Foliage Views

 

This week's post will be interspersed with foliage photos because things are lookin' pretty colorful.

Visit #1334. Sunday 24 October 21, 7:00-10:30AM, 6.6 miles, 16.1 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the high 40's to start, rising to near 60, sunny.

This week I headed up to West Peak as I had not been there recently.

Earlier this month, I found some grease pencil graffiti on the I-691 walkbridge, which I removed.

Last week, I found the same grease pencil graffiti closer to the park, on the I-691 underpass. I had tried removing it with Goo Gone, and sandpaper, but neither was effective on the concrete.

This week I brought out the toxic stuff. It takes no prisoners. It even removed the gray paint I used on older graffiti.

Reaching West Peak via the trails and the road from Castle Craig, I paused to enjoy the morning views.

What the photos don't show is, as I sat down, I spotted a low traveling hot-air balloon moving east-to-west across Meriden (left to right in the first photo). I was hoping to catch a photo of it as it passed below me toward Cheshire, but instead the balloon landed where I would guess was roughly at Ceppa Field.

As I returned to the parking lot this flock of geese sensed my presence from quite a distance and turned as a group away from my path. I was surprised they were aware of my approach from so far away.

And yes; when geese are on the ground they're called a "flock". If they're flying, they're a "skein". If they're on the water they're a "gaggle".  If they're in your yard they're a "turd factory".

I dropped off my first bag of litter...

...but I had about an hour to kill before the Halloween store at the Townline Plaza opened. Rather than stare blankly at a smartphone like most Americans (if I owned one!), I opened another trash bag and wandered about the park picking up litter to pass the time. Thus I accrued a second bag of litter.

Next week will be the last week of the year the road to Castle Craig and West Peak will be open to cars. So peel your eyes away from your own phone and drive up to the peaks and enjoy the foliage.

It Pays To Blog!

 Visit #1333, Sunday 17 October 21, 6:50-10:05AM, 5.0 miles, 12.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 50's rising to the 60's, with a mild breeze.

This past week, I was browsing through the Wanted section of Craigslist when I noticed an ad seeking a long out of production Coleman cooler, the Oscar. It's actually so old that it's often called Vintage.

Well, it just so happened I had one which I had used only three or four times in the 30+ years I've owned it. Time to let it go. I contacted the party and they were ecstatic to find one in immaculate condition at an agreeable price.

Cheryl met me at my place and told me her story: Her husband's Coleman Oscar had finally broken, and he's the type of guy who, when he finds something he likes, won't settle for anything else for a replacement. Cheryl was going to surprise her husband by telling him she had "repaired" his broken cooler and presenting him with the replacement. Now THAT is love!

During our transaction, Cheryl mentioned she had read my blog (the URL is part of my e-mail signature). She then gave me an additional twenty bucks and told me to spend it on more trash bags! Woohoo! Thanks, Cheryl.

This week was another with my pole saw, trimming the roadsides. I made maybe 200 yards of progress.

Some branches were so high I had to extend the saw to its 15 foot limit.

One passing hiker who has seen me before, said while he knew I picked up litter, "did not know you were an arborist too!"

After my allotted hour I folded up the saw and spent my remaining time collecting litter.

There are still a few weeks left to catch the changing foliage so get out there and enjoy it!

A Foursome

 

Leaves are just getting to work changing color. Regardless, the scenery still looks great.

Visit #1332, Saturday 9 October 21, 7:15-11:45AM. 6.8 miles, 11.4lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 50's to low 60's, mostly cloudy with a cool breeze.

Four trees across trails were destined for removal today. My route would require some doubling back, adding to my hiking mileage. It was necessary otherwise I would have to return on a separate visit with the chainsaw.

Speaking of chainsaws, the chain on my saw was on its last leg and you can see the difference between the long-sharpened cutters vs. a new chain. It struggled today but fortunately I have a replacement on hand at home.

I started filling up a trash bag and knowing my route today, decided to drop it off at the water treatment plant before it became too filled or heavy, and opened a new bag.

I learned of the first two fallen trees from a hiker in Hubbard Park, which is a great time saver. Crossing the north end of Merimere Reservoir, I picked up the trail and soon reached the tree.

I set my chainsaw to work. It wasn't cutting fast, but it was still cutting.

The second tree was much farther up the trail than I was led to believe. I was beginning to think I somehow missed it.

Even my old chain could cut through this small hemlock.

I exited the trail, bypassed Castle Craig and hiked down the White Trail, to discover one of the newish trail markers has been vandalized. I'll notify the Meriden Parks Department.

Now it was an out-and-back hike to the third tree, on the Green Trail near Merimere Reservoir.

Now, for the "back" part, I hiked past the Halfway House and to the Blue Trail leading to West Peak.

I found this tree lying across the Blue Trail at the end of September. Yet when I returned this morning to cut it up, it was gone. Either it slid downslope on its own or was moved by someone. 

