Great Fall Weather, Continued

Even the geese knew it was a great day to lounge on the grass.

Visit #1214, Sunday 29 September 19, 7:20-9:10AM, 2.8miles, 19.2lbs. of trash.

Temps in the 60's, sunny and dry.

For the second consecutive week, Meriden enjoyed perfect fall weather: clear skies, and temperatures tempting you to bask in the sun, like our wise buddies above.

I started early so my chainsaw wouldn't annoy too many people. After my work two weeks ago,  rerouting a trail, I wasn't satisfied I had blocked the original trail enough. The brush I piled there would surely rot and shrink in short order. I brought my chainsaw to cut up a log and place it where I didn't want hikers to pass.

I cut the log into four pieces and placed them with my existing pile of brush.

It still needs to look more convincing; I'll work on it.

I returned to my vehicle and dropped off the chainsaw, then broke open a trash bag and went looking for litter.

This week, it truly paid to look for litter.

Since I was on-call this week, I didn't wander far, and in order to fulfill my self-imposed two hour minimum in Hubbard Park, I walked around the playscape and parking lot, picking up trash as well as on the trails. Done for the day, I was going to join the geese above, but I wasn't going to share my dollar.

Just-What A Beautiful Day

Just where were YOU on this most perfect, late September day? I was in Hubbard Park, enjoying mild breezes, temps in the 60's and climbing, and lots of sunshine. Thank goodness this wasn't a weekday, otherwise it would have been wasted on all us working stiffs!

To quote Nathaniel Hawthorne, who knew what I was talking about; "I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house."

Visit #1213, Sunday 22 September 19, 7:30-9:45AM, 5.5 miles, 8.8lbs., of trash.

I had not been up to West Peak in a while so that's where I headed from the parking lot on Sunday morning. I did stop briefly to admire my work from last week, and generate some ideas regarding the site, which I hope to implement next week.

On the trail, nearing West Peak, I found a pair of prescription glasses.

 I tried them on and things went all fuzzy; that's how I know they were single prescription lenses. Unfortunately, they suffered some damage to the optics so in the trash bag they went.

What were YOU doing at 8:15 on Sunday morning; still inspecting your eyelids? I was at West Peak, savoring the early morning warm sunshine, and the view.

Unfortunately, the entire view wasn't as pretty. I found some new, offensive graffiti over other graffiti I'd previously painted over.

I had to look up the meaning of "carceral state". Seems like Tatum has a real chip on his shoulder. The Goof Off I carry for such cases wasn't working fast enough on the graffiti so I left.

I cleaned up the West Peak parking lot then followed the road back to the park.

The Meriden Parks Department has been busy patching the road around Merimere Reservoir, as well as to East and West Peak.

A heron checks out the breakfast menu at the Merimere Diner. Hard to believe such a skinny neck can swallow a frog or a bluegill whole!

At the south end of Merimere, I found someone had tossed this photographic reflector into the reservoir. I retrieved it and dropped it off at the water treatment plant.

I dropped off my trash for the week, thinking I was done for the day. But I wasn't.

 I hated to waste such a spectacular day weather-wise, and I knew I wouldn't be able to return to West Peak for at least a couple weeks to take care of the graffiti, so late Sunday afternoon I saddled up the mountain bike and enjoyed a ride up to West Peak to cover over the graffiti.

I wiped off the Goof Off with a spray bottle of alcohol, then used the closest color of spray paint I had on hand. I'll probably return in a couple weeks with a better match.

Here's hoping the weather next weekend is just as enjoyable. Until then, maintain.

History

The "alligator" in Merimere Reservoir is visible; the water level is low.

Visit #1211, Saturday 14 September 19, 10:15AM-12:45PM, mileage and trash n/a.
Temps in the 60's, cloudy with showers threatening in the afternoon.

Visit #1212, Sunday 15 September 19, 8:20-10:45AM, 4.3 miles, 9.1lbs. of trash.
Temps in the mid-60's, sunny and dry.

I entered Hubbard Park today to reroute the trail around the tree which I discovered last week had fallen over the trail close to I-691.

Removing the leaning tree was out of the question so I had to think of an alternative. The alternative was to reroute the trail AROUND the tree, but there was another leaning tree in my way. Let's see how this worked out.

I came armed with a quiver of weapons. I wound up breaking the "Craigslist Bargain" orange handled rake. That explains why there was so much electrical tape on it.

I raked a partial path and used the comealong to remove one fallen tree lying in the way of the new route.

I didn't bring my chainsaw because I thought felling the smaller leaning tree would be dangerous. So, I hooked the comealong onto it as well. The bottom ten feet of the tree broke off and fell spectacularly. Then I winched it to the side of the new trail.

That left a "widowmaker" hung up in the tree, but it's not a danger to any hikers.

