Music has the power to shift our attitude, enhance an experience, recall detailed memories, and more. Philmont music is a special breed; all of its own.  It’s not just the chords and lyrics, it’s the warm night breeze while overlooking the Tooth at Crater, or the impromptu staff after-show as crews hike off to their tents, headlamps bouncing, it’s the telling of our best or worst stories, its the wrangler sharing cowboy poetry, its the energy inside the stomp cabin, lanterns swinging, its rainy night porch performances, and hearing that one romantic tune that makes your Philmont fling unable to sleep at night.  Music is medicine, in the form of the present moment and a longing memory - all at once. 

Today’s guest, GS Harper, grew up surrounded by music. His own father was a singer songwriter, and GS aspired to follow in his footsteps, and did just that. Ironically, until the 2021 season, GS never actually applied for any of his Philmont jobs. For four summers in the 90s, he was a walk on.  He would simply show up, with guitar in hand, and they’d find him a spot.

In this episode GS discusses everything from the recording of the Tobasco Donkey’s Yarn Sessions album at his mothers place in Cimarron, to the old Inter-Mountain Relay tradition, getting lost hiking and accidentally doing super black death, ghosts at Cypher's, and more. GS met his wife at Philmont, and we discuss that magic - how there’s a certain type of person who returns to Philmont for seven or eight summers in a row. And since you are seldom in a situation like that, surrounded by those types of twin flames or mirrored souls - it’s no wonder we carry on together throughout life.

GS was recently on staff in 2021 as CD at Beaubien. We get to discuss his experience being back on staff after a 22 year hiatus. It was a great experience and GS would highly recommend it, in fact, he hopes it’s not his last summer on staff yet.

Today GS is a career singer-songwriter and guitarist.  He shares some of his favorite memories playing music all over the world.  He also shares the backstory of the well loved tune, August Day, which he wrote while on staff in 1995.  We close by recalling memories and GS says quote, “His Philmont experience has colored everything, and has informed every decision in his life since."

Philmont Experience
1987- ten day trek. Exp 802A
1988- ten day trek. Exp 629T

1991- Basecamp Activities
1992- PC Cyphers Mine
1995- PC Crate Lake
1996- PC Pueblano
2021- CD Beaubien

Notable Mentions
Brent Smith
Dean Tooley
Todd Conklin
Eric Voss
Tobasco Donkeys
Lee Hughes
Andy Garhart
Larry Mclaughlin
Cherry Bennet
Maureen Russell Harper
Doug Palmer
Jag Mclaughlin
Dave Bates
David and Dollie O’Neill
Kevin Magnus

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