Philmont '99 Blister Buster

Volume # The Second – 10-12-98

A periodic newsletter full of it... helpful hints and other important stuff for the Troop 381 Philmont '99 Crews.

TO SCOUTS: Tommy B, Tommy B, Chris F, Corey F, Darryn F, Stuart G, Keith H, Brandon H, Robert J, Russell L, Randy M, Matt M, Chris M, Isaiah P, Matt W

ADULTS: Ken F, Dan F, Denise F, Mark G, Pete H, Mike M, Gary R

FROM: Dave Bregar, Trek Master

RE: This & That

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Howdy! Autumn is here! I hope that school is going well!

Well, there are only 270 (give or take a few…) shopping days before Trek ’99! Have you made out that list of equipment you hope Santa will bring you for Christmas? There’s no time like the present (HA HA!)

As you may have noticed from the above list of names, our crew has shrunk a bit. David R. and Matt P. have dropped form the Scout list. David will be attending a band camp next summer, and Matt P. is not active in the Troop any longer. As to the Adults, Matt B. will be getting married in April, and Ed P. is no longer active in the Troop.

On the Plus side of this, we now have one opening for a Scout, and we have just enough Adults. We may have one more opening in the Scout side, but we should know more in the next few weeks.

As we get closer to late winter and early spring, we will start meeting on a regular basis. For now, however, I would like to meet with as many of the crew as possible within the next few weeks. We need to start thinking about which trek each crew will take, and we’ll talk about dates for prep hikes and crew trips that we will take. I’ll get with the SPL and have him let you know about a date for this meeting.

I am sure I’ll see quite a few of you at Philmont this weekend for Campexpo. For those of you who haven’t been there, I’m sure that this will really whet your appetite. The view of the Tooth of Time from where we will be camping is spectacular, but nothing compared to the view from the top! And I’m sure everyone will enjoy visiting the Trading Post. This brings up the subject of added costs that everyone needs to plan for during the trek. These can include:

• Transportation costs to and from Philmont (probably just some gas.)
• Cost of food during the trip up and back (snack going up, pizza on the way back. Plan for $25.00 or so)
• Cost of items in trading post and snack bar at base camp (both before and after the trek. Plan for a minimum of $20.00)
• Cost of film, snacks, etc, which you can purchase while in the backcountry. ($10.00 to $20.00)
• Cost of that all important ice cream sundae in Cimarron after the trek ($5.00 should cover it!)

Remember, a Scout is Thrifty. This means that YOU should plan to cover the majority of these costs! Don’t count on Mom or Dad to reach into their pockets! Right, Mom? Right, Dad?

You might also add in some money for phone calls, post cards, etc. You can mail cards and letters from the backcountry, but cannot receive any mail until you get back from the trek. Pay phones are available to use at base camp. You might want to get a pre-paid phone card to call your wife, girl friend, mom, or whoever. Sorry, no phone service in the backcountry. No cell phones, either!

I hope everyone is as excited about this mountain-top experience as I am. I think everyone will have a great time, but it will require a lot of work and cooperation from everyone, Scouts and adults. Remember, we need to BEcome PREPARED!

Happy trails, Scouts!