That was some walk with Tom today. A few hundred steps short of 20,000, with a final uphill ‘sprint’ to Glenora. Last half hour my feet were sore, mostly because I need new running shoes. Overcast and very, very humid but also caterpillar-free!! The fuck-you worms are gone and we have reclaimed the university river valley and Rossdale area!
Still Walt Jr!
We walked from his place in Glenora, down the hill into MacKinnon Ravine, went east down river road to the Kinsmen and then into Rossdale. Back the same way. It was definitely a marathon!
Whitemud Ravine. It was actually sunnier than the clouds would suggest.
It’s hard to believe I haven’t walked in Whitemud Ravine since the winter. I’m not even sure I walked there in the winter! I probably did. I can account for February and March (Scottsdale and then the injury) and April/early May (COVID-19 shutdown) but since mid-May, I’ve really had no excuse. In fact, my walking in the last month or so has really sucked. We’ve had lots of rain, and I’ve been busy at work (including working some weekends) but if walking is not a priority, it’s not going to happen. And it hasn’t been a priority, for some reason. When I have walked it’s been over to Tom’s or with Tom, in and around Glenora. Great walks, but not the woods.
Stella refuses to pose
It’s so clear that I feel most at home, most like myself, walking in the ravines and the river valley. There’s just something about the woods. I felt immediately better once Stella and I walked down into that ravine via Westbrook. It was also wonderful to be with her, and to be surrounded by green. Sharon and Vic are away on holidays to BC, so even though Kate walks her, she doesn’t take her into the woods. Stella loves it. Whenever I come over, she noses the door of my car. She knows.
Stella stops to smell the whatever
Whitemud Ravine is incredibly lush right now. We’ve had so much rain, everything is moist, overgrown and ridiculously green. This is also my first unpaved trail walk since the injury. Crazy that I haven’t done this yet, but I was worried about tripping on a tree root and hyper-extending my leg again. It was totally fine. I didn’t feel any strain. Stella goes up hills very slowly now, but that’s OK.
Hello slough!Slough too!
One thing that was different was the little construction project about half way through is now completed. Last year, they took out the rickety boardwalk bridge and the very rickety wooden stairs. Somehow, in a feat of wizardry, they put in a bridge that doesn’t seem to have an incline, but still ends up at the top of the hill, next to the little lookout that is always full of seed for birds, squirrels and chipmunks.
New bridge!
Stella and I made it to Rainbow Valley Road and back. It took a little more than an hour, but surprisingly, it only adds up to 7,600 steps. The good thing is that it’s up and down, so a good, occasionally strenuous walk. Stella really, really wanted to go into the creek, but it’s too high and fast right now. Maybe in a couple of weeks. I sprayed her with the hose when we got back.
Next best thing to jumping in the creek…
The walk was really rejuvenating. I’m having a hard time taking care of myself these days. Lots of anxiety, stress, poor sleeping. The ironic thing is that if I was walking more, I probably wouldn’t be experiencing those things, or at least not to the same degree. Not only does walking decrease stress and anxiety, it can also prevent it. At least in my experience. The world is kind of a dumpster fire at the moment, so the least I can I do is take myself for a daily walk. It worked for 20+ years. No reason why it couldn’t work again.
These beautiful photos were taken early in the morning on Friday, July 10 after a very stormy night. Whitemud Creek Ravine looks absolutely magical. Thanks bro-in-law!
Gorgeous walk early yesterday morning (June 20). One of Tom’s marathon walks (2 1/2 hours/16,000+ steps) starting in Glenora. Even at 8 in the morning it was hot. We managed to find some shade along the way.
And man, the poplar trees are popl’in seed all over the place.
A poplar tree bursting with seedThe source of the spring ‘snow’
My sisters used to say I took them on ‘killer walks’ but I have to say, Tom has really taken it to a whole new murderous level. He does these walks every day, even on a -25C winter day. I have a lot of stamina, but when you’re outside for almost three hours, if the heat doesn’t get you, your feet will. Or my feet will. I think I need new running shoes.
Tom, the walkiest of all walkers
On a sad note, the Glenora fountain in Alexander Circle and all the other City of Edmonton fountains are not running this summer. I assume this is the result of a destroyed economy thanks to the UCP/Kenney cuts and Covid shutdowns. I know there are other more pressing priorities, but I truly believe that natural beauty (if you can include fountains as ‘natural’) help keep the blood pressure down. Every time I go by an waterless fountain, I am reminded that the city is struggling. I mean, when has it ever shut off the fountains?
[Addendum: I’ve uploaded better photos from a June 29 walk.]
Very often, after my work day is over, I walk over to Glenora to ‘pick up’ Tom and then we walk back to my place. It’s a relatively short walk, about 25 minutes, but I can make it longer by walking via Mackinnon Ravine, or finding different ways to get to where I’m going.
Front entrance
Today, I wandered around the old provincial museum grounds, which I haven’t been to in many years, and I’m not sure I ever walked around the perimeter, at least not unless I had aged relatives with me.
First Nations hieroglyphs
It’s such a beautiful piece of land, right above the river valley. I really like the new museum downtown but this location is unbeatable, and full of childhood memories. It’s possible the old museum will be torn down, and the grounds will no longer be accessible to the public. Who knows?
Not sure if this fountain is dry because the museum is closed, or for budgetary reasonsBeautiful and weird
Walk while you can, and if you have a moment, sign the petition to save this beautiful piece of Edmonton’s history.
This wall sculpture is pretty weird tho’Animal wall sculpture on the east wallThe trail behind the museum, soon to be explored!
From the petition site, a little more about the museum (by June Acorn):
Built in 1965, the Alberta Provincial Museum Building on 102 Avenue and 129th Street in Edmonton stands as a true gem of modernist yet historic Alberta architecture. This beautiful structure is adorned by fossil-rich Tyndall Limestone from the Red River Formation, extensive marble interiors and exquisite brass fittings. The South face of the build has reproductions of the First Nations hieroglyphs of Writing-On-Stone Provincial park carved into the walls. The building is a cherished place for generations of Albertans and the site of many wonderful memories of learning and discovery. The grounds of the building are already a beautiful green space and the new building stands in elegant relation to the also historic Government House.
Good god I’ve done it again! I am writing this post about some peak spring walks on June 29, more than a month after the fact. I have got to stop doing this! Thankfully, I can back date it to the actual date of the walk.
This post combines two walks, May 24 and May 28. One was in Glenora with Tom, the other was a walk around the neighbourhood.
Thursday, May 28 (a lunch time walk): I’m not particularly girly-girl, but I do loves me some pink! Also yellow and green and purple. With bonus poplar fuzz!
Not sure if “pink paroxysm” is correct usage in this context but I am a fan of both alliteration and hyperbole so screw it.And of course, lilacs!A poplar-fuzzed dandelion
May 24: Wow, what a beautiful day! Glenora ➡️ Laurier Heights. Two hours, thirty-four minutes, and 16,954 steps with Tom. It was hot! 17C to start, 22C to end. Sadly, the Glenora fountain (in Alexander Circle) is not on, probably due to the massive City of Edmonton debt, like every other municipality in Canada.
A field of dandelions, just past the MacKinnon BridgeView of the river from the top of GlenoraSidewalk art, one of the many weird and beautiful things to come out of the covid lockdownlol
