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Is there anything special (not on the Equipment Lists) that advisors should bring to the Watchu Mountain Adventure?
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What is the check-in time on Friday for the Watchu Mountain Adventure?
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Will crew members wear the full official uniform during the entire Watchu Mountain Adventure?
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When should the permanent Chaplain Aide for the crew be selected?
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Will there be opportunity to fill water containers during the Watchu Mountain Adventure?
1. Is it possible for a crew member to leave the Watchu Mountain Adventure for a short period of time to attend to some other personal commitment?
The structure of the Watchu Mountain Adventure makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a crew member to leave for a short period and return. All crew members are expected to attend the entire weekend, and it should already be blocked out on their calendars.
2. Is it correct that, unlike Philmont, crew equipment such as tents, dining fly, cooking utensils, pots, bear bags and ropes, etc., will NOT be provided for the Watchu Mountain Adventure and must be supplied by each crew?
That is correct, each crew must supply all personal and crew equipment for the Watchu Mountain Adventure, plus a bag meal for Friday evening. In other words, the crew must bring everything specified in the Guidebook to Adventure as "Personal Equipment", "Crew Equipment supplied by the Crew", and "Crew Equipment supplied by Philmont". The only things that will be provided to each crew are fuel and Philmont trail food for meals on Saturday and Sunday.
3. Is there anything special (not on the Equipment Lists) that advisors should bring to the Watchu Mountain Adventure?
Each crew should carry a cell phone throughout the Watchu Mountain Adventure. Upon registering on Friday the cell number will be recorded for use in an emergency.
4. Will copies of the Philmont medical forms be acceptable at the check-in for the Watchu Mountain Adventure, or must originals be used?
At Watchu check-in on Friday evening either the original OR a copy of each crew member’s Philmont Medical Record, with a copy of the front and back of the crew member’s medical insurance card attached, may be presented. All of the crew’s medical records will be sealed in an envelope for safe keeping, to be opened by staff EMTs only in the event of an emergency. A receipt for the envelope and the records presented will be given to the crew Advisor at check-in and the sealed envelope returned upon presentation of the receipt at Watchu check-out on Sunday.
5. Is it possible to turn in something other than a Philmont medical form for a crew member at the Watchu Mountain Adventure?
If it is not possible to have a doctor complete the examination portion of the Philmont Health and Medical Record prior to the Watchu Mountain Adventure, the completed participant portions of the Philmont form (pages 3 and 5) along with a copy of the most recent school or camp physical and copies of the front and back of the crew member’s medical insurance card will be accepted for the weekend.
6. What is the check-in time on Friday for the Watchu Mountain Adventure?
Check in any time between 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Friday, and as early as possible is recommended since Friday night traffic problems on Interstate 80 should be expected. Please arrange to report in as few vehicles as possible, as parking at Watchu Mountain is limited. The program will start immediately upon check-in.
7. Will crew members wear the full official uniform during the entire Watchu Mountain Adventure?
Just as at Philmont, crews will arrive in full official BSA uniform (described in the Uniform Fact Sheet sent with the September family letter and posted on this Web site under 'Trek Preperation'), which will then be worn Friday night and on Sunday. On Saturday, the “uniform of the day” will be trail clothes until dinner, and then the full official BSA uniform for the evening.
8. Since each crew has not selected a permanent Crew Chief (Crew Leader) yet, who should be the Crew Chief during the Watchu Mountain Adventure?
Assuming the crew has been rotating all the crew members through all the assignments, simply continue with the rotation. The crew can observe a few more scouts in the leadership roles during the weekend - one on Friday, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday. All crews are expected to have a permanent Crew Chief (Crew Leader) by the end of the Watchu Mountain Adventure, and time is provided in the schedule for the youth members of the crew to select their youth leader.
9. When should the permanent Chaplain Aide for the crew be selected?
Unlike the Crew Chief (Crew Leader), the crew’s Chaplain Aide should be selected before the Watchu Mountain Adventure. There will be a super program, conducted by a real live Philmont chaplain, for all permanent Chaplain Aides on Saturday morning.
10. Will there be opportunity to fill water containers during the Watchu Mountain Adventure?
Yes, safe drinking water will be available throughout the weekend at the Watchu Mountain Well. While the Philmont process for purifying water will be covered during the Trail of Discovery, the water at Watchu is clean and drinkable and will not need to be purified.
11. Will dinner be at sites with a water source, or will it be a "dry camp" where water must be carried in?
All crew campsites will be "dry camps" within 1/2 mile of a source of water, the Watchu Mountain Well. Crews will be required to transport water from the well to their campsites. As recommended in the Guidebook to Adventure, crews must have crew water containers with at least 5 gallons of capacity (2 collapsible 2-1/2 gallon, or equivalent smaller, containers) in addition to each crew member’s 3 or 4 quarts of personal water containers.
12. Will the hike during the Watchu Mountain Adventure a crew be at least 15 miles, satisfying the requirement for the Backpacking Merit Badge?
No, the hike during the Watchu Mountain Adventure is “only” a tough 8 miles, so the weekend will not qualify as a backpacking trek for purposes of the requirements for Backpacking Merit Badge. However, note that a crew’s Philmont trek can be considered to be a series of separate backpacking treks each of at least 15 miles of at least three days using at least two different campsites for purposes of satisfying the merit badge requirement.
The information on this Web site has not been approved by the Boy Scouts of America or Patriots' Path
Council (NJ), but is provided as a service of the Patriots' Path Council High Adventure Committee
.