Fallen/Fallin'

 

While the leaves are fallin' off the trees, there are plenty remaining to provide color commentary.

Visit #1335, Sunday 31 October 21, 7:10-10:35AM, 5.5 miles, 5.1lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 50's rising to the 60's, mostly sunny and quite comfortable.

I expected the high winds and rain Meriden had last week would result in fallen trees and branches. While I did receive reports of fallen trees on some trails, I would inspect other trails on my own to check their condition.

With the sun rising later each day, when I arrived at the park this morning I had to wait ten minutes or so until it was light enough to see litter.

I hiked up to the south end of Merimere Reservoir and found the first evidence of the high wind event.

This was easy to clean up.

But alas, there was more, and much of it requiring a chainsaw. Besides, I only planned to inventory the damage this week as I had other work on my agenda, so I'll merely show you some of what I will tackle soon.

I have been waiting 20 years for this tree to fall and I knew when it finally dropped, it would drop across the trail. Well, "finally" came this week. I'll have my work literally cut out for me next week with another Power Tool Weekend ®! This is actually a trail intersection, with another trail crossing left-to-right. The trail leads to the Halfway House.

The pre-planned goal of today was more trimming of the roadside from Castle Craig downward, which is why you see my pole saw in the photos. Once I reached where I left off last time, I resumed work for an hour.

The Maloney Canal was flowing vigorously into Merimere Reservoir after the rains of the previous week.

On the return trip to the park along the road, there was a surprising number of walkers. Since it was around 10AM when the gate opens, I fully expected cars to be approaching up the road. they never did.

That's because the gate was still closed. Hmmm...

The road to the peaks is usually closed to cars beginning 1 November, allowing walkers to enjoy the foliage and serenity. But reports I received tell me that closure date is often extended, much to the consternation of the multitudes looking forward to walking without worrying about cars. Here's hoping the parks department sticks to the published date, allowing pedestrians some enjoyment in seasonable weather.

Not really a Find of the Week and not an uncommon find in Hubbard Park, but I did pick this up.

Coincidentally, I just finished reading Beth Macy's book, "Dopesick". It documents the introduction of and eventual crisis concerning opioid use. Dopesick refers to the withdrawl symptoms of opioid addiction, whether legal or illicit. Some addicts would extract the Suboxone from mulitple packages and inject it; not a good idea. A very good book if you want an understanding of the opioid problem in America.

I dropped off my trash for the week, then went home to prepare for the Trick or Treaters.

...this year in addition to the candy, I have a scary surprise-

Foliage Views

 

This week's post will be interspersed with foliage photos because things are lookin' pretty colorful.

Visit #1334. Sunday 24 October 21, 7:00-10:30AM, 6.6 miles, 16.1 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the high 40's to start, rising to near 60, sunny.

This week I headed up to West Peak as I had not been there recently.

Earlier this month, I found some grease pencil graffiti on the I-691 walkbridge, which I removed.

Last week, I found the same grease pencil graffiti closer to the park, on the I-691 underpass. I had tried removing it with Goo Gone, and sandpaper, but neither was effective on the concrete.

This week I brought out the toxic stuff. It takes no prisoners. It even removed the gray paint I used on older graffiti.

Reaching West Peak via the trails and the road from Castle Craig, I paused to enjoy the morning views.

What the photos don't show is, as I sat down, I spotted a low traveling hot-air balloon moving east-to-west across Meriden (left to right in the first photo). I was hoping to catch a photo of it as it passed below me toward Cheshire, but instead the balloon landed where I would guess was roughly at Ceppa Field.

As I returned to the parking lot this flock of geese sensed my presence from quite a distance and turned as a group away from my path. I was surprised they were aware of my approach from so far away.

And yes; when geese are on the ground they're called a "flock". If they're flying, they're a "skein". If they're on the water they're a "gaggle".  If they're in your yard they're a "turd factory".

I dropped off my first bag of litter...

...but I had about an hour to kill before the Halloween store at the Townline Plaza opened. Rather than stare blankly at a smartphone like most Americans (if I owned one!), I opened another trash bag and wandered about the park picking up litter to pass the time. Thus I accrued a second bag of litter.

Next week will be the last week of the year the road to Castle Craig and West Peak will be open to cars. So peel your eyes away from your own phone and drive up to the peaks and enjoy the foliage.

It Pays To Blog!

 Visit #1333, Sunday 17 October 21, 6:50-10:05AM, 5.0 miles, 12.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 50's rising to the 60's, with a mild breeze.

This past week, I was browsing through the Wanted section of Craigslist when I noticed an ad seeking a long out of production Coleman cooler, the Oscar. It's actually so old that it's often called Vintage.

Well, it just so happened I had one which I had used only three or four times in the 30+ years I've owned it. Time to let it go. I contacted the party and they were ecstatic to find one in immaculate condition at an agreeable price.

