Troop 7's Adventure

The morning was still cool when Troop 7 Madison members loaded their bikes outside St. Vincent Martyr Church and set out for the road. Ahead of them: roughly 40 miles of paved and gravel trails winding through Morris County, a campout under the trees, and the kind of day that sticks with you long after the soreness fades.

On Saturday, May 2, the Scouts set out for Schiff Nature Preserve in Mendham, following the Traction Line and Patriot's Path through some of the county's most storied terrain. An early stop at Historic Speedwell — a 19th-century industrial center and the site where the electric telegraph was first successfully demonstrated — gave them a chance to rest their legs and connect with the history beneath their tires. 

The route continued through Lewis Morris County Park, where Scouts climbed a sustained uphill stretch, rolled along winding downhill sections, and regrouped at Sunrise Lake before pressing on. After a dinner stop in Mendham, they pushed into the final miles along Patriot's Path — a series of steady climbs that tested endurance and called on every rider to dig deep and finish together.

Leading the ride was Rich "Mr. Z" Zipper, a longtime Madison resident who first joined Troop 7 in 1967 under Scoutmaster Ben Russell. He later served as Scoutmaster in the 1980s and returned to leadership after the pandemic, bringing a back-to-basics approach rooted in outdoor skills and self-reliance.

The group camped at Schiff Nature Preserve, a peaceful property overlooking rolling green canopies with a history as layered as the trails that led there. Once known as the Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation, it served as a national training center for the Boy Scouts of America before operations shifted to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. The preserve is now owned and maintained by the Schiff Natural Lands Trust.

Despite arriving tired at the camp, Scouts dropped their gear and headed straight into the woods to gather firewood before the last light faded — without being told, just a quiet understanding of what needed to be done. It was a moment that captured the spirit of the trip: stepping back into a time when things were slower and simpler — before speed replaced patience. The trip helped restore balance in a fast-moving, screen-filled world while building patience, responsibility, and teamwork. 

Scout Dru Diao, a St. Vincent Martyr School student heading to Regis High School in the fall, described the return ride to Madison as "smooth sailing," completed in under four hours. For him, the real highlight was the bike-packing itself — riding miles of trail with everything he needed strapped to his back, then settling in for the night in a lean-to shelter on a hill before riding home. He called it exhilarating. 

"It's a local adventure I'll always remember," Diao said. "I've loved mountain biking for years, but Mr. Z takes bike trips to the next level. We call it the Zipper Mile." He added that Mr. Zipper's calm, confident presence makes even the steepest hills feel manageable.

Preparation, Diao noted, was part of the experience from the start. Days before the ride, Scouts were already hydrating, checking brakes, inspecting tire pressure, and tuning chains. On the trail, they carried tools and spare tubes, managed their own repairs, and navigated changing terrain with confidence — all while adapting to whatever the trail threw at them. The trip reinforced how preparation and the right mindset can carry over from the trail into everyday challenges.

For families considering Scouting, Troop 7 Madison has been building resilience, leadership, and confidence in young men for over 100 years. New members are always welcome — and if this ride is any indication, the next adventure is already taking shape.

Troop 7 meets at the SVMS Gym every Monday, 7:30–9 p.m. https://my.scouting.org/VES/OnlineReg/1.0.0/?tu=UF-MB-358taa0007