A Quiet Trail

Walk Location: Minneopa State Park
Time of Walk: Morning
Temperature: 52 degrees
Skies: clear becoming sunny
Steps: 7,000

A good walk to me usually means at least one thing: an opportunity for quiet reflection unmarred by other human intrusion. It's one thing if I am personally intruded into nature, but I don't much like my experience intruded upon, so whenever I have a walk without seeing another human person I leave feeling refreshed. So much of my life is spent with humans and lived with humans that I treasure moments of quiet solitude.

This morning I began my walk a little later than usual (7 AM) although it seemed early because the sun was just breaking over the horizon (given the time of year that it is). Minneopa State Park consists of two separate locations. The first location is the one with the visitor center and the waterfalls. The other "side" is the campground, which is a mile or so away, separated by geography and highways. It was to the campground side I went this morning, parking my car in a parking area and then proceeding to the east, where I descended from the heights to the river bottoms. The bottoms is lush with greenery and shaded by the canopied hardwoods towering above. There are times when parts of this area are submerged beneath waters that flood the river, but this time of year it is barely a trickle of water and a profusion of ferns and other green bushes swaying in the slight winds that make their way to the bottom.

The advantage of an early morning autumn walk as contrasted with, say summer, is that there are no bothersome insects. In the midst of summer it is a cool respite, but protecting oneself against the marauding mosquitoes and flies is often not worth the effort. The only wildlife I saw this morning were deer careening across the non-existent stream and several rabbits bounding beneath the greenery.

After ascending the heights again I continued onward to the west, walking the area that rises above the Minnesota River. Glimpsing the steam in the early morning air and watching the sun begin its glowing orbit are calming opportunities. There is a bench for resting that overlooks the river below.

Gizmo and I ended our walk by continuing through the forested trail, emerging at the gravel road which transverses the campground side of the Park. By the time we returned to our car we had walked in sunlight for more than fifteen minutes, so we were warmed by its radiance.

A nice morning on a quiet trail.