Temps in the low 70's, sunny and dry,.
Visit #1267, Labor Day Monday, 7 September 20, 8:05AM-1:45PM, 5.5 miles, 5.4 lbs. of litter.
On Saturday it was all about SAFETY.
You may remember two weeks ago while cleaning up after Storm Laura, encountering a trio of trees connected to one root system that had fallen across a trail.
Here's what that tree looked like after I removed the easiest of the three trunks then:
The terrain did not offer sure footing or easy access.
The trees were very large and massively heavy.
They rested in an unsafe position.
I returned on Saturday with my trail-clearing assistant Paul just to tackle this difficult situation.
We started by trimming away all the small branches to gain a better view of things.
Caution was the standard, and we managed to remove the second stem without incident. Removing the last stem concerned me because it was so high off the ground. The solution was provided by a passing hiker.
They suggested we shore up the last trunk with logs from the removed trees. This would shift the load and make cutting the tree safer and more predictable, considering the weight and position. We actually used two logs spaced five feet apart. It worked fabulously. The remaining log has enough weight on it that it is now a permanent trail feature. Think of me when you see it!
Here's a view from downslope.
All this clearing took almost two hours.
Done with this, we took a two minute hike to the Blue Trail leading up toward West Peak. Someone else had apparently cleared this trail but stopped short on their work. I don't think they had big enough chainsaw, or perhaps it was battery powered. In any case, the job didn't meet my standards.
I finished the job.
I returned on Labor Day to, guess what; Labor! I took advantage of the day off from work to clear the Blue Trail along the western rim of Merimere Reservoir.
But first, I hiked up to Castle Craig to address some graffiti I'd previously spotted on a picnic table. Enroute, I found a note in a nip bottle. I'd previously found a note in a nip bottle in August.
At home, I opened the bottle and read the note. The recipient's name has been redacted.
Strange things go on in Hubbard Park.
Let's get to that picnic table.
I brought spray paint.
While working on the picnic table, I noticed the tree adjacent to it needed some trimming.
I picked up litter around the picnic table and moved on to the main event. It didn't take more than a few minutes before I ran into my first tree.
Here's a view from the opposite side of the tree.
These hanging branches needed a trim.
The next tree wasn't far away.
More hanging branches.
Then I got back on track.
Another victim of my chainsaw.
I then found one of these occasional pictures nailed to trees. This is a new phenomenon. Last one I found was in May.
Moving on...
Believe it or not, there were even more, and just as large, but I forgot to photograph them.
My goal was to either complete reopening the trail or to work until my chainsaw ran out of fuel.
Fortunately, they coincided.
I reached the north end of Merimere Reservoir and followed the road back to the parking lot.
Enroute, I found my Covid-19 Mask of the Week.
After a marathon 5 hour, 40 minute work session, I dropped off my trash for the week.
I might actually finish cleaning up after Storm Laura next week. The end may be in sight!
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