Nor'easter

 

Indeed the wind was howlin' on Saturday. The leaves were dropping like a prostitute's skirt.

Visit #1620, Saturday 26 Sep 26, 7:30-9:40 a.m., 3..4 miles, 1.7 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 60s, intermittent rain, and high winds, due to a Nor'easter.

Last week I reported on some new Cat's Patootie graffiti I'd found that needed attention. I'd also received an e-mail from one of my park informants telling me about a newly fallen tree I wasn't aware of. I took a mountain bike ride to the park during the week to seek out both.

I arrived at the park fifteen minutes after the gate across the road should have been closed but it was still open.

But just as I took the photo two things happened; that car you see parked up ahead arrived, and the parks employee assigned to locking the gate drove by (note the vehicle far in the background) no doubt to get stragglers at East/West Peak to leave. I advised the former to move their vehicle otherwise he and his date would be stuck behind the gate. Initially skeptical, they eventually took my advice and thanked me.

I took care of the graffiti.

Only for it to reappear on Saturday as #50, and to be again removed by me.

The other one was fine.

I did however, find  and cover #49 during that bike ride and it did not reappear.

Lastly during that weekday ride, I inspected that fallen tree I was informed about.

I wanted to remove both fallen trees but with the Nor'easter scheduled to dampen both weekend days I didn't have a choice to pick the drier of the two. So be it. I'm not too crazy about running a chainsaw in the rain because everything gets grungy with sawdust.

While the rain was intermittent, the wind was high and constant, even producing whitecaps on Merimere Reservoir. It was eerie yet beautiful at the same time.

I checked the weather before leaving the house and was fortunate enough to arrive during a lull in the rain.

I reached the first tree and dispatched it.

While hiking to the second tree I met another intrepid hiker who told me they heard, and saw, a tree branch snap and fall. Rare, but you get to witness the power of nature and Saturday's wind was mild by comparison.

The second tree across the trail was larger and needed more work. It also started to rain again increasing the grunge.

I then took a side trip onto an illegal trail created by one of our park's regular vandals. I found more of their religious tracts and mysterious notes. They still repeat the theme from previous notes; thank you for this and that, and wishing something about a woman. I wish their handwriting was more legible.

I removed a couple stickers from the bollards, otherwise known as Rommel's Asparagus.

But the award for Sticker of the Day belongs to this one.

Slightly difficult to read it says; "I hate colored peapole (sic). I don't know what "peapole" is. A vegetable, perhaps? 😉 Clearly, the person who wrote this (My instinct tells me it's the same person of the religious tracts and notes) is older because the term "colored peapole" is outdated let alone misspelled.

Timing

 

Visit #1619, Sunday 20 September 26, 6:50-9:25 a.m., 5.4 miles, 8.8 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 60s, clouding up with rain developing.

In the past month or so I've been caught a few times in the rain while hiking in Hubbard Park. With rain scheduled to start about 9 a.m. I was planning, and hoping, I'd avoid it this time.

Behind the water tank I found Cat's Patootie graffiti #47 since November 2016.

I'm not satisfied with my removal attempt so I shall return.

Further on I found #48, which will also get my attention soon.

On another trail I found a newly fallen tree which I shall remove next week. I haven't yet decided whether power tools will be involved.

An unusual find: a window crank, found on the trail behind the water tank. There's no window within a mile of that spot that it might belong to.

Up at Castle Craig I found my next donation to Goodwill, a large sized hoodie.

But the most interesting find of the day was at 7:50 in the morning, the klieg lights were on.

It was well past sunrise so either the photocell has failed or the plastic lens is clouded over from age. I didn't think the cloudy conditions were the cause. I also didn't take a photo of the photocell so as to not give anyone ideas. I'll notify the parks department to check it out.

Today's trivia: The klieg light was invented by two brothers, John and Anton Kliegl, German-born American lighting experts. Why the "l" was dropped from the light's name is unknown. Also, it's apparently acceptable to spell it "kleig" according to my Merriam-Webster dictionary but it's a secondary spelling. Don't be brain lazy; spell it right, people!

Reaching the end of the trail and the road at the north end of Merimere Reservoir, it just barely started to rain. I couldn't feel it but I could see the drops landing on the water. Maybe you can see the drops, too.

I reached my truck while the rain was just gaining momentum. Perfect timing.

Conducting A Master Class

Sometimes you just gotta show 'em how it's done.

Visit #1618, Saturday 12 September 26, 5:05-7:15 p.m., 4.7 miles, 6.9 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the mid-70s, sunny with rising humidity. Rain expected to begin early Sunday morning.