I dug up the roots of any bushes, and raked the area smooth. On Sunday, in sunny weather, I returned to admire my work. Years from now, when I'm dead and gone, people may wonder when that tree fell and who cleared a path around it. I kind of feel I will have become part of the history of the trails in Hubbard Park.

By the way, I plan on piling more brush under the leaning tree to persuade hikers to use the new path. But if that leaner ever drops I'll probably try to restore the original route.

Roughly a week ago I received an e-mail from someone inquiring about the possible whereabouts of a beehive fountain in Hubbard Park other than the well known fountain on the main trail below West Peak. He was able to provide a very old photo of what he thinks is the fountain in question.

Cool, huh? Well, by myself I wasn't going to solve this mystery, so I enlisted the help of a friend who does a lot of off-trail adventuring in Hubbard Park and together we came up with a pretty good explanation.

The slope of the dirt road, its straightness, the slope of the hill behind the fountain, and the shape of the rocks comprising the fountain all lead us to believe the fountain was located HERE, on Percival Park Road:

Somewhere along this stretch of pavement leading up to the south end of Merimere Reservoir is where we think the fountain was located.

The next clue is, there is a perpetual spring running just off the right side of the photo, which possibly fed the fountain. That's not just a puddle but year 'round running water.

Of course, with the construction of I-691 in the 60's, the terrain underneath the overpasses was significantly changed. One has to wonder, if you waited until the foliage died and did some scrounging around, would you find any of the original stone or the fountain itself?

Walk further up the road and you'll encounter this stone wall with blocks that have a much similar, sharp-edged shape to those of the old fountain.

If not near the puddle, we think the fountain was located somewhere between there and roughly the stone wall above. All the stone used in the fountain had to be what could be had lying around.

Here's a photo from Sunday of the familiar beehive fountain; note the different, smooth round stones used here.

An interesting part of the history of Hubbard Park.

After briefly investigating the area of where the fountain might have been located, I walked the road around Merimere Reservoir and up toward the peaks, taking the trails down and over I-691 and back to the park.

Things to Think About

Visit #1210, Sunday 8 September 19, 6:55-8:20AM, 2.5miles, 5.0lbs. of trash.
Temps in the low 60's, dry and sunny.

I brought a can of spray paint to cover over the last of the  paintballers' graffiti that I started two weeks ago. 

But before I reached the graffiti, I encountered an a newly fallen tree, one which was standing upright last week. I had been watching this tree for years, waiting for it to fall.

Due to its leaning position and its size, clearing this tree from this heavily used trail will be difficult. I've considered rerouting the trail around the tree. I've got something to think about for the next week.

Just beyond this fallen tree was my final piece of paintball graffiti.

I covered it over and didn't touch the trail marker.

I hiked up over I-691 and walked along the main trail, where I found a discarded t-shirt.

It appears to be in decent shape so I'll bring it home, wash it, and donate it to Goodwill.

Discarded items seemed to the be the theme for today. Further up the trail I found a perfectly usable metal waterbottle.

But the next discarded item I found took top billing for today. Viewer discretion is advised.

Yes, dear reader; that's blood in that shopping bag. A lot of blood.

Now I really had something to think about.

I returned to the park and dropped off my bag for the day.

I leave you this week with a view toward the Halfway House as the sun begins to rise over Meriden.

Bridge Work

Just don't ask me to paint it.

Visit #1209, Sunday 1 September 19, 6:30-9:15AM, 3.6 miles, 9.0lbs. of trash.

The straggler padlocks left locked to the I-691 walkbridge fencing last week would be dealt with, as I now had a means to reach them.

I started early to avoid scrutiny; anybody bringing such tools onto the bridge is likely to get strange looks if not a visit from the police.

This is how you do it.

Yeah; most hikers don't keep a stepladder in their backpacks, but I'm not most people.

After I removed that one, I spotted another. I wasn't going to return for just one padlock, so I ensured I inspected the bridge thoroughly for any stragglers, or padlocks playing hide-and-seek.

I returned to my van to drop off the ladder, and returned with other cleaning supplies. I have always wanted to sweep the bridge of all the dirt and rocks flow from north to south across the bridge. Don't ask me why.

The west side had more debris than the east side. I swept up one side, filled up the bucket, emptied it, and repeated the process on the opposite side.

FYI; I scored the broom for a measly five bucks on craigslist, along with some other handy tools from a horse stable owner. It worked perfectly on the concrete.

And for those who keep track, when I was finished I had removed 241lbs. of rocks and dirt from the bridge!

I returned to the park and hiked the trails on the south side of I-691, and finished by cleaning the parking area in the northwest corner of Mirror Lake, where I scored my Find of the Week.

I also noticed that I missed a trail marking from the paintballers' work of last week. I swear I should open my eyes and pay attention... I'll save it for next week.

 

They had also sprayed some foliage on the trail side in various places, but that was easier to deal with.

 

Happy Labor Day!