I spent a sleepless night on my cot awaiting our final day of the trip. We would be spending our final day participating in touring an old fort and visiting the famous Villa Philmonte. After our gear was prepared and breakfast was eaten in the mess hall, we took a bus to the fort. As we stepped off the bus we witnessed a crew of Scouts coming from the desert and stopping on the side of the road. They climbed onto the bus with their gear and made their way back to base camp. In a way we watched ourselves if we had decided to not walk back into basecamp.

Touring the old fort was interesting; walking through a time long gone. At the end of the tour we participated in tomahawk throwing against propped up tree stumps. It was enjoyable and everyone loved it. Soon after, we hopped on another bus back towards camp and were dropped at the Villa Philmonte. This villa was built by Waite Phillips and is kept to this day as he left it. There we toured the elegant halls and learned about it’s history. The craftsmanship of every piece of the villa was outstanding, especially the hand carved coffered ceilings.

At the end of the tour we could not make it to the bus, so we walked alongside the road back to base camp. Soon arriving we grabbed sandwiches and piled our gear underneath the coach bus. Finally sitting down in the seat of the bus we departed Philmont and began our journey back to Denver, Colorado where we would fly home. Everyone looked out the windows as we left camp and not much was to be said.

Eventually reaching the airport we went through customs and awaited our flight. When the time came we all boarded and soon enough were on our way back to the East Coast. Arriving home, we eventually made it back to the church in which we left only two weeks earlier. I said my goodbyes to my fellow Scouts and drove home. Walking through the door with my father we were greeted by my mother. We talked for an hour about our trip and I soon went bed and that adventure officially came to its close.

Award given to each crew that made it through their trek

This experience taught me many things; the importance of teamwork, determination, brotherhood, and the list goes on. We had some rough patches along the trail, but we pushed ourselves over them. Each man was there for each other; no one was left behind and we were in it together, to the end. I am grateful to have been able to experience this with such an exceptional group of young men. The journey has since concluded, but I am still sitting atop the Tooth of Time alongside my crew,  watching the sun rise over the horizon as it glazes the mountains in a golden glow.