Rangers provide a hardy welcome, maneuver through check-in procedures, lead into the wild, train camping methods, and provide stewardship the first four days. Through the course of the summer, the Ranger develops into a specialist establishing youth leadership, backpacking, wilderness affairs, group dynamics, human relations, emergency procedures. The role requires the Ranger to cultivate learning through a positive atmosphere strengthened by the outdoor classroom. There is an unparalleled opportunity to be creative and use methods "outside the box." Rangering is a high demand responsibility, a 24-hour job.
The beginning of each summer, Rangers are provided a framework consisting of a fieldbook, training, and methods. But these tools are not everything needed for the camping season. Rangers have to add life through their own personality and experience. Rangers defined are budding adults with variety and distinctiveness. The department exudes group spirit. The opportunity to serve as a Ranger is a small window, though abides throughout life. Their impact reaches thousands.
Philmont's mountains have drawn young people seeking adventure since the end of the Great Depression. The old West—the West of untrammeled forests, rugged canyonlands, expansive skies, and exposure to weather and wild creatures—becomes real in this place called Philmont. The experience is the outdoors, the program, and the people. The outdoors is our classroom, the program is the method. People are integral, bringing to life values and relationships to be cherished for a lifetime.
In the Beginning
Opened in 1939, Philmont was initially known as Philturn Rocky Mountain Scout Camp, in honor of benefactor, Waite Phillips, and his "good turn" to Scouting. For the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the vision for the camping operation was to develop self-reliance in a western setting where wildlife abounds and nature's wonders challenge the imagination. Phillips foresaw that participants would have the same experiences as "the pioneer forefathers who established the traditions and historical background of this high country."A dusty road lined with sagebrush and Ponderosa pine leads to Five Points Base Camp in Ponil Canyon—a place known today simply as "Ponil." Philturn offered two camping options. The first was a general wilderness camping experience. Senior troops chose a location to serve as their encampment. Participants used their own canvas tents and gear and developed their personal programs. Once established in a campsite, the group was encouraged to engage in service projects to further benefit the development of Philturn. Projects included trail improvement and the building of overlooks. A promotional brochure from the period promoted one-day hikes to the old logging camp on Wilson Mesa, a hike to North Ponil Canyon to view the Indian petroglyphs on the canyon wall, or an overnight hike to the top of any of the many ridges from which sunset and sunrise would provide real inspiration.
A second option was a special twelve-day exploration trip. The program included formal instruction in burro packing and backpacking, horseback riding, and cooking. Two days of provisions were issued for a trip up to a canyon camp where a special horseback trip took participants to the top of a ridge. The following day, Scouts learned about the Indian petroglyphs. On the fifth day crews returned to Five Points to load a chuck wagon with enough provisions for a four-day trip to another part of the camp. In the evening, the wagon master cooked a cowboy chuckwagon meal. The following days were spent exploring the vacant structures on Wilson Mesa or panning for gold in the South Ponil Creek. Returning to Five Points, forest and animal life exploration completed the program.
Philturn Becomes Philmont
Due to the proven stewardship during the first three summers, Phillips graciously donated a larger tract of land to the south. In 1942 the name was changed to Philmont, appropriately acknowledging "all the mountains" he gave Scouting.In the years that followed a trail system was created, connecting outlying camps scattered over the property. Staffed outposts were developed to offer uncommon Western programs. Unstaffed camps offered solitude under the Rocky Mountain sky. Starting in the late 1940s, staff members known as guides accompanied groups during their entire time on the trail. Most were high school students who served without pay. Groups visiting the ranch during this era typically were from neighboring states, and attendance numbers were generally low.
