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Ed Dobyns Jr., 20, of Stafford tries to catch a cool breeze during a break on the first day of a 2,000-mile bike ride. Sponsored by local Troop 165, 'Cycling the Loop' will lead up to next month's national Boy Scout Jamboree.
Starting in Fredericksburg yesterday, riders will pedal all the way to Niagara Falls before returning to the area Eagle Scouts begin their 2,000-mile trek to Niagara Falls and back to mark the 100th anniversary of Scouting. |
HAYMARKET
--A group of local Eagle Scouts arrived at Camp Snyder in western Prince William County on their bicycles yesterday afternoon after a 59-mile trip from Fredericksburg.They now have only 1,941 more miles to go.
After a spirited takeoff from the Knights of Columbus building on Harrison Road yesterday morning, participants in "Cycling the Loop" have started the bike ride of a lifetime.
Sponsored by Fredericksburg's Boy Scout Troop 165, the loop will reach as far north as Niagara Falls and wind up at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County for the National Boy Scout Jamboree next month. When they're done, they will have covered more than 2,000 miles in 33 days.
"We created 'Cycling the Loop' as a way for Eagle Scouts to share the importance of physical fitness and other Scout values with the thousands of people we'll run into up and down the East Coast," said Troop 165 leader Bruce White.
Along the way, the cyclists will sleep at various Scout camps, parks and college dormitories, sharing their experience with their hosts. In addition to the sites at Niagara Falls, stops along the ride include the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Of the 28 cyclists that departed from Fredericksburg, 13 plan on completing the entire 2,000 miles. Another 14 Scouts and family members will join the group on the Erie Canal section of the ride, a weeklong 375-mile trek.
Several cyclists from other Boy Scout troops in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will ride along for portions of the loop, as well. To ensure everyone's safety, White has arranged for a van to follow the riders along the route, transporting luggage, camping gear and any cyclist who needs a break from riding.
The last stop of "Cycling the Loop" is in Washington, D.C., where the Scouts
The Jamboree officially begins the next day and runs through Aug. 4. The event, which will mark the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts, is expected to draw 45,000 Scouts and leaders.
White, who has organized extensive bike trips for Troop 165 every year since 1998, said he wanted to do something "special and unusual" this year to honor the 100th anniversary.
"We worked it out so that the Jamboree would be our grand finale," White said.
Fredericksburg Eagle Scout Carl Bailey, 18, said that along with honoring the Boy Scouts of America's centennial, "Cycling the Loop" is great way for him to celebrate his own recent accomplishments. Bailey graduated from James Monroe High School on June 18, and in the fall will attend Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts.
"The trip should be a good ending to my senior year of high school, and a good beginning for college," he said.
