"M" Is For...

 Visit #1379, Saturday 6 August 22, 6:25-10:15AM, 5.8 miles, 6.2 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 70s, climbing into the 90s, sunny with very high humidity.

"M" is for morning, very early in the morning. As early as I started my hike there was no avoiding the warm temps and the humidity. Interestingly enough, the National Weather Service's Heat Index chart does not consider temps below 80, combined with any humidity level,  to be of concern. So I'm not permitted to complain. Today's humidity was in the 70% range which put the Heat Index into the "Extreme Caution" range.

"M" is for the malcontent whose graffiti I kept finding today. Fortunately, said malcontent used chalk. I was able to remove most of it with a scrub brush. Rain, if we ever get any, will do the rest.

"M" is for mountains or what passes for mountains in Hubbard Park, such as the cliffs high near East Peak.

"M" is for molting (or shedding), which is what this snake did with its skin.

"M" stands for Merimere Reservoir and the alligator within that keeps growing as the drought continues.

"M" is for more roadside trimming as I continue to make my way up the road to East/West Peak.

After an hour of roadside trimming jazz, I collapsed the saw and walked up the road to Castle Craig, continuing to pick up litter.

"M" is for a mystery: Why did someone wrap electrical tape around this tree?

And the mysteries continue: This is the 21st Colorado'd tree I've found in Hubbard Park. The last one was found a little more than a year ago. I used the saw portion of my pole saw to remove it. Neither ideal nor most efficient, it did the job.

"M" repeats for Merimere Reservoir, which I passed by as I left the trails.

"M" is for more: I found more of the malcontent's graffiti as I returned to the park. I was able to completely remove it with the assistance of GooGone.

"M" is for man, was I soaked with sweat as I neared the end of my hike, from my shirt down through my belt and pants.

And finally, "M" stands for well, "M"! In case you've wondered how I track my progress trimming the roadsides to East/West Peak; I mark the road with a letter where I finish, so I know where to begin at the next session. I chose letters instead of numbers so people wouldn't try to interpret any number as some sort of distance marker. As of this week, I'm up to the letter "M".