Goodbye to My Summer HoME

When I first arrived at Philmont, the fact that I was going to be there for three months freaked me out. Three months in this new place with no one I knew doing new things.

Now I can confidently say that three months is just enough time to make a place a home. Philmont taught me more than I ever expected. There were times towards the end of the summer when I thought that I was ready to go home. I saw the parking lot thin out, staff members packing up their things, and the scout numbers dwindle. It seemed that summer was coming to an end and I foolishly thought that I was ready for my time at Philmont to come to an end too. So I wrapped up my work and started thinking about packing. Before I knew it, it was my last working day. My dad arrived at the ranch to pick me up and it was time to leave. I went through the checkout process, an exact replica of the check-in process that I nervously stumbled through in May. It was a breeze to complete and by 6pm I was all packed up and ready to go. John and I left the ranch and that was that. That night I had to say goodbye to several of my key Philmont friends who really made my summer.

Luckily, the next day, Sarah, my dad, and I hiked Mt. Wheeler, the tallest peak in New Mexico. It was an amazing hike and we spent the rest of the day in Taos shopping and enjoy each other’s company. It was a really great day enjoyed by all. The only caveat of the great day was that I had to say goodbye to Sarah at the end of it. Sarah and I have been inseparable this summer. As soon as we bonded over coffee and our dislike of spicy food, we knew we were the perfect match. Without exaggeration, I can say that we’ve spent practically every day of the last three months at each other’s side. We eat together, work together, and spend our times off together. The best way to describe us is pair bonded. We first heard two goats being described as pair bonded. It pretty much means that they are best friends. If one were to break free of its tether, it won’t run away because it will stay with the other one. That describes us, we don’t function well without the other. Sarah has taught me so much this summer and I don’t think that there is any way that I could every repay her. If you ever have the pleasure of seeing us together, you can see that me mimic each other in our words and actions, and finish each other’s sentences, even with the same intonation. It’s weird and awesome.

So without my pair bond and without Philmont, I’m realizing quickly that I was not ready for the summer to be over. I’m zooming back to Indiana, I’m over the moon excited to see my friends and family. But I feel severely underprepared to head back to the real world. I would love to go back to Philmont where I’m with my Phil Fam all day, waking up in a tent, and not having “real world” worries.

I have no idea what next summer will bring, but I do know that when the time comes, IWGBTP (I Wanna go Back to Philmont).

Wowee!!!

Wowza, let's see what I've been doing for the last month.

From June 30th to July 21st I was on the trail with my awesome ROCS crew. We had 5 outstanding girls and 3 outstanding weeks on the trail. It was just such an amazing time. We had so much fun together, I learned so much from them and hopefully they learned some nuggets from us too. We got to hike all over the ranch, (130+ miles) summit awesome peaks, (Baldy, Philips, Tooth of Time) and share countless laughs and funny stories in between. This is not to say that we did not have our struggles and fair share of rough days. But all in all it was magnificent and super rewarding and challenging.
I'm sad that that's the only trek Sarah and I get to lead this summer. We would love to lead another session.

When we get off from leading this 3 week adventure Sarah and I got a whole week off. We had been coming up with a list of things we wanted to do when we got back. This list included things such as getting massages, eating at Panera, and seeing Finding Dory. We thought that we would drive to Denver and do a National Parks loop in Colorado/Utah/Wyoming. But as we were planning, our imaginations started to run wild. We were looking at flying to Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Puerto Rico just to name a few. We thought "go big or go home" we ran into some snaffoos with these plans especially in the lodging and rental car department. We thought driving might be the better option.
So after about 5 hours of planning we had narrowed it down to two options A) flying to San Francisco or B) driving to Los Angeles and going to DISNEYLAND. It was really hard to decide between the two but the draw of having a car and going somewhere we had both never been was too strong and we stared driving west the next morning.

Our first stop was the Grand Canyon. And boy was it grand! It was such an awesome place to visit. We got to see sunset and sunrise over the canyon, it was breathtaking. We camped just outside the park and headed on the next morning to Anaheim, CA.

The first thing we did with our full day in CA was massages. We followed that with the Hollywood sign and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The next day was our DISNEYLAND day!!! We spent the whole day in the park and squeezed as much out of it as we could. It really was a magical day and totally worth it!

Our last full day we went to Channel Islands National Park. The park has a very interesting history and it was beautiful. Santa Cruz island is the only place in the world where you can find the Island Scrub Jay! We even saw a pod of dolphins on the boat ride as well as a flying fish and a whale!!

The drive back to Philmont was broken up over the last two days with a night camping at Homolovi State Park in Arizona and stops in Petrified Forest National Park and Santa Fe.

