NOVEMBER
Trailblazers Report
The LLA Trailblazers lost one of our own recently . Bob Brown , a long-time member , passed away on September 13 after a short illness . Bob had been an enthusiastic participant in our trail maintenance work sessions almost every month since his retirement . He wielded a mean pair of loppers and was never shy about helping to remove large logs and leaning trees that were impeding travel for walkers and hikers on the trails . Bob was a tall guy , and we used his height to determine how far up we needed to cut back vegetation overhanging the pathways . Bob would go out to do solo maintenance several times if he could not make the regular Saturday work session . One of the only things that would cause him to miss the work session would be travels with his wife Kathy , trips on his beloved motorcycle , and anything car-related ( visiting car shows , auctions , etc .). We will all miss his quiet manner and kind and generous nature .
The morning of September 11 was sunny and cool — a nice respite from previous weeks ' hot and humid weather . It was a perfect day for trail maintenance , so we headed for the Nightingale Trail . We did a lot of heavy weed-whacking and pruning on the grassy section of trail south of the beach and lakeside homes , up to the area where the pathway enters the woods . We continued down the trail through the boggy area ( now easily passible on a new boardwalk ) and level wooded area , performing mostly pruning activities . At the end of the level segment , the trail ascends a steep hill , first on a set of stone steps , and then bounded on one side by a beautiful rock outcropping . At this point , and moving further south and west , the trail is a rugged up and down hike that skirts the cliffs above the south side of Lake Linganore all the way to a cove . Our work here was pruning back vegetation and removing encroaching limbs and vines from the trail bed . We also removed a sizeable amount of trash from the woods and as near the shoreline as possible . Although we stopped at the cove , the trail continues west through the woods , another 1.6 miles to the south side of the Brosius Dam . A large tree was down across the trail about . 3 miles south of the entrance to the woods and past the first steep climb . It was reported to the LLA Maintenance Crew for removal .
Now that November is here , the trail and lake areas are still a great place to explore . Any time out in the woods is a good time ! The only change you need to make is adding another layer of clothing so you can enjoy your outing to the fullest .
If you have any questions about the trails or volunteer opportunities doing light trail maintenance , the Trailblazers Committee can be reached via email at LLATrailblazers @ gmail . com .
James T . Fogle
Master Electrician
Glenn H . Fogle & Sons Electric Service Inc .
Family Owned and Operated Since 1946
301-845-6543
Walkersville , MD 21793 -------------Licensed ~ Bonded ~ Insured-------------
32 LakeTalk November 2021