Below are talking points I’ve gleaned from a variety of sources about Philmont’s Valle Vidal. The Valle is trekked by Philmont crews , but not owned by Philmont. While it’s well-known that there are differences in a trek through the Valle, details are scarce and scattered.

Our Venturing Crew, 1716, is considering whether to trek the Valle in 2009. These notes were prepared to help them make a more informed decision. While care has been taken to be accurate, we (at this point in time) have no first-hand experience. If you find it useful, please let me know. Your corrections, amplifications, experiences or insights are welcome.

YiS, Steve Lagreca, Associate Advisor, Venture Crew 1716

• Called "Valley of Life" by Indians and Spanish.
• A lush mountain basin, with vast alpine meadows, located in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
• 100,000 acres, donated by Penzoil (Vernejo Park), in the Kit Carson National Forest (adjacent to Philmont).
• Comprises the headwaters both the Rio Grande and Canadian Rivers.
• McCrystal Creek and North Ponil Creek have been recently recommended for Wild and Scenic Rivers protection.

• Leave No Trace camping
• Characterized by "light" infrastructure and programs, e.g. less potable water, fewer red roof inns
• 3,000 Boy Scouts from Philmont trek the Valle each year.
• Fewer crews, e.g. only two crews did Trek #35 in the summer of 2008. "For 3 days we saw only one other crew coming or going."
• Crews are more on their own in the Valle than on Philmont.
• Unlike Philmont, a few years down the road if you want to take friends and show them this fine place you went to, you can!
• Few established trails ...bushwhack from location to location using only map and compass or GPS.

• Astronomy / Whiteman Vega: (stars, meteor showers, absolutely no light pollution save the moon, combines Greek mythology while pointing out constellations)
• Environmental awareness / Ring Place: flora, fauna, geology, and life zones
• GPS technology / Seally Canyon:
• Homesteading / Rich Cabins: (splitting, shingle making, log structure construction, catching chickens, milking cows, feed pigs, staff makes it fun)
• Mtn biking / Whiteman Vega:
• Search & Rescue (SAR) / Seally Canyon: Simulations to locate, diagnose and treat victims
• Weather forecasting / Ring Place:
• Wilderness medicine (WFA) / Seally Canyon

• "Abundant populations of Rocky Mountain wildlife, including mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, bald eagles and native Rio Grande cutthroat trout. In addition, the vast alpine meadows of the Valle Vidal provide critical habitat for the largest herd of elk in New Mexico. " http://www.vallevidal.org/history.html
• "Yes, there really are American buffalo, along with elks, deer, and more, wandering the Unit..."
• "... enjoy the West as it might have been 100, 200, or 1,000 years ago."
• http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/camping/dow_vidal.htm
• "...we saw everything in the Valle, with the exception of the mountain lion - bear, turkey, elk herds, coyote, hawk, turkey vulture, marmot, bison, etc."
• "...our sister crew saw a mountain lion..."

• "...wide open spaces, clear flowing streams, and robust wildlife populations."
• "Grand vistas, easy cross-country hiking through open forest and broad meadows, and the freedom to hike anywhere." http://www.turnerphotographics.com/Philmont/phil7.htm
• Wilson Mesa (to/from Rich Cabins): One of the prettiest places at Philmont.
• Little Costilla: Side hike on a layover day. Long day hike, best approached from the South.

• Route finding easy and encouraged. Visible landmarks, i.e. can be done with just a map. 
• Few established trails ...bushwhack from location to location using only map and compass or GPS.
• Some "trails" are reclaimed fire, logging and mining roads (allows yakking amongst crew).
• Trails are worn between some camps. Because of the '02 fire, some trails have you tree hopping; there are many burned and dead trees across the trails.

Indian Writing to Seally Canyon

• 13 mi, open meadows
• “All uphill in North Ponil Canyon, but the increase in elevation was so little that we didn't even notice. “
• Pitch your tent where you can hear the wind through the pines.

