What every trail in the city looks like right now. Not complaining. Just stating.

Taken on one of the trails below the university today.

1:30ish/21C!

The season of muted colours continues in the river valley. The cloudless blue sky, happily, is the exception to the rule. It’s an early spring, by which I mean we’ve already lost most of the snow and the trees and bushes are in active bud. And yet, from a distance, they still look so soft, like a smudge of light brown against the blue of the sky.

A beautiful, warm walk from the University to Rossdale. I looped south around the neighbourhood to see the point at which the trail is cut off by construction on the new Walterdale bridge. The fence starts where Rossdale begins. They aren’t playing around. I’m disappointed the city put the tiny footbridge by the fire station behind the fence. The construction site starts quite a bit further west, so why not give us that sweet little landmark? Ah well.

I continued over to Louise McKinney Park, and then up the stairs to the Convention Centre. Could have worn shorts and a tank today. Make that should have.

2:30/19C

An hour walk in Whitemud Creek Ravine north, starting at the staircase by the river and ending at Snow Valley (and then back again). Everything was quiet. The colours were quiet, the birds were mostly quiet. Few people. Lots and lots of tree stumps.

1:45 to 3:00/9C

Back in spectacular and currently monotone Mill Creek Ravine. Gorgeous in any season, even the Brown. And like Whitemud, mostly ice-free but muddier. I walked from downtown south to the trestle bridge (on the paved path for a change), and then back to downtown via the upper trail. More than two hours, and by the time it was over, I was tired and thirsty so I splurged on an Orange Julius.

The colours in Mill Creek are particularly muted, so photographs don’t really do it justice, nor is there any way to capture the warm, piney smells, which always remind me of Jasper.

All the trails were open in spite of some flooding a few weeks ago. Lots of dogs and their people out enjoying the summer temperatures. I really needed Mill Creek today. I knew I would feel better after a walk in my ‘own’ woods, and I was right.

Followed by butterflies on the way home (an orange one and a brown one). Even spotted some early Glovewood trees, always a hopeful sign of spring. However, no love-sick frog songs at the frog bog.

11:55 to 2:25/18C

Fairly routine walk in Whitemud Creek Ravine this afternoon. It’s mild, and most – but not all of the ice has disappeared along the trails. Where it hasn’t melted, it’s sticky enough for running shoes. So, goodbye hiking boots for another year. Unless it snows. Which it will.

Up the west hill of the powerline a young guy was taking a whiz against a tree. He actually said hello! I couldn’t reply. First of all, I was appalled at such a public choice of pissoires, and second, why would I exchange a friendly greeting with an idiot who obviously has his hands on his dick? As I walked away, I was disgusted and more than a little disturbed. I made sure he wasn’t following as headed deeper into the woods.

Discovered a lovely little monkey trail beside the boardwalk, and a couple of ducks who I would not have seen if not for my new hidey hole. It will be obscured once the trees foliate, but it was nice to be totally alone for a few minutes. Me, and the ducks. It’s definitely an introvert day.

2:00 to 4:00/12C

One man-made (Red Winged Blackbird pond), the other – Hodgson Wetlands, naturally occuring. Both of them are small, but they are urban and close-by…just west of Whitemud Creek Ravine. I went by the (self-named) RWB pond a couple of weeks ago, and it was still frozen over. Today, it’s mostly open and the mallards and geese have returned. Also, the muskrats, although I don’t think they ever left, just hibernated. No red-winged blackbirds yet. It was kinda windy, and periodically overcast, but still nice. A good day for a walk. A Good Friday walk.

The snow, or as I like to call it in April, opaque rain, has now melted. The landscape has returned to its natural brown colour, although tiny bits of green are popping up here and there. After walking around the first pond, Sharon introduced me to the second – Hodgson Wetlands, which was unknown to me. It’s tucked into the neighbourhood south of the first pond and is oddly situated, but entirely lovely. Rows of McMansions, and then a cat-tailed choked wetland, with a walkway and an observation deck. I will have to come back when it’s greener.

2:30 to 3:30/7C