HAVE FUN! ENJOY PHILMONT'S BEAUTY IN WINTER

LEARN WINTER CAMPING BASICS

CAMP COMFORTABLY IN COLD WEATHER

Location: Philmont Scout Ranch is located near Cimarron, New Mexico. Camping Headquarters is 4.6 miles south of Cimarron on Highway 21.

Who May Participate? Any individual who is at least 14 years of age by January 1 or in the eighth grade at the time of participation - without exception! All participants must be registered members of the BSA. There are no gender restrictions for adult leadership at National High Adventure bases, except that each coed crew must have coed adult advisors.

Each crew must have at least two registered adult advisors. For Scout units, one of the advisors must be at least 21 years of age or older; the second advisor must be at least 18 years of age. For coed Venturing crews, there must be a male and a female advisor, both at least 21 years of age or older. Every crew is required to have a majority of youth participants.

Every leader and participant is required to have a current (within the past 12 months) medical examination and have a Philmont or BSA Class 3 medical record filled out by their physician. Each leader and participant must be in good physical condition. These standards are for your safety, as well as ours.

Crew Size: The Kanik (Inuit for "snowflake") program is best accomplished with a crew of 6 to 10 people accompanied by a Kanik guide. Each crew should elect a youth member as crew leader before arrival at Philmont. The Kanik guide should be used as an information resource and will work through the crew leader to provide instruction to the crew. In order to adequately prepare for each crew's arrival, crew size cannot be increased after 14 day prior to your crew's arrival.

Fees: $90/person/weekend; $35 for each additional day. The fee includes meals, snacks, instruction, staff and the use of specialized outdoor equipment (see page 3), sleeping bags and outer clothing as needed. Additional fees are assessed if Kanik equipment is lost or misused.

Reservations: Reservations are confirmed upon receipt of your non-refundable deposit ($50/person) and completed reservation form. Reservations are accepted on a first come, first served basis beginning May 1 of the year prior to attending. Space is limited to 45 participants per session and fills quickly. The balance of fees is due upon arrival.

Period of Attendance: Sessions are available from December 27 through March 31. Conditions may vary; if there is inadequate snow for cross-country skiing, there is an opportunity to see more backcountry by hiking. Weekend stays are available, however, to be fully trained and fully participate in winter activities, it is recommended that each group plan to attend for 3 to 4 days, as the first night is spent in Base Camp.

Arrival/Departure: Crews should arrive at the Camping Headquarters office on their scheduled date between 5:00 - 5:30 pm. Plan to eat supper before arriving at Philmont as no meals are planned until breakfast the next morning. Expect to depart after 1:30 pm on your scheduled check-out day.

Food: Your first meal provided by Philmont is usually breakfast on the morning after your arrival day, however, dinner on Friday evening at 5:00 pm is an available option ($4/per person additional cost) by advance notification. Subsequent meals will be 24 hour meal packs specially prepared by Philmont staff. Please inform Kanik Staff regarding special dietary needs (food allergies, diabetes, etc.) at least 14 days prior to arrival at Philmont.

Program Options: On the night of your arrival, you will be housed indoors. Subsequent nights will be spent in the backcountry in tents (or snow shelter if conditions permit). After an initial period of training, several program options are available to each group depending upon its interest, the weather and snow conditions. Options include: ski touring, snow shelter building, snow camping, winter ecology, hiking, use of winter tools and equipment. Groups that come to Kanik for just a weekend will have limited time for these activities.

Cold weather camping is the ultimate test of your ability to camp and travel in the backcountry and learn to live in harmony with the environment. Training in winter camping will prepare you to safely enjoy many winter adventures and to teach others to enjoy these unique experiences.

Be Aware of Potential Risks: Philmont offers winter camping and cross-country skiing in relatively inaccessible mountainous terrain. Parents, advisors and youth participants should be alert to the potential for injury. Philmont strives to minimize risks to participants and advisors by emphasizing proper safety precautions. Philmont staff members will instruct you regarding safety measures to be followed. Each crew is expected to follow these safety measures and to accept responsibility for the health and safety of each of its members. Prior physical training is encouraged as elevations range from 6,500 to well over 12,000 ft. above sea level.

Awards: Each participant who completes training will be awarded a distinctive patch as a remembrance of Philmont Kanik. Much like the Arrowhead patch, a Kanik patch can only be earned.

Tour Permit: Obtain a tour permit (National if over 500 miles, Local if less than 500 miles) application from your Scout service center and submit it for approval at least one month in advance. Bring your approved tour permit with you to Philmont. Refer to BSA publication No. 33735 Tours and Expeditions and the tour permit application for complete information.

Transportation: Prepare your vehicles for cold weather BEFORE you leave home. AAA and state agencies will recommend emergency supplies you should carry. Drive slowly on snow and ice and stay in control at all times. Albuquerque and Colorado Springs are the closest airports; vehicle rental agencies are available at each location. Amtrak provides service to Raton, New Mexico; TNM&O provides bus service to Raton and Cimarron. Arrangements can be made with Philmont for transportation between the bus or train station and Philmont.

Clothing and Equipment: In the winter, Philmont is a great place to "field test" your winter gear. Supplemental clothing and equipment are available, however, Philmont cannot provide participants with hats, polypropylene underwear, glove liners or socks. When packing for Kanik, consider protection for each part of your body. Whenever possible, wear wool, polar fleece or polypropylene. Even when wet, these fabrics retain insulative value. Check your clothing labels to determine the fabric content; do not bring cotton clothing for winter camping. When wet, cotton loses almost all insulative value. Think in terms of multiple layers of comfortable clothing.

Each participant should bring or plan to buy the following: (items marked with an * can be purchased at the Tooth of Time Traders).

Philmont provides the following equipment as crew gear:

Philmont has a limited supply of the following personal gear available for loan: