BACK ON THE TRAIL

Today I decided to unofficially, single-handedly reopen the Central Lakes Trail, reclaiming it from the winter snowmobilers and re-establishing eminent domain for the walkers, joggers, bikers, and stroller-pushers. It got up to 41 degrees today, the wind was out of the southwest, and I felt like walking four miles.

I laced up my Nikes, put on my windbreaker, broke out the sunglasses, and gloried in the freedom of taking a walk at 1 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon, just because I could.

The trail was almost completely free of snow, except for the shady spots. I saw three other people out on the trail: one hardy runner wearing shorts and a t-shirt and one young dad pushing his stocking-capped, blanketed little boy in a jogging stroller.

Still Some Snow in the Shady Spots

The ice is still on the lakes, but it looks porous and mushy. I wouldn’t advise driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck out on the ice these days, even if you hear that the crappies are biting. You might want to wait until the ice goes out completely and then take a boat.

Ice Receding on Lake Geneva (View from the Trestle Bridge)

I’ve got my fingers crossed that winter is over. We don’t need any more snow. The 8,000 or so inches that have accumulated in Minnesota since last fall are enough to prevent any threat of drought. It just feels good to have a little of that thin April sunshine soak into our bones.