A Knotty Situation

 Today I learned WD-40 is a great lube for dry, balky zippers. I also learned today's backpack load weighed 24 lbs.!

Visit #1479, Sunday 19 May 24, 6:00-9:15AM. 6.0 miles, 15.6 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the high 50s/low 60s, cloudy and breezy.

I was hoping to start Sunday's hike at early dawn so as to not draw attention to someone who may appear to be wielding boltcutters on the fence surrounding the I-691 walkbridge. I got lazy and started too late.

Fortunately, my time spent cutting off the padlock I found last week was maybe fifteen seconds.

I moved on, stalking for Hubbard Park's serial graffiti vandal, covering over or removing whatever new items I might find.

In an unusual discovery, I found these, I guess you might call them "prayer notes" on the trails. Here are two of them. The handwriting is difficult to read so I'll give you a partial interpretation.

"This is for another day of rain."

"This is for the food I eat."

"This is for my semi health."
And so on.

I continue to find piles of broken glass deliberately placed in the center of the trails. This is not good for

people who hike with their dogs.

I moved on to West Peak.

I was recently contacted by a park goer who informed me of some camp chairs up beyond West Peak. I went in search of them, hiking a good distance beyond the radio towers. I had given up on finding them when on the return trip toward West Peak I found them!

I guess I'm an S.O.B.

Carrying them back to the park was going to take some doing, but I had a solution to ease the work.

I carry two, five foot pieces of rope for just such situations. I also carry a basic knowledge of knots.

Using each piece, I tied the chairs together using a Running Bowline knot at each end.

Then I tied the loose ends of each rope together using a Double Sheet Bend. A "bend" is the process of tying two pieces of rope together. There are several different types of bends that can be learned.

All in all, I created a sling, which I, wait for it-slung over my shoulder for the long hike down the road from West Peak, past Merimere Reservoir, and back to the park.