Marathon Man

You have to get up early if you're going to run a marathon. The sun's just rising over East Peak and Castle Craig at 6:35AM and I'm already at work.

Visit #1244, Saturday 25 April 20, 6:10-11:25AM, 8.8miles, 17.4lbs. of litter.
Temps in the low 40's, sunny.

I started early on Saturday morning to clean up recent storm damage to some of the trails. Starting early would ensure I would find a parking spot in Hubbard Park. Also, assuming I finish in a reasonable time frame, there would be fewer "Covid-19 Hubbard Park Visitors" alarmed by the sight of someone carrying a chainsaw in the park.

Neither plan worked.

Speaking of Covid-19, even Covid-litter has infected Hubbard Park.

I noticed the supermarkets have placed trash cans at the carriage return corrals in the parking lots as customers otherwise discard their masks and gloves on the ground. Sad.

Earlier this week, I scouted some trails on my mountain bike, entering Hubbard Park through the gate at the Berlin side. I noticed some new graffiti on the outside of the gate.

On this morning I had planned to spray paint over the graffiti, but when I reached it early Saturday, the gate was still wet from Friday night's rain. I didn't have anything to wipe it dry so I moved on hoping it would be dry on my return leg.

I reached the first trail and hiked up toward Castle Craig, clearing fallen trees as I hiked. Here are Before/After photos.

Someone lost their copy of "God's Master Key" near the top of the trail. I hope they can still get in.

Reaching the end of the first trail near Castle Craig, I walked the road toward West Peak and the next trail in need of clearing.

Along the way, it seems God provided me NOT with a master key but with something to wipe off the gate to paint over the graffiti. I wonder if they were HIS Master Boxers, or someone else's?

I started down the other trail and found this small collection of things, long lost to history in Hubbard Park.

I actually found them all in one spot on my bike ride earlier this week and conveniently piled them next to a tree to pick up today.

Now more tree clearing.

I was done with the second trail.

And now that I had a pair of God's Master Boxers, I could wipe the gate dry and spray over the graffiti.

Nearing the water treatment plant, my trash bag was getting heavy, so I left it there and started another.

I returned to the park via the Soap Box Derby track and set about another trail which parallels I-691. Here I came upon my Find of the Week.

A car bumper?! I can't believe I found this, as the highway is 300 yards away and this was virtually trailside.

I removed a couple more trees.

The car bumper was too large to leave in or near a trash can; it would just look unsightly in the park. So I walked over to the parks and recreation garage and deposited it and my second trash bag in their dumpster.

If you look at the stats at the top of my post you'll see it was truly a marathon session.

I have a few more trails to clear. I've dispatched my volunteer scout recon platoon to check the trails and report back where work is needed, hopefully before next weekend, when I can complete the job.