Ed.
Oh MY GOSH! THAT IS SO COOL!
I didn't know these were out there. I took my 35 mm Pentax and shot at least 2 dozen rolls of film. I loaned them to one of the guys in the crew after we got back and he never returned them.
I was A7-
https://www.philmontphotoarchive.org/Crew-Photos/1977/EXPEDITION/JULY/19770717/i-qLRrp8w/A
That is me. Top row, far right. I was only a Life scout then. Didn't make Eagle until I was in Explorers. This was taken the day before my 16th birthday.
View attachment 589890
The guy on the top row far left was my tent mate. We stayed the night before Phillips at one of the trail camps part way up. I don't remember the name. We had told the leaders we were getting up early, before sunrise and hiking to the summit. We were used to doing night hikes, so it wasn't a big deal. We made it above the ridge line just as the sun was coming up. It was amazing watching all the lakes in the valleys act like little mirrors just as the sun was rising. It was all dark on the valley floor, then the little things started shining. As it got brighter, the trees started coming into view and the lakes disappeared into the mix.
We were also full packs. We waited near the summit for about 2 hours waiting for the rest of the crew to catch up. I remember sitting there and a group of mule deer came walking through. They would stop a few feet from us, eat a little brush and walk a little farther. We could have reached out and pet them. They couldn't care less.
All I remember was I was glad we didn't listen to the ranger in base camp when he said to leave blue jeans and winter coats at basecamp to lighten our packs "because we wouldn't need it". Top of Phillips was in the 40s with wind blowing 30mph. I had a down parka and blue jeans. I still remember some of the kids wearing every shirt and shorts they had in their pack and still freezing.
That was the weirdest day I have ever had hiking. 40 degrees with a nasty wind chill to near 100 later in the afternoon when we got off the mountain on the "desert" side.
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