The End of Raspberry Season

Visit #812, Sunday 11 August 13, 7:35-10:15AM, 6.4 miles.
Temps in the low 70's, sunny.

How do I know it's the end of raspberry season? Because the wild raspberries are dying on the vine.

It's a little known fact that Hubbard Park's Merimere Reservoir is manmade. One source of its water is runoff from the adjacent hills, funneled from the north via the Maloney Canal, which is also manmade.

The canal is paralleled by a trail which sees the encroachment of raspberry bushes every year. Today's plan was to trim back the prickly branches.

I walked the road north around the reservoir until I reached the trailhead. This trail is not only a treat for eating the wild raspberries, but for its tunnel-like foliage like last week's trail. It must be experienced to be appreciated. Keeping it trimmed enhances the canopy effect.

 Here's what the trail looks like running adjacent to the canal:

Where the trail meets the Algonquin Gas pipeline, Len has been up to his old tricks, but being outside Hubbard Park, there's little that can be done. I carried the wood far away with the hope he won't find it.

 I turned around and retraced my steps, picking up trash I missed on the outbound leg.

I leave you this week with a view from the north end of the reservoir. The Maloney Canal empties into the reservoir about 100 feet or so to the right of the photo. South Mountain is in the background.