It was a crazy and exhausting week. We came back saying that we needed a vacation from our vacation. If the week was supposed to refresh us from our 3 week trek...it didn't. But I am sure that it was the most fun thing we could have done. I can't think of anyone better to do it with than my awesome partner. We've together for 4 weeks straight now and I wouldn't change it for the world. It really was super memorable and totally worth all the dollars spent and hours in the car.

Now that we are back at Philmont things feel really strange. We've been gone for a month but it seems like nothing has changed. Things are starting to wind down from the summer and it's so weird. We have to go back to doing what we did before ROCS. But my last working day is August 15th. It's all going so quick but yet so slow.

Sunshine!!

I wasn't planning on posting again until after ROCS, but I hiked the Tooth of Time this morning for my last day off and took some spectacular photos, enjoy!

This Is What We've Been Waiting For

Since I last wrote I've been counting down to our ROCS trek!
We've been frantically planning and preparing for our participants to arrive and for them to have the most awesome 3 week experience here at Philmont! I've also spent some time in the backcountry doing other STEM things.

Playing Loggerball at Pueblano 

 That being said, starting on July 1st, we will be in the backcountry for 3 weeks. Our participants will start arriving on June 30th. We will have 3 weeks and 130 miles to explore the wonders of Philmont! We will teach lessons on all the -ologies. Ecology, Hydrology, Fire Ecology, Meteorology, etc. It's going to be so great.

The first men's trek went out 2 days ago. They seemed to have a great group. It's wild to think that considering our schedules, we won't get to see them for 5 weeks! And by that point, the summer is almost over :(

Campfire at Metcalf Station 

I will only be able to receive snail mail from June 30 to July 20. I would love to hear from you!
Rebecca Wiebke
Conservation Dept.
47 Caballo Rd.
Cimarron, NM
87714

I can't wait to get back and share all about our experience! Signing off for now!

I wouldn't hate that

Greetings from New Mexico where the sun is strong and the scouts are taking over!

When my partner and I are not leading ROCS what are we doing? Well for those 2/3rds of the summer we are mostly in the backcountry. We get to visit different camps and check on their STEM activities. If they have questions we answer them. If they need more canvas or glue or game pieces or any other material we get it to them. We check these activities periodically throughout the summer to make sure that they are being used to their full potential and that the scouts are learning about the area that they are exploring.

It really is the best gig at the ranch. We get to spend lots of time in the backcountry. We get to meet backcountry staff, scouts, and advisors. We love it.

We finished our first STEM run set yesterday so today and tomorrow are days off. Without a car I'm sort of trapped "on campus" so to speak. But I really don't mind. I'm going to spend today taking care of some housekeeping things and getting myself organized. Tomorrow I might hike the Tooth of Time or go into town with someone. Who knows. Things move so fast here that it's sort of nice to just take a day or two to slow down, read a book, and knit.
Yeah, we have a knitting club and it's awesome. The only problem is that I'm not very good at knitting. I knitted for two hours and then had to undo the whole thing, that happened TWICE. But I'm determined, I'm going to make a hat. Stay tuned.

Also, how it is possible that I've been gone for a MONTH. How is it possible that the summer is 1/3rd over??

"Incredible"

Last night I returned from 10 days of field training. The first 4 were spent with the whole conservation department building trail. It's incredible how much we were able to build in just a few short days. I say short because there were only 4 of them, not because the days in and of themselves were not long. We got up at 5:30 every morning and worked until 5pm. It was long and hard but also so great. We transformed a line staked through the woods into a trail with the right tread width and slope and all the other correct dimensions that would be impossible to spot if you had not spent time trail building.

Directly after those 4 days we went straight to 6 days of Environmental Education specific training. We hiked a fair amount but that was not our main objective. Our objective was to practice teaching lessons and learn from each other. We discussed readings about education, talked about crew dynamics, and everything else you could possibly think of. It was not only great to learn from my peers and see their leadership techniques but it also gave me a chance to brush up on my backcountry skills and I feel a lot more ready now than I was before. We shared many many laughs and really got to know each other. It's bittersweet because from now and into the summer, we may never all be together again.

Right before we came back we were given the skeleton itinerary for our ROCS trek. Sarah and I still have lots of planning to do but it's going to be "incredible."

Today is out first day off since we got here on May 20th. I'm looking forward to spending more time with my fellow EEs and I'm stoked to get the summer started. It was so weird to come back into base yesterday and see that crews had already arrived. Today was the first day that crews went out, summer is really here.

Always be Training

[The following was written on May 27]

Time is weird here. It does this thing that causes me to lose track of the days completely. I would have no chance of telling you the day of the week and it simultaneously feels like I’ve been here for two months and two days.

