“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” -John Muir

Backpacking in the mountains is always a voyage of discovery. The flora, fauna and scenic vistas along these treks have never failed to make each climb to the top worth the effort for me. However, it is often what I learn about myself during the journey that has the most lasting effect.

A group of Boy Scouts from Troop 2 at Central United Methodist Church in Meridian recently spent 10 days hiking in the “outdoor classroom” know as Philmont Scout Ranch, where they worked on mastering the skills needed for backcountry adventure.

Philmont Scout Ranch is located near Cimarron, New Mexico. The ranch, which was founded in 1938 and is operated by the Boy Scouts of America, covers over 140,000 acres of wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico, which are part of the Rocky Mountain range.

Scouting and Philmont share a rich history, and according to Scout leader Greg Monsour, Troop 2 has a rich tradition here in Meridian, boasting over 200 Eagle Scouts since its inception. In fact, five of the eight Scouts that made the trip to Philmont are current Eagle Scouts in the troop.

Monsour told me that the group, which was comprised of eight scouts and three adult leaders, left July 11 to fly to Albuquerque, New Mexico, then took a shuttle to base camp near Cimarron, New Mexico. After sorting needed equipment, getting a good night’s rest and weighing their packs at base camp, the group hit the trail on July 13.

“Each day was something new,” Monsour said, “It was a different trail, a different adventure. Monsour, whose son Hays was one of the Eagle Scouts on the hike, explained just what it meant to him to share this time together. “The biggest thing that I looked forward to everyday was hiking with my son,” he said.

New Mexico’s backcountry provided the perfect setting for father/son bonding without the constant infringement of technology.

“We had no phone service, so I got to enjoy the outdoors with my son without distraction,” the elder Monsour explained.

The group averaged hiking around 6 miles each day of their 10-day, 53-mile trek. They would rise early to greet the sun each day in order to make it to their next destination. At each stop, they would participate in planned activities and resupply.

These organized activities ranged from learning how to reload shotgun shells and shoot skeet to participating in a “mountain man rendezvous,” which included throwing tomahawks and learning to load and shoot a muzzle-loading rifle. Both the leaders and scouts alike reported the mountain man rendezvous as a favorite activity.

When asked what he learned about himself during the 10-day walkabout, Monsour said, “I learned that it’s OK to lay low. Normally, I want to take over. I had to learn to sit back and let the scouts do the work.”

Troop 2 spent one day working on a trail maintenance conservation project, which consisted of hiking 2 miles up a mountain to help sort, move and place the rocks necessary for rebuilding a switchback section of the trail.

Monsour’s son Hays, who celebrated his 18th birthday while on the trail, served as the troop leader during the expedition, and as a result, he told me he has a much greater respect and appreciation for what his parents do for him every day.

“I learned what it was like to be my parents,” Hays said. “I had to get up early each day to wake everyone and make sure that they were ready. When I was finally able to text my mom and tell her that, she said, ‘That’s what we do every day to make sure you make it to work and school.’”

Hays told me that the mountain man rendezvous was his favorite activity.

“I loved shooting the muzzleloaders and learning how to throw a tomahawk,” he said.

Life Scout Samuel Hosch, son of David and April Hosch of Meridian, said he also learned a lot about himself on the trip.

“I learned that I can do anything that I set my mind to, and I can do a lot more than I thought I could,” he said.

It seems that the lessons this group of scouts and leaders took away from their adventure in the mountains were truly lessons that will last a lifetime. The words of John Muir come to mind once again: “In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

Until next time, I look forward to seeing you out there in our great outdoors.

Email outdoors columnist Brad Dye at braddye@comcast.net.