Troop 63 Scouts complete Philmont Cavalcade

A crew of Boy Scouts from BSA Troop 63, Canterbury UMC, recently completed an eight-day Philmont Cavalcade, riding horses through the rugged mountain wilderness of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico, like the famous trappers who first explored the West. The following Scouts and adult advisors successfully completed the Cavalcade: John Corley (crew leader), Grant Blackwell (chaplain’s aide), Daniel Carmichael (Wilderness Pledge guia), Beck Corley, Edward Cobb, Drew Dickerson, Conner Hudson, Ethan Gonzalez and Stuart Jinnette, along with adult advisors Dudley Dickerson, Steve Jinnette, Joe Hudson, Troy Carmichael, Tony Gonzalez and Phillip Corley.

The group of Scouts and their advisors carried everything they needed to survive during the Cavalcade on horses while riding for hours each day from camp to camp. During the trek, Scouts endured tough challenges including riding, hiking and camping in bear and mountain lion territory, steep climbs, and inclement weather. The final day of the Cavalcade included a competition at an equestrian gymkhana. 

Philmont covers 214 square miles of wilderness with trails that climb from 6,500 to 12,441 feet in elevation and is the Boy Scouts of America’s premier high adventure camp.

– Submitted by Phillip Corley.