Shown on Aug. 5, are, from left, Sandy (Willette) Davis, Maureen (Jean Gendreau) Lippens, Loree (Mercier) Saxby, Marge Derkos, Lori (Lewis) Frahm and Kathleen (Courneene) Ahee. (Courtesy photo)

EDITORS NOTE — A group of friends recently recreated a bicycle trip that was first undertaked 46 years ago. Here is an account written by Kathleen (Courneene) Ahee.

ESCANABA — Reuniting with old friends from the class of 1980 to celebrate an adventure carried out over 46 years ago was like a gift of a treasure chest full of amazing gems. The celebration entailed meeting at the same hotel where a young group of 15-year-old girls stayed 46 years ago.

The planned reunion brought back together this remarkable group of women traveling across five states including: California, Arizona, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

The adventure began in July 1977, where a group of seven high school girls headed out on their bikes from Escanaba, Mich. to Marinette, Wis.

One memory that clearly stands out, was the incident when one of the bikes broke down from a collision that occurred because two of us were riding side by side. We abruptly shifted positions to ride single file to avoid gravel and heavy traffic which caused the accident.

At this point, we thought our ride was truly over because one of the bikes required all new spokes to continue. On a whim, we walked our bikes to the first garage in sight and just blurted out, “got any spokes”? What are the chances that the people had exactly the spokes needed, offered to fix the bike, and got us back on the road in no time at all. With several mishaps along the way including a few falls, resulting in scrapes and cuts, all survived a seven-hour ride, arriving safely at their destination, the Riverfront Inn in Marinette. Unaware at the time, could any of these girls imagine reuniting 46 years later to embrace once again lifelong friendships?

All together again, we realized it seemed just like the good old days when we reminisced about all the wonderful memories, we had experienced throughout our younger days growing up in Escanaba, Mich. We all appreciated the many commonalities we had shared laughing hysterically about our memories. Stories about our girl scout days at camp “Wi He Tonga,” attending Northern Michigan University basketball camp, experiencing a third-place finish at the State Junior Miss Softball tournament in lower Michigan, water fights on the bench during our varsity basketball days, as well camping in each other’s backyards.

There were many unforgettable experiences and memories shared. This reunion brought back lifelong friendships that will continue as we reunite every year to share our new stories.