Greenteam 1 had an awesome day! We had it all! Movies! Trailbuilding! Rain! Mud! Special Guest Appearances! MAFIA! What more could you ask for?
We started the day with Stretch Master Marcus leading us in a food-based activity featuring Jon's fried minnows. And with a quick Kansasian quote from Patrick, we were off to beat the rain. Only to be caught at the trailhead where we donned our foulweather gear (some of us) and braved the weather. Jenn and Doug, our highly skilled water buffaloes were unable to display their talents as we opted to leave the water near the car where most of the crew would be working. With a quick dash to the tool cache, we collected our gear and most of the crew headed back down to the stream to work on rocks and final trail clearing while Rose, Zach and Doug headed up to the Point Mountain loop to repair an old water feature gone bad. On reassembling at the stream we were greeted by our Special Guest, Professional Trail Builder and SCA Graduate, Alan Molyneux (now working on the TFC for the Appalachian Mountain Club). Alan, brother Bryan and Marcus got immediately to work on settling two slightly wobbling in-stream stepping stones (note that Alan wore both a helmet and gloves, oh and a shirt, too). Jenn (after graciously accepting a macleod from Treyceratops), Kellie, Brittany and I went to finishing tread on the section of trail heading to Penwell Road. The rest of the crew (Max, Dave, Pat, Johnny, Trey and Jon) headed for the stepping stones. While the pitter-patter of raindrops on our helmets created a zen-like calm among the crew, allowing a previously recalcitrant rock to be set with aplomb and the water feature to be repaired with relative repose, it wrecked havoc on the tread and mud was the result.
With great disappointment calls were made and the crew was put in retreat. The rain was helpful in highlighting the sections of trail that need drainage work or tread smoothing but a deluge was beginning. As the NJ State Climatologist's website will attest, it was a fortuitous decision.
Refuge was found at Rose's house and the crew was grateful to the Dattler Family for their hospitality. Not only did we have a dry place to hide but were provided with cookies, towels and a plethora of SCA t-shirts so we could change out of our wet clothes. Some crew members were quick to note their forethought in bringing a spare set of clothes and our special guest mumbled something about "cotton kills"
After a brief repast, we debated the cinematic choices of Toy Story vs. Who Killed the Electric Car? and the final decision was obvious. Who wouldn't choose a documentary over an animated classic? At least during work time. Post film and discussion we were regaled by our guest on the exploits of professional trail building and back country living, including high altitude moose, axe fearing bears and cog railway train robberies.
We ended our day with an intense game of mafia where Doug stole his role from Dave (due to the narrator's lack of concise non-verbal communication (Bryan)), Johnny missed his chance in nabbing the killers, Rose and Trey died without following up on their initial hunches, pillow distributors were cold-bloodedly killed and Pat commited suicide by a late-night wake-up. Zach and Doug, assured of each other's innocence did a slow but in the end effective job of killing off the axe-murdering trail crew of Jenn and Max. Through Kellie's keen insight, the killers were found and right prevailed.
Just another humdrum day for Greenteam 1.
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