The Wild Brunch by Dennyk - Children's Stories Net
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Dennyk Childrens-Stories.net Terms of use: you may view online and freely print a single paper copy of the entire story page for your own personal domestic private use, individual qualified Teachers may also freely print additional paper copies for teaching purposes within their own educational establishment. Any other use is strictly prohibited without prior written consent by letter from us, please see the contact us button above. Synopsis This is an enlightening story based on a real-life occurrence about an amiable off-the-road motorcycle bunch living in Montana, USA. The site and the names of the people are changed for privacy reasons. 
One Sunday morning in August 2020, a bunch of off-the-road teenage motorcyclists went to the restaurant, Taste Of Paris, for brunch. It had just been reopened after a six-month-long shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. They were members of the Werner Dirt Bike Club organised by Dean Werner, the president, and his sister, Peggy, the secretary/treasurer. It was after a morning of racing up and down the Bitterroot Mountains in Hamilton, Montana, for their fabulous crepes, served with an array of topping options, like lemon juice with sugar or poached pears, chocolate sauce and Chantilly cream.
John and Jean Werner lived on a ranch in Montana and they had three children, who were old enough to assist with the daily chores of feeding and cleaning up after the animals, horses, cows and pigs. The kids were Allen, a 12-year-old tall and handsome blond boy; Peggy, a 12-year old short blond girl; and Dean, a brown-haired slim boy of 14. Their dad paid them a weekly salary which they were all saving. They rode their bicycles into Missoula during school days and summer vacations. Dean was a popular bike rider. He was often challenged to race other kids of his age and sometimes, older ones. He always emerged winner in these local contests.
One day Dean visited the Motorcycle shop where he saw a Kawasaki trail motorcycle, and he was smitten by its beauty. He called his dad, who agreed with the purchase. John drove to the shop in his pickup truck to take it home, as dirt motorcycles are not allowed on the highway. Dean made a 30 percent down payment and signed for it, including the affordable 24-month charges. He dreamed of exploring the wilderness in his KX125 bike. The motorcycle featured a long-travel suspension and knobby tires, which were designed to tackle tough terrain in the woods, desert or mountains. 
Not to be outdone, Dean's sister Peggy, became interested in his trail motorcycle as she was a natural-born rider. She chose a Honda CRF 150 Expert model and purchased it on her 14th birthday after getting approval from her mom. 
Allen, the youngest, had to wait a year before he was allowed to purchase a KTM 125 dirt bike. After the teenage kids, about twenty in number, had finished eating their brunch, they loaded up their motorcycles in their parents' trucks and headed back home to Missoula and called it a day. 
John Werner was a proficient over-the-road motorcycle rider and so was his wife Jean. A few years ago, before the children were born, they would ride to Las Vegas and spend a week at the hotel, Caesars Palace, for their summer vacation. John would play blackjack in the casino and win with a strategy system he designed for himself, one that always worked. He would win often enough to pay for their weeks' stay in the hotel. In his last year, coming home from Las Vegas, there was a disaster as he was struck by a reckless driver and severely injured his back. Luckily, he was wearing a helmet and the driver missed hitting his wife. After that accident, they sold their motorcycles and he vowed that his children would never ride motorcycles on the highways. That was also the last time he ever drove a motorcycle. So, years later, in 2018, when his son, John, decided to purchase a trail bike, he was not opposed to it, nor was his wife, Jean. He was also not against it later on when his other children wanted to do off-the-road biking, as long as they stayed off the highways. 
Dean explored the nearby terrain and plotted and marked out an obstacle course for club members with the help of his sister. Complete with hairpin turns, curves, crossing over water, jumps, steep climbs, uphill and downhill, and rocks and trees to avoid. The club members would gather almost every Saturday and Sunday morning and run through the obstacle course to enjoy it and also see if they could improve on their personal times and records. They thoroughly enjoyed the challenge the course offered, and when the weather was rainy, it was treacherous due to the muddy conditions. They often slipped and fell in the mud and damaged their motorcycles, but no one was ever badly hurt. They would return home looking like a muddy mess, but they were always a happy bunch.
