Nice Digs in Albuquerque

Once we arrived in Albuquerque, our ground transportation provider, Blue Sky Adventures, met us at the airport and drove us to the Marriott Pyramid.  Included in our deal with Blue Sky is a night at the Pyramid, dinner, breakfast, and a half liter nalgene (that's fancy hiker-speak for water bottle).

The Adventure Begins

All 21 participants arrived at the airport this morning in time to get checked in, obtain boarding passes, process through TSA security, gather at terminal 4, and board flight AA0715 for a slightly late departure to Dallas/Fort Worth at about 7:00 am.  The only issue was a stuck bag on the conveyor to the baggage loading area at the AA ticket counter. I trust the bag eventually was loaded on the plane. I'm not sure how we would handle a lost backpack. A nice group photo (minus the photographer) is included on this post. 

Weather at Philmont

I've had a few friends ask if I was concerned about the heat wave currently baking the four corners region of the southwest.  Our destination, the Philmont Scout Ranch, is in the mountain region of NE New Mexico.  That's not to say it will not get hot, but the temperatures and dew points are much more tolerable in that region of NM than the other regions of the southwest.  For current data, here's two links to current and forecast conditions at Angel Fire Airport (KAXX) - elevation 8380' and just west of the Philmont Scout Ranch.
Current Conditions (KAXX)
Forecast Conditions (KAXX)

Whites Peak Fire Now Contained

The Whites Peak was ignited about 3 miles South of Philmont on June 13th and gradually grew to 1,275. The fire is now about 95 percent contained and all Philmont camping operations have returned to normal.

Whites Peak Fire Update (19 June)

From the Philmont website:
The fire is 1,275 acres in size and about 70 percent contained.
The type III incident management team overseeing the fire is placing high priority on preventing the fire from moving north. The map provided shows Philmont’s property line in relation to the fire.
With the approval of the incident management team, Philmont is beginning to phase staff back into south country camps.

Whites Peak Fire

A lightning-induced fire started just south of the Philmont Scout Ranch on 13 June 2013.  For safety, the southernmost sector of Philmont has been evacuated and many of the itineraries hiking through the southern part of the ranch have been reworked to the northern portion of the ranch.  See the image below for details on what areas are currently closed as of today (17 June).  Troop 94: Crew 2's itinerary (#10) should be unaffected as it is completely within the northern portion of the ranch.  Crew 1's itinerary (#24) starts in the portion of the ranch that is currently evacuated due to the fire.  I DO NOT KNOW if this restriction will persist through our arrival.  Get the latest information directly from Philmont here.  I have full confidence in the Philmont Scout Ranch to make appropriate decisions that will keep all participants safe and provide the best experience possible considering the current unavoidable natural circumstances.