Philmont: Do you know the way to Santa Fe?

Day 3 on the ground in New Mexico and today was another great day.  First stop, Santa Fe! We had our first stop outside of Santa Fe where we learned about the first and oldest city in the United States. After a brief history lesson we set forth and experienced the local art the only way we know how – we climbed all over it like spider monkeys.

After taking in the local art we headed out to the historic part of Santa Fe to see the old city square.  We walked around for about an hour and learned about the historic Santa Fe Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.  Local folklore states that the spires of the cathedral were never completed by Archbishop Lamy because he loved the town so much and completion would require that he relocate to yet another city to start another cathedral. Mr. Brookes took a short moment to thank the Archbishop Troop 466 style for his efforts.




After historic Santa Fe (and a quick visit to the historic Santa Fe Starbucks) we headed out for a quick hike and a picnic outside the Rio Grande river.  The hike was a short 3 miles as a warm-up for the Philmont trek and spectacular views of a 1000’ gorge which is known as New Mexico’s equivalent to the Grand Canyon.  From there we had a quick lunch then on to the highlight of our pre-tour – rafting!  We each paired up and manned our “funyaks” to head down the Rio Grande river for 2 hours of white water rafting. 

Rio Grande Rafting VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Needless to say, being on the water was the highlight of the day and everyone enjoyed the time rafting down the river.  Look for plenty of photos on the troop website of us enjoying the water and the sunny skies.  After all that work we really were looking forward to dinner and we were treated to a nice sit down dinner at Furr’s which had all the veggies, steak, salad and of course ice cream we could eat.  After all the hiking and rafting the meal really set well for all of us. 

Well folks, that’s it for Albuquerque. Starting at 5:30 AM tomorrow we’re on our way to Philmont Scout Ranch to spend several days on the trail.  The crew leaders met with the adult leaders and each scout crew leader took charge of their crews.  They spent the evening discussing routes, roles and expectations for each trek.  Now the scouts are all enjoying the last pleasures of civilization and settling in for the start of their Philmont experience tomorrow.  We have a great trip ahead of us, but unfortunately the blog posts will have to wait until we come back off the trail.  Look for random Facebook posts, texts, emails and other means of communication while we are away.  If we can send updates, we most certainly will.

Philmont: Magical Mystery Tour

Well, after a very short amount of sleep the troop and crew woke up at 5:30 AM (mothers, take note), ate, then hit the roads of Albuquerque at 6:30 AM for a wonderful tour of activities with our hosts Blue Skies Adventures.  First stop was a hike to the  “Three Sisters”, which is three volcanoes in the local area.

Although it was bright and early, we weren’t alone on the trail.  Along the hike we were joined by a plethora of wildlife including several millipedes, beetles and a horn toad (almost mistaken for a local rattlesnake).




From there we were off to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History to learn about ancient local history, NASA projects in the area and to catch a 3D movie about surfing the big waves in Tahiti.  One of the most interesting exhibits we saw was the Sun Daggers, which are three rocks which were strategically placed to allow the local Chaco Canyon population to tell time over 1000 years ago.

New Mexico Museum VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

After the museum and the IMAX movie we headed to lunch.  As we’re told, almost every meal in New Mexico involves green chilies and lunch was no exception.  We enjoyed a nice meal at Albuquerque's very own LotaBurger with the crew.  We had a choice of burgers, burgers with fries, chicken burgers and shakes – oh yeah, green chilies on the side for everyone!



Most groups would have said “enough’s enough” and went home for a nap, but 466 was off to the next adventure. Next we visited Old Town Albuquerque. After a quick history lesson in the park we went out and toured the area.  Aside from the local trinket shops, we were able to take in great sites such as the Rattlesnake museum.  Sam found himself surprised at what was inside the rattlesnake eggs pouch and likely won’t be as curious in the future.




After Old Town we were off again to visit the National Nuclear Museum since Albuquerque is home to much of the research, development and testing behind the nuclear age. The museum was rather interactive and the troop enjoyed many of the attractions provided inside.

Nuclear Museum VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

From there we headed to our last stop of the day – Sno Peak’s gondola ride up the mountain.  At one point we were hovering over 1000 feet off the ground.  The sights were amazing, although we were not able to hike to the old CCC lodge at the top of the hill due to the New Mexico wildfires. 




Now, we’ve returned to the hotel to take much needed showers, get some swimming in and enjoy the warm evening air. Tomorrow has another early morning ahead of us to include some hiking and kayaking to fill our day before heading to the Philmont camp.

Philmont: Arrived in Albuquerque

We’ve arrived!  The troop and crew arrived at our first stop in our Philmont experience – Albuquerque, New Mexico.  After a nice, uneventful ride on Southwest out of SeaTac, we were met by Blue Sky Adventures and took a short bus ride up to our hotel for the night.

Flight to Albuquerque VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Once we arrived, the first order of business was food, and Blue Sky had quite a spread waiting for us. Of course, dinner wouldn’t be dinner if it didn’t come with an all-you-can-eat ice cream machine.  Needless to say, the scouts explored every option at the dinner buffet and didn’t let the ice cream pass without full inspection.

After dinner the scouts and scoutmasters went to the poolside and enjoyed the warm air and cool waters.  Tomorrow is a full day, wake up at 5:30AM and return in the evening. We’ll be hiking a volcano, seeing an IMAX movie, hitting the New Mexico natural history museum and much more.  Tune in for more Philmont trip information as we prepare for a great two weeks in New Mexico!

The Bob hitting the trail

We have the vehicles staged at the trailheads. Last night a thrilling lightening show kept us in cars for an hour then it cleared. The forecast is for sun thru Friday.

Hey check out the drive thru guns and ammo.

Only in Montana.

We better hit the trail. Talk to you on Friday. Signing out unless there is service on the ridgetops. Follow us on SPOT.

Troop and Crew 466
North Bend, WA

Bob Marshall: Benchmark

Amazing scenery, great weather and a smooth trip here. We have arrived. Tomorrow is an early morning for us to hit the trail. For now, enjoy the view below, we certainly are...

Bob Marshall: In Montana!

We have arrived in Montana and are headed for a quick meal in Missoula before we hit the campsite by the trailhead. Keep watching for trip reports from our hike!

Bob Marshall Day 1: Heading Out!

We're off again hitting the road for our next 50 Miler. Everyone got up bright and early (too early for most) and we headed to Montana. I'd like to say we saw a lot, but back to my earlier comment...there was a lot of snoring coming from the cars.

Just about the time the hordes awoke, we entered Spokane. No trip through Spokane is complete without a trip to Dick's Hamburgers.

Everyone loaded up at Dick's on some of the best greasy burgers and shakes this side of the mountains.





Doug got an extra serving of tartar sauce courtesy of some of the locals. Everyone enjoyed the break and the meal. Now, we're making a run for the border and the next stop is Idaho! Montana here we come!

Location:E 3rd Ave,Spokane,United States