Philmont 2023 

On Thursday, August 3rd, 6 Scouts and 3 Adult Leaders from BSA Troop 58 flew back to Albany after completing a 12-day backpacking Trek at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.  

We all appreciated being disconnected from our devices and the stresses of day-to-day, modern life.  Instead, we were tasked with the basics of hiking to our destinations, finding water, protecting ourselves from daily rainshowers and cooking our meals.  Along the way, we entertained each other with jokes and were entertained by Philmont’s outstanding staff who, in period dress, regaled us with stories and songs from frontier life at the turn of the 20th century.  There was something new for each of us, including muzzle-loaded shotgun shooting, horseback riding and summiting a 12,000 foot mountain.  We all matured and learned to appreciate the amenities of modern life.  

Adult leader, Jim Cronce is photographed in front of a display at the National Scouting Museum for the Antarctica Service Medal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica_Service_Medal

Jim is a two-time recipient of this honor for his service as an Aircraft Structural Mechanic, Stratton Air National Guard Base.  He and his crew make annual two-month long trips to Antarctica to assist the National Science Foundation operations there.