Cheryl met me at my place and told me her story: Her husband's Coleman Oscar had finally broken, and he's the type of guy who, when he finds something he likes, won't settle for anything else for a replacement. Cheryl was going to surprise her husband by telling him she had "repaired" his broken cooler and presenting him with the replacement. Now THAT is love!

During our transaction, Cheryl mentioned she had read my blog (the URL is part of my e-mail signature). She then gave me an additional twenty bucks and told me to spend it on more trash bags! Woohoo! Thanks, Cheryl.

This week was another with my pole saw, trimming the roadsides. I made maybe 200 yards of progress.

Some branches were so high I had to extend the saw to its 15 foot limit.

One passing hiker who has seen me before, said while he knew I picked up litter, "did not know you were an arborist too!"

After my allotted hour I folded up the saw and spent my remaining time collecting litter.

There are still a few weeks left to catch the changing foliage so get out there and enjoy it!

A Foursome

 

Leaves are just getting to work changing color. Regardless, the scenery still looks great.

Visit #1332, Saturday 9 October 21, 7:15-11:45AM. 6.8 miles, 11.4lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 50's to low 60's, mostly cloudy with a cool breeze.

Four trees across trails were destined for removal today. My route would require some doubling back, adding to my hiking mileage. It was necessary otherwise I would have to return on a separate visit with the chainsaw.

Speaking of chainsaws, the chain on my saw was on its last leg and you can see the difference between the long-sharpened cutters vs. a new chain. It struggled today but fortunately I have a replacement on hand at home.

I started filling up a trash bag and knowing my route today, decided to drop it off at the water treatment plant before it became too filled or heavy, and opened a new bag.

I learned of the first two fallen trees from a hiker in Hubbard Park, which is a great time saver. Crossing the north end of Merimere Reservoir, I picked up the trail and soon reached the tree.

I set my chainsaw to work. It wasn't cutting fast, but it was still cutting.

The second tree was much farther up the trail than I was led to believe. I was beginning to think I somehow missed it.

Even my old chain could cut through this small hemlock.

I exited the trail, bypassed Castle Craig and hiked down the White Trail, to discover one of the newish trail markers has been vandalized. I'll notify the Meriden Parks Department.

Now it was an out-and-back hike to the third tree, on the Green Trail near Merimere Reservoir.

Now, for the "back" part, I hiked past the Halfway House and to the Blue Trail leading to West Peak.

I found this tree lying across the Blue Trail at the end of September. Yet when I returned this morning to cut it up, it was gone. Either it slid downslope on its own or was moved by someone. 

My only thought was, "Well, there goes my foursome!". But this week's post title was saved as I neared the walkbridge over I-691 where I found my quartet member.

I thought this would be the end of my day and it would be a short walk across the I-691 walkbridge and back to the parking lot. But I kept encountering things that would delay me reaching the other side...

...like my Find of the Week, this broken walking pole and a set of pet-themed Christmas cards. Why Christmas cards would be attached to the fence is beyond me.

The remaining American flag attached to the bridge fencing is not serviceable, so I chose to remove it. I will drop it off at the flag receptacle at the American Legion Post 45 on Hanover Road where it will be disposed of properly.

Then I kept encountering new graffiti which I removed as well.

FINALLY, I crossed the other side of the walkbridge and returned to the playscape parking lot.

Now pay attention to the photo-see my loppers on the ground against the fence? Well, I DIDN'T. I left the park, drove to the ATM on the east side of town, then drove home. I opened up my vehicle to unload only to discover my loppers WEREN'T THERE. I drove all the way back to Hubbard Park fully expecting them to be gone. NOPE! Needless to say, my loppers were happy to see me, licking my face all the way home.

Leaf peeping season is upon us; time to get hiking!

Simple

 Visit #1331, Saturday 2 October 21, 7:15-11:30AM, 6.1 miles, 22.0lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 50's to start, quickly rising to the 70's, sunny.

I can't get an early start this time of year because I'd be working in the dark. But once the sun rises along with the temperature, the mornings can be absolutely spectacular.

Another week with my pole saw, as I trim the road side of overhanging branches. But in order to pick up where I left off last time, I had to get there, first.

Hiking up the road from the gate, I could see the Meriden Parks Department had run a brush hog along both sides of the road. exposing a lot of litter. Knowing my route today, I opted to drop off my first bag of trash early, at the water treatment plant, because I expected to collect a lot more. It was an accurate prediction.

Reaching the trails, I found someone had deliberately placed this log across the trail, which I removed.

Speaking of logs, I received a report this week from another hiker of more trees down across a particular trail. The result is a minimum of four downed trees I will remove next week, on my occasional Power Tool Weekends.

Reaching the road to East/West Peak and working my way downhill from where I previously left off, I spent my allotted hour getting my money's worth out of the pole saw.

After the hour, I continued picking up litter as I walked the road back to the park.

This sign didn't survive its encounter with the brush hog.

As I said earlier, the trimming of the roadsides exposed a lot of litter tossed during the season, which is why I collected so much today.

It was a quiet, enjoyable morning spent in the park.