Wandering Blog

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!

My walks lately have been close to home, in and around the neighborhood I live in, largely due to weather.  We recently had a significant snowfall… significant for our area, anyway.  Even though the ground was still holding on to snow from earlier storms, the world seemed to be suddenly bright and flawless again.  With expanses of untracked white all around, beautiful and sometimes unusual things just seem to jump out and grab me!  I noticed this feather, caught up in some low branches, from a good ten feet away, waving lightly in the breeze as though it had always been there.

A little further on I found some saplings, heavy with the new snow.  I wrote last time of the wonder I find in snow-laden pines – these saplings brought those memories back, vividly.  Towering evergreens in miniature, and I find them just as beautiful!

One of the posts from my earlier attempt at a blog, years ago, also discussed my love affair with snow.  Following is a portion of that post:

I write today of the snow lying thick and heavy on evergreen branches, glistening like a carpet of diamond chips on the trail before me… the sensation of fine airborne snow-crystals breathed into my lungs and my spirit.  I love snow.  I’ve gloried in the recent snowfall here, but those around me don’t always share my enthusiasm.  I suppose the previous weeks of bitter cold have pushed folks into an early state of cabin fever.  But to me these days of snow and tempered cold are expansive, joyful.  I can’t stand in the woods at this time of the year without wanting to laugh out loud for the sheer exhilaration of it!  Feeling snow falling lightly on my cheek, listening to the soft, slow rush of icy crystals brushing past pine needles.  These times are ethereal and peaceful.  Even the birds in their endless, sometimes vocal quests for food and territory are an integral part of this newly hushed world.  I may be in the minority here, but I’ll say it again… I love snow!

As anticipated, the temps have dropped to sub-zero again in the past couple of days, but right now they are hovering at the zero mark.  The sun is shining, so I stepped outside to drink in some of the fresh, crisp winter air.

Hands down the thing I like most about winter is snow.  The textures you can find, especially after a fresh snowfall,  are beautiful and abundant.  I don’t have a fancy camera (I use a Nikon Coolpix P600), but it takes pictures that hold clearly the memories I’d like to have permanent reminders of, which is enough for me!  Today I wanted to try to capture some of the striking sights I found on my short neighborhood walk – wonderful, sunlit textures that actually didn’t take long to find!

Snow hugging evergreens is breathtaking to me… it’s as though conifers and snow were meant to live together, which, in many places, they are.  I love the contrasting colors, the way the snow helps each pine needle to stand out.  When I was younger I was an avid downhill skier, and one of my most vivid memories is of snow-laden evergreens bordering the chairlifts.  So beautiful!

 

This pond is attempting to freeze over, which under normal circumstances it would have done long ago.  But it’s a backyard pond with a floating heater in it, maintaining open water throughout the winter for wildlife.  This means there is always a transition between snow, ice, and water, which offers up some wonderful and always shifting viewing and photo opportunities.  Bordering this pond are some native grasses and a few milkweed plants that are just starting to take hold.  Before the snow gets deep enough to envelope them, the browned stalks of these plants help to make this pond more interesting and varied.

 

Learning, often through observation, how animals survive in harsh winter climates is fascinating to me.  Squirrels may be abundant in this area (and considered as pests to some folks), but to me they are still well worth watching.  They are resourceful and determined – but not all of them survive.  About a week ago we had a Red-tailed Hawk hanging around our backyard, a type of hawk we don’t see often in our heavily wooded area.  It didn’t take long to find that our yard had provided a good hunting ground for this raptor, and it was dining on a member of our squirrel population.  One squirrel provided the hawk with meals for a couple of days before it moved on.  Sometimes predator-prey scenarios are difficult to watch, but a balanced ecosystem is how nature flourishes, and the circle of life is a vital part of this balance.

We’re a week into the new year, and I’ve decided to embark on a new project.  Some years ago, about eight I think, I tried blogging.  I wrote a grand total of three entries before I abandoned the idea – not very impressive.  Looking back, I think the issue was that I really didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to blog about.  This time, I’m entering into the arena with clearer intentions.

Over the years I’ve found that one of the things that brings me the most peace is walking in nature.  Long walks, hikes, short strolls, a wander to the backyard pond, they all give me the balance I so often find I’m in need of in this crazy life!  Blogging about venturing out into the natural world will give me motivation, and maybe help me to hold onto those peaceful feelings a bit longer, as well as the opportunity to share these experiences with you.

So far this year the outside temperatures have been quite bitter, so my ambling has been on the sparse side.  But I did take a short walk yesterday in a nearby state park.  The sun was nearing the western horizon and the sky was streaked with shades of brilliant pink, offset by deepening blues.  I’m blessed to have the opportunity of caring for raptors (birds of prey) at this park each week.  These birds are permanently disabled and will live out their lives at the park.  I care for them as a volunteer, which I’ve been doing for nearly 14 years.  I think you could confidently say that I love what I do!  Walking in the woods with a hawk or owl sitting on my arm is a privilege that I cherish every week.  Yesterday the owl, a Barred Owl, accompanied me on that short stroll.  Although we weren’t out long, we were treated to the energetic antics and high-pitched calls of a flock of Cedar Waxwings, as well as that beautiful sunset!  Sometimes it only takes a few moments to find wonder and peace in the out-of-doors!

My goal is to post weekly entries, at the least.  I know it will be more difficult during bitter cold winter days, but I’ll give it my best!  Writing about the wonders that are ours to find in nature is something I am so looking forward to.  There are an impressive variety of parks and other green spaces around the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota, and I hope to explore a good many of them.  Along with my husband, I also travel fairly regularly to the western US, and we walk a good deal when we travel as well.

So…welcome to my blog!  I hope to make this reading experience one that will inspire you to explore nature and become a “forest wanderer” …no matter where you live!