By Forester

May 28, 2001

On Friday evening my immediate family came over to celebrate my birthday.  We went to eat at the historic Sussex Inn in the middle of the town by the same name.  It was a very good meal and I got some nice gifts, including some money.  However, the most enjoyable part was playing with my nephew Michael. 

Some friends of mine went camping this weekend down in Cape May, New Jersey.  I joined them 2 years ago and we had a great weekend.  The best part was going to sunset beach and spreading out a blanket to watch the sun go down while sharing a pot of spaghetti and meatballs.  I couldnt make it last year or this one and I really felt bad since they got rained on both times.  I had wanted to do some letterboxing and I set this weekend as a time to get started.  Being that my friends were getting soggy down in Cape May, I decided to Id go out in the rain as a way of being in solidarity with them. 

On Saturday morning I took my birthday money and bought myself a coated nylon rain suit and a new lensatic compass.   The compass I already have was from my forestry days and is marked in bearings instead of azimuths.   I decided to make the new one my official letterboxing compass and to store it in a special letterboxing pouch that I would assemble later.   My stamp and journal were in a ziplock plastic bag. 

Next I headed south on Route 23 to Mountain Side Reservation to find Wingfoots letterbox there.  The walk didnt take too long and I was able to stamp in rather quickly.  When I returned to the road I remembered that there was an artist supply store on 23.  I didnt care much for the spiral loose-leaf I was using for a journal and wanted to see if I could get a good hardcover bound sketchbook.  I hadnt been able to locate one that was small enough to carry.  The first store didnt have what I wanted and I ended up going further south down Route 23 to Staples were I found the perfect pouch for the job and a lined journal.

Then I took a u-turn and stopped in an arts and crafts store on the northbound side.  I was able to find sketchbook that I liked better there.  I just happened to browse in the next isle and to my surprise I found a rubberstamp carving kit complete with a slab of rubber, tracing paper, a wooden handle and 2 special carving blades.  Its made by Speedball; the same people who make pen and ink products.  Im already thinking about my next placement. 

After that I picked up a sandwich from Blimpies and headed for another Wingfoot box in a park called The Tourne.  There was a covered picnic area there where I sat eating my sandwich as I arranged my pouch and read the clues. The walk up the mountain was relatively easy and I saw 4 deer and a wild turkey on the way.  The clues called to start following the compass directions from a bench at a viewpoint where you could see the Twin Towers at 110 degrees.  I knew right off that I was never going to see that far in the weather conditions that day.  However, as the trail spiraled up the mountain, I realized that the viewpoints were each facing in specific directions depending on where the trees were cut.  When I found a lookout that faced 110 degrees, I followed the clues and found my reward quite readily.  In less then 45 minutes I had returned from stamping in and headed for my next quarry. 

Having picked up the two Wingfoot boxes so easily, I was lulled into a false sense of security.  I decided to head up to the Weis Ecology Center in Ringwood.  How hard could that be?  I pulled in at about 5pm and went to the visitor center to get a trail map.  All the literature was in the outside foyer and although the main building was closed an attendant came out to ask if there was anything he could help me with.  I didnt mention anything about letterboxing, but just said I was looking for the blue trail.  He told me to walk up Snake Den Road along side the center and it was at the end.  As I walked up the road I met a local woman walking a dog and asked her to verify that the trail was in that direction.  After she explained how the trails come off the road she asked if I was coming out the same way.  There was something about the tone in her voice that didnt sit right with me.  I guess she was wondering why anyone would be heading into the woods after 5pm on a rainy day. 

I guess I should have been wondering the same thing.  Maybe I was just fooling myself.  I was on a roll and didnt want to stop.  I refused to consider the possibility that this might be an extended hike.  The clues said nothing about time or distance; only landmarks.  Since I wasnt familiar with this area I had no idea of how expansive the trail system was.  I knew it would be strenuous, but I didnt think it would be long, time wise.  I guess I should have looked more closely at the map scale and the trail intersections that were mentioned in the clues. 

The further I hiked the more it started to occur to me that this wasnt going to be a quick in and out job.  However, I still thought the destination was much closer than it actually was.  At about 5:45pm I decided to forge on not realizing that I wasnt even half way.  By the time I realized it I was past the point of no return.  I finally reached the box at 7pm and stamped in.  The ecology center map showed other trails, but there were no contours shown to give me an idea of the terrain.  The clues had taken me by the scenic route over mountain peaks. Im sure the view was excellent on sunny days.  If I could be sure that one of the more direct trails was relatively flat I might have chanced it and struck out for the Ecology Center.  Unfortunately, I didnt have enough information to draw that conclusion.

I had already made one mistake that went against my better judgment by starting in so late.  I wasnt going to make another one.  The trail map showed that there was a parking area on a road about a mile past the letterbox location.  The road was on the other side of the state forest, but I figured it was a lot safer to be on a road in the dark than in the middle of the woods.  After going back to the stream for a quick drink out of my hand I headed for the parking area.  Not long after that I found the needed trail intersection and headed down the last forested leg of my journey. 

