If you like bagging peaks, this itinerary is definitely for you and your crew! A motivated crew could potentially scale EIGHT (8) of Philmonts most iconic peaks! Start with a bus ride to Ponil Trailhead and hike to Bluestem for Ranger training and your first starry night in the backcountry. Your next night on the trail is at Pueblano Ruins but dont miss the nearby logging operations at Pueblanos Continental Tie & Lumber Company. Similarly, the next destination of Baldy Town has the nearby gold panning and mining operations at French Henry. Check out the mining history and ruins at Baldy Town, but go to bed early, because the next day highlights Philmonts tallest peak, (1) Baldy Mountain. Then, enjoy the long steady descent to Mistletoe camp with a pitstop at Head of Dean for challenge events. A hop, skip, and jump over the Cimarron River is all it will take the next day to reach Cimarroncita, which premieres 3-D archery and a laser shooting range. Get an early start and observe fire ecology through Ute Park Pass and the 2018 wildfire impact zone. Reaching Whistle Punk, youll be close to an opportunity to side hike the new trail to reach the top of (2) Cito Peak. Head over to Divide via (3) Comanche Peak and, if youre in for an extra challenge, side-hike (4) Mt. Phillips. (5) Big Red will start your next day but feel free to tackle (6) Bonito Peak as a side hike (adds 2.5 miles) as you aim towards Porcupine then Phillips Junction for resupply. Your night at Beaubien gives you dinner and a show: the chuckwagon dinner and boot stomping cowboy campfire. Finally, follow the flow of the North Fork after visiting Black Mountain Camp and then climb to Shaefers Pass for one more chance to reflect on endless stars and countless memories. Youll wake up the next morning to begin your long and triumphant march into Base Camp via (7) Shaefers Peak and (8) the Tooth of Time! | ||||
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: Bluestem; Mistletoe; Shaefers Pass; - No photo available for this campsite or this program at this location. Click icon for specific needs. |
Day/Plan | Camp | Program Features | Campsite Features | |
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1 | Camping Headquarters | Opening Campfire | Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;   | |
2 | Bluestem | Western Lore / Branding @ Ponil | Trail Camp (Always dry); (Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; at Ponil) | |
Food Pickup @ Camping Headquarters | Commissary; Showers; Trading Post; | |||
Bus to Ponil Trailhead | ||||
Ranger Training |   | |||
3 | Pueblano Ruins | Conservation Project @ Elkhorn | Trail Camp; (Trail Camp; at Elkhorn) | |
Tie making / Crosscut Saws @ Pueblano | ||||
Campfire @ Pueblano |   | |||
4 | Baldy Town | Mining History | Commissary; Trading Post; Showers;   | |
Gold Mining & Panning @ French Henry | ||||
Mine Tour @ French Henry |   | |||
5 | Baldy Town | Climb Baldy Mountain | Commissary; Trading Post; Showers;   | |
Food Pickup |   | |||
6 | Mistletoe | Challenge Events @ Head of Dean | Trail Camp (Usually dry);  | |
Water @ Santa Claus | ||||
7 | Cimarroncita | Food Pickup |   | |
Laser Shooting Range |   | |||
Laser Shooting Range |   | |||
3D Archery |   | |||
Ute Park Pass Hike Prep |   | |||
8 | Whistle Punk | 30-06 Shooting/Reloading @ Sawmill | Trail Camp; (Showers (wood stoked); at Sawmill) | |
Water @ Sawmill |   | |||
9 | Red Hills | Climb Comanche Peak | Trail Camp;  | |
Climb Mount Phillips |   | |||
Water |   | |||
10 | Beaubien | Chuck Wagon Dinner | Showers (wood stoked);   | |
Campfire |   | |||
Western Lore / Branding |   | |||
Food Pickup @ Phillips Junction | Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; | |||
11 | Shaefers Pass | Hike via North Fork Urraca | Trail Camp (Usually dry);  | |
Blacksmithing @ Black Mountain | ||||
Muzzle Loading Rifles @ Black Mountain |   | |||
Water @ North Fork Urraca | ||||
12 | Camping Headquarters | Closing Campfire | Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;   | |
Climb Shaefer's Peak |   | |||
Climb Tooth of Time |   | |||
Hike in via Tooth Ridge Trail |   | |||
Day | Camp | Potential Additional Program Features | Campsite Features |
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2 | Ponil | Cantina | Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; |
Cantina Show | |||
Climb Hart Peak | |||
Gymkhana | |||
Cavalcade | |||
Cowboy Action Shooting | |||
Circle Ride | |||
Wrangler Training | |||
Camping Headquarters | Visit the Villa Philmonte | Commissary; Showers; Trading Post; | |
National Scouting Museum | |||
Bluestem | Hike Dean Skyline | Trail Camp (Always dry); | |
3 | Pueblano | Continental Tie & Lumber | |
spar pole climbing | |||
4 | French Henry | Blacksmithing | |
5 | Baldy Town | Tour Historic Baldy Town | Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; |
Mining History | |||
Assaying | |||
6 | Head of Dean | pickup crew based challenge events | |
7 | Cimarroncita | Hike through 2018 Ute Park Fire Zone | |
8 | Sawmill | Ute Park Pass Hike Prep | Showers (wood stoked); |
Hike through 2018 Ute Park Fire Zone | |||
10 | Beaubien | Climb Trail Peak | Showers (wood stoked); |
Climb Lookout Peak | |||
Cowboy Campfire | |||
Phillips Junction | Fishing Opportunities | Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; | |
11 | Shaefers Pass | Climb Tooth of Time | Trail Camp (Usually dry); |
Climb Shaefer's Peak | |||
Black Mountain | Post Civil War Settlers | ||
Hike via North Fork Urraca | |||
North Fork Urraca | Hike via North Fork Urraca | ||
12 | Camping Headquarters | Visit the Villa Philmonte | Commissary; Showers; Trading Post; |
National Scouting Museum | |||
Ride into Cattle Headquarters | |||
Day/Plan | Camp | Potential Program Features for Plan B | Campsite Features |
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Day/Plan | Camp | Potential Program Features for Plan C | Campsite Features |
Day/Plan | Camp | Potential Program Features for Plan D | Campsite Features |
Day/Plan | Camp | Potential Program Features for Plan F | Campsite Features |