Irony

Visit #802, Sunday 23 June 13, 8:40-11:15AM, 4.25 miles.
Temps in the low 80's and sunny, with higher temps and humidity forecasted.

Some early morning hikers beat the heat, hiking the ridgeline to the Castle before 9AM.



I was on-call this week thus limited to my range, so I chose to walk the road to the north end of Merimere Reservoir and return, collecting trash on one side of the road at a time.

Outbound, I quickly filled one bag and, not wanting to leave a bag on the side of the road if I could help it, left my first bag albeit partially filled, at the water treatment plant. By the time I passed by on my return leg, the bag was collected by water department staff on site.

Some of the unusual items I found on the road Sunday were:

Balloons.

Socks.

And at least 7 "nip" bottles of various flavors. 

Then I started finding more and more of these:

"Naturally Green". Oh, really? That's ironic; why did I keep finding them as litter? As I continued to pick up these pint sized waterbottles, a passerby explained they were left over from a fundraiser run for pancreatic cancer. Events like this are for a good cause, but the organizers should have greater restrictions placed upon themselves regarding policing up after their water stops, especially in such an environmentally sensitive area such as a reservoir.

On the return leg to the park, I came upon this hiker who pointed out this gate at the south end of the reservoir has been unlocked for years, allowing cars to drive up to the Halfway House. This hiker also pointed out that vegetation on the road to the Castle is encroaching into the roadway and in need of being trimmed back, which I observed myself before we met. Just an FYI to the Parks Department.

I reached the park and dropped off my second bag of trash. Good thing I dropped off the first bag at the water treatment plant as this bag was completely filled.

At this point I was under 2 hours time spent, so I walked an out-and-back of the road for the Soap Box Derby track and picked up trash.

I leave this week with a peaceful view of the road as it disappears toward the Castle.