Saturday, June 26th (Day 1)

6:00 AM
The lights came on at 5:30 this morning. Rise and Shine! I've already rolled up my sleeping bag and am now waiting for Mr. Perkins to come back with donuts. We'll be leaving for Philmont soon-ish (I'm not sure exactly when); it will be an hour to an hour-and-a-half drive is what I'm told. I'm already starting to drink as much water as I can. Oh, and the sunrise is beautiful over the mountains.

Note to any future Philmont travelers: take a cot and a second sleeping bag (not the one you'll be taking on the trail); you'll be glad you did!

9:34 AM
Wow, ain't it pretty here!?! We just got to our tents in Tent City, where we can see the Tooth of Time. Our Trail Guide's name is Keith, and he'll be hiking with us the first couple of days. Currently we're sitting by the health lodge finishing up our medical rechecks. It feels so nice right now. My sunglasses broke in the trailer... darn it!
I'll say it a lot, but I really can't share in writing how beautiful it is there. Keith was an awesome ranger, who really knew what he was doing (he even trained other rangers); it was great having him help us get started.

1:55 PM
Boy isn't waiting fun! Right now my crew is standing in the shade while we wait for food and equipment. I've agreed to be the crew's chaplain's aide. From what I understand, I'll be leading grace and a few devotions during the trek. The mess hall wasn't disappointing; hot dogs (not the nasty kind), beans, chips, and pudding was for lunch. I'm anxious to get to the trading post.

In a Philmont crew, there are three youth leadership positions: Crew Leader, Chaplain's Aide, and Wilderness Guia (pronounced 'Gee-uh'... their job is to teach and enforce Leave No Trace principles).