A Walk on the Wild (West) Side

The view north from the western shore of Merimere Reservoir.

Visit #832, Sunday 24 November 13, 7:50-10:20AM, 4.4 miles.
Temps in the low 20's, with a biting wind from the north.

Has winter come early, or was today just the trailer for the upcoming movie?

The wind from the north was raw and whipping.

Today I did something I'd never done before; I walked the perimeter of Merimere Reservoir. Well, at least I TRIED walking the perimeter.

I had been told stories of people fishing off the western shore of the reservoir, and adventurous outdoorsy types would also tell me of litter left by said fishermen. Today I decided to see for myself and pick up what litter I could find.

I chose today because the water level at Merimere Reservoir has been unusually low for some time, exposing enough shoreline to make traversing the perimeter possible.

It's a unique vantage point that few people get to experience. I'll save you the treacherous walking and let you view the photos instead.

For an area that lacks a defined trail and is simply steep, rocky terrain, you would think few people would venture out here. Yet from the trash I collected, I concluded otherwise. I found so much trash I had to transfer it from the 13 gallon bag you see in the photo above, into a 30 gallon bag, which I subsequently filled before I reached the north end of the reservoir.

I had too much trash to continue walking the perimeter in the southerly direction; maybe next weekend.

At the north end, I checked on my handiwork from last week to see if the the graffiti artist(s) returned and I'm pleased to say, no.

Following the road back to the park, I found a couple hemlock trees have fallen into the roadway. I'll notify the Meriden Parks Department.

Further on, back toward the park, I had a happy surprise. I'd lost a waterbottle many, many months ago while cleaning a particular section of the woods by the roadside. With all the trees bare and foliage dead, my long lost waterbottle was spotted and is now reunited with its owner. The water was still in it!

I walked the road all the way back to the park, dropping my trash bags into a can after I photographed them.

I'll leave you with a reminder: Should you eat too much on Thanksgiving, Hubbard Park is a perfect location to walk off the extra calories!