So the bulk of what I’ve been spending my time doing is classroom training. The rest of the conservation staff arrived and things are in full swing. Our department numbers a little less than 100 staff members during the summer. We’ve spent the last two days in 8-5 classroom training with them and in the upcoming days we will be doing field training with them as well. For field training we are mixed up between the different concentrations in the department. So I for example, who am in the Environmental Education part of conservation is in a training division with people who fill entirely different jobs within the same department. This is a great way to get to know people who you might not get to spend a lot of time with for the rest of the summer. It can also be a bit weird to be thrust into this group. For four days we will be in these training divisions in the field doing trail building work. Directly after this all-encompassing conservation field training, we will move directly into EE specific field training.

Training is great for getting our feet on the ground. We get to meet others from all over the department and try out some of our lessons. It’s definitely a lot, but I’m certain that the rewards will be reaped at the end of the summer when Sarah Cobb and I led the most epic ROCS trek ever (shout out to Sarah Cobb, I know you’re reading this). 

Just Figuring It Out

I have survived my first backcountry round of training. This trip was short, only 2 days, 2 nights. To those of you who are familiar with Philmont, we started at Cito Turnaround, spent our first night at Aspen Springs and our second night at Window Rock before returning to the same turnaround this morning. To those of you who are not familiar, this is a very cool place on the ranch and getting to camp at Window Rock is pretty unique. We spent a lot of time teaching all seven LNT principles with a partner and refreshing our memories on all other sorts of backpacking rules/etiquette. The hiking in and of itself was not too hard and it was a nice reintroduction to the backcounty.

Almost all of the other Environmental Educators have been on Philmont staff before and I am the youngest in the group. There is so much backcountry knowledge and just an overall abundance of environmental knowledge. I know that I can hold my own and that I have been selected for this position for a reason but it can be a bit intimidating. I am trying my best to absorb as much knowledge as possible so that I am able to full my position to the best of my ability. 

The person who I will be co-leading ROCS with is a third year returning staff member and has hiked every trail at Philmont. How epic is that? Not even remotely can I match her backpacking and Philmont knowledge, but I do my best to present a view of what ROCS has looked like and what we want it to look like. I'm sure our trek will be a hit because we both love coffee, both HATE spicy food (as discovered by the consumption of jambalaya last night and our mutual avoidance of Chalula), and we both love layering because we get cold easily. It's going to be a hoot.

I know that what lies ahead are crazy days at base camp, when the rest of the summer staff arrives and the quiet ambiance that surrounds me right now, will be disturbed with more staff members and eventually thousands of scouts. It will really be transformed. We also have more Conservation and Environmental Educator field training that I'm sure will be intense, as well as more training in base all without stop until June 9, our first day off. After that scouts will begin arriving and I will put into action what all this training taught us. Womens ROCS, which I assume will undoubtedly be the highlight of my summer, begins on June 30 and I am stoked.

I'm going to say this again, because the more the merrier; if any female aged 16-20 with any remote outdoor inclination, should really consider coming on ROCS this summer. It truly is an unforgettable experience. Email me for more information, rebecca.wiebke@gmail.com

Attn:

I have now been on the ranch for a bit more than 36 hours but in some ways it seems like an eternity.

Once arriving in Raton and eating lunch at the infamous St. James hotel in Cimarron, my entourage that had accompanied me dropped me off. I was sent on an busying scavenger hunt throughout base to get my uniform, picture taken, med recheck, and tent assignment among other things. I had thought that all of staff would be arriving that day but I was mistaken. The staff arrivals are scheduled all throughout the next few weeks so it really wasn't that busy. Once I got my things done there was really nothing structured for me to do. It was eerie.

But the lull didn't last long. This morning we were up early for breakfast followed by a full and I mean FULL day of training. I think that's how the next few weeks are going to be, chock full of information. We talked about everything from packing our packs to educational techniques and Leave No Trace principals. It was quite overwhelming. We got to spend the whole day with the other Environmental Educators so it was great to get a sense of who I'll be working with all summer.

Tomorrow we head out on our first training hike. It's a nice starter, only 2 days, 2 nights. We will be partner teaching our first lessons and practicing our Leave No Trace techniques. Everything is happening very quickly.

Let me end with a quick plea to any 16 to not yet 21 year old girl who doesn't have anything planned from June 30 to July 21 this summer. PLEASE consider coming to Philmont and participating in the ROCS trek. This is a 21 day experience that I'm co-leading with another super awesome and experienced Philmont employee.  You will learn basic backpacking skills as well as get to experience exciting lessons ranging from dendrology to fire ecology to range management. There are still spots as well as scholarships available! Please spread the word and email me at rebecca.wiebke@gmail.com if you or anyone you know is interested!
http://www.philmontscoutranch.org/rocs.aspx

Are we there yet?

