Stranger Things in Sugar Land-UPDATED

I’ve been trying to get over to the Justin Brindley Trail at Sugar Land Memorial Park at least once a week. The mountain bike trail was been rebuilt after the destruction caused by the flooding in May and June 2016. It’s much improved due to the hard work of local volunteers.

But it seems that every time I ride the trail, I see things that I don’t expect or things that are just weird:

1. One day, I encountered a large family with photographer having family portraits taken on the trail.
2. On another day, I began to ride the trail and as I got about one-quarter of the way into the trail, I encountered smoke . . . a lot of smoke. It made the woods look really strange. I wish I had stopped to take a photo.
3. Same day but soon after, I saw two guys each dressed in deer suits, shooting silly string at each other while be videoed by another guy. I suspect these folks were responsible for the smoke bomb.
4. While riding another day, I came upon a tree blocking the trail. As I got off the bike to go around the tree, I noticed a group of boys near a second tree and I could see fresh cuts in its bark. I asked what they were doing and they ran away. They had apparently chopped down the tree that blocked me and were attempting to chop down another.
5. And last week, I noticed a hammock tied off between two trees where the trail wraps around the trees and hammock. A person was in the hammock but it was closed up across the top so it looked more like a cacoon. I did about 10 laps and each time I went around the hammock I could see movement inside. I wondered if there were two people in the hammock having an intimate moment. On the ground below the hammock I could see a backpack and one pair of shoes so maybe there was only one person inside. On my last lap, I saw hands coming out of the top of the hammock but as I go closer, the top sealed up again. I guess he was waiting for me to leave.
6. I went back last Friday and the hammock was gone. There were no unusual sightings except for the young woman walking the trail with a baby, toddler, grandmother and two dogs in tow. It sort of puzzles me why I often see people walking the trail. Maybe they don’t realize its purpose. I have smelled marijuana on occasion so I suspect that’s one reason. But the trail must be difficult to walk with all of the elevation changes. However, anyone I’ve ever encountered on the trail quickly move out of the way when I call out “rider.”
7. Two weeks ago, I saw skateboarders on the Justin Brindley Trail. I’m not sure how well those things roll on dirt but I’m sure the landing is softer when you fall.
8. Last week, I saw a kid on a dirt bike (a motorcycle) on the New Territory Trails (NTT). I’m not sure how far he could get as some of the trail is pretty narrow. The NTT are not official MTB trails so there’s nothing preventing someone from taking a motorcycle back there but I’m sure that type of use would have a detrimental effect on the trail for MTB use.