This Week In Hubbard Park: Checklist

Visit #1231, Saturday 1 February 20, 7:35-10:20AM, 5.5 miles, 7.0lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 30's, cloudy, foggy, raw, and black ice present on the road.

Sometimes I make a list throughout the week, to keep track of what I can do in Hubbard Park the following weekend. I had three tasks to accomplish this time around.

I thought I would start early so as to avoid scrutiny; I wanted to cut off two padlocks I saw attached to the railing around Mirror Lake. A pair of boltcutters in someone's hands in Hubbard Park might raise eyebrows.

Well, it wasn't early enough. While cutting off the two padlocks, I was getting suspicious looks, so apparently I didn't start early enough.

I returned to my car and put the boltcutters away.

Last week, I corrected a labeling faux pas at the map board adjacent to the playscape. Later that day, I decided to add labels for the Halfway House and Castle Craig. Today I made the labels at home. I attached them with rubber cement, which isn't the strongest adhesive, cleans off easily, and won't remove the paint.

The labels didn't seem to be sticking so well. I'll be curious to see if they last. I may have to devise a more secure solution.

Two tasks could be checked off the list, one to go.

I walked the road around Merimere Reservoir, and up toward West Peak.

Shortly after starting my hike, I found this scribbled note:

Either the result of the 2019nCoV Coronavirus which has been making headlines lately, or they've been watching too much of Senate Impeachment hearings.

Throwing rocks on the ice is not a good way to test if it's safe enough to walk on. Local outdoor columnist Mike Roberts explained the pitfalls of this technique in a recent column.

I found a fleece headband, which I'll wash and deliver to Goodwill. I've been finding so much clothing in Hubbard Park which I've brought to Goodwill (3 hats in the last 8 weeks), that I'm now on a first name basis with the staff!

Walking around Merimere Reservoir, I checked on the Christmas Tree at Echo Point to see if the ornaments were removed. They were. Stay tuned for Christmas 2020.

I was telling someone recently about the religious tracts I find occasionally on my hikes up the road, and the typical location where I find them. Although I didn't find one at the usual tree, I did find one on a gate.

I appears the Church of St. Matthews is a scam church. It didn't take a Wikipedia search for me to conclude this. It also appears whoever wrote the note on the backside of what you see above, isn't happy with the Church of St. Matthews either.

This dog poop bag says it all.

I walked the road up toward West Peak. I'd previously reported one of the telephone poles placed at a nearby trailhead to deter vehicles, had been rolled away a good distance from the trailhead. My final task today was to attempt to drag that telephone pole back, uphill where it belonged.

This was going involve some REAL work, but I figured it would be a good arm workout, progressing me toward my goal of developing some serious biceps.

Instead, I arrived at the location to find the telephone pole had already been repatriated with the others at the trail head by Chris Bourdon and his "too efficient" parks crew. Thanks Chris!