Bradbury Two Ways

Met up with TMs Erin and Bethany at Bradbury yesterday morning.  The idea was to clean up the Terrace Trail, one of the trails adopted by TMR.  Armed with rakes and two types of clippers, we hiked up to the top of the trail to work down.  It consisted mostly of raking the heavy layer of oak leaves off the trail and some pruning.  Beth did get to clear a downed tree and the jump that a clever mountain biker had made over it.  Oh, about half way down, the bugs, both mosquitoes and black flies decided that the drizzle wasn't enough to keep them from feasting on us.

I had expected the trail to show more signs of erosion than it did.  I saw two spots that probably could benefit from the (rats!  I don't know the real name for the things) water diverters that go across the trail.  We did make sure to clear the existing ones so they could better handle the run off.  In fact, one area of erosion looks like it was caused by the diverter-thingy above not handling it.  At the very bottom of the trail, Beth and I refilled the washout with the gravel that had washed down onto the Northern Loop Trail.  Shovels would have been the right tool, but, with the wrong tool, the job just takes more muscle and time!  Erin stayed on the raking cause she had the leaf rake, not the metal kind.

It's satisfying to look back up the trail to see what you've accomplished.  Heading back, I asked what time it was.  We were all shocked to learn it was 11:20.  We'd been at it for 3hours!!!  I had guessed it would take about two.  It sort of seemed like it was less than two.  That's a good sign.  Except, Bethany had to leave to pick up her boyfriend from the airport and didn't get any miles in.  Erin and I were famished; there was no way I could run 12 miles without some food.  We drove to E & L's.  I hoped for a breakfast sandwich.  Erin wanted something more like a muffin.  The breakfast sandwich sign was just being taken down : (  We both settled on cookies, but also noted that there was the Turkey sandwich on special that tastes like Thanksgiving on bread.  At the same time, Erin and I decided we should come back after and split one.

Back to the park.  We ran up the Switch Back so that we could run down the Terrace, hoping to admire our effort.  Yay!  We did.  To get in the rest of the miles, we crossed the road to do what has become my normal loop.  I realized I didn't have time for all 12, but hoped to run 10.  I'm pretty sure it was the 3 hours of work before, but we were slow.  It didn't really feel it, but the Garmins let us know.  I wasn't watching pace, but when I looked at how long we'd been out there somewhere on Fox West, I asked Erin if it was alright if we cut it even shorter.  We ended up with 9.6 miles. 

Bethany just beginning

Erin starting out

Supposed to show some washout (camera or photographer doesn't capture it)

Ditto

Nice : )

Back at E & L's, the guy ahead of us ordered  the last Turkey sandwich special that they had.  After the initial disappointment, I "settled" for a Reuben and Erin had the Seasonal Salad.  Jobs well done.