2022 description: 'This itinerary has a good mix of mileage and program, as well as the opportunity to hike through the area burned during the
2018 Ute Park fire and summit both the Tooth of Time and Baldy Mountain! Start your trek by hiking out of Base Camp to the
new Heck Meadow trail camp where your Ranger will provide training on all things Philmont. Head over to Clarks Fork to enjoy
the scenery from the back of a horse, enjoy their Chuckwagon Dinner and campfire program to end the day. Be sure to get an
early start the next day to side Shaefers Peak and the iconic Tooth of Time. Hike into the central country to stay at Lamberts
Mine and take in The Stomp music show at Cyphers Mine. Sawmill is your next stop where you’ll reload and shoot 30.06
rounds. Get up early the next day to make your way across the Ute Park fire burn scar to Cimarroncita for hunter safety, 3-D
archery, and the new laser shooting range. Your next stop is Santa Claus for shotgun reloading and shooting. The next day is
long and uphill but stages you perfectly at Ewells Park for an early morning ascent of Philmont’s pinnacle peak, Baldy
Mountain! After spending a little time pondering the world below and relishing on your accomplishment, dig down deep into the
valley to reach French Henry mining and gold panning camp. Spend your last night on the trail at Elkhorn, enjoying the views
while reflecting on your crew’s accomplishments before heading to Ponil for a quick celebratory sarsaparilla at the cantina
before meeting your bus at the nearby trailhead and rolling home to Base Camp!'
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2021 description: 'This South Country loop is as beautiful as it is strenuous. To start, your crew hikes into the wilderness through the towering
monolith at Lover’s Leap. Your Ranger will demonstrate valuable skills before you make your way through Miners Park for some
rock climbing, then hike on to reach Shaefers Pass. This initial climb is rewarded with an opportunity to side-hike both Shaefers
Peak and the iconic Tooth of Time. Head downhill to Clarks Fork, where seldom is heard a discouraging word among the
cowboys & cowgirls of this Western Lore camp. Your stay at Clarks Fork will be brief as your crew is gold rushing to Cyphers Mine.
Take a quick break at Hunting Lodge, grab your food at Cimarroncito, and enjoy the gorgeous hike up the North Fork of
Cimarroncito Creek. Cyphers Mine will entertain you with their lively music at The Stomp and the camp’s robust atmosphere, but
expect to pay your dues forging at the blacksmith shop or mucking deep within the mine. Sleep well because the next day’s
ascent of Comanche Peak and then Mt. Phillips are as monumental as Waite Phillips himself. Work your way down to the Rocky
Mountain Fur Co. at Clear Creek, then on to enjoy the hospitality of Crooked Creek’s homesteading family. Between Crooked
Creek and Lovato you will stop at Fish Camp to try your luck at catching trout, and then off to Lookout Meadow. The penultimate
day at Crater Lake will implant your Philmont experience deep within the soul and is an excellent way to begin the journey’s
closure. Here, your crew will work as 1900s loggers, give service to Philmont with a valuable conservation project, and gain
spiritual nourishment with the most scenic campfire at Philmont. Enjoy a root beer as you hike through Abreu, and the night at
Zastrow camp will feel long and short at the same time, as you reflect on the journey and prepare for the transition back to
civilization'
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