Diabolical

 

What was I calculating to do THIS week?

Visit #1512, Sunday 5 January 25, 7:05-10:10AM, 5.8 miles, 5.3 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the high 20s, partly sunny and breezy.

Above was just one of many pages I filled with numbers this week while trying to solve a problem in Hubbard Park. Read on.

Enroute to the walkbridge over I-691, I encountered this type of sticker which continues to reappear on this tree despite my weekly removal.

I didn't expect to find our current park vandal-in-residence's pink paint before I crossed the highway, but I did. Rest assured, I addressed all that I found this week, on both sides of the highway, so I won't bore you with After photos.

At the walkbridge, I have concluded there is one dedicated vandal who routinely posts politically and socially referenced stickers on this particular fence post. I continue to remove them.

Once beyond the walkbridge, I began to follow the pink trail of graffiti and cover it.

In addition,  I found a number of signs and whatnot, which of course I removed.

But what I was REALLY after this week were trees where our vandal has been painting marks on the trees too high for me to reach.

There were more. I like a good challenge! It took me a while to scheme up my diabolical solution, and unfortunately I can't show it to you for concern our enemy will get their own ideas. But yes, I managed to reach them all, to taunt and torment our vandal. I may have been a french soldier in a previous life!

Done with that task, I hiked up toward Castle Craig and was surprised to find...

...new guardrails! They weren't just here, but further up the road toward Castle Craig, and much lower down the road near Merimere Reservoir. I see the work is not completed.

The installers were even carting away the old, cabled guardrails. This was decades overdue and quite an improvement which I'm sure will last a long time. My only complaint is, they don't match the landscape-the vintage park vs. the modern guardrails.

What I had in mind is what is commonly called "coreten" (a brand name), or "weathering rust rail". However, I wasn't the only one thinking of aesthetics, and after reading THIS STUDY, it seems to me that the galvanized steel guardrail the city selected was the best choice for longevity and cost, with the only option being to apply a colored stain to the galvanized guardrail, which would have increased cost anyway.

The company has not completed the work so look for more new guardrail to be installed. I talked to a passing hiker and asked their opinion. They thought the road now looked "narrower" (I'm sure the road width has not changed) to which I replied that might be a good thing if it results in drivers slowing down as a result.

I also found Season of the Missing Glove 2024/25, Entry #4.

But what about my other diabolical plan for today and what do all those numbers on the paper at the top of the blog mean?

Remember that gate across the Maloney Canal and the lock which has been missing since November?

I tried reaching out directly to the Meriden Water Department. No response.

I put the issue to several people within the city structure, via this blog. Whether they contacted the water department or not I don't know. What I do know is the lock still hasn't been replaced yet. ATVers could easily remove the barrier or someone could steal the bar and sell it for scrap.

My diabolical plan was to replace the lock myself. Getting it off would be the water department's problem and maybe that would motivate them to replace it.

What I had was a padlock I hadn't used in YEARS. It's been so long I forgot the combination which would not be a problem for me but, the lock was closed.

(A replica of the lock in question.)

Well, what do Americans do when they want to learn how to do something?

Open a book? Are you kidding; only educated people open books. The rest of us WATCH YOUTUBE!

I must have watched, and tried, a dozen different methods of picking a Master Lock, such as this one:

I spent HOURS trying different methods and writing down numbers. Nothing worked. So I decided to pool YouTube with my prison skills 😉. Lo and behold...

I couldn't believe it-I almost pooped a battleship! Like Wile E. Coyote, I am a Super Genius!

And no; I didn't write down the combination and I wasn't about to retry my method to find out! This padlock was on a one-way trip to the Maloney Canal.

I'm sure the water department owns a pair of boltcutters which they can put to use when they finally decide to re-install their own lock. Otherwise, they can borrow my pair!

I dropped off my trash for the day and this Super Genius went home.

End of 2024 Tally

 

Let's get the 2024 stats out of the way:

Miles hiked: 234.3

Litter: 407.5 lbs.

Fallen trees and branches removed from trails by chainsaw: 25

Visit #1511, Sunday 29 December 24, 8:00-10:25AM, 5.5 miles, 3.2 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 40s, very cloudy/foggy with occasional light rain.

This week I had the pleasure to use up the second half of my Christmas gift from pal Elmer- his assistance on the trail. And boy, did I take advantage of it. I turned him into a sherpa, schlepping my chainsaw for some trail maintenance, and more.

