Scouting the country: Eagle Scouts trip comes to Carson City

Eagle Scouts flew into Genoa and Carson City on bicycles Friday, part of their trek across America from California to Virginia.

Leading the pack into Genoa was Logan Everts, one of nine members in Troop 165 of Fredericksburg, Va., and among the crew on a recombinant bike was Tucker Cullen of Troop 9 in Petaluma, Calif. The 11th member of the Eagle Scouts group stopping to rest and meet Cub Scouts at Genoa’s Mormon Station was Bryce Nurding of Astoria, Ore., who is leaving the trek when he reaches Colorado.

The 11 Eagle Scouts interacted with 186 Cub Scouts from 18 dens of the Pinenut District while in Genoa.

Bruce White, adult leader of the nine Virginia scouts and one of several adults along for the grueling trip, said it would take more than 60 days and cover about 3,770 miles.

“This is the 16th year in a row that they’ve done at least a week,” he said of Troop 165. He said each year the group wants to top previous trips, so he agreed this year when the ante was upped to the entire country. He said he has always wanted to do that, so now he is with the Scouts.

Pedaling on up Jacks Valley Road to the Target store in the shopping center there. the group was to meet with a local bike and scouting representative and then move into Carson City for a stop at Mills Park. There they were slated to be treated to dinner by Troop 411.

Those involved locally included Tim Rowe, the cycling and scouting representative, and Vern Krahn, Carson City Parks planner.

The group is about a week out from San Francisco and the trip is expected to cover about 70 miles per day on average. Other Nevada cities along the way are Fallon, Austin and Elko. In Austin, a town of about 750 on the stretch of U.S. Highway dubbed the loneliest road in America, the group will eat and camp at the pool and park on the east edge of the community. The next trek is a winding one up and over central Nevada mountains rivaling the Sierra Nevada.

Friday the bicyclists had begun from Camp Winton, a Sierra Nevada scouting camp, to ride down into Douglas County and Carson City.

During the time in Carson City, the plan was to stop by the Capitol before heading to Mills Park.

The trip, a promotional event to highlight both scouting and cycling, is called Eagle Scouts Cycling Across America 2014. It’s a trip designed to produce self-confidence, self-reliance and self-discipline, according to supporters and those involved. According to advance information, four adult cyclists are with the scouts and there is a three-person support and gear contingent as well.

“They will ride into Virginia Beach, Virginia with a large group of cyclists from all over the United States,” according to a news release. “Upon reaching the boardwalk, they will dip their tires in the Atlantic Ocean as they did in the Pacific Ocean 60 days previously.”