Ring Place to Copper Park

• 8.5 miles
• Awe-inspiring scenery
• Wild strawberries

Ring Place to Greenwood Canyon

• 9.25 mi, moderately difficult, switchbacks
• Breathtaking scenery, colorful wildflowers, cold streams
• Starts as a series of meadow walks on a jeep trail, then turns into a fire road.
• Views were still good with (the back side of) Baldy slowly getting bigger.
• Long, steady climb out of Greenwood, no picnic.
• Get the campsite with shade near a stream that feeds Middle Ponil Creek

Seally Canyon to Whiteman Vega

• 3 1/2 mile bushwhack via shortcut over the ridge
• Easy, meadows, burned area or open ponderosa pine. 
• Few inclines

Whiteman Vega to Ring Place

• 2 miles via bushwhack
• Mostly a meadow walk with one detour around a fence.  
• Even more spectacular than Whiteman Vega.

• Ring Place was the only place with an outhouse. Whiteman Vega, Ring Place, Rich Cabins, are cat holes. 

• Less potable water
• Water buffalos: 500 gallon containers on a trailer that they have delivered throughout the summer as a water supply for the staff. 

Rich Cabins

• Trail exists from Copper Park.
• No established campsites.
• Overlooks a beautiful meadow with wildflowers.
• Program: Visit a working homestead. Experience rail splitting, shingle making, primitive farming, log structure construction, wood working (some years), catching chickens, milking cows and gardening
• Irregular ground in meadow makes finding campsites difficult.

Ring Place

• A large pasture area with beautiful views of the mountains on either side.
• National Forest service built a $30,000 outhouse here.
• Commissary
• Experience the early years. Gaze through a professional quality telescope to see the rings of Saturn, distant stars and moons.
• Program: Weather forecasting, Environmental awareness (flora, fauna, geology, and life zones)

Seally Canyon

• Ghost town, Ponil Park, Cimarron and NW Railroad, 1 hr away
• Program: Wilderness Medicine, Search and Rescue, GPS Technology.
• Windmill water source
• Valley has a spectacular view of Baldy and several other peaks.

Whiteman Vega

• An excellent starting point for any layover crews that would like to hike Little Costilla.
• Wildlife: elk, deer, turkey, hawk, coyotes, beaver, bobcat, bear.
• Full moon looked really nice going behind Little Costilla with all the stars.
• Lay in meadow, watch meteor shower.
• See Tooth Ridge from a ridge above WV.
• Cows may wander into camp (concession grazing - commercial activity in an area managed by the government - is allowed). "We woke up and cows were amidst our crew."
• Views of Little Costilla Peak.
• Program: Mtn. Biking, Astronomy

Greenwood Canyon (labeled Cottonwood on older maps):

Iris Park: Trail camp

•  Windmill water source 

McCrystal Creek

• (Don’t confuse public campground with same name) 

Cook Canyon

Ponil Park (Ghost Town, not a camp)

• Founded as a center for logging and sawmill operations. Founded in 1850 or thereabouts. It died out about 900 along with Ring, Labelle, Bonito, Dawson, Anchor, Midnite, & Hopewell. All the lumber and logs from these areas finally made its way to Cimarron NM. People who were born in some of these little logging and railroad towns still return for family reunions and to relive the past. http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nm/pontilpark.html   

• 35 super strenuous, 103 miles, Peaks: Comanche, Phillips (side hike), Tooth, Wilson Mesa (side hike)
• 30 super strenuous, 83 miles, Peaks: none
• 28 strenuous, 80 miles, Peaks: Baldy, Tooth
• 25 strenuous, 79 miles, Peaks: Baldy, Wilson Mesa (side hike)
• 22 rugged, 71 miles, Peaks: Baldy, Wilson Mesa (side hike)
• 21 rugged, 69 miles,, Peaks: Baldy, Wilson Mesa (side hike)
• 17 rugged, 69 miles, Peaks: Baldy, Wilson Mesa (side hike)

• 2008 Philmont Itinerary Guide, pg 14
• Coalition for the Valle Vidal: http://www.vallevidal.org/history.html
• GORP: http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/camping/dow_vidal.htm
• Philmanac a Trekker's Guide to the Philmont Backcountry (Paperback)
• Philmont forum: http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
• PhilSearch: http://www.philsearch.org
• Philwiki: http://philmont.wikia.com
• Ponil Park (Ghost Town): http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nm/pontilpark.html
• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_Vidal

Steve Lagreca’s wanderlust for hiking and backpacking has taken him to 90 national and state parks, in 6 countries. He shares this with others by volunteering as an Associate Advisor for BSA Venturing Crew 1716 and leading the Philmont Ranch contingent for Detroit Area Council.  Facebook LinkedIn