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Local Scouting Troop Conquers 135 miles on foot at Philmont

By Wendy Weichenthal on July 21, 2025

Nine teen and adult Scouts from BSA Troop 6046 of Marion challenged themselves to hike 135 miles across mountains of Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. The six youths and three advisors persevered despite summer heat, freezing temperatures and hail. They scaled peaks of nearly 12,000 feet and put their endurance and their wilderness survival skills to the test over two weeks.

A group of Scouts and their leaders smile atop of a mountain.
From left to right: Troy Thornton, Roy McCall, Andrew Hand, Marshall Hand, Jacob VanVoorhis, Carter Park, Tommy Emberg, and Andrew Schoppelrei. (Not pictured: Doug Park)

“It was an adventure. We planned and prepped for a year, including taking a wilderness first aid class,” said Scoutmaster Andrew Hand of Mt. Gilead. “It was really hard. Sometimes you were climbing up and over rocks and boulders with no path.”

The scouts hike across a meadow under a bright blue sky while carrying their packs.

The Scouts ranged in age from 15 to 49. Each Scout carried packs of more than 50 pounds through rough terrain.

“We carried everything we needed to survive in the wilderness on our backs, including food, water, clothes, tents, and sleeping bags,” Dr. Hand said.

Wild Card Weather Challenged Scouts

They braved the elements, dealing with intense sun and heat during the day, but also hiking through rain and hail, while waking up some mornings to temperatures in the 30s.

“It was nonstop. I loved it!” Dr. Hand exclaimed. “It’s the pinnacle of scouting. To get to go with my son – it’s an unforgettable experience. It was also nice to disconnect and get away and get back to nature. I really enjoyed it.”

A father and son smile
Marshall and Andrew Hand.

“The views are breathtaking,” said Scout Advisor Andrew Schoppelrei. “You realize how small your problems are and come to a sense of peace.”

A sunrise over the hills.

Wide Variety of Wildlife at Philmont

In addition to the beautiful views of mountains and meadows, they also encountered a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, turkeys, elk, and prairie dogs. One important task: making sure they didn’t tempt bears to dine in their camp each night.

“Each night, we had to hang up bear bags with all of our food and anything smellable inside and some nights we could hear young mountain lions in the distance,” Dr. Hand stated. “One morning we found bear scat right next to our tent that hadn’t been there the night before.”

A group of brown cows grazes next to a tent with tall pine trees in the background.
After hearing large animals outside their tents, the Scouts were relieved to discover cows and not bears or mountain lions one morning.

Scouts Learned New Skills

The Scouts took turn navigating with a compass, leading the group, and cooking over campfires. Every few days, they would hike into a staffed camp to pick up supplies and learn something new, such as hitting a moving aerial target with an arrow, similar to skeet shooting.

A teenage boy smiles while holding an orange circle with a long arrow stuck in it.
Marshall Hand shows his success at hitting a moving target in an archery competition.

They climbed a spar pole with spiked boots and a belt. They tried their hand at blacksmithing.

Two Scouts wearing leather aprons pound metal on an anvil. There is a fire in the background.
A Scout works to craft a knife out of metal.
The Scouts wear helmets with lights on them in a tunnel.
The Scouts explored an abandoned gold mine during their trek.

Paying It Forward to Future Scouts

They also donned googles and hardhats for a special project.

“Part of doing this is conservation and giving to future generations of Scouts. We spent a half a day using pickaxes and rakes to dig out roots and bust up rocks for a new trail,” Dr. Hand said. “If I come back with my younger son, we may walk this trail that didn’t exist until we made it.”

Hard-Won Memories Made

Hikers smile while wearing backpacks and holding walking sticks.

While this trip was challenging and the Scouts came home with dozens of blisters, it encouraged personal growth and creating lifelong memories.

“We had each other. It was encouraging to have someone right there with you, going through the same struggle,” Schoppelrei said.

Local Schools and College Represented

The Scouts included students and alumni from Ridgedale, River Valley, and Mt. Gilead High Schools. They also include five Marion Technical College alumni, an administrator and one current College Credit Plus student (a high school student taking college classes) at Marion Tech.

Five are Eagle Scouts and two are working on becoming Eagle Scouts, the highest award in the Boy Scouts.

For more info:

The Scout troop meets regularly on Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. at Timothy Lutheran Church in Marion.

Scouting units near you – Boy Scouts of America

For more details, contact Andrew Hand at andrewdhand@yahoo.com.

Related Article:

Rotary Club Supports Local Groups

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