Philmont Alternative

While the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico is an outstanding adventure, there are rewarding and challenging opportunities here in New England worthy of consideration.  Or if you have Philmont in mind, you might find participation on these alternative hikes and backpacking trips a great preparatory exercise.

Mt Washington via the Huntington Ravine Trail - the steepest trail in the White Mountains. Somewhere above 4500 ft elevation the distinction between hiking and rock climbing became blurred - great hike - but "Be Prepared"		Rest stop near summit of Nelson Craig.  Mt Jefferson (center) and Mt Madison (right) in background

None of the activities below are currently sponsored troop activities; they reflect individual efforts towards obtaining certain merit badges and achievements (such as the 50 miler).  If any scout is interested in joining, contact scout Harry and he will work the necessary paperwork with the troop leadership (i.e., Senior Patrol Leader and/or Scoutmaster) to investigate the possibility of making it a sponsored troop event.  These events are based upon increasing levels of experience with the bottom line being fun but, safety first and foremost.  

This page is broken into four categories; click on any area of interest

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Hiking Merit Badge

This badge contains requirements for safety, first aid, and six hikes.  Five of those hikes need to be 10 miles in duration and the sixth for a distance of 20 miles.  All hikes must be completed in a single day.  If you are interested in joining one of these hikes, click on the desired hike for more information.  Dates for hikes not yet completed are flexible and subject to change

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Backpacking Merit Badge

These trips are scheduled after completion of the hiking merit badge requirements.  There are numerous preparatory and safety requirements which scouts should complete prior to the actual trips.  The trips are designed to reinforce the concepts. There are four required backpacking trips  -  three of at least three days duration each, and a fourth of at least five days covering a distance of at least thirty miles.  Dates below are tentative and subject to change.  They are also flexible so if you would like to join a trip, but cannot make a listed date, we can probably accommodate.  No trip can be over a Saturday night due to work schedules. Also, weather will play a key role in dates - for those trips which will primarily be above the timber line, the trips will be delayed for inclement weather due to exposure and safety. 

Presidential Traverse

Trip Dates:  24-27 August, 2003

Description:

Backpacking trip along the Presidential Range in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.  It is one of the roughest and most beautiful in New England.  It was be a three day (two night) trip of approximately eight miles each day.   The first day we dropped the car at Crawford Notch (Exit point) and traveled to the Appalachia trail head to begin the Northern Presidentials at Mt Madison.  Each night we stayed at huts (like dormitories) of the Appalachian Mountain Club.  This cut down on weight (no tents and less food).

Click here for trip highlights

Trip Itinerary:

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13 Falls

Trip Dates:  Sunday 27 - 29  Jun  2004 

Current Participants:  Expressing interest - 1Adult, 1 Scout

Trip Description:

This is a fun trip within the White Mountain National Forest.  We enter along the Kancamagus Highway and head east along the Pemigewasset River before heading north to the backside of Franconia Notch. The trip will cover much of the same terrain as the 20 miler for hiking merit badge (difference being we will not climb Owl's Head and will traverse the northern section of Franconia Notch or day 2)

This will be a 23 mile hike over various terrain.  The trip into the 13 Falls tent site is a fairly moderate hike of 8 miles.  Much of it is along old abandoned railroad track.  From there, we will climb the south side of Mt Garfield up fairly steep terrain (2.5 miles). The option will be then to return the same way (To 13 Falls) or travel east 2 miles to the Galehead hut and then descend to 13 Falls via the Twin Brook Trail.  The hike out will again be fairly moderate taking a different route to the west of Owl's Head (Mountain) 

Trip Itinerary:

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Fifty - Miler Backpacking Badge

Trip Dates:  18-22 July, 2004 

Dates flexible to accommodate other hikers but trip can not be over a Saturday.

Current Participants:  Expressing interest - 3 Adults, 1 Scout

Trip Description:

This will be a 54.7 mile hike from Mt Sunapee to Mt Monadnock in Southern Central New Hampshire.  The terrain is moderate and perhaps because of this, the trail is much less crowded than most found during the summer season.  The highest of six peaks encountered on the trail  is Mt. Monadnock at 3,165 feet.  Mt Monadnock will be visible the last three days of the trip making a nice goal.

The trail was established in 1974 by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.  It follows the same general area as an earlier trail that was laid out in 1921 but fell into disrepair during the depression and world War II.  The trail is hosted primarily on privately owed land who's owners have graciously agreed to the trail use.  Because of this there are several limitations such as no wood fires and limited camp locations.

The Boy Scout 50 Miler Badge can only be earned as a troop event.  So should there not be enough scouts interested, the trip will just be a 50 miler with no badge awarded.  The fifty miler also requires 10 hours of trail service work.  We can perhaps do this along the way or the Greenbelt association has numerous Saturday trail maintenance days scheduled which we can partake to fulfill this requirement

Trip Itinerary: Note:  Itinerary needs to be redone - this reflects a south to north trip - but after exploring the terrain, we will switch to go north to south.  The simple reason is that Mt Monadock is the highest peak in the area and will be visible for the last three days of the trip - nice goal to work towards.

Additional Information via Web Sites:

The Monadnock Sunapee Greenway Trail Club (MSGTC).  The home organization for this trail

Dates for trail work.  Should this be a troop sponsored activity, we would need 10 hours of service projects to complete.  

Independent assessment by G. Scott Durham, Apparently an avid hiker who will be traversing the trail this summer

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Forty - Eight, Four Thousand Ft Club

Section in work.  There are 48 mountains in New Hampshire which are above 4000 ft.  The goal is to keep track of those climbed in the previous activities and schedule some of all of the remainder for hikes in 2003 as side hikes or for activities in 2004 and on.  Any scout who needs to complete hikes for hiking or backpacking merit badge, and was not around, or who could not partake, in the first round, can fulfill some of there requirements here.

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