Every hiker has experienced this.

You’re lost in your thoughts, savoring your surroundings and then, suddenly, the road less traveled becomes the road impossible to traverse.

That happened recently on the Cochituate Rail Trail. A fallen tree, and not a small one either, blocked the path.

But as the Natick Public Works Department Land Facilities and Natural Resources crew stepped in, removing the tree and clearing the way.

Their efforts earned praise from the Friends of Natick Trails _ and, no doubt, from trail travelers with a clearer path to a peaceful day.