But first, let's catch up on last week.

Last week I removed some graffiti from signage at the gate across the road, but was stymied trying to remove a stubbord sticker. I pondered the problem and visited Hubbard Park on Christmas Day morning with my solution.

The sticker and metal sign were too cold for the sticker adhesive to be pliable. So I added heat in the form of my pencil torch. I was concerned about the paint on the sign melting but watching carefully I didn't have to worry. The sticker was scraped off quickly and easily. A Christmas gift to me!

Finished with that brief task, I walked a lap around the playscape and picked up litter. Among the finds were a knit hat, and a virtually brand new insulated flask, both of which I'll clean and bring to Goodwill.

But the special find was this 30+ page Connecticut Traffic Incident Scene Management Field Guide, presumably lost by police or fire personnel. Pocket sized on heavy, waterproof stock and spiral bound, it will come in handy whenever I happen to investigate an accident! I doubt it would be a quick sale at Goodwill.

This morning, with Elmer lugging the chainsaw and getting a taste of what I do maintaining the trails in Hubbard Park, we hiked up to the south end of Merimere Reservoir with his first task; removing graffiti from the sign on the gate.

We walked around the reservoir and picked up the trail enroute to two fallen trees which I wanted to remove from the trail. But like a dog that refuses to get in the car to go to the vet, Elmer refused to man the chainsaw to cut the fallen trees and demanded I do some work.

Okay...

And like the last few weeks, I continue to find tchotchkes and junk from our park's current vandal in residence.

Done with our hike, and for the year 2024, Elmer unburdens himself of the chainsaw admitting that lugging it around is certainly a workout in itself.

Happy New Year!

Just A Dusting

 The trails received a confectioner's sugar coating, just in time for the holidays although not enough to make things festive.

Visit #1510, Saturday 21 December 24, 10:15AM-12:25PM, 5.4 miles, 1.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the teens, sunny but breezy. It was actually quite enjoyable if sheltered from the wind like in the woods.

So this confectioner's powder snow- if it was so light and dusty, and so easy to move, tell me why someone is using a leaf blower rather a brush and old fashioned muscle power? Am I out of touch? Am I a luddite?

If someone could overdress on such a cold day, it was me. Hiking generated enough warmth that I had to shed a jacket during the hike.

I was heading to the spot where last week I found more graffiti on trees. I couldn't even get out of my vehicle without spotting Season of the Missing Glove 2024/25 #3.

Picking up the trail, I removed more of the constantly reappearing foam leaf stickers I find on the trees. I removed what I could and painted over what's left.

I reached my target tree and true to my personality ignored their request, while the graffiti vandal ignored spelling rules.

Hiking the Red Trail I spotted footprints leading directly into the woods. I followed them expecting to find perhaps a homeless camp. Instead I found this...

...more of the same junk from our park vandal that I've found in the past.

I also see our vandal purloined a legitimate trail marker from the established trails and used it to mark their new trail through the woods.

I took this one home in case someone wants to repatriate it on an established trail.

On another trail I found two downed trees awaiting removal, hopefully next week.

At the end of the trail I see the Meriden Water Department STILL hasn't replaced the lock on the gate at the Maloney Canal which has been missing since at least the end of October, despite my attempts to remind them.

The road back around Merimere Reservoir was icy...

...until in the sun at the north end; you could feel the warmth and there was shelter from the wind. Yum!

This is the shortest day of the year-it can't help but get warmer from here on! I'm only kidding myself...

Alas, the Christmas tree at Echo Point is not decorated this year, which is understandable after reading newspaper articles explaining the detriment to wildlife.

We'll have to make do with the wreath hung near the water treatment plant.

Reaching the gate across the road, I noticed some graffiti on the signs.

If I waited until next week to address this, it would compromise trail plans I already have for then.

So I returned to Hubbard Park early Sunday morning to clean up things.

The sticker was too stubborn to remove and will have to wait until I employ other methods or it warms up.

It was so cold Sunday morning- in the teens to single digits- that my hands were in severe pain within minutes despite my gloves. Rewarming them, I even felt nauseous. After leaving Hubbard Park I headed directly to Lowes and picked up a bag of hand warmers. I had such a hard time locating them on my own after checking all the common departments that I had to ask for help. Aisle 25, to the rescue! But the stock is getting low and the display so minimal you too might overlook them.

But bitter cold is no excuse to not enjoy a hike, or an open sleigh ride; just ask Santa! Merry Christmas!