Winter Turns The Corner

 

Yeah; it was slightly gloomy in Hubbard Park on Sunday but at least it wasn't snowing or raining.

Visit #1294, Sunday 28 February 21, 8:10-10:25AM, 3.6 miles, 25.8lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 40's, cloudy with a possible sprinkle.

As I was heading to the trail today, I met a hiker who told me of his woes walking on the ice-covered trails. The freeze/thaw cycles of the past week resulted in slick walking on lumpy, frozen paths.

But I came equipped for traction.

It is here where I'll give my annual pitch for the best traction devices I've found when walking on ice.

Above are my Stabilicers. I have an older version of the Stabil Maxx 2. Get an extra bag of studs as you'll either wear down the ones on the soles, or occasionally lose one.

I also have a pair of Kahtoola Microspikes. No studs to replace, but they do tend to shift around a little around the toe area.

Either choice is lightweight, go on/off in seconds, and can be clipped to your belt with a cheap carabiner. Whether you're walking the dog in your neighborhood or hiking the trails in Hubbard Park, these will certainly help prevent falls and subsequent injury.

This is probably the best time of year to buy a pair as the outdoor stores are likely clearing out their inventory of winter gear and you might find a deal.

Finished with the trails on the south side of I-691, and with plenty of time left over, I removed my spikes and walked around the park picking up litter. I'm not sure whether the considerable amount of litter I collected was due to it being exposed from the melting snow or just an increase of activity, but I was surprised.

I had to ball's ego otherwise it was going to take up too much space in my bag.

Remember last week's wedding at the Grecian Temple? Well, Elizabeth left the receipt for the alterations to her wedding dress- $200. David's of Orange CT did the work. Aren't you glad you know that?

It was Season of the Missing Glove 2020/21, entries 11, 12, and 13. I'll wash the pair and bring them to Goodwill.

Season of the Missing Socks, anyone?

Or perhaps Season of the Missing Jacket? I'll wash the jacket and take it to Goodwill along with the gloves.

Mirror Lake's stint with ice skating is over. Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted. I was given information first hand that someone broke their leg last week while stepping onto the ice last week. Ouch!

The geese knew better than to step out onto the ice. Either that, or they left their skates in Canada.

I covered almost all the roads in the park picking up litter. But as I returned to the parking lot with but one road left to police-around the playscape, my bag was ridiculously heavy and I didn't care to open another so I called it a day; a day closer to spring.