The trail was getting closer to the road and I could hear an occasional car go by.  After walking for a while parallel to the road, but a distance off, I looked ahead and saw a bear galloping along the trail in my direction.  He wasnt a very big one but Im sure his nails were still sharper than mine.  He hadnt seen me yet and when I gave a loud yell it startled him and he made a sudden right turn to disappear into the woods.  At this point I decided not to wait for the trail to hit the road and headed straight for it.

Now I was out of the woods but not exactly out of trouble.  As I descended the last mountain I went through some thick mountain laurels, which saturated my legs and boots.  I hadnt worn the rain suit pants this time.  I figured I was going to get wet anyway, but I didnt expect to be out that long.  The road route back to the Ecology Center was probably about 10 miles.  Cars were passing at a moderate rate and I tried unsuccessfully to thumb a ride as I walked along the road.  As soon as I had gotten out of the woods I called the Ecology Center on my Cell Phone and left a message on their answering machine.   I probably wouldnt be missed for another day or 2, but if the man I talked with saw my car he might have notified a search team.  I didnt want them needlessly searching in the woods while I was on the road.

I was between a rock and a hard place.  I wasnt in any immediate health danger, which would justify calling 911, but I wasnt looking forward to walking 10 miles in the dark and rain.  Further up the road I began to pass houses.  Most were dark since it was early in the evening and they were probably elsewhere for the holiday.  I got to an intersection with a closed gas station.  As I saw it in the distance I hoped that thered be a soda machine as I was really thirsty.  No such luck. 

I started to see some houses with lights on and activity, but I still hoped to hitch a ride and didnt want to intrude.  There was one house with a lot of cars and an obvious party going on.  There were people sitting in the garage at the end of a long driveway drinking.  A little girl saw me and came running down the driveway to greet me.  The mother screamed at her to come back.  I figured it wasnt a good time to ask for help and just smiled in their direction and kept walking up the road.  I cant imagine what I must have looked like trudging along soaking wet through the rain. 

As I continued along the road I passed through a lake community.  There was a cabin with some lights on and the faint sound of rock music.  The personalized address sign said Smokin Joes.  I decided to pass on that one too.  It was totally dark now and the road was narrow and dangerous, without much of a shoulder in some places.  A little further up the road I came to a contractors parking lot.  As I stood by the mailbox, I got an idea.  Id call information and try to get a local taxi service.  I could give them the address on the mailbox.  They could pick me up and bring me to a MAC machine in town and then to my car.  That idea went out the door when I saw that my cell phone could no longer get reception. 

I was beginning to wonder if I could get a ride easier if I collapsed on the side of the road instead of sticking out my thumb as cars went by.  Im not a very good actor and was determined not to let it get to the point where it was real.  As I continued up the road my legs started to cramp due to their soaked condition.  I knew that I couldnt stop for any long period of time as they would cramp so bad that I wouldnt be able to move.

I finally decided to seek help at a house.  There was no answer at the first one I tried.  I walk a little further up the road and came to a small white house.  As I knocked on the door, the dogs started barking.  A younger looking guy with a ponytail opened the door and gave me a stare.  I tried to explain my situation to him and where I needed to go. 

He seemed astounded at how far I had come.  Howd you get here? Snake Den Road is a long way off! 

No kidding.

When I asked if he could just look up a taxi in the phonebook, he looked me in the eye and said, You aint a crazy man, are you? 

No, other than starting a 4 hour hike at 5pm in the rain, Im usually pretty sane.

Well then, Ill take you there. I was just about to go to town to pick up a pizza, anyway.

He went in to tell his wife (or girlfriend) where he was going and went out the back.  I stepped away from the door and saw him revving up a rather large 4-wheel drive bronco-type truck with a loud muffler.  He drove around the other side of the house and pulled right up so I was standing in the headlights.  He probably wanted a better look at me.  I walked to the passenger side and as I got in he stared rather uncomfortably at my new black letterboxing pouch.  It was then that I realized that it looked just the right size to hold a handgun.  Thats probably why no one stopped for me on the road.

As we drove along we started talking and I think he realized that I was safe.  He said his name was Elmer and he had just moved back to New Jersey after being gone since he was 19.  We had been to some of the same states.  I told him about letterboxing and how I ended up walking down his road.  He said there was an old woods road behind his house that went straight to the Ecology Center.  I said that I didnt think it would be safe in the dark without a flashlight. 

Yeah, he responded. Besides, Bobos been around. 

Whos Bobo?

A bear

Oh, bears. I know about them.

When we finally got to the car and said Id buy him a beer if I ever saw him in a bar.  He seemed like that type.  However, it didnt occur to me that I dont spend much time in bars myself now days; unless theyre attached to restaurants.  He told me not to worry about it and was on his way.  I think Ill drop off something on his door next time I go down Otterhole Road.

Forester