Back in the Saddle Again

The Shelton Trails Committee re-started regular work parties Saturday after a Covid-enforced layoff of big work parties since mid-March.   Pretty poor timing for a pandemic too, since this is the time of the year when things grow a lot.   All this while Shelton, and many other towns, have being experiencing record trail use while people have been confined at home.  We've been doing some onesie-twosie work around the trails trying to keep up with the growing season, but things are getting shaggy out there.  But now that the public health measures in Connecticut have been working we're going to get back to our regular schedule of work parties. 

Well spaced out workparties that is.  With masks and kerchiefs.  We may look like bank robbers, but we're really just harmless trails volunteers.  We're Back in the Saddle Again.

We met at Shelton Intermediate School to cut back brush along the Shelton Lakes Recreation Path on Saturday.  It was hot and steamy following last night's tropical storm Fay but we counted our blessings and got to work.

Bill, Jim & Bob replaced broken fence rails along RecPath at the top of the historic dam.
Part of our on-going saga with the fencing there.

Luis cleared out briars along the overlook by the bridge.  The RecPath was very busy this morning.  We got a lot of nice comments from users.  One woman said "Thanks, I was beginning to things the brush was coming to get me".  Not while Luis has a hedgetrimmer in his hands.

Val and Luis clearing out along the top of the dam.  Well-spaced and masked.  We spread out as much as possible to socially distanced while we worked.  This will probably be the program going forward this Summer and Fall for Shelton work parties.

Dan was a big help cutting thick brush along the top of the dam.

Graham was cutting back the overgrowth along the fence.

Bill, Jim & Bob were also cutting stuff along the RecPath.

We had a lot of joggers, bikers, dog walkers and various users pass us while we were working.  Everybody was having an enjoyable Saturday morning and appreciated the work being done.  Thank you.

Here's the "After" picture.  We didn't get a good group photo of everybody all sweaty and covered with poison ivy and vine spackle, but trust us we were.  Cold drinks afterwards went down quickly.

 We got a lot accomplished, and it needed it.  Thanks to everybody who came out: Mike, Bill, Jim, Luis, Dan, Graham, Bob, Val, Mark, and Terry,   Anybody who wants to help out is welcome on future work parties, just e-mail in and we'll spread ourselves out.  The Shelton Trails Committee is Back from the Shadows Again.  (with a nod to Firesign Theater).