Backcountry tips from the ranch
Iwas 16 when I took my first airplane ride. At Dulles International Airport in suburban Washington, D.C., I boarded a plane with 50 other teenage boys and our adult chaperones, ready for what we all thought would be the time of our lives. The plane landed in Denver and a charter bus took us the rest of the way to Philmont Scout Ranch, the high-adventure base owned by the Boy Scouts of America near Cimarron.
The experience lived up to everything it promised and more. There’s a part of me that still lives there.
Preparation for a 12-day backpacking trip through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, amid wild animals (deer, bears, mountain lions and rattlesnakes, to name a few), was intense. To counter the changes in altitude, months prior to the trip, we had a weekly cardio regimen. We learned how to drink water, as if we somehow didn’t know how to do that already. And we learned how to keep those critters away from your campsite.
Inspired by that trip — and a great many others that have occurred since that seminal expedition — here are some tips that can keep you safe in the backcountry.
Hydration: It goes without saying that whenever you’re in the backcountry, you should have plenty of water. But the average person is completely unaware of when they are dehydrated. Begin your trek into the wilderness with a few good swigs of your water source. We used to call it “watering up.” Drier climates mean the air is thirsty for moisture — including yours. Most experts recommend drinking about a liter of water an hour while hiking. A quick way to determine hydration levels is to check the color of your urine: clear is a pass, dark yellow means it’s time to drink more.
First aid: Conditions can be unpredictable in the backcountry, and accidents happen. A first-aid kit should be an essential part of any trek. At the very least, carry a few bandages, some Neosporin ointment and Band-Aids for minor cuts and scrapes.
Take a breather: Though it’s cliché to say “stop and smell the roses,” breaks are important
while hiking. Not only is dehydration a factor, but hiking at altitude can have tremendous consequences for the physiologically unprepared.
Sun protection: For those not accustomed to hiking in mountains like the Sangre de Cristos, you are blessed with shade in some areas and no shade in other areas. The likelihood of sunburn is greater the higher you go. Widebrimmed hats are perfect for keeping the sun out of your eyes and off your face. Choose a sunblock of SPF 30 or higher and apply liberally throughout the day.
Fire: Most of the federally protected lands in Northern New Mexico have very strict fire restrictions. Last year’s wildfires created tens of thousands of acres of damage, including at Philmont. Where permitted, use approved fire pits. If you must build a fire without a fire pit, build up a rock wall about two feet high and clear all brush within 10 feet of the ring. Be aware of branches from overhanging trees. If you don’t have gallons of water available to put out the fire, don’t start it. And never leave a fire unattended.
Critters: Anything that could be classified as “smellable” should be in air-tight containers while in the backcountry. And leave the deodorant at home. Bears can track a scent for up to two miles, even longer if the winds are right. The last thing you want to do is attract a bear because you left an open Nutri-Grain bar in your backpack and then went exploring (that actually happened, but not to me, thank goodness). If camping overnight, secure all smellables and hoist them up in a tree no fewer than 10 yards away from your campsite.
Be “conservation minded:” The following comes from the Outdoor Code of the Boy Scouts. In its entirety: “As an American, I will do my best to: (1) be clean in my outdoor manners, (2) be careful with fire, (3) be considerate in the outdoors, and (4) be conservation minded.” They seem like great words to live by, even after the memories of scouting and Philmont have long since faded.