Program is the Philmont word for staff lead activities. Program can be anything depending on what camp the participant arrive at on any particular day of their trek. Rock climbing, black powder shooting, tomahawk throwing, gold panning, spar pole climbing, logging, horseback riding, mountain biking - these are all programs found at Philmont.

At Clark's Fork, our program is full blown Western Lore. If cowboys did it back then, we do it now. This means we act and dress like cowboys. We wear jeans and flannel shirts with boots and big hats (belt buckles optional). As a cowboy camp, we have the following program daily:
Horseback riding - Every day at 9 and 1, the Wranglers at Clark's take out up to 20 participants on a 2 hour trail ride. Crews sign up for the trail ride in advance and make sure to arrive at Clark's by their scheduled time. There is no open riding. The ride is relatively calm and slow with horses walking the trail in a single file line.

The best part about trail rides is helping kids get on their horse. These horses are not the horses you see in the movies, that people just jump right on. These are more or less wild horses for 9 months of the year, that we ride for the 3 summer months. So these are huge horses and getting on them takes a good deal of work. You have to bounce and jump and really pull yourself up. And kids typically don't get that. Also some kids are only 14 and they are small anyway, so there is no way they are getting onto this huge horse. So we throw them up there. It is funny to watch.

Chuck wagon dinner - A chuck wagon is a wooden wagon that would accompany folks going west or cowboys on a long stay in the fields. This wagon carried supplies which basically consisted of all the food and cooking equipment. Since our program at Clark's consists of doing everything cowboys do, we lead the participants in making their own chuck wagon dinner. This is a big treat for crews who sign up for the dinner since they have been eating dehydrated food for 10 days straight. This is typically the best meal they will eat on the trail.

Our dinner is stew and biscuits. We cook the stew in a big pot over a fire. Biscuits are baked in Dutch ovens (link) over hot coals. The participants help make the stew (for a can actually, so really just help open the cans) and prepare the biscuit batter. They build and tend the fire. Campers are also in charge of cleaning up after the meal is over. The PCs supervise the entire event which typically last about 4 hours start to finish. Chuck Wagon Shelter below.


Branding - One of the best things about stopping at a Western Lore camp is the opportunity to brand your boots. Nothing is more manly than pulling a hot iron from the fire and scorching some leather in the imprint of the Philmont brands. The state of New Mexico requires that all horses and cattle be branded with brand of their respective ranch. Philmont has two brands: Bar P Crazy S, the cattle brand, and Slash Crazy S, the horse brand.

Every hour, a PC in charge of branding for the day will hold a demonstration on how to brand. Participant listen to some history and general information then a safety demonstration about branding. Then they grab some gloves, pop off their boots, and go crazy. Brands are heated in a fire which they build and tend. They may brand any item they like, so long as it does not have a pulse. I have seen kids successfully brand many things: boots, belts, walking sticks, heavier weave shirts, hats. I have also seen kids try to brand many items un-successfully: t-shirts, waterbottles, canteens, plastic things, bandanas, and food. No participant has ever been hurt on my watch or at Clark's Fork while I was working but there is a story about a kid who tried to brand his arm. It did not go well.





Campfire - Every night just after sun down, the staff puts on a cowboy campfire. We typically have a few guitars, a fiddle, washboard, spoons, and a lot of vocal power (not always in the right key or at the right pitch and sometimes not even the right words). We tell stories, sing songs, throw out the occasional poem, and just basically have fun. Typical songs may include: The Gambler (everyone loves), Lonesome Dove, Night Rider's Lament, Ghostriders, The Real West, This Cowboys Hat, Just Can't See Them From the Road, Amarillo by Morning, and many many others. Most of the time there is a rough outline of what we will be doing and who will be talking next. Sometimes we just make it up as we go. Every campfire ends with an emotional closing and the Philmont Hymn.

Roping - Roping demos are given all day long whenever anyone asks. All PCs are taught how to rope and we constantly practice. We will show staffers how to rope properly then let them have at all the roping dummies in our front yard. Kids roping below.


Horse shoes - I am not sure if cowboys actually played horseshoes, but we do. We have 2 or 3 sets and someone is typically playing at all hours of the day. By the end of the summer, I am pretty good at "throwin shoes" yet hate the sounds of the shoe hitting the pole.

Porch Talks - Not really considered "program," one PC is in charge of sitting on the porch all day and making sure we welcome incoming crews and escort them to their campsite. This person also invites the crew onto our porch and spends 5-10 minutes reviewing all the camps program and laying out any ground rules or safety warnings.

Staff Chess Challenge - Invented by yours truly, I challenge any camper who would like to play a game of chess. The last summer I was there, I played over 200 games of chess and lost about 9. I'll have to check the scorecard. I still have it somewhere (and I will be sure to keep this seasons score card as well). Kids playing some chess below.


Click on Clarks Fork for a run down of one crews day and a few pictures as well.
BSA Troop675.org Philmont pages