Trans-America Bike Trek

For Ken Powley, it began as a simple idea. Take a few weeks off. Train some. Start eating a little better. And then, bicycle across America. It would be a terrific 50th birthday present he could give to himself. And a terrific way to help raise donations for Scouting in our area.

Now just a few months after conception, the idea (and the trip) are wired into the web, so that the entire journey can be followed across the nation at www.ScoutOutings.com. Powley explains that daily updates to the site will include photos and stories about each day's outing, including features about unusual places, people, and points of interest along the way.

Ken Powley

"Hopefully," he says, "youngsters from our area will be able to follow the trip and learn about parts of America that they might otherwise never see." Parts of the route (beginning on the west coast, at La Push, WA) have special historical significance. Other portions will pass through places of special cultural, geological or recreational significance. "I'll be describing all of these at the website, and hopefully, answering email questions that are posed by interested viewers." The site will also include important tips on bicycling safety and wilderness camping.

Powley is a resident of Mountaintop, PA, and is founder of the Whitewater Adventure Camp. The camp annually hosts several thousand Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts for a weekend of games and competitions, living history shows, nature programs, music, camping and of course, guided whitewater rafting trips on the nearby Lehigh River. He is a whitewater merit badge counselor in the local Scout Council, but on this trip, he says he "hopes to avoid water as much as possible."

3800 miles, from La Push, WA. to the New Jersey shore. By bicycle, it's about a two month journey, aimed at teaching bike safety, sharing experiences and raising donations for area Scouting organizations. To make a donation (suggested pledge is $.01 per mile, or $38.00) please contact your local Boy Scout or Girl Scout Council. And visit this site often, to follow the journey and to enjoy the sights and scenery along the way.