Why the unusually late start for me? I received the flu shot on Thursday and when my immune response kicked in I well, felt like I had the flu. It was so bad I left work after three hours on Friday, went home and slept. I had lingering symptoms all day Saturday but I was good enough to hike by late Saturday afternoon, and I didn't feel like waiting until a predicted wet Sunday morning.

Fun Fact: Some people, like me, feel like they get the flu from the vaccine. Not true. What they and I experience is the body's immune response to the vaccine. This is a good thing and the way it should work. It's unpleasant but less so than the flu itself and much shorter in duration. Bonus: long naps on the couch.

The plan was to hike up to a newly fallen tree up above the wooden walkbridge, which I discovered last week.

Along the way I removed a plastic heart nailed to a tree.

I just removed one from this very same tree in late August.

I also removed some stickers as I hiked.

Now, to meet that fallen tree.

It seems someone else tried their hand at trail maintenance, cutting merely ONE LIMB off the fallen tree and leaving it trailside. Huh? I tried to think; who would do such shoddy work? Couldn't be a Cub Scout/Girl Scout/Boy Scout; they're taught to higher standards than this. Must be a freshman. Well, let's see what Hubbard Park's Ph.D. in Trail Maintenance would do.

He would also entertain another fallen tree while hiking up another trail the same day.

It was while hiking up this trail that I found the ubiquitous Hubbard Park Religious Tract.

And speaking of these left notes; while on a covert Hubbard Park mission on Labor Day last week, I found THREE of these personal notes.

First, when I found them they were all soaking wet. How to dry them out quickly? - This Ph.D. in Hubbard Park Trail Maintenance put them in the microwave!

And just what do they all say? Well, there is a common theme among them. A lot of giving thanks for this and that, but particularly, and peculiarly, he gushes about a woman hiker friend he would apparently like to get closer to. Since I'm pretty certain I know the author, I can comfortably say he's married.

Deciphering part of the scribble of the note on the left results in (spelling as original):

"...I love this woman we chat together she...my love of my life. She my love of my life. She the reason

I want to live. Please give her to me. We have great friendship. Thank you for understanding. Have a great day."

This soap opera, Tales of the Trail, is brought to you by me, the advertising and content sponsor of this blog.

Gushiness aside; as I was hiking up the aforementioned trail carrying my bag of litter, I encountered a family hiking down. The father lamented to me the amount of litter at Castle Craig. I couldn't do anything about it due to my schedule and the waning daylight. But where was the parks employee who usually drives up to the peaks and announces on a P.A. it's time to leave? I personally know it doesn't take that long to clean up East Peak and West Peak, especially while allotting time for the people to get in their cars and split.

It was 6:20 p.m. and I was walking down the road. Cars, and a motorcycle, were STILL driving UP the road. The road is supposed to close at 5:45 p.m. No parks department vehicle ever passed by me in either direction.

Good thing I pay attention while departing from the road to pick up litter. Occasionally I'll find a snake.

He's definitely not litter.

I follow the road back to the gate and lo and behold at 7:13 p.m. -

- sucks to be them! This Ph.D. in Hubbard Park Trail Maintenance wears a watch and always reads the signage.

I didn't stick around to see who let them out or whether they received a ticket. But as I got in my vehicle a few minutes later I saw all three leaving the park.

You Know What Bothers Me?!

 Visit #1617, Sunday 6 September 26, 6:25-9:10 a.m., 5.3 miles, 5.2lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 60s, intermittent showers.

You know what bothers me?

It's not the signs someone tacks on trees calling me an asshole like this week,

It's not the newly fallen trees on the trail which mean bringing my chainsaw next week to keep the trails clear,

It's not the religious tract I found this week, and  I'm constantly finding here and there,

It wasn't the unexpected on and off rain this morning that I was unprepared for, leaving me soggy,

It's not the graffiti I frequently find and remove, such as this morning,

It's not the litter I picked up this week, and week after week,

It isn't even the Igloo cooler tossed into the woods at West Peak, which prompted me to drive up there to retrieve because it was too large and clumsy to carry.

"But you know what does bother me? You know what really makes me sick to my stomach?

For several of the past weeks I've put out my blog notices and asked many of you in the know about this logging project in Hubbard Park, a project which was encroaching on a hiking trail. I had hoped to do something to protect it. And I heard nothing but crickets in reply.

Now this trail is obliterated; completely unusable. It is history. The sample photos don't show the extent of the damage. The loggers took the gravy and left the bones when they could have been held to a higher standard.

Hubbard Park is my hot dog. To those that could have responded and perhaps helped to prevent this, you are nothing but ketchup.