By the mid-1950s, the ranch offered six standard programs. The wagon train was a "deluxe" experience offering a chuck wagon trip, horseback riding, hiking, burro packing, fly-fishing, geology, forestry, and even hunting with a rifle. Northbound and Southbound treks lasted three weeks, with burros carrying bedding and food over well-traveled routes. Cavalcades were 6-day excursions on horseback. The Kit Carson trek was promoted as "A real Explorer experience, rugged all the way." The objective was to summit five mountain peaks in 8 days. The Lucien Maxwell trek was a 10-day trip named for the "Baron of the Old West," who owned the vast Maxwell Land Grant encompassing present-day Philmont and the surrounding region. The program revolved around game management and offered participants the opportunity to study wild animals. The Ranch Pioneering Trek was a 21-day experience based on service to Philmont; groups performed tasks related to ranch, farm, and livestock management.
In 1955, groups started from three base camps—Ponil in the north, Cimarroncito in the center, and Carson-Maxwell in the south. Here meals were served in a dining hall, and each crew received training from an assigned staff member. Trail skills taught to participants included axemanship, fire-building, cooking, camp-making, backpacking, foot care, camp sanitation, and baking with Dutch ovens and reflector ovens. On the fourth day, crews learned what each section of the ranch had to offer in order to layout an itinerary. Each crew had the option to camp in one spot all week or hike to a different camp each day.
Trial and error were integral to the growing program. Ranch administration experimented with another idea in 1956, allowing groups to hike in the backcountry without much formal training. The thought was that Scouts who came to Philmont were typically older and should be seasoned campers. A small number of roving rangers patrolled the backcountry, giving direction and assistance to the groups they encountered.
The outcome was largely chaotic with crews often separated, disoriented, and prone to negligent accidents. The backcountry at this time more closely resembled a wilderness area, in the sense that it lacked the physical improvements, staffing, and programs that crews encounter today. Clearly a new plan was needed before the next camping season.
Beginnings of the Ranger Staff
Part of the challenge to Philmont's managers stemmed from a steady increase in participation. During the off-season, Philmont professionals toured the nation, visiting local councils to convey the Philmont story and promote attendance. By this time, travel to the remote location was easier and attendance increased significantly. Stays of three weeks or more were no longer practical, and the ranch could hardly afford to have a staff member remain with each crew for the duration of its visit.In the fall of 1956, the Director of Camping Jack Rhea tackled the challenge of developing a program to properly train crews. He created a committee of senior staff members to brainstorm a solution. A key volunteer selected was Clarence E. Dunn, an elementary school principal from Arlington, Texas, who had served on staff since 1945. For the last several seasons, Dunn had served as personnel administrator for seasonal staff, selecting applicants to work at the ranch. The committee spent extensive time studying available camping areas, crew needs, and other challenges. One conclusion of the committee was to develop expeditions, in which crews could continue to plan their own itineraries, but with better guidance and organization from the staff.
According to Rhea, "As numbers grew the need for more staff increased. We could not find enough qualified applicants from areas we had been using. Philmont became better known all over the Scouting movement and we began to get applications from many places. The major problem now was that many of the better qualified Scouts could not afford the cost of transportation to the ranch. So we decided to start paying our staff members. When this happened we began to find older, more experienced Scouts and some adults applying for positions."
Retired attorney Bill Dailey from Moline, Illinois, remembered being encouraged by his Scout executive to apply for the 1957 staff. "I had been on the local council camp staff for five summers and after encouragement was elated to be accepted as a Ranger. I had been a camper in 1952 and was familiar with the organized trek routine. The ranch wanted to develop a concept that allowed flexibility and a quicker entry into the backcountry. Of course the theory of it all and the long range objective were not all that certain or understood when we began the summer."
E. O. "Buzz" Clemmons joined the ranch administration as the Director of Program and took on the task of screening applications and hiring staff. Dunn understood the ranch operation and the importance of properly led and equipped expeditions. As an educator, he also understood the needs of youth. A second conclusion by the committee was that young men with strong Scouting backgrounds would be able to relate well to participants and had an opportunity to be positive role models. "It was decided to call this new department Rangers. I know of no special reason why this name was chosen," remarked Rhea.
