A Philmont crew stopping for a photo break
along the trail. Baldy Mountain is
in the background.

 Key items have been pulled together on this page so you can quickly and easily see what the Watchu Experience and Philmont are about.

Patriots’ Path Council sends crews to Philmont Scout Ranch near Cimarron in Northern New Mexico each year. Your Watchu/Philmont Experience includes 18-months of preparation, a tour of the front range of the Colorado Rockies, rafting the Arkansas River, and twelve days backpacking at Philmont. A number of Awards and Recognitions are available to participants in the Watchu Experience and a Philmont trek.

Adult Scouters from Patriots' Path Council also participate in Philmont's Autumn Adventure program, enjoying the splendor of the backcountry virtually by themselves.

Many documents on this site are PDFs that require Adobe Reader. You can download the free software by clicking on the Adobe icon below.
To insure all participants achieve maximum benefit offered by Philmont, a 18-month "get ready" program is provided. This is a time of fun teenage scouting and high adventure preparation called the Watchu Experience. Throughout the 18 months crews and their families experience the exciting anticipation, preparation, and training phase of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The Watchu Experience includes monthly crew and family gatherings, four Advisor Briefings, and a May weekend of crew self-evaluation called the Watchu Mountain Adventure.

The Watchu Experience is nationally recognized and has been featured in magazine articles:

While a Philmont trek is expensive, no Scout, Venturer or Scouter should allow the cost to be a barrier to participation. Earning and saving money a little at a time now for that great adventure a few years down the Scouting trail is the way to make it become a reality. Scouts Pay Their Way has some great fundraising suggestions. Many troops and crews keep individual Scout Accounts for High Adventure and other Scout activities, or you can open your own account at the family bank. Members of Patriots’ Path Council needing further financial assistance should file a Warren Wheeler Adventureship Request.

Philmont Scout Ranch is the Boy Scouts of America's premier high adventure base.  Located near Cimarron, New Mexico, it is over 137,000 acres (214 square miles) of mountain wilderness.  More than 22,000 Scouts and Scouters trek there each summer from throughout the United States and around the world for a once-in-a-lifetime backpacking adventure.

Individual Scouts, Venturers, and Scouters can apply to be a member of a Patriots' Path Council Philmont contingent crew either the coming summer or the year after.  Patriots' Path Council units can apply by mid-January to be included in a lottery held at the end of the month to allocate crews in Philmont contingents the summer of the following year.
Patriots' Path Council has had contingents of adults traveling to Philmont for Autumn Adventure. This program provides a great opportunity for adults to get a jump on what Philmont is all about. Participants will learn valuable backpacking and backcountry skills from seasoned Watchu and Philmont veterans. Philmont's Autumn Adventure is an excellent program for Scouting and Venturing adult leaders looking to participate in a future Philmont trek. In 2012, Patriots' Path Council Scouting Alumni and Executive Board are sponsoring a tour of New Mexico and Philmont.  As outlined in Item #12 of the instructions, the Philmont portion could be combined with an Autumn Adventure.  If you might be interested in either the tour or an Autumn Adventure, click HERE to request more information.
In addition to our Philmont contingent crews, Patriots' Path Council's High Adventure Committee is promoting opportunities at other bases in the region and around the country. Click on a link below for information about a specific program.
  • Sabattis Adventure Camp, Long Lake, New York - hike and canoe treks at Patriots' Path's own high adventure base in the Adirondack Mountains

  • Florida Sea Base, Islamorada, Florida - Sailing, scuba, and fishing adventures in the Florida Keys

  • Northern Tier Bases, Ely, Minnesota - canoe treks in the Boundary Waters wilderness and Canada

  • Summit Bechtel Reserve (SBR) - West Virginia, BSA's newest high adventure base, opening after the 2013 National Jamboree.

An unfortunate truth is that every year Scouts, Venturers or Scouters who plan to participate in a Philmont trek are unable to do so. The Refund Policy for Patriots' Path High Adventure activities describes the procedures for the possible return of money paid prior to canceling.

All participants in Philmont crews are expected to travel with the contingent, as outlined in the Travel Policy for Patriots' Path High Adventure activities.

Content 8