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Double H
Ranch
High Adventure Base
JULY 2005 - Five scouts and two adult advisors from Troop 162 recently attended the new Double H Ranch High Adventure Base near Datil, New Mexico. This ranch is a 211 square mile area that was bequeathed to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) a few years ago. In turn, the Boy Scouts of America have been invited to use the property on a three-year trial basis for a new high adventure camp. This camp opened in 2004 and has been very successful. If all continues to go well, the BSA hopes to obtain a 25-year agreement with the RMEF.
The trip included a seven-day 40-mile backpacking trip through the Gallinas and Datil Mountains along Highway 60 between Magdalena and Datil in west central New Mexico. The entrance to the ranch was directly across the highway from the Very Large Array radio telescope facility (an excellent side-trip we took after the Double H adventure). Campers were driven from the ranch base to the mountain foothills about 10 miles away. From there, our crew was on their own.
Accompanied by a trained guide, the scouts had to navigate their own paths through the mountains to arrive at a camp area each night. There are very few trails and lots of open space. Everyone gets lost at some point during the trip (we did), but we had detailed maps, several liquid compasses, and a GPS unit for verifying our coordinates. It's amazing how much everyone's orienteering skills improve when mistakes are compounded by the 40 pack on your back!
We pumped and filtered our own water from watering holes strategically located around the property. We carried in all of our supplies and -- in keeping with the tenants of Leave No Trace camping -- carried out every scrap of our trash. The only thing we left behind were our footprints, a little blood and a lot of sweat. Our guide, Nate Foley, was a very skilled and friendly staff member who served as our "insurance policy". He made sure we didn't die and that we kept to our daily itinerary. Otherwise, he stood back and let the scouts run the trip -- a great strategy that ensured we learned a lot and had a great trip.