The Winter Hike

When people can't think of anything else to talk about, they always talk about the weather. That really isn't the case here... it just so happens that everything in Minnesota in winter does involve the winter in some way.

But it didn't feel much like winter during the first event at the Landing. With temps hitting the lower 30s and the sun melting a bit of snow, Saturday seemed like a perfect Winter Hike day.

Before the day started, the interpreters got to hike the River Trail winding along the Minnesota River. We wore our costumes, but also our snowboots, of course. (FYI...We ditched the snowboots before visitors showed up... that's a big no-no around here. Even in Minnesota, women didn't wear snowboots indoors under their dresses in the 1800s.)

Coming from a family of loggers, I pay particular attention to trees... what type they are, leaf arrangement, and probably some wierd fact about it. On this trail, the Cottonwood trees are the largest I've ever seen--so big that I took pictures to take home and show my father and grandfather. I thought they might be part of the virgin stand of Minnesota forest, but instead I learned they are "only" 200 years old... still, not too shabby. Several are decaying now... this one has a hole big enough to stand in... that's me, Deanna, and Ellen with the frozen Minnesota behind us.
Forecasters are now teasing us that temperatures just might hit 40 next weekend. Hard to believe it... today, Thursday, it's 13 with horizontal snow at times! It's been a long time since 40.... but if you look close enough, there are signs that spring is just around the corner. Hallelujah!