Poppa's Got A Brand New Bag

Visit #864, Good Friday, 18 April 14, 10:05AM-12:20PM, 4.9 miles.
Temps in the 50's, partly sunny.

Visit #865, Saturday, 19 April 14, 6:20-8:05AM, 3.6 miles.
Temps in the mid-30's, sunny.

Visit #866, Easter Sunday, 20 April 14, 6:20-7:10AM, n/a miles.
Temps in the mid-30's, sunny.


James Brown has hair.

He can sing.

He has more moves than a chess board.

I lack all three.

The only thing James and I may have in common is our "Brand New Bag". I have a new bag-backpack, that is. My existing backpack which you've all come to know and love through my weekly reports, is in need of repair. While it's out in Seattle, my Camelbak will substitute in the photos.

On Good Friday I hiked from the park to the south end of Merimere Reservoir, then to Castle Craig via the trails. Once at the castle, I cleaned up the parking lot perimeter and some of the surrounding area, depositing 2 bags of trash.

I then followed the road to a trail which would take me down toward I-691.

While enroute to the trail, I picked up trash on the slope adjacent to the guardrail, and made my find of the week:

From what I can tell, this license plate is from the late 1930's/early 1940's. How cool is that?!

I returned to the park and dropped off my 3rd bag of trash.

I returned to Hubbard Park on Saturday morning because during Good Friday's outing I saw some minor trail maintenance which needed to be tended to and a holiday weekend was the perfect excuse to tend to it. Besides, my substitute backpack won't fit my lopping shears which I'd normally have on hand, which would have saved me a trip to the park.

Before and after photos:

I made this return trip productive by hiking trails I didn't hike on Friday, and collected more trash.

Concerned that the trash bags I left at Castle Craig on Friday might be picked over by critters during the long weekend, on Easter morning I rode my mountain bike up to the castle with a couple spare bags just in case. Fortunately, the bags were gone, presumably taken away for proper disposal. A nice Easter surprise.

The Daffodil Festival will be in full swing this coming weekend; don't eat too much!