Attack of the Trail Huggers

One of our trails, the closest to downtown Shelton, winds its way the woods at Riverview Park. The section behind the ball fields was overgrown and badly in need of a haircut. In spite of the proximity of poison ivy (which seems to be everywhere and in abundance this year)Trails Committee members and volunteers plowed into the jungle and cleared at least one overgrown section of trail.

Click on photos to enlarge

It took a lot of hacking to clear the Japanese Knotweed, a fierce invasive, from the entrance to this section. The pile in the foreground is just from the first few feet

Edmund and Joe plan the next area to attack

Joe utilizes a weed-whacker to clear a path

Bob finds battling the Japanese Knotweed a real challange

At the next ball field, weeds choked the narrow path right up to the fence

At this point, it became impractical to work here here without being right in the midst of the worst poison ivy growth

This was a bumper crop!

Although we were successful in clearing a substantial length of overgrown trail, we had to abandon a piece for the time being until we are prepared to attack the poison ivy without exposing any of us to the dreaded, inevitable itchy rash.