[Rhodes22-list] The Rest Of The Story About My Weekend

[Roger Pihlaja]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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Hi Everybody,

By now, most of you have read my story about sailing the 42' catamaran =
from Tawas Bay to Pentwater via the Straits of Mackinac.  There was a =
reason, I needed to get home on Friday afternoon.  You see, my Boy Scout =
troop was scheduled to go on a camping/mountain biking trip this =
weekend.

I got home about 14:50 on Friday afternoon.  I spent the rest of the day =
installing the Thule bike rack on the Astro minivan, loading our =
mountain bikes, & packing for the camping trip this weekend.

On Saturday, my younger son Gary & I went to the Sanford United =
Methodist (SUM) Church at 07:30.  Our Scoutmaster, Mr. Woodgate pulled =
the big troop trailer with his Chevy Tahoe.  I had 4 mountain bikes on =
the Astro's roof rack & pulled a flat bed trailer with 12 more mountain =
bikes on it.  Another adult leader, Brenda Acklin drove her Aerostar =
minivan.  Altogether, we had 14 Scouts & 3 adult leaders along.  We =
drove up to Ambrose Lake State Forest Campground, which is about 11 =
miles north of West Branch, MI.  We set up our base camp 1st.  Then, we =
drove about 5 miles over to the Ogemaw Hills Pathway.  Ogemaw Hills =
Pathway has XC ski trails, which are open for mountain biking & hiking =
during the summer.  The DoD of the black diamond XC ski trails was a =
little bit harder than my Scouts were used to at our local mountain =
biking trails at Pine Haven.  I thought the Ogemaw Hills Pathway was a =
great facility & it's free.  We mountain biked for about 6 hours.  Then, =
we went back to our base camp.  We had spaghetti & meatballs for supper. =
 Everybody was pretty tired & it wasn't very hard to get them into their =
sleeping bags fairly soon after it was dark.

Sunday morning, I awoke at about 07:15 to a drizzling rain.  I got up & =
Mr. Woodgate had already made coffee.  The rain stopped by about 08:00.  =
One by one, the rest of the troop woke up.  I wasn't feeling too bad =
after the day before, but there were a lot of stiff, sore Scouts.  We =
had instant oatmeal for breakfast.  As usual, the Scouts were a little =
bit pokey about taking down camp.  We didn't get out of there until =
about 11:30.  We drove over to the Rifle River Recreation Area, near =
Rose City.  This facility has about 13.5 miles of mountain biking =
trails.  We didn't have enough time to explore all of it, but what I saw =
was pretty nice.  The Rifle River Recreation Area also has camp sites =
right in the facility, so we may go back there sometime.

Our Senior Patrol Leader, Tom Woodgate Jr. had an accident wherein =
someone else ran into him while he was sitting on his bike by the side =
of the trail.  He got a pretty badly spained right ankle out of the =
deal. =20

I almost rammed 13 year old, 2nd Class Scout, Brandon Hand in his rear =
tire when he stopped pedaling on an uphill section.  He was well in =
front of me when I briefly looked down at my right pedal to get clipped =
in.  When I looked up, he was right there on my front wheel, stopped in =
the middle of the narrow trail!  To avoid running into Brandon, I dove =
off the trail to the right, down a steep embankment, & got all tangled =
up in a clump of small birch trees.  I was unhurt, but I put a big tear =
in one my bike's front brake pads.  There was a big hunk of the brake =
pad flapping around loose & it rubbed on the front rim.  A set of brake =
pads probably only cost a few bucks, but I didn't have a spare set with =
me in my tool box.  So, my ride was over for the day.  While I was =
walking my bike back to the parking lot, I heard about Tom's ankle over =
the FRS radio I was carrying.  I hurried back to the Astro, grabbed the =
first aid kit & the splints, & quick marched it to over to where Tom had =
been hurt.  This all took quite a while to get over to Tom, fix his =
ankle up, & help him back about 1/2 mile to the parking lot.  So, even =
without losing my front brakes, my ride would have been pretty much over =
for the day.  Ah, the joys of being an adult leader in a Boy Scout =
troop!

We had lunch in the parking lot, packed up, & drove back to the SUM =
Church.  We arrived at the SUM Church right on time at 15:00.      =20

It's been a pretty busy week with a wide variety of activities.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
 =20

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   Hi Everybody,



   By now, most of you have read my story = about=20 sailing the 42'
   catamaran from Tawas Bay to Pentwater via the Straits of = Mackinac.
   There was a reason, I needed to get home on Friday=20 afternoon.  You
   see, my Boy Scout troop was scheduled to go on a=20 camping/mountain
   biking trip this weekend.



