Lewes Boy Scouts traverse New Mexico
It was an experience unlike any other for a small group of Lewes Boy Scouts.
Along with two scoutmasters, seven boys from Troop 2540 hiked more than 80 miles at the prestigious Philmont Scout Ranch, one of four High Adventure Bases operated by Boy Scouts of America.
While on their expedition, the group scaled mountains, camped in the untamed wilderness and hiked with nothing more than a map and compass. The group spent most of the trip on its own, carrying everything they needed on their backs.
Evan DeAngelis, 18, who recently ended his scouting career, was along for the trip with his younger brother Biase, 14, and father and scoutmaster, Ernie. Evan traveled to Philmont four years ago with scouts; he thought he knew what he was in for.
“It was a little easier at first because I knew what to expect; what gear to bring, stuff like that,” he said. “But this time it was totally different. It was a completely different trek … We were putting in long days, trying to get done 80 some miles.”
Evan's group only reached 50 miles in his last trip. With more than about 214 square miles of land and many different treks to choose from, scouts can have a completely different experience each time they visit Philmont.
For first-timer Reed Jones, 14, the destination was always the payoff for the long hikes.
“I think my favorite part had to be all the different sights we got to see,” he said. “Anytime you would get on top of a big rock or climbed a mountain, you had sights everywhere, and it was beautiful. There was nothing bad about it.”
One day during the trip, the scouts took a detour to climb to the top of Baldy Mountain. At 12,445 feet, it is the highest peak in the Cimarron Range.
Throughout their 12-day journey, the group took part in many activities, from rock climbing and shotgun shooting to team-building exercises. The group activities were designed to teach the scouts how to better communicate and work together.
In some exercises, a few of the scouts would be blindfolded and guided by the others. In another activity, all the scouts could work together, but had to accomplish the task without speaking.
“You had to understand that if you cannot communicate you have to be able to help by combining everyone's strengths and weaknesses,” Jones said.
The nearly two-week journey was not entirely a smooth one. Early in the trip, the Philmont area was hit with severe late-night storms. With heavy rain, high winds and hail, the scouts were forced to seek high ground. After huddling together to ride out the first wave of the storm, the scouts found shelter at a cabin a quarter mile away the rest of the night.
Four scouts from another troop visiting Philmont were swept away during a flash flood. Three boys were immediately located, but Alden Ray Brock of Sacramento was lost. He was found about a mile away. Brock's parents encouraged his troop to continue their trek, which they did. The troops then honored Brock's life upon returning home to Sacramento.
The storm was so severe, the Delaware group was held in camp an extra day and given the option of skipping the next camp to get back on track.
Before heading west, the boys hiked sections of the Appalachian Trail to train for mountain climbs. After arriving in Colorado June 22, they spent two nights in Colorado Springs to acclimate to the new elevation. While there, they did shorter hikes and visited Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Red Rocks and the Air Force Academy. Then they boarded a bus and traveled down to Philmont to begin their journey.
