This summer, forty women from across the country gathered at Meadow Mountain Ranch to play games, make great food, sing and generally have a restorative time in the Colorado high country.
Three memorial benches were assembled and installed in honor of three important people in the life of MMR. Jan “Lief” Erickson’s bench went to the Meeker’s Bluff unit, in front of the new yurts with a fabulous view of Twin Sisters and Mt. Meeker. Jan was instrumental in bringing the Green Hat Society to Colorado and helped establish the Plains To Peaks Chapter #22.
The bench in memory of Greg Dannels of the Dannels homestead family has been placed in front of the Homestead House. The Dannels family goes back to 1896, when the lineage of David, Henry, and Bernie began. Thanks to them, the beloved property has been maintained and preserved for Girl Scouts for many years to come.
The third bench is in memory of Nancy Freer Sherwin, who was a CIT at MMR in 1966 and 1967. Her bench was placed on the lawn in front of the office building, overlooking the front meadow which was her favorite place.
Women’s Week featured lots of great activities, including flying kites, enjoying a games night in the lodge, taking a day-long hike to Calypso Cascades in RMNP, making sock puppets and various other crafts.
We played a lot with our food. We made homemade ice cream in plastic soccer balls, created mashed potato volcanoes with gravy for lava, cooked pancake designs, explored alternative S’Mores recipes, and created landscape art with dinner items.
We had a backward dinner and a jungle breakfast, where all our food items were hung on strings and placed in the trees along the trail past the Larkspur Unit.
Of course, singing played a large part of our favorite summer pastime. There were four guitar players who combined to keep the group renewing their love of Girl Scout songs. “Tajer Tales” was one of the evening’s programs, as well as a Scouts Own.
Eighteen of our adventurous women enjoyed the excitement of the new Zipline, which had been recently completed, inspected and approved for use. Several trained staff and volunteers were on hand to rig us all up and send us careening down the 1200 feet from the top of the south ridge to the road just inside the property gate. Modifications and streamlining of the procedures took place in our exciting morning, so that others who come behind can enjoy the ADA-accessible adventure.
The dates have been set for Women’s Week 2025 - - - save July 24 - 28 on your calendar and contact the Very Informal Camp Director, Penny “Pan” Roberts at probertscolo@gmail.com or call (970) 586-1775 or (970) 473-1001 for more information.