Saratoga News

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Road closes, campers hike out of Walden West

By Michele Leung

A truck's broken driveshaft and a hydraulic fluid spill on Sanborn Road closed the road for two hours, which meant camp leaders at Walden West had to find an alternate place for parents to pick up their children.

A truck going up the hill on Sanborn Road broke down on June 21. Mechanics attempted to separate the tractor and the trailer with a forklift, but the hydraulic system gave way, according to park ranger Tom Borra at Sanborn County Park.

"There was fluid all over the roadway," he said. "That was the main reason we had to close the road."

The road was closed from about 4 to 6 p.m., Borra said, which was around the time parents came to pick up campers at Walden West. Because Sanborn is the only road that leads in and out of Walden West, 150 day campers hiked to nearby Saratoga Springs, where they met their parents.

Borra and CHP officers were on hand to direct traffic.

"The kids were wonderful. They did everything they were supposed to," said Anita Parsons, director at Walden West. "Everybody was safe. People know the trail. The kids were used to hiking."