Elevation: 7,015 ft
GPS coordinates: W 104 58 51.67 N 36 36 21.28 

Temperatures: High 82 degrees - Low 63 degrees 

Six Mile Gate to Anasazi

1.5 Miles

Total: 1.5 Miles

Anasazi     images

        Anasazi Camp was our first destination on TREK 2.  Only a short 1.5 miles from where the yellow Philmont bus dropped us at 6 mile gate.  Since our bus time was 10:00 am  we were not the first crew to reach camp.  What seemed to be the nicest campsite was already occupied.  Our Ranger, Jamie Carpenter, pointed out other possible camp sites.  We were able to pick from three other sites all with similar terrain and shade.  We agreed on campsite #5, which was relatively close to the bear tree and still close enough to the Red Roof Inn.  Jamie explained that the "Bear Tree" refers to two trees with a steel cable stretched between them.  The bear bags (nylon potato sacks) are to be filled with the crews food and any "smellables". The bags would then be suspended out of reach of the resident bears; However, also out of reach of the crew members.  Jamie explained that smellables are classified as anything that emits an odor a bear can smell and will investigate.  Bears have a nose that is about 100 times more sensitive a humans. The "smellables" include items such as toothpaste, soap, tissue paper, etc. and it even includes any water bottle that has contained any mixed drink.  Once the bear bags are hung and anything useful  for personal hygiene is unreachable the next project begins; erectin the dining fly.  The dining fly is used to protect the backpacks from the rain.  Our crew brought our own tarp, a 10 ft by 12 ft silnylon tarp made of 1.1 oz. rip stop material.  Jamie explained the Bear Triangle theory.  The triangle is created by the three points of interest a bear is most likely to visit first,  second and third, the Sump, the Backpacks and then the Bear bags.  Since bear traffic will most likely be in the triangle area it is suggested that the tents be erected away from the bear triangle.

      Lunch time, the crew gets a taste of the first trail meal.  Having enough water is always a concern when backpacking.  Will there be any at the destination?  How much should one carry?  Most Philmont staffed camps have purified water, but the trail camps have either a well of untreated water or they are dry camps "No Water".  Anasazi is a trail camp with a well of untreated water.  Jamie demonstrated the use of iodine tablets to purify the drinking water.  The crew filled all of their Nalgene bottles and treated them with iodine tablets. A water pump was also sufficient to purify the water.  On the way back from camp we came across our first form of wildlife --  a two foot rattlesnake, it crossed the path and disappeared into the bushes.  No one volunteered to follow the snake to get a good picture. 

     The crew was instructed in the use of the "red roof inns".  The red roof inns are the pit toilets provided for use at most of the camps.  The structure contains two side by side seats with an enclosure around the perimeter with a red roof.  The camps that did not have the inns, provided quite a different approach. An open air pit toilet named "pilot/bombardier", which sported two seats back to back and no enclosure.  

       The supper meal at Philmont is the only meal which requires cooking and in most cases can be cooked in one pot.  We carried two 8 quart pots for cooking and cleaning.  First, half a pot of water is boiled. This hot water is used to sanitize all the eating and cooking utensils and bowls then discarded.  A second full pot of water is boiled. Half of the water is used to cook the main course and side dish.  In our case we added the corn in with the spaghetti.  It turned out quite well.  The other half of the water is used for cleaning.  Half of the water in the cook pot and with a few drops of camp suds and the rest of the water is used for rinsing. Once all the dishes had been cleaned and rinsed it is time to sump the contents of the cook pot.  Sumping is comprised of pouring the remaining dirty wash water through a Frisbee with holes in it which in turn goes trough a screen over a 4 inch PVC pipe sticking out of the ground.  We were told that there were buried pipes in which the water leaches into the ground.  Any remaining tidbits of food get captured and placed into a Yummy bag for carrying to the next staffed camp.

         When all the crew activities were complete the crew had time to relax and play cards before turning in for the night.  Around 10:00 PM some lighting began coming from the north.  Within 20 minutes it began to rain and rained on and off all night long.  The tents were still wet in the morning when we packed them for the hike to Indian Writings Camp.