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| Horseback riding with the Troop |
It is not everyone that plans a camping trip for November 30-December 1 in Northern Virginia. It is not everyone that plans horseback riding....or ziplining for the same time....except for the Girl Scouts. They are a hearty sort and were willing to brave the elements (not to mention get a good deal) for an overnight getaway. Anna was thrilled to go....and Theresa was recruited to chaperone.
Thanks to a half day of school, the girls got out early and headed to the mountains. The first stop: horseback riding. Rain clouds were gathering and the weather was a damp 45 degrees, but the rain held off for the ride. Anna led the group on her horse while Theresa was in the middle on a horse named Buck (a little concerning). Anna's horse "accidentally" trotted and galloped a few times (she was using her horse skills from the summer), resulting in half of the other horses also trotting. This was a bit of a surprise to the riders, who were more prepared for a strolling horse. Theresa received a slight scrape on the face after getting hit by a tree branch (she couldn't move Buck around it fast enough). It was a nice relaxing ride....even though it was chilly.
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| Girl Scout camping - in a lodge |
Friday night was girl scout camping. A topic of conversation among the girls was why they are better at camping than the boy scouts.......because the girls camp in cabins. The camping was actually a small lodge at Shenandoah River State Park that slept 20. Mrs. Crischock, the troop leader, and Theresa each had their own room. The girls had their own beds. There was a gas fireplace. It was quite lovely. There was no electronics and the girls brought games and books for the evening. This is definitely the way to camp!
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| Anna ziplining |
The next morning was the big adventure: zip lining. The state park had a "canopy tour." which included some very long zip lines. The last day of the season was November 30; however, Mrs. Crishock talked them into staying open on December 1 for the girls. Once again, the rain clouds were gathering and the temperature dropped. The first 20 minutes of the 2 hour adventure was dry. After that, the rain started. It was a very cold rain. There is nothing like zipping down a wire with rain pelting you in the face while you can't feel your hands! The grand finale of the trip was a 1,046 foot zip line at a speed of 40 miles per hour....with rain pelting you in the face. As luck would have it, the rain stopped just as the girls were finishing the course. Despite the less than perfect weather, the girls still had a good time. Everyone was frozen at the end....but not too frozen for ice cream. Since it was the last day for the season, the manager let the girls have leftover ice cream (they quickly forgot how cold they were).
It was definitely a memorable trip. A big thanks to Mrs. Crishock for organizing it.
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