Clarence Dunn was selected to lead the new department and was given the title Chief Ranger, a position he held through 1970. Dunn selected, trained, and supervised the Rangers. He selected Assistant Chief Rangers to help administer the department. As he observed the results, the positive impact of the Ranger program was evident.
Much was expected of Philmont's Rangers. Training in the backcountry emphasized outdoor camping methods, Dutch oven cooking, use of map and compass, emergency response and treatment of simple medical problems, and general camp procedures. Dailey recalled, "We were told to help crews plan their trip, get them to the backcountry, conduct prescribed training procedures on cooking, hiking, axemanship, and move out to the training camps. We usually planned for a horseback ride the first day before hitting the trail."
The preferred backpack was the "Bearpaw." "The front folded down and the sides opened from the middle to each side," Dailey explained. "The sleeping bag was folded and placed against the back of the pack. The sides of the pack were then strapped across the bag. The bottom front of the pack then was folded up and over and strapped to the top part of the frame using a diamond hitch. A top flap then folded over the top. There were loops to store an axe along the side. We didn't use hip belts or even pads on the shoulder straps. Eventually I scrounged some sponge rubber and sewed some pads to the straps."
Another charter Ranger was the late David Jung, who reminisced about that first summer: "As Rangers we were told we would be responsible for everything that happened to an expedition for the first 4-5 days, starting the moment crews arrived. We would see to registration, completion of health re-checks, tent city assignments, camping gear rentals and when necessary mail delivery. Itinerary planning was to be completed with the trip planners before leaving headquarters. I had prior staff experience and was designated as a Training Ranger. We were responsible for the special training that involved Ranger responsibilities."
Ranger training was conducted in the Ponil Canyon. In addition to Dunn and Rhea, the training staff included ranch legends Doc Loomis and Ray Bryan. Doc Higgins and Wes Klusman from the national office also participated. Klusman was the Director of Camping for the Boy Scouts of America, a gregarious campfire leader, and a legend of sorts in Scouting. According to collected archives, the first day's training consisted of a shakedown and a conditioning hike. The second day the entourage hiked to Pueblano, followed by a cross-country hike to Dan Beard on the third day. Camping skills training continued, and on the fourth day the group hiked back to old Five Points for a buffalo banquet preceding a return to Camping Headquarters.
Recalled Jung, "Everyone recognized that the new Ranger program was important, probably the most important activity going on at the ranch that year. Close attention was paid by all involved."
Dailey recalled that after camp opened someone went to Raton and returned with a cowboy hat. "Soon most all of us got one and it became the symbol of the Ranger along with our axes. One of the Rangers from Texas ran across a tin star with Texas Ranger on it. He filed the word Texas off, leaving the word Ranger. We then did the same and ended up wearing the cowboy hat with the "Ranger" star on the front. The star I wore is at the Seton Museum." Based on recollection of original Rangers, many traditions familiar to Rangers are traceable to those early years.
Dailey reminisced about trail meals, consisting mostly of dehydrated items. "The trail menu was the same and not rotated. Consequently we had to eat the same food all summer. It wasn't long before we couldn't take it anymore. We began to carry canned food, peaches, and even meat. Later in the summer we would supervise the preparation of the meal, have a taste to be sociable, then sneak off and eat some ‘real food.' At the end of the season I carried cans of hamburgers and onions. I would open the hamburger can and put it on the fire and dice up the onion into the can. I lived on the combination for the last three weeks."
From the outset, Rangers became motivators, preparing campers for the rugged experience ahead, both physically and mentally. Over the course of that first summer, Rangers began tracking their crews and took pride in the ability of "their" crews to finish what they had started with no loss of crew members.
Renowned artist Norman Rockwell's painting, "High Country", was rendered during a visit to Philmont Scout Ranch. The canvas shows six young men prepared for the great outdoors and headed towards the Tooth of Time. The painting was presented in 1957, the year the ranger department was organized.