Castle Rock troop earns Big Horn Award
It's getting to be less of a stretch each year as the Girl Scouts in Troop 621 reach for the peak. For the second year in a row, Troop 621 took the coveted Peak Award during the Reach for the Peak competition at Sky High Ranch near Woodland Park Sept. 19-21. They are only the third team in 21 competitions to win back-to-back.
Girl Scouts from the Monument-based senior troop have participated in the Reach for the Peak camping competition five times. Each time they've honed their fire building, outdoor cooking, lashing, map and compass, first aid and survival skills and come away with an award, progressing from novice campers to now two-time overall Peak champions.
"Reach for the Peak is the reason we're in Girl Scouts," Troop 621 Girl Scout Audrey Burkart, 16, said. "I love camping and the time with my troop."
In the Reach for the Peak event, teams of at least four girls, ages 11-17, compete to earn awards that progress from Marmot to Big Horn to Eagle. Only one team wins the Peak Award. Last weekend, more than 100 girls on 16 teams competed. The majority of the teams are from the Colorado Springs area because this competition has been a favorite in that area for years, but this year teams from Fort Collins, Castle Rock and Buena Vista also participated. Troop 1414 from Castle Rock earned a Big Horn Award. Their team consisted of Tatianna Withers, Rebekah Farris, Sara Norton, Mackayla Klinitski, Candace Mannar, Myranda Dominguez and Morgan Stewart-Spiegel.
"I think back to the first year and how much we've learned since then," Audrey said. "In first aid that year, we killed our mock victims. This year we actually helped them. We lashed a table that looked terrible and wouldn't hold anything. Every year it just gets better."
Reach for the Peak tests girls' camping skills in a variety of categories including emergency survival, fire building, first aid, lashing, map and compass and outdoor cooking. Preparing for the Peak is no easy task, and many of the troops have spent months and even years practicing for the competition. They work together at camping sessions. They go over safety rules and practice tying knots. They come up with a theme, develop a menu and make costumes.
Their leadership and teamwork skills come as part of the package.
During Saturday's fire building competition, members of Troop 621, dressed in German lederhosen, offered words of encouragement for their troopmate Shana Fong as she struggled to get the fire going. The difficulty was thanks to wet timber after Friday night's heavy rain. Kris Maiorca, 16, crawled under a tent platform seeking drier sticks. Abby Ward, 16, Jessica Coote, 15, and Audrey kept things calm as the 30 minutes ticked.
"You're doing great, Shana," Jessica said as the girls urged the fire to burn hot enough to catch a string, then travel along it to drop the flag. A troop doesn't have to win each individual skills challenge to win the Peak because they earn points at each station, and it's the final total that counts.
Although it is a competition and the girls take that seriously, Reach for the Peak is a great learning opportunity. The troops get immediate feedback from judges and learn how to improve.
Girls in Troop 619, Girl Scout Seniors from Colorado Springs, which earned the Eagle award, faced some setbacks during their map and compass challenge. An error in compass use got the girls headed in the wrong direction. Lizzy Glover, Alyssa Hampton, Karen Holcomb, Kaitlyn Taft and Amy Holcomb worked out the problem calmly and without laying blame for the error.
Members of Troop 555, Girl Scout Seniors from Colorado Springs, were having fun, even if they didn't succeed at all the challenges. It was the third competition for Alexa Moorhouse but the first with her own troop.
"The first two times I didn't get to know the girls real well," Alexa said. "I wanted to come one more time with my troop."
They joked about not getting their fire started and they pondered how they can apply some of the camping skills in other situations.
"We can make a chair in the wilderness," Katie Sonn said. "We might not be able to sit on it ... ."
At lunchtime Saturday, the girls felt confident in their cheesy stuffed chicken recipe they had planned for that evening's cooking competition.
The cooking competition is a big part of the event and goes way beyond hot dogs and Spaghetti-Os. The troops must use at least three cooking methods and are judged on creativity, edibility, cleanliness, serving and more. They fix appetizers, a main course and dessert. Troop 66, from Fort Collins, was putting brownie mix in oranges wrapped in foil into the fire Saturday night. Paying careful attention to their fire circle, the first-time competitors were anxious to serve their creations.
Lasagna, fajitas, London broil and inside-out burgers were among the outdoor culinary creations awaiting judges Saturday night. Many of the judges were once in the girls' hiking boots. Girls who have competed often come back to volunteer as judges in this almost-all-volunteer-run competition.
Stephanie Edwards competed in Reach for the Peak for six years and has judged for another 11 years. She reflected fondly on some good, old days and proud moments competing for the Peak. Stephanie, along with the girls and other organizers agree the competition keeps getting tougher, and Reach for the Peak will get even better as more girls across the state get involved. Plans are in the works for a statewide Reach the Peak competition including regional competitions around the state.
Girl Scouts of Colorado is where girls throughout the state gain courage, confidence and character alongside a group of girls who will be their friends for life. It's a safe place for girls to explore their world, develop an understanding and empathy for others and take action to make the world a better place. Outdoor skills have been an important part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience for nearly 100 years.
Award Winners:
Peak Award: Troop 621
Eagle Award: Troops 58/401, 619, 921/547
Big Horn Award: Troops 328, 552, 622, 1414, 1626
Marmot Award: Troops 45, 66, 77, 405/1976, 555, 920, 943