Presentations

Rovers own a wide variety of bikes: Road bikes, mountain bikes, recumbent bikes, 3-wheel bikes, fat tire bikes, e-bikes. Tonight people are encouraged to bring a bike to the park, ride it there if it works for you. Then we can admire each other’s bikes, possibly try out bikes, see what different bikes look like. also bring your system for locking your bike, so people can look at different systems. If you do drive, you can show us how you transport your bike on your vehicle.

After the meeting we will socialize at Gabes by the Park, a nearby bar and grill

Come give geocaching a try – or come to help teach other Rovers about our geocaching hobby! Geocaching is an outdoor “treasure” hunt that uses GPS coordinates to guide cachers to hidden containers.  There are geocaches just about anywhere you could want to hike, bike, paddle, or even climb — over 3 million worldwide!  Caches are up trees, under water, in caves, and just plain in the woods.  Some are puzzles, some are whimsical, all are fun! We’ll practice on a few right in Como Park and you’ll be set to cache on your own. Great activity for individuals, friends or families. If you can hike, you can cache!

To get the most out of this event, download the official geocaching app on a smartphone before the meeting and make a free account (be sure to choose a good username / geocaching nickname), OR set up an account at www.geocaching.com and bring a handheld GPS.  If not, no worries, we can share phones. Contact Deb at [email protected] if you need help.  Seasoned geocachers, come join the fun to provide 1:1 help for the first-timers. We’ll have fun experiencing geocaching together!

Deb Sweeney is a new Rover who completed the Beginner Backpacking program in 2021. She is an avid geocacher who has found almost 4,000 caches in 25 states since 2003.

Going camping in bear country? Bears can be an issue many of our favorite places, from the BWCA to backpacking trips out west. This presentation we be a demonstration of hanging bear bags.

Rob has been a Rover for decades. A majority of his outdoor activities are with Rovers and include climbing, kayaking, canoeing, XC skiing, hiking, and pretty much everything outdoors.

Ron is a longtime Rover who enjoys paddling, camping, XC skiing, and snowshoeing.

Thinking of taking up kayaking? Want to buy a kayak and not sure what you want? Looking to add to your fleet? Wondering how you would transport a kayak? We will bring a number of different kinds of kayaks to the park: Whitewater, kayaks, recreational kayaks, touring or sea kayaks. Try sitting in a couple of different kayaks. See different systems of transporting kayaks on your car. This is an opportunity to check out what it takes to kayak

This presentation will involve a number of Rover kayaks, along with equipment from the equipment locker. We will follow up later in the summer with Rovers bringing a range of boats to a nearby lake to try them out on the water.

Participate in our 2019 Backcountry Cook-off and help other outdoor enthusiasts expand their backcountry cooking repertoire! Show off your “old reliable” or try an interesting new recipe before you take it out on the trail. Here are the guidelines: It’s Day Four of a wilderness backpacking trip. Ingredients and recipes should be appropriate for the backcountry. Recipes should take 20 minutes or fewer to prepare and require only a single-burner stove. We’ll need lots of delicious entries, so we hope you’ll consider entering! Tasters— bring your plates/bowls and utensils to sample the goodies and vote for your favorite!

We need YOU to share your nummy backcountry recipes! If you plan to enter, send Sue Wittkop the following information:

1. Your name
2. Title of what you will prepare (Easy-Peasy Nut and Fruit Couscous, Spaghetti with Dried Veggie Sauce, etc.)
3. If you do not own a stove and will need a stove burner

Please bring everything you need (ingredients, pots/pans, etc.). Water available from the sinks in the nearby restrooms.

Cooking will begin as soon as the meeting part of our night is concluded (around 7:20). Sampling and voting should start by about 7:40.

Will YOU be the Minnesota Rovers 2019 Backcountry Cook of the Year? The winner and the winning recipe will be posted on the Minnesota Rovers web site!