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Strange, Harrowing, or Humerous Trip Events
This page was suggested by Tom lynn who offers us the first story: "The Forced March of Discipline."

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THE FORCED MARCH of DISCIPLINE
Tom Lynn - 09/14/12

          Scotty Carlton was the lead councilor on a Rum Hill trip in 1965(?). The Hacker and other motor boat ferried us to the other (west) side of the lake (to Thayer's boat yard?). From there we began a straight hike to go up to Rum Hill. As we passed a herd of cows, some kids started tormenting/spooking them. Just as Scotty noticed and started to yell at them, the cows stampeded! Never have seen anything like it! They ran straight toward a tall camper whose name I can't quite recall (it will come to me -- really nice kid). Scotty yelled at the kid to stay entirely still. The cows all ran around him without hitting him at all! After everything died down, Scotty was having a councilor moment. I'm not sure how long/far the hike was supposed to be, but it was long and arduous. I might be wrong, but the story was that Scotty took us on a longer circuitous route, a la the Israelites 40-year wandering in the desert as God's punishment. Maybe he didn't, but that's the "story" that was told. I was on that trip, and it was a long and hot trip. (It was during that trip that we passed the "Hot Water Heaters Farmhouse & Yard").

Scott Carlton commenting 10/11/2011- Thanks, Tom, At least you didn't title it the Death March of Vengeance!

            T'was, indeed, an interesting trek. As I recall, though, the stampede was only secondary to our long wanderings in the wilderness that day. The real issue had been the directions to the site which I had been provided from, I believe, Hunt Hilliard! He was quite adamant regarding a particular turn at a road intersection which we followed. Alas, Hunt's version of left and right that day had been somewhat amiss and he had us follow along a road which the vehicles used to attain access. Whereas the vehicles could travel quite a bit more rapidly than we could on foot it was just a tad bit longer for us -- both in time and in distance. If you recall other trips to Rum Hill, you will recall an opposite turn from that which we took and a really pleasant (and quite short!) trek up to the camping location.

            Not to worry, though, I was certain that Hunt was able to have quite a laugh over his directions when we (eventually) returned!

            Thanks for the memories, Tom!
P.S. -- not only that, you were able to verify the veracity of one of Hyde Bay's premier ghost stories!

Mike Hilliard commenting 10/26/2011 - Ah Scotty, how could you blame my late sainted father for a wrong turn. I am so hurt. I think I will need significant therapy to get over this.
PS: My elbows are on the table and you can't do anything about it. Seriously, it is good to hear your voice.

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LARRY "EL GROSSO" SAGER
Tom Lynn - 11/02/11

            Was anyone on the Trenton Falls Trip (or was it Susquehanna Trip?) when Larry "El Grosso" Sager supposedly, upon the approach of non-Hyde Bay folks in their canoe, stood up stark naked in his canoe proclaiming something bizarre in a bad, fake French accent? (If so, what was it he "proclaimed"?) Also, there is a folklore-ish tale that the same El Grosso and Rusty competed in some sort of a (how shall I say it...) "gross-out contest" on that or some other trip. Decorum prevents me from saying what the "challenges-accomplishments" of that contest were alledged to have been. Any truth/corroboration to this tale?

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WILD BEASTS OF THE EAST!
Scott Carlton - 10/12/11

            If you remember Pete Stanley, you most probably also remember his buckskin coat -- yep, the one with all the fringe! Near as I can recall, Pete was never without that coat -- unless he was in the wrestling room or, maybe, swimming. (Although you may also remember that Pete couldn't swim particularly well; all his muscle didn't allow for much in the way of buoyancy).
             In any event, we were on a Susquehanna River trip (Pete in charge) and having rounded a bend to find a bank-bound angler in distress over something on his line that couldn't be dislodged, Pete and I stopped only to be surprised by a VERY large snapping turtle at the end of this guy's fly line! Well, we rescued his fly and plopped the turtle in our canoe -- continuing our trip, all the while trying to keep our toes attached where they belong. (One of my first introductions to multi-tasking!)
             Arriving at the campsite, we dragged our gear out and left the turtle behind for a bit. As everyone went about setting up shelters, etc. Pete went off and dragged back two very large tree trunks from a nearby woodpile. (I say "dragged" but, in reality, he came back carrying them on his shoulders -- ok -- one at a time)! These he set side-by-side on a nice level spot and announced that that would be his shelter. Stretching his poncho over the two logs, Pete was set for the night -- although not a lot of head-room. Now Pete's buckskin coat was with him as always and this night was no exception. Instead of making certain that his coat was inside the shelter with him, he had left it near the head of his bed -- slightly outside. At some time in the middle of the night, the herd of cows who lay true claim to the area, showed up and wandered around all of our shelters and sleeping bags trying to identify their new neighbors. Apparently one of those cows took offense at Pet e's buckskin coat and very quietly dragged it out into the field and proceeded to munch away on it. The consequence was a series of very large holes, quite a bit less fringe, and a magnificent bellow from Pete when he awoke and made the discovery! Things were never quite the same for Pete... his mourning lasted at least through the remainder of camp!
             Oh, yes, we did butcher the snapping turtle and roasted its ample bits of meat over the fire. While the flavor was really quite wonderful, the texture was -- well, let's say it was a great deal like chewing on a mouthful of rubber bands! Next time, stew!

