - so my back story was that I got bit by a snake in Tyler, TX on the drive out to Philmont and my right leg/ankle swelled up. Had to wait in Base Camp for swelling to go down at the Infirmary while my crew started their trek. I caught up to them on Comanche Peak morning of day 5 (a ranger took me out to Cypher's Mine night before and we went up the mountain in the dawn while they were making breakfast before my crew was heading over to Phillips). A bear got our food at Fish Camp.

 

[Sjm9911]

Ok, I will say i enjoy the hostory lessons mixed into the trips. I can learn a lot about areas i have never been. So thanks for this Ed! My boy scout experiance was not as good as you guys down south........or as organized.

 

[bama_ed]

Wednesday June 30, 2021

The next morning we pointed the Yukon east out of Amarillo. The rest of the trip home was uneventful (the 45 minute delay going across the Mississippi at Memphis was unavoidable). We stayed at the same CoE campground in Ozark, Arkansas as on the way out, even booked the same campsite next to the river. Got home on Thursday afternoon July 1 (I think of it as June 31).

Fabulous trip it was but now it's over. Going to settle in for some hot July days. Football practice cranks up soon, students return to town for the fall semester, and life goes on.

This thread has run its course. It started with the March trip to Florida (Jetty Park) and finished late June from Colorado/New Mexico. Got two camping trips planned for October (one at Gulf SP), maybe a local one in November. January is the next big trip with a stop at the Fort for a couple days on the way down to South Florida. Can I get a tan in January? Sure gonna try. And still other trips reserved beyond that.

So it's time for the sun to set on this thread - thanks for reading along. Roll Tide!

Bama Ed

 

[garneska]

thanks for taking us on your ride @bama_ed it was a great thread. Can't wait for the next one.

 

[bama_ed]

ADDENDUM

To close out an open issue, I finally have completely repaired the lock on my storage compartment. I lost the cam and nut that held it on the inside of cassette toilet compartment door. I looked in my mirror and saw it flapping back and forth as I had driven from Chama down to Santa Fe. So after two replacement locks ordered and delivered (the first did not have all the pieces shown), I managed to cobble together what I needed.

This is what I started with.



This was ultimately what got me whole.



This longer offset cam was what I had lost. The first replacement lock had only come with a shorter straight one.



Cam and nut installed.



Lock holding tight.



Will pick up some Loc-tite to hold that nut in place this time. But it's done.

Now if I could just get the Dometic parts for my fridge .....

thanks for taking us on your ride @bama_ed it was a great thread. Can't wait for the next one.

 

[2goofycampers]

Another great TR! Thanks for taking us along.

 

[Sjm9911]

When i had the pup i was going to replace the lock with a turn lock. Figured no one wanted my S&%#.

 

[CDNCruiser]

Got home on Thursday afternoon July 1 (I think of it as June 31).

I think of it as Canada Day!

 

[Boomer1]

We have a trip to FW planned for January. Hope our paths cross!

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Thanks for Sharing, Ed. I enjoyed following along. Personally, I never made it to Philmont. The prime years for me, for Philmont, were years I spent working a high adventure camp in upstate New York. Once I turned 16, work took over and scout camps were no longer an option. It was nice to seem some pics of the area!

 

[friendofeeyore]

Enjoyed your summer adventure!! Yes, enjoy your retirement, because you never know when it will suddenly stop. Arnold & I spent time long ago in Santa Fe on up into Red River, NM between Christmas & New Year. I loved seeing all of the snow, especially in RED River. I even tried taking ski lessons. Not my cup of tea. In April 2 yrs ago loved our trip thru Palo Duro. Arnold thought he had made us reservations to camp there, but they could not find our confirmation & he did not have it with us. So he took our Toy Hauler down to the bottom where the camp sites are. He damaged the RV trying to go thru a road that was for picnic's only - no RV's - but we had a great time & loved seeing the canyons. The Play was not happening when we were there. Stay safe!