BSA Troop 1116 Sugar Land, Texas

Our Mini-Philmont weekend at Hamman Scout Ranch near Bandera, texas was a great success. The weather was a challenge that we met and met well. We got some good lessons on equipment selection and use in the AM. After lunch we hiked approximately 5 miles back to Spring Lake near the Hill Country State Natural Area. Our weekend training paid off and we were one of the first groups to make camp. Being first, we got one of the better spots. After setting up the tents some prepared dinner while others explored around the camp. We also setup a dining fly where we could cook and eat if the freezing rain started before dinner was complete. We lucked out and dinner was dry. After dinner, some of the boys went right to bed while a few others experimented with reconfiguring the dining fly. By 7:00 PM EVERYONE was inside their sleeping bags and by 8:30 we were all asleep. It takes a lot of energy to stay warm in freezing temps and most of us slept till 6:00 or 7:00 the next morning.




It got colder during the night and there was some freezing rain. Water bottles we left out had ice in them and the dining fly had a thin layer of ice on it. So did much of the vegetation. Tents weren't as bad due to the heat from inside. We broke camp by 8:20 and headed back to Hamman HQ. There was quite a bit of discussion about which trails to take and a couple of instances of backtracking but we madit back by 10:00 AM just as planned. We drove to Boerne for brunch at the Whataburger. Everyone was ravenous. We will be going back to Hamman again before Philmony so those who missed it will have a second chance. Beautiful country and excellent hills.

Here is part of your training schedule. The dates are Saturdays from
now on out. The numbers are the distances we will walk/run together
each Saturday. You are on your own for the rest of the week.

Here are the details for this Saturday Feb 4th.

Who: You (Philmont trekers)
What: 1:15 hour work out :15 minute meeting. You will need
appropriate clothing and shoes for running outdoors. We work out in
all types of weather (excepting thunderstorms). Be prepared. You will
want to wear running shoes rather than boots this time. Also bring a
towel and a water bottle you can carry in your hand.
Where: First Colony Aquatic Center
When: 7:00 AM sharp If you are early you are on time, if you are on
time you are late, if you are late you will be left.
Why: Because it is fun. (It should prepare you for Philmont too).

If you have questions, email (preferred) or call me.

PT Schedule
Date Miles
Jan 28th 3.6
Feb 4th 3.6
Feb 11th 4
Feb 18th 5 (17th - 19th Mini-Philmont at Hamman)
Feb 25th 6
Mar 4th 10
Mar 11th 8 (10th - 13th Backpacking w/ Troop extended to Monday)
Mar 18th 12
Mar 25th 8
Apr 1st 15.5 (Mar 31st - Apr 2nd Campout at Huntsville State Park
"Hogs Hunt Trail Run/Walk")
Apr 8th 7
Apr 15th 7
Apr 22nd 7
April 28th - 30th (Cope Course Weekend)


During the Week
Aerobic training - Each trekker needs to be getting at minimum 3 x :30 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. Aerobic exercise includes running, brisk walking (:15 min/mile), swimming, biking (12 mph or faster), and anything which elevates your heart rate significantly.
Strength training - Each trekker should be doing pushups, situps, leg-lifts, etc. three times per week. These exercises strengthen your core muscle groups. A strong core helps you carry the backpack.

We finally got in. After years of waiting we have a trek scheduled for Mon, June 26th, 2006 thru Sat July 8th. More updates later.

The trip to Colorado was a fantastic success. Most of us are ready to go back now and don't want to wait for next year. Here are some photos from our trip to PHAB.

The first picture is of our trip up Mount Peck near the Continental Divide and Monarch Pass. We took a gondola ride up from Monarch Pass (elev. 11,400) for a fantastic view. From there we hiked down to the Continental Divide Trail and then up 700 feet in elevation to the peak. We all signed the logbook. It was a tough hike for our first day in Colorado.


The second photo is our group ready to start on what we thought was a 4 mile hike with packs to a beaver pond for an afternoon of fishing. It was over 10 miles and we got there about 4:00 PM. The fishing was great though, those that participated caught lots of little trout. The hike out was supposed to be about 2 miles and turned out to be 6. Everyone made it though.



Our other activity was two days of white water rafting on the Arkansas River. The first day we did Browns Canyon. On Friday the troop went to Parkdale where the river was much less technical and more fun. I think everyone liked rafting the best.

You need to have good hiking socks before you purchase new boots. You'll want to be wearing your hiking socks when you try on the boots. I have had pretty good luck with Thorlo brand. The scout shop sells Boy Scout hiking socks (made by Thorlo) for about $12.00. Oshman's, Academy, and REI sell Thorlo hikers for about the same price. The socks you get should not have ANY cotton in them. Orlon is a good synthetic, wool is a good natural fiber.

Another strategy is to wear two socks on each foot. A thin pair of wicking synthetic fiber like polypropylene against the skin with a thicker, usually wool sock over that. The idea is that the inner sock wicks the moisture away from your foot and into the outer sock where it can evaporate.


I have gone on some fairly long runs with very wet feet. One run in San Antonio had about 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the trail under 2 inches to 2 feet of water. I ran the whole thing (just under 8 hours) without any blisters wearing the Thorlo thick running socks. I changed into dry socks halfway through but they were wet again within minutes.

Here is my training plan. There are two goals to this plan.

1) Build leg and back muscle strength.
2) Build aerobic capacity.

We start out small and build up. Here are the basics:

Each workout during the week is :30 minutes. We'll do three workouts
during the week. That's 1:30 minutes each week. These workouts can be
accomplished on our own. Each weekend we'll do a longer workout together
and push the distance and weight up. The first week will go like this:

Monday :30 min walk
Tuesday :30 min walk in boots with mostly empty pack
Wednesday off
Thursday :30 min fast walk
Friday off
Saturday 3 mile walk
Sunday off

Subsequent weeks will push the pace and/or the weight on the 30 minute
workouts. We'll try and get up to 10 miles with full pack on the final
weekend. The progression will go like this:

May 14 3 miles
May 21 5 miles
May 28 5 miles w/ light pack
Jun 04 6 miles w/ light pack
Jun 11 5 miles w/ med pack
Jun 18 7 miles w/ med pack
Jun 25 5 miles w/ heavy pack
Jul 02 8 miles w/ heavy pack
Jul 09 10 miles w/ heavy pack


Obviously we can be flexible. The more we do, the easier the trip will
be. Altitude will be a factor so we need to train aerobically. Biking
and swimming will help as will stair climbing.

We will be hiking in the Rocky Mountains this July. I know what I am doing to train for this trip. What are your plans? If you want some help just ask.