Snow Days

 Visit #1582, Saturday 31 January 26, 12:30-2:35PM, 3.2 miles, 0.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 20s, sunny.

Visit #1583, Sunday 1 February 26, 1:45-3:30PM, 3.5 miles, 0.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 20s, sunny with a very cold windchill.

Last Sunday's 15" snowfall made the trails almost impassable  except for the hardiest of individuals.

I headed out on the trails Saturday with my chainsaw to remove the fallen tree I discovered last week.

Even with snowshoes the hike to the tree was a chore, and when I reached the site I had to remove them to maneuver around the tree as I cut.

Which I didn't finish because my chainsaw got stuck in the tree.

I spent the good part of an hour wrangling with the tree to free my saw. I was successful but out of time for the day. I would have to leave the job incomplete until Sunday, where there would be a rematch.

I have to tip my hat to pal Dave. While talking on the phone about his use of a chainsaw, I was inspired to retrofit my saw with the more aggressive cutting chain that he uses for trail maintenance. I can't say it would have prevented my bar from being pinched by the tree but it sure would speed up what work I did, considering the cold and the type of wood this dead tree was made of.

So Sunday I waited for peak temperatures and returned to do battle. This time it was like bringing a gun to a knife fight.

Finished, I had enough time to complete a clockwise loop of the trails and return to the park.