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Philmont covers 214 square miles of vast wilderness with trails that climb from 6,500 feet to as high as 12,441 feet. During their trek, Boy Scouts from local Greenwich Troops 35, 10 and 5 hiked 144 miles in 12 days, according to a press release.
The crew leader was Eagle Scout Will Freder from Troop 35, who will be a senior at Greenwich High School in the fall. Other crew members included Elias Boyer, James Gordon, Jamie Heavey, Luke Kaiser, Carlos Maldonado Jr., TJ Peck, Nico Matejak and Eric Parker.
Police Chief Jim Heavey and Carlos Maldonado Sr., both longtime Scoutmasters, served as crew advisers during the trek.
Jane Wiessmann, a U.S. Naval Academy senior midshipman, was a Ranger for the Greenwich contingency’s first few days. Wiessmann was a member of a Greenwich Scouting Venturing Crew as a youth.
The group of Scouts participated in backcountry programs along the way, including rock climbing, and gold prospecting. The trek included a conservation project where the Scouts learned and participated in the upkeep of Philmont’s ecosystem, according to a press release.
Along the trek, Scouts endured tough challenges including backpacking in bear and mountain lion territory, steep climbs, and often-inclement weather.
Photo caption: The crew of Greenwich teenage Scouts and their leaders who went on a summer trek through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, N.M., included crew leader Will Freder, Elias Boyer, James Gordon, Jamie Heavey, Luke Kaiser, Carlos Maldonado Jr., TJ Peck, Nico Matejak and Eric Parker. Police Chief Jim Heavey and Carlos Maldonado Sr. served as adult crew advisers. Jane Wiessmann (center front) was a Ranger for the crew for the first few days of the 12-day trek. Tooth of Time Mountain (9,003 feet) is in the background.
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