Yesterday, under steely skies and gently falling snow, we walked a portion of the Dakota Trail. The temperature was hovering around 19 degrees (Fahrenheit) with a light breeze, perfect for walking – with the right clothing! The Dakota Trail runs 13 miles from Wayzata to St. Bonifacius, much of it winding along the north shores of Lake Minnetonka, and following the old Great Northern railway line. Due to underlying icy conditions, we limited our walk to 2.5 miles, but fresh snow helped to make the trail less slippery. The Dakota Trail is part of the expansive trail system in the Three Rivers Park District. The Park District’s website can provide you with maps of all of the available trails within their system. I’ve also provided the link to their website under the Trail Marker tab in the menu, for future reference, but you can click here as well. It’s good to note that the Dakota is not maintained during winter months, however, so keep this in mind if you decide to explore it during the snow and ice season!
Although most of the trail we wandered wound through residential areas, the tree cover and snowfall helped to make it seem quiet and more private than it actually was. To each side of the trail we passed a complex maze of undergrowth, perfect for songbirds at rest. 
Relying on cell phones this trip, my photos aren’t nearly as crisp as I’d like, but even so you should be able to easily spot the Northern Cardinal in this tangle of branches. Cardinals and Black-capped Chickadees dotted the bushes along the way, and we enjoyed taking our time in trying to spot them… although I have to admit we tended only to hear the Chickadees, as they blended into the landscape so well!
Every so often we also passed a stand of Sumac which, like the Cardinals, added a welcomed splash of color to our surroundings. Breathing in the cool, crisp air and feeling the hushed breath of light snowflakes on our faces was almost meditative.
The portion of trail we traveled this time was quite straight, with no inclines at all, but there are sections of the Dakota that wind along shorelines and through woodland, and we’ll take on other sections of this trail later in the year. Since it does follow the old railway line, there isn’t much in the way of hills to navigate, but there are a couple of overpasses where the trail crosses busy roadways. I’m looking forward to exploring this trail, and the other Three Rivers Parks trails, as the year progresses!