Trains have always been my preferred mode of transportation when traveling. It may be slow, but it offers the freedom to get up and move around not offered by planes or cars. That being said, this cross country expedition has been my first encounter with trains in the US. I must say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised and we are riding in moderate comfort!

The train we are on, the Southwest Chief, is an Amtrak route that stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles. For our purposes, we drove about 4 hours from Zionsville to Galesburg, Illinois, the fourth stop after Chicago. We boarded around 6pm Central Time and we will be arriving in Raton, New Mexico around 11am Mountain Time. That’s approximately 18 hours of train travel. The seats are much larger and recline much farther than those on airplanes, I was ‘easily’ able to maneuver with my monstrous backpack and got an acceptable amount of good sleep last night. So I would conclude that train travel has been a success!

We traveled through Illinois, briefly dipped into Iowa, followed by Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado before arriving in New Mexico. The train stops are in the most obscure little places. So most (really all) of the scenery has been Midwest agriculture that transitioned into Southeast ranches.

Amtrak sees a lot of scouts. Raton is very close to Cimarron and Philmont. Lots of scouts prefer this method for many reasons. As soon as I got on, one of the workers on the train asked if that was where I was heading. And I’ve seen a couple other backpacks comparable in size to mine that I can only assume are going to Philmont as well.

I haven’t even gotten there yet but I think that I can officially say that the adventure has begun. 

(Sorry I'm a bit behind! Things are crazy here! I got here yesterday and all is well. I'm super busy and going out on my first of many training treks tomorrow. My first day off is June 9th so you may not here from me until then, we'll see)

So you’re home for the summer?

Welcome! This is the blog that I hope to keep updated all summer. I’ll post on Facebook whenever I write a new post, you can also subscribe with your email. Hopefully you enjoy it and bear with my inconsistent and dull writing.

Stated above is the question that I think I’ve been asked at least a dozen times in the just shy of two weeks that I’ve been home. Yes I am home for college, yes it is summer, but no I am not staying. I am going very very far away for a very very long time.

I’m going to New Mexico to work at Philmont Scout Ranch as an Environmental Educator in the backcountry. Wait what? Let me rewind and slow down.

Philmont Scout Ranch is near Cimarron, New Mexico. This working ranch doubles as a National High Adventure Base for the Boy Scouts of America. Boy Scouts? Hold on, I’ll get there, stay with me. Philmont covers over 140,000 acres of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (part of the Rocky Mountains). Every summer over 20,000 scouts and adult leaders go on backpacking treks on the ranch and Philmont employs over 1,000 seasonal staff. Those are the basics. Crews of scouts and adults come from all over the country and go on treks.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has a branch called Venture Scouting. Venture Scouting is largely unknown but is a coed option for scouts ages 16 to 21. I have been a Venture Scout since I was 16 and it has allowed me the opportunity to attend BSA events such as the National Boy Scout Jamboree and my own Philmont experience last summer.

My dad has been a Philmont fanatic for as long as I can remember. He went as a participant and followed that with several summers on staff in high school and college. Given that I had heard so much about this seemingly wonderful place, I knew I wanted to go at some point. Jesper and my dad were going with a group from the local troop in the summer of 2015. It was an all-boys group which is obviously the most common. And there was not a Venture (read coed) group going from Zionsville. When you want to go to Philmont but don’t have a group to go with, look no farther than individual treks! Individual treks are options where the group is formed at Philmont. The individual treks are typically longer and are a bit more specialized than regular treks. What do I mean by specialized? The trek that I went on was a 3 week all girls trek through the Conservation department at Philmont. It was called R.O.C.S. (Roving Outdoor Conservation School). I could write for days about that experience, but obviously delightful because I’m going back this summer to (among other things) co-lead that same trek!

So there are the nuts and bolts of where I am going and why I am going. It’s totally up my ally.

I’m leaving on Thursday which means that I’ve had a total of two weeks of summer vacation. I’m leaving before my brother and the rest of the high school finishes school. I won’t be here for graduation parties, the Indy 500, or lazy days by the pool. Leaving is of course bittersweet. This very well might be the most epic summer ever. But I can’t help but to see the distinct parallels between this new adventure and the beginning of college. Lots of young people going to a place where some know what’s going on and some, including myself, don’t. Just lots of unknowns. Of course college ended up being FANTASTIC and I am sure this will be. But it’s all new and a little bit scary.

Let’s do this.

Just a side note: the name of this blog comes from my favorite quote from my favorite movie, Stick It. “I don’t care if this is nuts and I don’t care if it hurts, I’m doing it. I’m going to climb this insanely high mountain. Watch me.”