Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

 It was that kind of week.

Visit #1525, Saturday 29 March 25, 6:55-8:55AM, 3.1 miles, 1.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 40s, partly sunny.

Visit #1526, Sunday 30 March 25, 7:00-9:15AM, 3.6 miles, 4.3 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 40s, cloudy after a night of light showers.

I took a mountain bike ride through Hubbard Park early in the week to address some graffiti and found two newly fallen trees. I have yet to catch up to clearing the damage from the ice storm on all the trails and I keep finding new trees on the ground. Sheesh.

I did cover the graffiti I found at the Halfway House.

I did this on the mountain bike trying to save time better spent removing the fallen trees I found.

One of these trees was big, which necessitated switching out my chainsaw bar to...

...the Big Johnson!

Heading up the trail Saturday morning I found this gate at the water treatment plant is unlocked and wide open. I don't know whether it was vandalism or forgetfulness but I thought it was worth noting.

I told you this tree was big!

In fact, it took all the gas in my chainsaw so I didn't finish, nor did I manage to clear the other fallen tree on my To Do list.

As a plus for Saturday's trouble I did find a pair of work gloves. I can always use a pair for park work so I'm keeping them.

I couldn't leave that first tree in a state of half-removal so I returned Sunday morning to complete the job. Taking a slightly different route to the south end of Merimere Reservoir, I found this car part, whereupon I backpedaled and dropped it off at the water treatment plant.

THEN I finished removing the fallen tree. Act Two took mere minutes.

On to that second tree.

I continue to trim this widowmaker branch as it nears the ground, hoping it will eventually detach from the tree under its own weight.

Now, at this point I had planned on hiking up to another trail where I discovered more tree damage in the aftermath of February's ice storm. But I barely made it up the Blue Trail when I found ANOTHER fallen tree, which wasn't on the ground two weeks ago.

The hiker you see in the background and I had a good chat. He relayed to me an experience a few weeks ago he had hiking with a group at Crescent Lake in Southington when one member sprained an ankle while clambering over a fallen tree. (Kinda makes me think I'm saving sprained anklers in Hubbard Park by removing fallen trees!) The group was woefully unprepared to deal with the situation and as a result the fire department had to be called, and all sorts of drama ensued.

My drama was limited to removing this last tree. 

I abandoned trying to reach the trail I intended to, for more fallen branch and tree clearing. I was out of my alotted time so it will have to wait for another week.