Write-up: Sir Tom Smith

Leader: Sir Tom Smith

Co-leader:

I started the day off with hopes of leading a successful hike with all the participants eagerly following in my footsteps. My hopes were soon dashed as the mutiny began long before the hike even started.  As I was getting out of my car at the meet-up in Mapledale, I noticed Paul had his map spread out on the car hood and he and Jim were studying it in earnest.  As there were only four brave souls that signed up for my hike, we all piled into my car for the journey to the trailhead.  Paul and Jim had decided to hike to the Falls from a different trailhead;  much to my chagrin, the rest of the folks agreed with the mutineers and away we went.  There was a privy two campsites down from the trail head which Lisa pointed out to the gang.  Two of us – I will not mention Cindy’s name nor mine – had a bit of trouble with the number two and trotted right by it, ending up doing our business in the woods. The fearless leader ended up in the back of the pack but was allowed to lead for a short time halfway through the hike, when we reached an open grassy marsh. 

Lisa -being the leader at this point – stopped and said there might be snakes lurking there.  It could be dangerous, she said, let’s put Tom in the lead. So…I got to lead for about ten minutes until the coast was clear. Meanwhile, Paul was collecting junk at an alarming rate declaring with each addition,  “Look what I found, I’m sure I can find some use for it.” Later in the hike, when Paul started scarfing down cloves of garlic like he hadn’t eaten in weeks, we went into emergency mode trying to think of an antidote for the odor.   Apples seemed to be the solution, but since we didn’t have any, we rode home with the windows open.

Arriving at the falls I was looking forward to an enjoyable lunch with my fellow hikers.  Approaching the water several of us noticed Lisa’s feet in the water and we took our boots off to do the same.  As I’m sitting down next to her, sticking my bare feet in the water, I noticed she still had her boots on.  I should have said nothing and quietly eaten my lunch, but curiosity got the better of me and I asked why she didn’t take her shoes off. Well…her explanation went on for half an hour and used references to the physics of mechanical actions and nature of thermal dynamics.  This was interspersed with her and Cindy talking about how pretty Cindy’s socks were, where they came from, how much they cost, how many came in a package and what she planned on doing with them all. 

Finally, after what seemed like days, lunch was over and we had an uneventful return to the car.  As we were signing out, we saw a DEC attendant and told him of our choice of trailheads due to the blowdowns on the other end.  He looked at the five of us city folks squeezed into my small hybrid-electric car which should not have been on the dirt road and said, “It’s the forest – you could just walk around these things.”  Hence began our trip home with Jim telling us over and over again about a great Jazz festival going on in Rome and that we should all try to make it.