The Unexpected

 

This view from West Peak could only be enjoyed if you started early enough to catch the sun rise over Meriden. Guess what I did...

Visit #1300, Saturday 10 April 21, 6:00-9:10AM, 4.7 miles, 6.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 50's, sunny.

Visit #1301, Sunday 11 April 21, 3:50-5:00PM, mileage not recorded, 24.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 60's, cloudy with scattered showers.

I started Saturday's hike very early so as not to draw attention while painting over graffiti I discovered last week. I suspected whoever bothered to bring a spray paint can with them last week likely used it in more than one location. I went in search to find and cover any and all I found.

Every year I'm amazed finding these daffodils thriving so far away from the bloom in around Mirror Lake.

On the walkbridge over I-691 I found this tag. That's my bag o' tricks in the photo.

I reached into my bag o' tricks for some sandpaper.

I found a couple painted rocks tucked in to a tree.

Here's Season of the Missing Glove 2020/21 #18, the Work Glove Edition. I'm not sure work gloves qualify as a worthy entry because I tend to think it should only apply to winter gloves buy hey; it's MY BLOG!

Every once in a while I get a little payback for my work. Today was one such day!

I kept finding these pink circles at various points in my hike. Fortunately, they were made in chalk obviously by an environmentally sensitive person; they'll eventually wash off in the rain.

Here's where my suspicions mentioned above paid off. While the graffiti I was targeting would be further along today's hike, I found this duplicate near West Peak. I came prepared with a gallon of paint.

I hiked to West Peak expecting more of the same and I wasn't disappointed.

Things were uneventful until after passing by Castle Craig and hiking the White Trail down. This next tag was discovered last week.

I brought a can of spray paint to address this quickly.

At the bottom of the White Trail was the original tag that was the impetus for all today's painting.

Down at the Halfway House, I found yet more.

My bag o' tricks wasn't removing this well, so I opened the can of paint and used my finger instead of a brush to save some time.

Heading back to the parking lot, I found one last piece of graffiti (actually three) on this gate. Sandpaper did the trick.

For all the painting today, it paid to wear gloves!

I dropped off my bag of litter for the day...

...but I wasn't done.

Somewhere between the Halfway House and Merimere Reservoir, I spotted what appeared to be yet another illegally built mountain bike trail being constructed. I thought I'd return on Sunday, investigate and try to cover the trail.

Instead, when I returned and followed the trail, what I found was an abandoned campsite, presumably from a homeless person. The trail was not created by mountain bikers but from the person's foot traffic. These sites usually get vacated when the weather gets too cold.

What a huge mess; empty cans, bottles, tarp, sleeping bag, camp chair, pot, shopping bags, food containers. It must have been months of accumulated garbage. I wouldn't be able to clean it all up in one trip but I could start even though it wasn't in today's plans.

These bags were large and heavy, and it was going to be chore carrying these out of the woods. Then I had a MacGuyver moment. Here's how I schlepped them the half mile or more to the water treatment plant, where I left them. It was uh, not quite a walk in the park, pun intended!

Of course, I'll report on my progress as I clean up the site.