A circle bike trip was one of the clearest memories for fair-skinned Nancy Keeler (1973-74), who ended up in the Infirmary with a sunburn. Six girls, accompanied by Pam Hartz (1966-75) and Mary Bent, biked nine miles the first day, twenty miles the second day, and another nine on the third day.
“I was totally wiped out,” she said., “but they gave us salt tablets. We stopped along the way on lawns and people would bring out water and lemonade to us. It was a more trusting time back then. I remember one of them bringing “Gorp” out to us, which was M&M’s, raisins and peanuts.”
In 1974, James Sweeting evaluated the camp for the state and had noted that a three- day trip had been planned. Sue Patenge was the director at that time and had given her blessing to this adventure.
Another biking trip led by Mary Bent and Pam Hartz took six girls for a two-day overnight camping bike trip. They spent the night in pup tents, cooked over an open fire, packed lunches and rode the Rifle River campground trails. At night they had foil dinners and returned on the third day with “scraped knees, sunburns and pleasant memories”.
Bonnie Schlatter recalled three or four different groups of girls she led on a bike hike in the seventies. “One was older and I don’t know if I suggested it, but I took a few on a bike ride and headed to Tawas, ending at the Lumberman’s Monument. I know we had to be picked up at the end due to the rain. We got drenched,” said Bonnie, who still loves to bike.
“The Peddlin’ Pals” were Mary Surabian, Debbie Agarwal and Bonnie. They started their bike trip on July 6, after some short practice trips heavily loaded. On the first night they stopped at Tawas Point State Park, and the second day into Osoda for lunch and on to their destination at the Lumberman’s Monument. According to the “Loon”, they encountered the rain at the Foote Dam and were picked up, but continued their ride around Long Lake the following day, with sun, swimming and a picnic.
There were trail trip stories with horses shared by Lucille Greenwald (1947-50), Barb Donakowski (1956) and Pat O’Tool (1944-52). Lucille had enough experience with her childhood pony that she was able to assist the instructor at camp with those who had never been on a horse. One night about ten of them took a trip to the AuSable River and camped near the river, which she loved expect for the horrible hobo tin can dinners that tasted like dog food.
“One of our trips was on horses and there were a dozen of us, including Pam Farley, who took off and rode to Rollaways. I guess we didn’t know how to pack for these trips because we lost flour and silverware and food along the way. We got halfway and there was no way we could go any further, so we stopped in a farmer’s field. I don’t know if we asked him or not, but there was hardly anything left for dinner. The cows kept coming closer and closer and I was afraid of those cows. The next morning we had pancakes with whatever was left. I have no idea what we used for liquid. Our poor bottoms were so sore because we were not used to riding that far and all we could think of how we had to get back on those horses and ride back. We stopped at an ice cream store in Hale because we were starving and when we got back to camp, we put the horses in the corral and ran to the lake to soak our sore butts in the lake. We just had no idea that six hours the first day and four hours the second day would do that,” she laughed. “I remember saying never again!” said Pat O’Tool.
Others took day trips, and Barb Donakowski recalled two great experiences. One included seeing a foal just after its birth and the second was the trail trip with six other girls to Long Lake. “Something scared my horse,” said Barb, “ and he took off like he was on a mission. I was not the least bit afraid and I don’t know why. When the rest of the group caught up with me, they were relieved that I was OK.”
Were you ever on an overnight bike or horse trail hike? What did you do to train for such a long ride?