Conducting A Master Class

Sometimes you just gotta show 'em how it's done.

Visit #1618, Saturday 12 September 26, 5:05-7:15 p.m., 4.7 miles, 6.9 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the mid-70s, sunny with rising humidity. Rain expected to begin early Sunday morning.

Why the unusually late start for me? I received the flu shot on Thursday and when my immune response kicked in I well, felt like I had the flu. It was so bad I left work after three hours on Friday, went home and slept. I had lingering symptoms all day Saturday but I was good enough to hike by late Saturday afternoon, and I didn't feel like waiting until a predicted wet Sunday morning.

Fun Fact: Some people, like me, feel like they get the flu from the vaccine. Not true. What they and I experience is the body's immune response to the vaccine. This is a good thing and the way it should work. It's unpleasant but less so than the flu itself and much shorter in duration. Bonus: long naps on the couch.

The plan was to hike up to a newly fallen tree up above the wooden walkbridge, which I discovered last week.

Along the way I removed a plastic heart nailed to a tree.

I just removed one from this very same tree in late August.

I also removed some stickers as I hiked.

Now, to meet that fallen tree.

It seems someone else tried their hand at trail maintenance, cutting merely ONE LIMB off the fallen tree and leaving it trailside. Huh? I tried to think; who would do such shoddy work? Couldn't be a Cub Scout/Girl Scout/Boy Scout; they're taught to higher standards than this. Must be a freshman. Well, let's see what Hubbard Park's Ph.D. in Trail Maintenance would do.

He would also entertain another fallen tree while hiking up another trail the same day.

It was while hiking up this trail that I found the ubiquitous Hubbard Park Religious Tract.

And speaking of these left notes; while on a covert Hubbard Park mission on Labor Day last week, I found THREE of these personal notes.

First, when I found them they were all soaking wet. How to dry them out quickly? - This Ph.D. in Hubbard Park Trail Maintenance put them in the microwave!

And just what do they all say? Well, there is a common theme among them. A lot of giving thanks for this and that, but particularly, and peculiarly, he gushes about a woman hiker friend he would apparently like to get closer to. Since I'm pretty certain I know the author, I can comfortably say he's married.

Deciphering part of the scribble of the note on the left results in (spelling as original):

"...I love this woman we chat together she...my love of my life. She my love of my life. She the reason

I want to live. Please give her to me. We have great friendship. Thank you for understanding. Have a great day."

This soap opera, Tales of the Trail, is brought to you by me, the advertising and content sponsor of this blog.

Gushiness aside; as I was hiking up the aforementioned trail carrying my bag of litter, I encountered a family hiking down. The father lamented to me the amount of litter at Castle Craig. I couldn't do anything about it due to my schedule and the waning daylight. But where was the parks employee who usually drives up to the peaks and announces on a P.A. it's time to leave? I personally know it doesn't take that long to clean up East Peak and West Peak, especially while allotting time for the people to get in their cars and split.

It was 6:20 p.m. and I was walking down the road. Cars, and a motorcycle, were STILL driving UP the road. The road is supposed to close at 5:45 p.m. No parks department vehicle ever passed by me in either direction.

Good thing I pay attention while departing from the road to pick up litter. Occasionally I'll find a snake.

He's definitely not litter.

I follow the road back to the gate and lo and behold at 7:13 p.m. -

- sucks to be them! This Ph.D. in Hubbard Park Trail Maintenance wears a watch and always reads the signage.

I didn't stick around to see who let them out or whether they received a ticket. But as I got in my vehicle a few minutes later I saw all three leaving the park.