Kid Trips with Girl Scouts @ Colorado Bend St. Park on Jan. 14, 2012
The Girl Scouts of America’s Central Texas Council held their Winter Camporee @ Colorado Bend St. Park over the weekend of January 14, 2012, and the Kid Trips Posse traveled for the 4thyear-in-a-row to this remote site at the request of Scout Master Dawn Hoyt Kidd to be one of the 5 afternoon activities available for the Girl Scouts to select from.
Fifteen Girl Scouts from 5 different troops joined the seven KT Posse for a beautiful, sunny, high 60* day of mountain biking in the Hill Country. John Southrey presented the primer on bike basics, safety, trail etiquette, and IMBA’s 6 Rules Of The Trail. Scouts were size-matched for bikes and helmets by the Posse, but not without mishap. One tire blew before anyone touched it – a defective tire and there were no spares to be found. Things looked pretty bleak for one rider. Jeff Kester earned the Posse-Of –The-Day Award by graciously offering up his bike so that all of the scouts had a bike to ride.
Once everyone was ready, Jim Rankin and Preacher, his Australian Shepherd Trail Dog, led the way down the 4.7 mile double-track trail. The trail conditions were near perfect and the Scouts took both the fast downhill and the extra-steep, dismount-and-climb uphill with smiles and laughter.
Half-way around, Judi Ronkartz demonstrated and instructed a clinic on riding over a small log. Many Scouts attempted and succeeded on this drill while all the others cheered them on. We continued on around the loop to the base for energy bars, fruit, pictures, and water bottle refills. The Scouts keep the water bottles.
Scouts were given dog treats and Preacher got to show off his tricks for some well-earned snacks and attention. Several Scouts were ready for more and seven riders did an adjacent 1.5 miles loop for 6.2 miles total.
With the riding done, other Scouts jumped right in the trailer and physically mounted the bikes back in their clamps, in order to learn all the necessary skills. With the trailer loaded, John Southrey, Judi Ronkartz, and Suzy Rowley then discussed careers in the biking industry as well as fielding any and all biking questions from the Scouts.
Thanks to the seven Posse on this Kid Trips event: John Southrey, Cathy Southrey, Jim Rankin, Jeff Kester, Cecil Cole, Suzy Rowley, and Judi Ronkartz.