My only thought was, "Well, there goes my foursome!". But this week's post title was saved as I neared the walkbridge over I-691 where I found my quartet member.

I thought this would be the end of my day and it would be a short walk across the I-691 walkbridge and back to the parking lot. But I kept encountering things that would delay me reaching the other side...

...like my Find of the Week, this broken walking pole and a set of pet-themed Christmas cards. Why Christmas cards would be attached to the fence is beyond me.

The remaining American flag attached to the bridge fencing is not serviceable, so I chose to remove it. I will drop it off at the flag receptacle at the American Legion Post 45 on Hanover Road where it will be disposed of properly.

Then I kept encountering new graffiti which I removed as well.

FINALLY, I crossed the other side of the walkbridge and returned to the playscape parking lot.

Now pay attention to the photo-see my loppers on the ground against the fence? Well, I DIDN'T. I left the park, drove to the ATM on the east side of town, then drove home. I opened up my vehicle to unload only to discover my loppers WEREN'T THERE. I drove all the way back to Hubbard Park fully expecting them to be gone. NOPE! Needless to say, my loppers were happy to see me, licking my face all the way home.

Leaf peeping season is upon us; time to get hiking!

Simple

 Visit #1331, Saturday 2 October 21, 7:15-11:30AM, 6.1 miles, 22.0lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 50's to start, quickly rising to the 70's, sunny.

I can't get an early start this time of year because I'd be working in the dark. But once the sun rises along with the temperature, the mornings can be absolutely spectacular.

Another week with my pole saw, as I trim the road side of overhanging branches. But in order to pick up where I left off last time, I had to get there, first.

Hiking up the road from the gate, I could see the Meriden Parks Department had run a brush hog along both sides of the road. exposing a lot of litter. Knowing my route today, I opted to drop off my first bag of trash early, at the water treatment plant, because I expected to collect a lot more. It was an accurate prediction.

Reaching the trails, I found someone had deliberately placed this log across the trail, which I removed.

Speaking of logs, I received a report this week from another hiker of more trees down across a particular trail. The result is a minimum of four downed trees I will remove next week, on my occasional Power Tool Weekends.

Reaching the road to East/West Peak and working my way downhill from where I previously left off, I spent my allotted hour getting my money's worth out of the pole saw.

After the hour, I continued picking up litter as I walked the road back to the park.

This sign didn't survive its encounter with the brush hog.

As I said earlier, the trimming of the roadsides exposed a lot of litter tossed during the season, which is why I collected so much today.

It was a quiet, enjoyable morning spent in the park.

Into Fall

 

Saturday brought a cool morning. The rest of the day turned out picture-perfect.

Ah, fall is here.

Visit #1330, Saturday 25 September 21, 8:00-10:15AM, 4.8 miles, 9.0lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 60's to start, climbing to near 80, sunny.

I hadn't been to West Peak in a while so Saturday's route would take me there, via East Peak and Castle Craig.

Recent grass cutting by the Meriden Parks Department along the Soap Box Derby track exposed a lot of hidden litter. I collected enough by the time I reached the water treatment plant that I chose to leave the bag there and open another.

On the Green Trail, I found a fallen tree which I vaguely recalled when inspecting from the recent tropical storms Henri and Ida, but apparently forgot about. I put it on the list to be removed in two week's time.

Just west of the Halfway House, this large branch had fallen. I removed it.

Up at Castle Craig, I found the parking lot and surrounding area very clean. I've been suspecting for roughly the last year that others, whether the Meriden Parks Department or privateers, have been keeping things cleaner than I would normally find them.

I reached West Peak and paused to enjoy the view.

On the way down I encountered another fallen tree, which I'll tend to in two week's time.

Back at the parking lot, I found it much more full than when I arrived at 8AM, when there were merely enough cars to count on one hand. Today was certainly a day to enjoy the outdoors.

I dropped off my trash for the weekend, but I still wasn't done.

During last week's adventures, I mentioned discovering some new graffiti but I couldn't photograph it due to a technical issue. I solved my problem, and I'm here to tell the story.

I found new graffiti at Echo Point but wasn't prepared to treat it. So I returned later that weekend on my bike with some tools.

Neither a plastic nor wire brush would remove it. However, I brought something stronger- Citri Strip.

I applied it once, went for a thirty minute bike ride, and upon return scrubbed it with both brushes. It definitely loosened the paint to a goo, made more so when I applied the brushes again. I slathered on more Citri-Strip and went home. I knew rain was scheduled during the week so the Citri-Strip would wash away. When I returned by bike again this past Sunday, this was the updated result.

Before going the Citri-Strip route a third time, I tried scrubbing with both the plastic and the wire brushes again.

Probably good enough for government work, but not for me. So I added Citri-Strip (is this beginning to sound like an infomercial?) one last time and will leave it for the week, where it will dry up naturally and I don't believe any rain is forecast. I will revisit this next week to inspect the final product.