2020 Outdoor Challenge Continues

Ann & Robert Singletary visited Riverview Park

Several people have completed one or more levels of Shelton's 2020 Out & About Challenge, which encourages everyone to explore corners of the city they might not know about (and reduce crowding on the more popular trails).  Participants select an avatar to represent themselves and take a photo at each of the ten designated sites for the level they are working on. Some people are working on all three levels, which is a total of thirty sites. Those who have completed all thirty sites so far includ John Girard, Lisa Adriani, Sara Skrabl and Diego Murcia.

John Girard's avatar "Bumper" at Pine Tree Pond, fishing

John Girard took the challenge a step further and made up little props for his avatar "Bumper", a little stuffed goat. Those photos deserve their own blog post. In fact, Bumper has his own Facebook Page. 

Melissa Quan & the "Screaming Goat" at Birchbank

Some people have named their avatars. The "Screaming Goat" is one of our favorites.

Lisa Adriani's avatar "Geir" completed all thirty sites

An advantage to doing all thirty sites is you can mix up some drive-bys with some nearby hikes and do several in an afternoon. The Google Map showing all the sites is helpful for figuring out a plan of attack.

Terry Gallagher's avatar is a hiking frog made from nuts and bolts,
here seen at the Maybeck wall, Paugussett Trail

Some of the spots are scenic in a classic sense, but other locations were chosen more because they were identifiable in a photo and were located somewhere that gets fewer people. The Maybeck stone wall, for example, is on a part of the Paugussett Trail between Constitution Blvd and Meadow Street that doesn't get much traffic because it's not part of a loop. It's more of a connector between Shelton Lakes and Indian Well. But it's still a nice trail, and just beyond the wall is a big meadow where deer, turkey, and even woodcock are seen.

Joe Hollis's avatar is a car, here at Birchbank's cave-boulders
(Level 3)

Some of the sites are super easy, just a few steps from the car. This level was designed for people with mobility issues or for people who just don't want to hike. These are the level one sites, and they are some of the more scenic sites. In contrast, the above photo is from Level 3, and involves some serious hiking through Burritt's Rocks to reach. That site is probably the most difficult of all the sites to reach. People looking for more of a physical challenge will enjoy Level 3.

Robert Goncalves and family visited Southbank Park
(Level 1)