   I got home about 14:50 on Friday afternoon.  I spent the rest = of
   the=20 day installing the Thule bike rack on the Astro minivan, =
   loading our=20 mountain bikes, & packing for the camping trip this =
   weekend.

   On Saturday, my younger son Gary & I went to the Sanford United =
   Methodist (SUM) Church at 07:30.  Our Scoutmaster, Mr. = Woodgate
   pulled=20 the big troop trailer with his Chevy Tahoe.  I had 4
   mountain bikes = on the=20 Astro's roof rack & pulled a flat bed
   trailer with 12 more = mountain=20 bikes on it.  Another adult leader,
   Brenda Acklin drove her = Aerostar=20 minivan.  Altogether, we had 14
   Scouts & 3 adult leaders = along. =20 We drove up to Ambrose Lake
   State Forest Campground, which is about 11 = miles=20 north of West
   Branch, MI.  We set up our base camp 1st.  Then, = we=20 drove about 5
   miles over to the Ogemaw Hills Pathway.  Ogemaw = Hills=20 Pathway has
   XC ski trails, which are open for mountain biking & = hiking=20 during
   the summer.  The DoD of the black diamond XC=20 ski trails was a
   little bit harder than my Scouts were used = to at=20 our local
   mountain biking trails at Pine Haven.  I thought the = Ogemaw=20 Hills
   Pathway was a great facility & it's free.  We = mountain biked=20 for
   about 6 hours.  Then, we went back to our base camp.  We = had=20
   spaghetti & meatballs for supper.  Everybody was pretty tired = &
   it=20 wasn't very hard to get them into their sleeping bags fairly
   soon = after it=20 was dark.

   Sunday morning, I awoke at about 07:15 to a drizzling rain.  I = got
   up=20 & Mr. Woodgate had already made coffee.  The rain stopped by =
   about=20 08:00.  One by one, the rest of the troop woke up.  I wasn't
   = feeling=20 too bad after the day before, but there were a lot of
   stiff, sore = Scouts. =20 We had instant oatmeal for breakfast.  As
   usual, the Scouts were a = little=20 bit pokey about taking down
   camp.  We didn't get out of there until = about=20 11:30.  We drove
   over to the Rifle River Recreation Area, near Rose = City.  This
   facility has about 13.5 miles of mountain biking = trails. =20 We
   didn't have enough time to explore all of it, but what I saw was =
   pretty=20 nice.  The Rifle River Recreation Area also has camp sites
   right in = the=20 facility, so we may go back there sometime.

   Our Senior Patrol Leader, Tom Woodgate Jr. had an accident wherein =
   someone=20 else ran into him while he was sitting on his bike by the
   side of the=20 trail.  He got a pretty badly spained right ankle out
   of the = deal. =20

   I almost rammed 13 year old, 2nd Class Scout, Brandon Hand in = his
   rear=20 tire when he stopped pedaling on an uphill section.  He was =
   well in=20 front of me when I briefly looked down at my right pedal
   to=20 get clipped in.  When I looked up, he was right there on my =
   front=20 wheel, stopped in the middle of the narrow trail!  To avoid =
   running=20 into Brandon, I dove off the trail to the right, down a
   steep=20 embankment, & got all tangled up in a clump of small birch =
   trees.  I was unhurt, but I put a big tear in one my=20 bike's front
   brake pads.  There was a big hunk of the = brake=20 pad flapping
   around loose & it rubbed on the front=20 rim.  A set of brake pads
   probably only cost a few bucks, = but I=20 didn't have a spare set
   with me in my tool box.  So, my ride = was over=20 for the day.  While
   I was walking my bike back to the parking lot, = I=20 heard about
   Tom's ankle over the FRS radio I was carrying.  I = hurried=20 back to
   the Astro, grabbed the first aid kit & the splints, & = quick=20
   marched it to over to where Tom had been hurt.  This all took = quite
   a=20 while to get over to Tom, fix his ankle up, & = help him=20 back
   about 1/2 mile to the parking lot.  So, even without = losing my=20
   front brakes, my ride would have been pretty much over for the =
   day. =20 Ah, the joys of being an adult leader in a Boy Scout troop!

   We had lunch in the parking lot, packed up, & drove back to the =
   SUM=20 Church.  We arrived at the SUM Church right on time at=20
   15:00.

   It's been a pretty busy week with a = wide variety of=20 activities.

   Roger Pihlaja
   S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

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