Mop Up Operations Complete

 Visit #1408, Saturday 28 January 23, 10:10AM-2:00PM, 5.9 miles, 5.4 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 50s, sunny and unseasonably warm, with light wind.

During last week's hike up the road to Castle Craig in advance of the Tradition Run, from a distance I spied what looked like a fallen tree across an adjacent trail. I had no time then to deviate from my plans to investigate so I gambled that what I was seeing was right, and this week again brought my chainsaw for some bonding activities.

On the way past the Soap Box Derby track I picked up this bucket. I wasn't going to carry it all day, so I left it at the water treatment plant for the good staff to dispose of later.

Up near Castle Craig on the Blue Trail I confirmed I wasn't hallucinating.

This tree exceeded my chainsaw's bar length, and due to the tree's location and position, it was time consuming to remove, about 30 minutes. It also took 1/2 a tank of gas. Some passing hikers doubted I was going to be able to accomplish the job...

Finished with that, I headed toward West Peak and a trail which would take me back down to Merimere Reservoir. I hadn't been on that trail in many weeks and expected to find a number of trees down, considering the winds of the past month or two.

Along the way I found this hemlock poking in to the road, which removed.

On the trail, my suspicions were confirmed; there were many trees needing removal. Sit back and enjoy the Before/After show.

Whew! At least now Hubbard Park's trails are "up to date".

Back on the road and the walk back to the park, I stopped at Echo Point to remove some graffiti.

While Meriden hasn't experienced any significant snowfall yet this winter, we did have considerable rain.

As I walked the road around Merimere Reservoir, I found the Maloney Canal flowing strongly, filling up the reservoir.

Ahead of the Crowd

 

Participants in the 53rd Bernie Jurale Memorial Tradition Run were greeted Sunday with comfortably cool, very calm conditions, and a clean road to Castle Craig.

Visit #1407, Sunday 22 January 23, 7:05-9:30AM, 5.2 miles, 18.7lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 30s, overcast, calm, and seasonably comfortable.

I chose to start today well ahead of the arrival of any participants in the Bernie Jurale Tradition Run, and I hiked the event route to Castle Craig to ensure things looked purty by picking up any litter along the way.

Along the road I noticed a considerable number of trees have recently been removed as I kept seeing piles of wood chips, and piled logs.

I concluded it must be the work of the Meriden Water Department and not the Parks Department because the work stopped at the bottom of the road climb up to the peaks/entrance gate to the Maloney Canal.

At Echo Point, I found the holiday wreath, which was put up sometime in early December along with the nearby Christmas Tree decorations, had yet to be removed, but the tree decorations were gone.

I wasn't waiting any longer and took care of the former.

...while the road to Castle Craig awaited the runners, walkers, and probably some pets.

Last week's rain is bringing back satisfactory water levels to Merimere Reservoir.

We're supposed to get more rain tonight. Cloudy skies over Meriden predict the future.

I cleaned up area surrounding Castle Craig then hiked down and over I-691.

Enroute I visited a dead end trail where last week I found a bed sheet fabricated into a hammock.

I cut the bed sheet free and stuffed it in my bag of trash.

Also last week, as I returned to the parking lot, I noticed someone had hung a presumably forgotten jacket on the bronze statue of Noah, at the Adventure Hollow Playground. At that time I decided to leave it to see if it would be claimed. I returned this week to find the jacket still there. I removed the jacket and took it home for cleaning, then I'll take it to Goodwill.

Good thing I arrived early this morning for when I finished my hike, the parking lot was full of cars as people continued to arrive for the Tradition Run, due to start roughly thirty minutes later. Any event that has lasted 53 years is certain to have a following. Here's to the next 53 years!

Playtime

 Visit #1406, Saturday 14 January 23, 10:45AM-2:35PM, 5.6 miles, 1.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 30s, cloudy with a light breeze.

I returned to Hubbard Park this week with my chainsaw for a Power Tool Weekend®.

Last week was a recon hike for downed trees after Meriden experienced some windy days.

This week I'd retrace last week's route to remove all the fallen trees.

I had hoped the Meriden Parks Department wouldn't get too efficient and ruin my fun with the first tree I met, on the Soap Box Derby track.  Lucky me; it was party time!

One down, and one to go.

After removing both trees, I wanted to clean up the mess. I used my chainsaw's scabbard as a rake of sorts and pushed all the debris to the side. This was actually a good, total body workout.

The result of an hour's work.

I packed up and hiked on, up toward Castle Craig and the Blue Trail above Merimere Reservoir.

Here are a bunch of Before/After photos to show I wasn't slacking off.

I'm almost at the north end of Merimere Reservoir.

I turned uphill rather than taking the road, to remove more fallen trees.

I really had to cut sparingly so I would have enough fuel to finish today's work. 

Done with all the trail maintenance, I hiked over I-691 and back to the parking lot. Along the way I discovered my Find of the Week.

The hat, embroidered with The Loaded Goat Coffee Company logo (in Naugatuck, CT), is already washed and will join the headband which I found last week, when I take them both to Goodwill.

Next week I plan to inspect one last trail for wind damage.