Springtime And Back On The Trail

 Various diversions, including a snowy winter, kept me from having a proper hike in Hubbard Park. That is, until this week.

Visit #1591, Saturday 28 March 26, 8:45-11:25AM, 4.8 miles, 3.8 lbs. of litter (not including the chair.

Temps in the upper 30s with a cold wind from the north.

As you'll read shortly, I rode my bike to Hubbard Park a couple times this week which I didn't add to my tally.

Enroute to the park one of those days, I passed a parked pickup truck with a bumper sticker that said:

No Air Bags

We Die Like Real Men

I thought that was funny, sorta related to Hubbard Park, and worth sharing.

Last Thursday I took a mountain bike ride through the trails but due to time constraints and the setting sun I had to abbreviate my route. And good thing I did, because reaching the Halfway House I found a newly fallen tree.

Combined with another fallen tree I discovered back when there was snow on the ground, I felt it worthwhile to lug the chainsaw with me this weekend.

Hiking to the trail on Saturday morning, I found this quasi-puff jacket stuffed under a log. It's in serviceable condition and it's washed and drying already. I'll take it to Goodwill next week.

And here's the fallen tree by the Halfway House.

I hiked up to Castle Craig and followed a trail down to the second, and last, fallen tree.

Back on the road around Merimere Reservoir, I encountered more activity than on the trails.

Here's Cat Graffiti #s 19, 20, and 21, since November 2016. I removed all of them.

You can see my magic potion working on one of the three.

And the final result on all three.

Returning to the park to drop off my bag of litter, I picked up this abandoned camp chair.

But there was some unfinished work from Thursday's bike ride so I rode to Hubbard Park again on Sunday.

The birch tree on the trail leading to the walkbridge over I-691 continues to see someone persistently defile it. I covered over the red paint with flat black.

I found and removed yet more stickers from these popular fence posts at the I-691 walkbridge. Since I was on my bike I didn't have the tools with me to do a more thorough job.

I removed foam sticker #s 14 and 15 of 2026. I will not tally up those I've found in prior years but will begin a total this year.

Lastly,  I found and removed one more cat graffiti, #22 since November 2016.