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THE SNAPPING TURTLE AND THE TOWER
Tom Lynn - 10/16/11

            Scotty -- You must have continually attracted snapping turtles!

            A second "turtle story" comes to mind. Although I wasn't there to witness it, the story has it that there was some commotion one day (in 1968?) around the tower. Apparently, some swimmers exclaimed that a snapping turtle was lurking around those waters. You proceeded to reach down and come up with that snapping turtle in hand! I can't say if that's what actually happened, but I can say that UL's Mike Prowda and Tom Lynn were subsequently given the duty of taking said snapping turtle (safely imprisoned in a box) in a canoe a "safe distance" down Shadow Brook for a humane release -- apparently not to be a main course this time. Pooh Bear Prowda and I entertained ourselves most of the way there by calling out in our best "Robot" voice from "Lost in Space": "Danger, danger! Extreme danger! Clear the area at once! Danger, Will Robinson!"" Ultimately, the turtle was released with no further insult and, fortunately, no injury. All digits stayed intact and attached.

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THE SOGGY LOOKOUT TRIP
David Dube - 10/02/11

          A trip to lookout I will always remember from 1969 as a 'Junior Councilor'-- you and I took the younger campers up to lookout via the gorge by the ballfield. Evening evolved, nightfall, and full moon rising between my feet in the sleeping bag. More ominous, the clouds off to the right with lighning visible. An Otsego was definitely coming. When the wind started to come up a bit, I was scared out of my mind and you and I got all the campers up, each with their flashlights, and we made them leave EVERYTHING ELSE behind. We went down the gorge in the rain 'buddied up', listening to thunder, the entire time worrying about a flood. We got everyone back to their tents safely.

          Next day I went up to fill the truck with the soggy sleeping bags, and everything else. Didn't really hit me until later the significance of the one downed tree next to one of the camper 'tents', and the other tree that had obviously been hit by lightning. VERY glad that that moment from my life DID NOT become one of the worst memories of my life. Probably throughout camp we all dodged such bullets, but wasn't it grand?!!

Tom Lynn commenting 10/03/11 - Yes, David, that was quite a trip! Of course, as first year councilors, we had some older councilors there making the tough decisions -- like us having to go back to camp in the middle of the night, in a driving thunderstorm. And with lots of the youngest kids in camp in tow! Then there was the decision to go back down by way of the gorge rather than by the power line (i.e., on grass). That was one hell of a slippery trek -- trying to navigate down from the rim of the gorge to the bottom over slick boulders. I'm pretty sure I was hanging on to one of the Coulsons twins to make sure he didn't slide down into the darkness below! Once we got back to camp, Mouldy met us all in the Campers' Lodge to tell everyone what a remarkable job we had done. The really remarkable thing was that it was something that hadn't been done since six or seven years before. What was remarkable about that? We'll I was a camper on THAT other Lookout trip that had returned during a thunderstorm -- as was Scotty Haskell. Scotty was a tentmate of mine back then in Tent 8. He didn't return to camp after that until the last year of camp when he was a 2nd year UL. So, Scotty and I were on BOTH of those Lookout trips -- six years apart! (I think on the first one we came back in the night be way of the power line though.) Great to think about that again! Hope you can make it to the next Durbar, David!

Tom Lynn commenting 10/03/11 - David -- I never heard the part about how you went up to pick up the stuff on Lookout the next day and there were trees/branches down. Yikes! (Ps How'd your wrestling career go after 1969? Mine was only so-so after a promising start. Also, how'd those Regents exams go?)

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