Zelie Scouts put year's training to the test in New Mexico trip
Boy Scouts from Troop 457 in Zelienople will have the opportunity to put their year's worth of training hikes to the test at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico now that a forest fire that burned thousands of acres in and around the ranch near Cimarron has been extinguished.
The Ute Park Fire burned 36,740 acres of forest including 26,387 acres of the 50,000-acre ranch operated by the Boy Scouts of America before the blaze was extinguished.
“We've been looking forward to this. We've been preparing for over a year,” said George Burnet, one of the eight adults leading 12 Scouts on a 10-day backpacking trip on the ranch beginning July 22.
The fire, which burned a number of buildings on the ranch, has forced the ranch to adjust the itinerary for the troop's trek, he said. “They'll modify our plans. We don't know what the trek will be,” Burnet said.
The original trek was 80 miles with planned stops along the way at sites for activities such as log pole climbing, panning for gold in a stream, black powder rifle shooting and blacksmithing.
Treks are graded on a difficulty level from 1 to 35 with 35, which is a 115-mile backpacking trip, being the most strenuous. Troop 457's original trek was a level 25 that included climbing to a 12,000-foot peak.
“We're carrying our tents on our backs and food for 10 days. The Scouts describe it as high adventure and I think that's right. It's just dangerous enough to be a lot of fun,” Burnet said. “It's a workout and it will be a memory maker.”
He and his two older sons, George and Grant, went with the troop to Philmont four years ago and his youngest son Gregory will be going for the first time.
“There's no cell phone coverage. You can have actual conversations with the people you're with. You really get to bond as a group. Adversity on the trail lets you get to know yourself and your friends. It does make you a better person,” Burnet said.
His oldest son George, who will be a senior at the University of Pittsburgh in the fall, is going as one of the adult leaders.
“It's very relaxing being away from everything. It's rare for me to go 10 days without checking my email,” the younger Burnet said. “I liked it so much last time I wanted to go again.”
He said the views from New Mexico mountains are much more dramatic than the views from the Appalachian Trail and other trails in this region.
“I think it's totally unique. It's big sky country,” the younger Burnet said.
He said the Scouts will be in charge of navigating the group through the mountains and plotting the course on a map like he did when he went on the trip as a Scout four years ago.
“I'll have less responsibility, just make sure everything is going along,” the younger Burnet said.
Spending time with family and other Scouts makes the trip special.
“The hang time with the Scouts is great. Going with my brothers and family is great,” the younger Burnet said.
The troop members range from 14 to 17, but the oldest father is 61, the older Burnet said.
“We've been doing warm-up hikes in Dolly Sods in West Virginia. We will do more training hikes to get in shape and check our gear,” he said.
The troop, sponsored by the English Lutheran Church of Zelienople, is visiting some other western destinations before arriving at the ranch.
The first stop is Colorado where members will visit Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods Park and the Royal Gorge Bridge. Then they will spend one night at the NRA Wittington Center in New Mexico before proceeding to the ranch.
“We're happy to go. It's quite a remarkable thing,” Burnet said.
