Visit #1209, Sunday 1 September 19, 6:30-9:15AM, 3.6 miles, 9.0lbs. of trash.
The straggler padlocks left locked to the I-691 walkbridge fencing last week would be dealt with, as I now had a means to reach them.
I started early to avoid scrutiny; anybody bringing such tools onto the bridge is likely to get strange looks if not a visit from the police.
This is how you do it.
Yeah; most hikers don't keep a stepladder in their backpacks, but I'm not most people.
After I removed that one, I spotted another. I wasn't going to return for just one padlock, so I ensured I inspected the bridge thoroughly for any stragglers, or padlocks playing hide-and-seek.
I returned to my van to drop off the ladder, and returned with other cleaning supplies. I have always wanted to sweep the bridge of all the dirt and rocks flow from north to south across the bridge. Don't ask me why.
The west side had more debris than the east side. I swept up one side, filled up the bucket, emptied it, and repeated the process on the opposite side.
FYI; I scored the broom for a measly five bucks on craigslist, along with some other handy tools from a horse stable owner. It worked perfectly on the concrete.
And for those who keep track, when I was finished I had removed 241lbs. of rocks and dirt from the bridge!
I returned to the park and hiked the trails on the south side of I-691, and finished by cleaning the parking area in the northwest corner of Mirror Lake, where I scored my Find of the Week.
I also noticed that I missed a trail marking from the paintballers' work of last week. I swear I should open my eyes and pay attention... I'll save it for next week.
They had also sprayed some foliage on the trail side in various places, but that was easier to deal with.
Happy Labor Day!
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