2022 Trek 12-32

Super Strenuous; Approximately 78 miles; Maps required: north; No KMZ data available
Trek History: New as 12-32 in 2020; 12-32 in 2021-22

Embarking on this journey will test your crew’s physical and teamwork strength! Your Ranger will first take you through the old west camp of Ponil to arrive at Sioux trail camp. Get up early to complete your Conservation project, then follow the Middle Ponil Creek upstream before a gradual assent to Dan Beard and the initial challenge events assessment. Lessons learned at Dan Beard will be crucial for navigating through the vast Valle Vidal. From Iris Park to Ring Place and Middle Ponil to Upper Greenwood, you will have opportunities to explore the vast beauty of the Valle Vidal and the vast cosmic terrain at Ring Place. Make your way through Windy Gap to your destination at Middle Ponil Low Impact Camp. Take a day to ascend the celestial plane of a nearby mountain! In June, explore the Shuree Cabin and Shuree Ponds sites. (Little Costilla is closed to the public for elk calving season in June.) The cabin is a historic recreation of a cabin that existed there in the early 1900s. LA Times newspaper baron Harry Chandler used to bring silent film stars of the era to this cabin, and Shuree Ponds is the site of the Penzoil Corporation's retreat facilities, prior to the land being donated to the Forest Service. In July and August, enjoy the challenge of climbing Little Costilla Peak! At the top, peer down and meditate upon the Earth below. Clarity of purpose will be needed as the path to French Henry is long and rugged but allows for the conquest of Philmont’s iconic Baldy Mountain. Then, like the miners of times long gone, you will feel the canyon closing in as you descend into French Henry and experience the exciting mining history firsthand. From this isolated location, take the short hike around Baldy’s eastern flank and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Philmont’s North Country population center, Baldy Town. You’ll want to linger and enjoy the amenities, but it will be important to move on to Head of Dean, and witness glorious vistas along the way. The staff there will then facilitate your ‘final exam’ of challenge events. Finally, make your way through Santa Claus to Mistletoe for one last night under the New Mexico sky. If your crew is highly motivated, as most are on their final morning, head down to the newly staffed camp at Cimarroncita to learn about Hunter Safety and try out the new laser shooting range before hiking to the Ute Park Trailhead to hop on the bus that delivers you safely back to Base Camp.

Per the Guidebook to Itineraries: "Due to potential emergencies, such as catastrophic fires, Crews must not deviate from their assigned itinerary. Changes are only permitted for bona fide medical emergencies and must be approved in advance by the Logistics Department."

Dry Camps: Mistletoe; Unique Campsite: French Henry;

Day	Camp	Program Features	Campsite Features
1	CHQ Trailbound	Opening Campfire	Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;
2	Sioux	Bus to Ponil	Trail Camp; (Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; at Ponil)
		Cantina @ Ponil	Trail Camp;
		Campfire @ Ponil	Trail Camp;
		Ranger Training	Trail Camp;
		Food Pickup @ CHQ Trailbound	Trail Camp; (Commissary; Showers; Trading Post; at CHQ Trailbound)
3	Dan Beard	Challenge Events	Low Impact Camp;
		Conservation Project @ Ponil	Low Impact Camp; (Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; at Ponil)
4	Iris Park	Low Impact Camping	Low Impact Camp; Trail Camp;
5	Ring Place	Folk Weather Forecasting	Commissary; Low Impact Camp;
		Astronomy	Commissary; Low Impact Camp;
		Food Pickup	Commissary; Low Impact Camp;
6	Little Costilla	Low Impact Camping	Low Impact Camp;
7	Middle Ponil	Side Hike Little Costilla and/or Ash Mountain	Low Impact Camp;
8	Upper Greenwood	Low Impact Camping	Low Impact Camp; Trail Camp;
9	French Henry	Climb Baldy Mountain
		Gold Mining & Panning
		Mine Tour
		Blacksmithing
10	Head of Dean	Mining History @ Baldy Town	(Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; at Baldy Town)
		Assaying @ Baldy Town
		Challenge Events
11	Mistletoe		Trail Camp (Usually dry);
12	CHQ Homebound	Western Lore / Branding @ Ponil	Commissary; Showers; Trading Post; (Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; at Ponil)
		Cantina @ Ponil	Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;
		Awards Campfire	Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;
		Hike to Ponil Trailhead	Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;
Warning: Itinerary details provided by PhilSearch are for planning purposes only. Only the current year's "Treks" book and the addendums to it, if any, should be used for final trek selection.

- No photo available for this campsite or this program at this location. Click icon for specific needs.

Crews passing through staff camps are not scheduled for program. If time and space allow, some crews may be able to participate in some of the programs offered.

Day	Camp	Potential Additional Program Features	Campsite Features
2	CHQ Trailbound	Visit the Villa Philmonte	Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;
		National Scouting Museum
3	Dan Beard	Leave No Trace Training	Low Impact Camp;
4	Iris Park	Hike via Iris Park & Beatty Lakes	Low Impact Camp; Trail Camp;
5	Ring Place	Historic Homestead	Commissary; Low Impact Camp;
		Side Hike to McCrystal Creek Ruins
6	Little Costilla	Side Hike Ash Mountain	Low Impact Camp;
		Side Hike Little Costilla and/or Ash Mountain
7	Middle Ponil	Side Hike Ash Mountain	Low Impact Camp;
10	Baldy Town	Climb Baldy Mountain	Commissary; Trading Post; Showers;
		Tour Historic Baldy Town
	Head of Dean	pickup crew based challenge events
12	Ponil	Cantina Show	Commissary; Trading Post; Showers;
		Climb Hart Peak
		Gymkhana
		Cavalcade
		Cowboy Action Shooting
	CHQ Homebound	Visit the Villa Philmonte	Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;
		National Scouting Museum
This list is not complete and is dependent on the route you take each day.