Our bicycle trip started off around 6:15pm from the old church. We made decent time and everyone's gear stayed put for the short 5 mile trip. The weather was sunny and breezy with only a hint of rain our second evening. During Saturday morning and part of the afternoon we performed service hours at the Monastery. Some of the tasks included removing overgrown plants from the walkway, rolling up garden hoses, and mulching around trees and flower beds. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the grounds and working on a few advancement items. Many thanks to the Jenks family for providing pizza and rigatoni for supper. The trip back on Sunday morning went well and we were suprised to see all the cyclists going the opposite direction on Valley Parkway and State Rd. What we saw was the tenth annual Sweet Corn Challenge bicycle ride from Richfield, Ohio. Cycling and camping during the bike tour were Alex(1), David(1), Joey J., Joey P.(1), Matt, Nate, Philip, Ryan, Mr. Makowski, and Mr. Thomas. Sorry, no pictures this time.

Trip Plan for Bike Tour

Date and Time of Departure: Friday, July 25th, meet at 5:30pm leave by 6:00pm - Old Church

Purpose: Learn the basics of packing light for a short bike tour. Each participant will bring all they need for an overnight campout and two meals (Saturday breakfast and lunch). It is best to work with a buddy and share common gear and meals (see below). All gear will either be attached to your bike or in a day pack.

Day Two: After breakfast we will perform a service project for the Sisters at the Monastery. After lunch on Saturday some of us will head back to the old church to get troop gear and food for the rest of the outing. We will eat as a troop Saturday supper and Sunday breakfast. There will be time during the weekend to work on advancement requirements.

Location: Byzantine Monastery, 6688 Cady Rd, North Royalton, OH 44133

Bike Route: Depart Old Church, Turn Left on Broadview Rd, Turn Right on Valley Parkway, Turn Left on State Rd, Turn Right on Cady Rd, Arrive Monastery.

Cost: $2.00 per scout.

Estimated Time of Return: Sunday, July 27th, 10am - Old Church

Items to Bring: A list of what to bring was discussed at the planning meeting on July 22nd. Here is a brief overview.

Each scout should work with a buddy to allow sharing of common gear. For example, instead of each scout packing their own tent and ground cloth the tent would be split between them. One person takes the rain fly and poles, the other person takes the ground cloth and tent body. One person packs breakfast for two, the other lunch for two. It is up to each scout and their buddy to decide what they need. This is only a sample list to show how things can be shared with a buddy.