Apparently, I Wasn't Thinking

 Visit #1354, Sunday 13 March 22, 7:45AM-12:15PM, 7.4 miles, 0.0lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 20's to start, rising to the 30's, sunny and quite breezy.

Time to make wood chips!

Having discovered a fallen tree across a trail last week toward the north end of Hubbard Park, I was going to schlep my chainsaw there to remove it. 

The weather wasn't going to make it easy.

Saturday's rain turned to snow as the temperatures dropped hard and fast. What would result is a sheen of ice over the trails and the roads.

I had enough foresight to wear crampons so I wouldn't imitate a pig on ice.

Well, it never occurred to me that last night's frosty high winds would bring down even more trees. I didn't get much farther than the south end of Merimere Reservoir when I found my first tree on the Green Trail. This wasn't what I was expecting. Apparently, I wasn't thinking.

You can see the rising sun just clearing the tops of the trees. By the time I was done clearing the blow down 35 minutes later, I was basking in sunshine.

I hiked up to Castle Craig and turned right, onto the Blue Trail overlooking Meriden.

Descending the trail, I arrived at the first tree that was on my original agenda. Small, but it had to go.

At the north end of the trail I turned left, and halfway up to East Peak I reached the other fallen tree on my schedule.

Notice my loppers hanging off a branch. Remember them...

While cutting up this tree, my chainsaw got stuck in the kerf. Now what?

I used my felling wedge to engineer a way out of this jam (pun intended!) and after 5 minutes of rasslin' I was free. Now I could finish the job.

I thought that would be the end of my Power Tool Weekend®. What was I thinking?

I reached the end of the trail, turned right, and ran into another fallen tree.

Of course, I did what anyone would do if they were carrying a chainsaw and hiking.

While packing up I discovered I could not find my loppers. I must have left them at the previous tree, which was 20 minutes back down the trail. So, off I went to retrieve my loppers.

But when I arrived, I couldn't find them. Did I leave them at that last tree, above, and just didn't look hard enough?

Back up the trail I went; another 20 minute hike.

I arrived, and STILL couldn't find them.

I decided to change my route and hike back down the trail AGAIN, and if I couldn't find them I would write them off and just exit the trail, and walk the road around Merimere Reservoir back to the park.

After just a few minutes on my second reverse trudge, I found 'em! $100 saved.

In the process of moving that bent tree off the trail I dropped the loppers, which were strung around my neck. That's 45 minutes I'll never get back!

I reached the bottom of the Blue Trail and turned right, heading toward the I-691 walkbridge. But I wasn't going to get there without a fight. I soon met yet another fallen tree.

The hemlocks are dropping like a hooker's skirt.

Finally, I made it across the I-691 walkbridge, only to have one more fallen tree taunt me.

I still had fuel in the tank.

I didn't inspect all the trails, and I asked a passing hiker if they had seen any fallen trees; he couldn't recall seeing any. But for all I know, he wasn't thinking.