Date: 2008-05-27
From: Arden Valley Rd

To: West Mombasha Rd
Miles today: 5.3

Tuesday, May 27, 2008Arden Valley Rd to West Mombasha Rd, 5.3 milesA kind person I know from years past, who lives in Monroe, has agreed to help me with today¢s car setting. We set mine at West Mombasha. The last time I was at West Mombasha was July 20, 2007 shortly after I broke my ankle on a group hike at the Ramapo ATC conference. (My own fault, I was too vain to take blue-blazed ¢The Easy Way¢). A state trooper had driven me from Arden Valley Rd to West Mombasha, where I had parked the Element. My left ankle was the one broken, so I was able to drive myself to an ER in Suffern. Rest of this story, which is a story of all the support I received from so many others, is in the 2007 AT journal.My old friend and I spend time catching up, which delays today¢s start time. Start 11:15. Another scorcher. Temps well into the 90¢s. Too hot today for Helen to join us.Benny and I cross Rte 17 on Arden Valley bridge.Well, hello Agony Grind. Last time I was here, I was here with John, and we descended you. So did Tadpole and Twinkletoes, Tadpole's 5-pound doglet. Twinkletoes needed a boost up or down here and there but was impressively able to walk most of the AT under her own steam.It¢s great fun climbing ole Agony with Benny. He does super.Soon the skies cloud over, thunder rumbles.Our time today is real slow. It¢s almost 1PM and we haven¢t even come to East Mombasa.I¢m packing a bowl and water for Benny today. Stop and water him. It's hot.Meet 2 hikers coming towards us. No conversation due to you know what.Stop for tick inspection. I get 3 large and one small tick off Benny, and one large and one small off me.Trail has been quite rocky so far, but Benny is managing just fine.Trail becomes smoother. I think that¢s East Mombasa Lake to our left, slate black surface reflecting black sky.Beaver dam to the left of the bridge.Enormous crack of simultaneous lightning and thunder.2:40 we¢re at East Mombasa. It¢s pouring rain, with thunder and lightning. Benny crawls under a log and at first he won¢t come out.Sorry Benny, I¢m pack leader. We¢re going on. We¢ve only got another 1.7, over Buchanan Mtn and out to your comfy home away from home.A little short of the summit of Buchanan Mtn, a doe runs off to the left across the trail, strangely. She's running while staring at us, and wriggling a little, as if she¢s trying to get our attention.At the summit we find out why. A soaking wet baby fawn, about the size of a rabbit, actually looking a bit like a rabbit, is wobbling towards a little cluster of shrub. Benny starts after it. I say No, Benny, and tighten the leash.He sits and watches. Silently. Obeying.Its small legs folded under, the fawn is sitting completely still, its head and back drenched by bucketfuls of water sloshing from the sky. It¢s no more than 6 feet away.Benny and I back away towards the descent off Buchanan. When we¢re at a safe distance, the fawn struggles to its feet, makes some soft squeaky sounds, and wobbles off in the direction of its mother.No photos. My batteries are dead. Even if they weren¢t, I would not have photo¢d this scene. It takes all my focus and attention to do nothing that might scare or hurt that fawn and its mother. I ¢take it all in¢, again as Stride would say. This memory stronger for not having been photographed.Benny and I start the descent off Buchanan. Getting down over slippery boulders, I have to take him off the leash twice, though I don¢t want to because of the incident with the fawn.Because you never know what you¢ll encounter in the woods, I can see the reasoning for requiring leashing dogs who are not 100% compliant with voice commands. I don¢t think Benny would have hurt that fawn, I¢ve no evidence of Benny ever biting or killing, but I have no way to really know.The neat thing is Benny and I have become really close out here on the trail. I¢m the leader, but not in a gruff way. My hiking buddies are right. Gruff firmness just isn¢t me. I¢m the leader in a way that lets Benny go first, and sometimes lets him follow his nose. Benny¢s motivated by such a strong desire to please, I don¢t have to command, I merely have to express that I¢d be really pleased if he¢d¢¦.Out at 4:30. A record slow hike, 1 mph.We planned to hike in and out from Arden Valley Rd to the spot where I broke my ankle, but I don¢t want to do it in today¢s slosh. Besides, I can use the time this afternoon to pick up a bag I left at Liza¢s house, and to enjoy a long evening with Helen. Benny and I will hike tomorrow (with Helen weather permitting) west of Graymoor and then we¢ll go home, saving 28 miles plus the Lemon Squeezer for June 5-8 with Spinner.