Beatin' The Heatin'

 

The weather is about to ramp up, just in time for the July 4th holiday. Learn to stay cool like these geese.

Visit #1606, Sunday 28 June 26, 6:15-8:35 a.m., 4.9 miles, 5.2 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 60s rising to the mid-80s, sunny and increasing humidity today, and throughout the week.

It's gonna get ugly.

An early start to my hike mitigated some of the sticky misery. Just some.

I stopped at the south end of Merimere Reservoir to pick up some litter and found the remains of a campfire. I even found the plastic wrap from the firewood they purchased.

And if you're going to have a campfire, you can't forget the marshmallows.

This week I brought another bottle of weed killer and treated the Orange Trail as it leads up to Castle Craig.

Prior to reaching the Orange Trail I came upon a newly fallen tree on the main trail.

You're probably getting tired of hearing me say this, but I just love this folding saw that I now carry with me. It's light, small, and effective in situations like this. I couldn't move this tree by myself so this tree would have had to wait until another weekend to return with my chainsaw.

I took in the view from the bench at Castle Craig then hiked a trail down toward the reservoir.

Along with the tranquility of the deep woods, I encountered a deer as it crossed my path.

Walking on the road back to the park I found this small tree sticking into the road just a smidge. I trimmed things back a bit.

Sweaty enough to want a shower and a change of clothes, I finished my hike.

Enjoy the coming holiday and if you're lucky, the extra day off from work.

Meriden will host its fireworks display on Thursday, along with other festivities. If my experience today is any indication, I suggest bringing insect repellent.