Dean planned an exciting weekend trip to Glacier National Park for the members and the forecast was for sunny weather. They were advised to leave their motorcycles at home but to bring their masks and an aerosol can of bear spray in their backpacks. Bear spray is used to deter aggressive or charging bears. Twelve of the twenty-some members said they would make this bewilderment trip. Dean had planned for them to rent mountain bicycles at the site, but he did not inform them in advance. It was to be a surprise for everyone except his brother, Allen, and sister, Peggy, who already knew.
They loaded up in their things for the trip to Glacier National Park in three pickup trucks. John drove one of the trucks with two of his three children riding with him in the back. Allen, his youngest child, rode in the cabin with his dad as he was not yet 16 years old. Two other parents volunteered to take the rest of the teenagers in their trucks. The four kids that were under 16 years old had to ride in the cabin of the truck as the legal age to ride in the cargo bed of a truck is 16. The parents also had to stay off the highways with children in the cargo bed. The longer distance, north from Missoula and 182 miles total on unpaved roads, is the route they were required to take. They left Missoula early Saturday morning and arrived at the Park around 10 am. The teenage kids unloaded their gear. The three pickups headed back to Missoula on the US highway #93, an easier 154-mile trip. Dean had reserved mountain bikes and he led the group to the rental shop where they all got their bikes and headed for the camp-ground. They paired up to set up their pup tents, before going on the mountain trail. 
They rode all day, and it was an awesome sight to behold. They only stopped for lunch and a couple of other pit stops. They returned to camp around 6 pm, built a campfire and cooked a large pot of beans, just like the cowboys used to do. They sang the old campfire songs, including Home on The Range and Cool Water, and told stories after dark. One of the songs they sang by the campfire: I've Been Working On The Railroad I've been working on the railroad All the livelong day I've been working on the railroad Just to pass the time away Can't you hear the whistle blowing Rise up so early in the morn Can't you hear the captain shouting Dinah, blow your horn Dinah, won't you blow Dinah, won't you blow Dinah, won't you blow your horn Dinah, won't you blow Dinah, won't you blow Dinah, won't you blow your horn Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah Someone's in the kitchen I know Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah Strumming on the old banjo, and singing Fie, fi, fiddly i o Fie, fi, fiddly i o Fie, fi, fiddly i o Strumming on the old banjo Dean had also arranged a little skit with his brother Allen, to entertain them. Allen acting, stumbled up to the campfire coughing and saying, "Peper! Peper!" and Dean kept asking him, "What kind of Peper? Green peper? Red peper? Yellow peper?" and Allen repeatedly replied, "No, No, peper." Finally, he said, "Toilet Paper," and the kids all laughed.
They were all tired from the long all-day bike riding and dozed off as soon as they 'hit the hay.' Dean stayed up to tend the fire. At about midnight, he fell asleep but was awakened by a loud roar, the sign of an aggressive grizzly bear. He took out his aerosol can of bear spray and was prepared to use it. The roars kept getting closer and louder, Dean started to shake with fear as he could not see from where the grizzly bear was coming from. Two of the boys had recorded an angry grizzly bear roaring for several minutes on their computer using the online Google-Search function. They had done this recording earlier in Missoula, after Dean had asked them to bring bear spray. They were playing the recording inside of their tent and increasing the volume, this is what awoke Dean and scared him. The next morning Dean told his grizzly bear story, of how he had successfully and bravely chased a huge dangerous bear away from their campsite. He was surprised when two of the boys began to laugh out loud as he told his story. The other children, however, were in amazement as he related his scary story.
Later that morning, they returned their rented bikes and went on one of the Glacier National Parks scenic hiking trails. The hike was fabulous and they all reveled in its view until it was time to leave for home. The three pickup trucks arrived and they met at the scheduled time and were driven back to Missoula on the unpaved roads. Dean often wondered why the two boys were laughing at him when he told his heroic bear story. The End If you enjoyed this story, there are many more in our collection, to register for more Free Stories please click below or click the Free Story Access button top left on this page. Click Here to Register for more Free Stories. Story Rating 
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