Memories

I have so many memories of time spent along Nine Mile Creek – where to start? Maybe during the pandemic, where I felt safe along the trail from Moir Park through Central Park to Nine Mile Lake. Fellow walkers were courteous, passing at a distance. Or the dozens of walks over many years with my border collie on that same trail. We both loved walking the upper trail in the winter or veering off into side trails where she could sniff so many good smells. Especially deer tracks! Because there are no bicycles, we could be fully engaged in the moment - I never had to worry we would be surprised and nearly run down like we have been on the trails at Hyland Lake Park Reserve. One winter day, we were on the upper trail and saw a coyote walking boldly along the lower, paved trail. And then there are the times the causeway was dry and we could walk to the River, then along the River Bottoms trail. Of course, I have many happy memories biking on Nine Mile Regional Trail from my home in Richfield to Adams Park, then through Fred Richards Park and on to Hopkins and beyond, as well as a few times hiking and biking the River Bottoms trail starting at the Lyndale lot. A few weeks ago I took the River Bottoms trail from Lyndale west – and straight into the flooded Nine Mile Creek east extension. That arm rarely has water, but in the spring, it swells and runs right over the trail, headed for New Orleans as fast as it can.

The park systems in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro are amazing – each park is unique and offers different amenities. Some have paved trails, some have dirt trails. Some allow bikes on the trails, some do not. Some have pickleball courts, some have band shells. And one has spring ephemerals (stunk cabbage, trillium, ginger, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, wild geranium) and a myriad of migrating birds (18 different species one day) – this spring especially, with the wide, shallow Nine Mile Creek flood plain filled and overflowing. The Nine Mile Creek channel and trail through Moir Park, Central Park, Wildwood Park and to the River Bottoms is a treasure that must be restored and maintained to continue to be as wild as possible. More memories please!