Runner's Aren't The Only Wussies

Who took my parking spot?

Visit #1177, Sunday 27 January 19, 11:00AM-1:10PM, 4.7miles, 4.0lbs. of trash.
Temps in the 40's, cloudy and very windy.

The Tradition Run, which is held every January regardless of weather, was scheduled for last Sunday. Well, apparently it was rescheduled to today, due to last Sunday's ice storm.

This only proves my claim that runners are a bunch of wussies that can't handle a touch of inclement weather.

I didn't get the memo on the reschedule, so when I arrived at Hubbard Park, all my parking spots were taken, and then some.

After last week's ice storm I expected to find downed branches and trees. My plan was to remove whatever I found.

I hiked up to the trail behind the water tank to find my first fallen branch.

Some cutting and dragging, and the trail was clear.

The trails were cleaner than expected, until I reached the steep trail up to Castle Craig.

The lightweight hand tools I brought with me weren't going to remove this. Prior to trekking out on this day, I had considered bringing my chainsaw but in fact, revealed myself to be a wussy as well because I didn't want to carry the weight and not find anything. Oh, the shame, to be lumped in with all those lycra-clad skinny people!

So this wussy moved on and decided to just make a note of all I found so I could return next week like a real man, with a chainsaw, and do business.

I didn't recon every trail; that will take a few weeks, but here's what I found on the Blue Trail high above Merimere Reservoir.

Some rock climbers had their ropes and gear spread out. Rock climbers that use ropes are wussies...

This funky little procession appeared to be the sweep vehicles for the Tradition Run. Yes, that van driver is NOT a wussy compared to his coworkers because he was the only vehicle driving IN REVERSE. The road was narrow, so he backed up until there was sufficient space pull a K-turn. Then he drove like a wussy back to the park.

Now back to our regularly scheduled fallen branches.

Finally reaching the road, I walked back to the park. Enroute I found the wreath at Echo Point was still up, in violation of all rational holiday decoration rules. I descended from Mt. Crumpit and removed it.

Back at the park, I deposited my trash for the week and vowed to redeem my wussy-self next week.