Boy Scout Troop 48 Lake Forest treks through New Mexico Wilderness

BSA Troop 48 is sending a crew of teenage Scouts and their adult leaders to go on a life changing summer trek through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. Philmont covers 214 square miles of vast wilderness with trails that climb from 6,500 feet to as high as 12,441 feet. During their trek Boy Scout Troop 48 will hike approximately 80 miles over 10 days.

The group of Scouts and their advisors will be carrying everything they need to survive during the trek on their backs while hiking from camp to camp. They will participate in backcountry programs along the way that will include rock climbing, mountain biking, and search and rescue training. The trek also includes a conservation project where the Scouts will learn about and participate in the upkeep of Philmont's ecosystem. Along the trek, Scouts will endure tough challenges including backpacking in bear and mountain lion territory, steep climbs, and often inclement weather.

"They may meet only one other group of Scouts on the trail in an entire day of hiking," according to Backpacker Magazine. "Even in the most crowded destinations, each Scout group camps in isolation, out of sight and sound of all other groups."

The crew will make what amounts to a Scouting pilgrimage with their trip to Philmont. Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America's premier high adventure camp and the largest youth camp in the world serving nearly one million participants since 1938.