Our Crater Lake (“Contained”) Campfire at Philmont

Posted on July 2, 2018July 2, 2018 by Matt Todd

When I worked at Philmont Scout Ranch in the Summer of 1996, it was horribly hot and dry. We encountered drought-like conditions in northeastern New Mexico that summer. In the days before backcountry staff scattered to our respective camps, there was a lot of discussion about the drier than usual heat we were experiencing. We talked about First Aid, emphasizing the signs and treatment of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. We talked about fire safety. And it was emphasized that we needed to remain extra-vigilant because the entire ranch was basically sitting on a tinderbox, just waiting to go up in flames.

This was a far cry from the previous year. During my 1995 backcountry campaign at Beaubien, we were concerned about hypothermia. And flash flooding. And trying to keep our firewood dry. We half-jokingly referred to that summer as “Monsoon Season.” Everything was wet. We did have the occasional dry spell. And we took advantage of that.

Not so in 1996. Shortly after we scattered and campers had begun to arrive, conditions continued to worsen. Things got so bad that the governor of New Mexico instituted a ban on all open flames. No open flames meant no fire in the campfire bowl. How were we supposed to have our “Nightly Company Meetin’” if we didn’t have a campfire?

Andy, like a good engineer, came up with a solution. We simply put a small fire in a small, metal, portable bucket. The fire was contained within the bucket. We also had two buckets full of water nearby, just in case. I don’t know if our contained fire officially passed muster under the ban of “open” flames, but it sure appeared that way to us.

Now that Philmont is on fire for a second time this season, I’m not entirely sure if our “contained” campfire was the wisest decision on our part. But that was more than 20 years ago, I guess. So I’m not sure if it’s really worth getting worked up about now. That being said, I hope all current and future Philmont backcountry staffers follow both the letter and the spirit of a fire ban, even if we might not have entirely followed its spirit. Because it hurts my heart to see images of Scouting Paradise threatened by wildfire. Again.

I can’t imagine how disappointed the crews are. They had been looking forward to their June treks at Philmont all year long. For many, this was a once-in-a-lifetime event. And the Ute Park Fire forced Philmont leadership to suspend all backcountry treks in June and half of July. That had to be an agonizing decision. But I think we can all agree that it was the right decision.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t stink, though. Because it does. It stinks for everyone involved.

In an attempt to, perhaps, shine a little bit of sunshine on this understandably gloomy time, I’ve managed to dig up some files from our Crater Lake Company Meetin’ (“Contained”) Campfire Extravaganza.

Fox on the Run

Fire on the Mountain

Georgetown

I understand that the current crop of backcountry staffers could run circles around us with their musicianship. I like to think, though, that we held our own as we blazed the (contained) campfire trail for future campfires. Even if we didn’t, we had one heck of a good time. So did the audience.

I hope you did, too.

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Matt Todd

Howdy. I'm Matt. My wife, Christy, and I have four kids and two dogs, I'm passionate about orphan care. I'm a die-hard fan of the Evansville Aces, the Indiana Hoosiers, and Star Wars. I'm trying to live life by the Todd family motto: "It behooves us to live!"