No trails having been set in this area for five years, the hare felt safe enough to return, and go through some virgin parts of the relatively small area. It ended up brilliant, as always! The only downside was that no bimbos showed. These easy and central locations are confusing, aren’t they?

Trail began behind the Wendy’s on Rt 116, climbing down a stone embankment to a hidden trail and the first check. Basket blew through a falsie, but found his own way back to the trail when he heard the horns heading east through a light swamp. Trail was mostly bushwhacking until a ancient and overgrown road was encountered and followed uphill and south towards some houses. A check sent Wee Balls to visit the neighborhood. The rest found trail on a more well-used path skirting a steep hill overlooking the pond.

Some checks proved confusing here. And all were confused enough to try the circle jerk atop the hill, led by Bondo. Led by Bondo? I think you can see the error pretty blatantly. But ultimately, true trail was found continuing south. Basket tried turning southwest across the dam, but stopped 6.9 feet before seeing the trail crossing which led to the beer check. The pack followed an increasingly overgrown path south, until a final check sent Wee Balls back to investigate another neighborhood. The rest turned right and downhill to a stream.

Marks led upstream, in the stream. The briars and poison ivy along the banks made the stream the best choice. But WHO makes good choices in the RIH3?Following Bondo? I still can't get past that. The stream flowed out of a canyon, and once the sides were sufficiently steep, a check sent the pack up the southwest side to some more overgrown trails. A long, but well-marked bushwhack west brought them to the old electric trolley lines. Trail turned north. The lines were exceptionally satisfying. That is to say, they were filled with unavoidable mud. Which is really to say unavoidable if you didn’t notice the path running parallel on the far side. Wee Balls didn’t notice. Too bad. There was another neighborhood over there.

Finally, they came to the pond. True trail led back towards the dam, then reversed itself just 6.9 feet from Basket’s last footprint, and circled the edge of the pond. They came to the beer check at a stone tunnel draining into the pond. There were three Cambodian fishermen on the roof of the tunnel, who were quite startled at first. The hare calmed them down with an explanation and a beer. The pack serenaded them, the recruitment efforts going into high gear. Right!