The Difference a Week Makes

 The road didn't look like this last week.

Visit #1002, Saturday 20 February 16, 9:50AM-12:10PM, 5.0 miles.
Temps in the mid-30's, rising to near 50, sunny.

Driving to Hubbard Park Saturday morning, I spied some trash near a trailhead parking area that needed to be tagged for pickup. I changed my original agenda for the day to take care of that trash.

I started on the trail behind the bank of Daffodils, heading west parallel to I-691. I came across my first fallen branch of 2016. As I was removing it from the trail a hiker came by and remarked, "I was WAITING for someone younger than me to move that branch!" He didn't look particularly old so I guess it was a compliment that he thought I was younger than he was.

At the trailhead on West Main Street across from Belmont Avenue was the trash I saw earlier.

Inside the green bag is the CRT for the computer monitor shell. Since all the electronics were exposed I had to handle it carefully; the connection from the flyback transformer to the CRT can store 10kV or more for a LONG time. Touching the wrong part would be like getting tasered-or worse. I'll contact the Meriden Parks Department and ask them to pick it up.

I turned around and crossed the highway, taking the trails up.

While collecting some trash down below this walkbridge, I tried taking a photo of the water flow. I wasn't successful. Trust me, it was babbling just nicely.

Anyway, I hiked up to the road between Castle Craig and West Peak, and walked the road back to the park, where I took today's opening photo showing the drastic change in road conditions from last week, not to mention the change in temperature.

Back near the water tank and water treatment plant (a good hill for winter sledding), I found this hangtag:

 While the front of the tag wasn't that interesting, the BACK of the tag was. I never saw so many warnings-it made me wonder whether sledding should best be left up to professionals and children should just stay home and WATCH sledding on their smartphones...which they probably do anyway!

I walked back to the park to deposit my trash for the week, being careful I didn't "walk too fast, dive onto the pavement; avoiding obstacles, icy areas, and sudden drops"... it was close, but I made it.