Back 2024 Trek 12-29 Forward

Plans A-D Plan A Only



Super Strenuous; Approximately 83 miles; Maps required: north, south


Trek History: New as 12-17 in 2021; 12-17 in 2022; 12-29 in 2023-24

If you like bagging peaks, this itinerary is definitely for you and your crew! A motivated crew could potentially scale EIGHT (8) of Philmont’s 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 don’t miss the nearby logging operations at Pueblano’s 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 Philmont’s 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, you’ll 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 you’re 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. You’ll 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/PlanCampProgram FeaturesCampsite Features
1 Camping Headquarters Opening Campfire Commissary; Showers; Trading Post;  
2 Bluestem Western Lore / Branding @ PonilTrail Camp (Always dry); (Commissary; Trading Post; Showers; at Ponil)


Food Pickup @ Camping HeadquartersCommissary; Showers; Trading Post;


Bus to Ponil Trailhead


Ranger Training  
3 Pueblano Ruins Conservation Project @ ElkhornTrail 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 DeanTrail 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 @ SawmillTrail 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 JunctionCommissary; 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  
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.

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.

DayCampPotential Additional Program FeaturesCampsite Features
2PonilCantinaCommissary; Trading Post; Showers;
Cantina Show
Climb Hart Peak
Gymkhana
Cavalcade
Cowboy Action Shooting
Circle Ride
Wrangler Training
Camping HeadquartersVisit the Villa PhilmonteCommissary; Showers; Trading Post;
National Scouting Museum
BluestemHike Dean SkylineTrail Camp (Always dry);
3PueblanoContinental Tie & Lumber
spar pole climbing
4French HenryBlacksmithing
5Baldy TownTour Historic Baldy TownCommissary; Trading Post; Showers;
Mining History
Assaying
6Head of Deanpickup crew based challenge events
7CimarroncitaHike through 2018 Ute Park Fire Zone
8SawmillUte Park Pass Hike PrepShowers (wood stoked);
Hike through 2018 Ute Park Fire Zone
10BeaubienClimb Trail PeakShowers (wood stoked);
Climb Lookout Peak
Cowboy Campfire
Phillips JunctionFishing OpportunitiesCommissary; Trading Post; Showers;
11Shaefers PassClimb Tooth of TimeTrail Camp (Usually dry);
Climb Shaefer's Peak
Black MountainPost Civil War Settlers
Hike via North Fork Urraca
North Fork UrracaHike via North Fork Urraca
12Camping HeadquartersVisit the Villa PhilmonteCommissary; Showers; Trading Post;
National Scouting Museum
Ride into Cattle Headquarters
This list is not complete and is dependent on the route you take each day.

Day/PlanCampPotential Program Features for Plan BCampsite Features
Day/PlanCampPotential Program Features for Plan CCampsite Features
Day/PlanCampPotential Program Features for Plan DCampsite Features
Day/PlanCampPotential Program Features for Plan FCampsite Features
This list is not complete and is dependent on the route you take each day.