Friday March 31st 2023

It was a warmer and more humid day today. A strong breeze out of the southeast was the cause, but it was also the comfort saving element. As long as you were in the breeze the temperature was tolerable. The record high temperature in the area was almost set today as the temperature peaked in the very high eighties. The average temperature for this date is eighty.

The mystery associated with all the preparations going on at the day use area was solved on my first walk of the day. They are setting up for a series of races tomorrow. A 5K, 10K and half marathon are scheduled. There is an elaborate start and finish line setup beside the pavilion complete with a victory arch and medal platform. Around the park there are race direction signs and arrows to mark the race route. As the day progressed they added more elements to the setup. I spotted a water station with plenty of orange coolers were the half marathon route returns to five and ten K routes. The half marathon route seems to follow just about every trail in the park.

With all the setup work the race organizers have to do, it is not surprising that they got started Thursday afternoon. I bet they will take it all down and depart a lot quicker. They will likely be gone by tomorrow night. That will be nice, because I anticipate absolute chaos on the park roads and trails tomorrow. Residents of the campground can’t leave the park without driving along and across the race route a couple of times.

The campground is filled for the weekend with the expected mix of local area weekenders out for a party with friends. The atmosphere is a little more lively than during the week. One downer on the weekend revelry came this afternoon. The county has issued an open fire ban because of the dry conditions. That means no campfires. The camp host had the task of delivering the news to each site. There was a big wildfire on the other side of the county earlier in the week.