River Road Mystery Machine

This week I finally brought up the rest of that mystery machine that had been resting on a path near where Bassett Creek empties out into the Mississippi River.  What is this thing.?

Mill Ruins Park Before and After

This spot at Mill Ruins Park is clean!  No idea what happened.  Did Park and Rec get over here in the last week?  Or, perhaps this is just the result of Mother Nature and last Sunday's rain that washed this area clean.  If that's the case then this litter is a little further down river perhaps in a more convenient place to be picked up.

Brown's Creek Trail

View of the creek from the trail

I was out in Stillwater for Mother's Day weekend and had the chance to walk the new Brown's Creek Trail.  It starts at the old train depot and follows the St. Croix River north for the first mile before crossing highway 95.  At that point the trail turns west and follows Brown's Creek.  It's really lovely out there. The trail is situated on an old railroad bed so it's level and easy to walk.

Trash heap off the trail

About a mile and half into the trail we noticed a heap of trash off to the side.  According to the DNR, their property runs about 100 feet wide starting at the middle of the path.  They are in the process of cleaning up the trash along the trail so I guess this heap is just waiting to be collected.  I bet they found some interesting stuff.

Trash on the hills

Everything else out there is private property.  There are homes up there on top of this ravine and years of trash that has been pitched down the hill.  It is weird to think that folks used to get rid of their unwanted items in this way.  Now it's an eyesore.  Is there a city ordinance prohibiting this?  I left a message with the city. Now that the trail is open I'm pretty sure others have noticed and complained.  Do they need help cleaning it up?  Could they get volunteers out there?  We just picked up trash along the flat sections of the trail and I'll have to be happy doing just that.

Fall Risk

I walked my usual mile long stretch of River Road yesterday afternoon.  I was surprised at how much new litter showed up on my walk.  Some of the old plastic bottles I found on my favorite beach looked like they had just washed up from the hail storm we had on Sunday.  It's great when some of that junk is washed out of inaccessible areas along the river so it can be retrieved. Let's have another good storm! The dozen or so liquor bottles, pill containers, and the Hennepin County Hospital patient bracelets I picked up are just a reminder that life is difficult for some.

Walk to Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

Wildflowers in Eloise Butler Garden

Our goal yesterday was to walk (mostly) to the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden from downtown Minneapolis.  By car on the freeway it is about 4.5 miles. We started on the free bus that got us through downtown to the Loring Park greenway.  Loring Park was beautiful and early morning dog walkers and joggers were out.  We crossed under highway 94 on Hennepin Avenue.  That underpass needs cleaning from stray cans and bottles and abandoned clothing and blankets that litter the area.

Cedar Lake Bike and Walking Path

It doesn't take long to get to the Cedar Lake bike path that parallels highway 394.  It is really a bike freeway that is used by bike commuters getting to work in downtown.  When you're traveling by bike you might not have a chance to notice just how much litter is down there.  The area behind Dunwoody College of Technology where 94 and 394 cross is particularly bad.  I wouldn't be caught walking through there after dark.

There's a lot of trash down there!

We crossed the pedestrian bridge over to Bryn Mawr Meadow Park and walked the trail that follows Bassett Creek.  

Past the railroad tracks and homes we came across the Fruen/ConAgra building.  An eyesore for most and a graffiti icon for others.  Site of accidents and death for adventurers trying to explore it.  There is talk of tearing it down and the possiblity of a micro brewery and restaurant replacing it. And finally we arrived at Theodore Wirth Park and a lovely walk through the woods to get to the Elosie Butler Wildflower Gardens.

               

                                          There are some interesting trees in the park.

               

               

 Some folks forgot to read the sign on the entrance to the garden.  So close to the trash can.  Couldn't be bothered?  This was the only trash I picked up today.

See you later, Eloise.  No, we didn't walk home.  We found a Car2Go and drove back!

Walk along Minnehaha Creek

Last Thursday we had beautiful weather and a fine walk along Minnehaha Creek starting from the Light Rail Station on 46th and walking as far as Nicollet Avenue.  Some of this stretch was new for us.  We usually walk from Nicollet to Lake Harriett and back.  I didn't even think about bringing a bag to collect trash along the way.  It has always seemed relatively trash free.  I probably could have picked up enough trash to fill up a small Target bag.  There was the occasional water bottle cast aside and a few candy wrappers. This part of the creek seems to be well maintained.  So I was surprised to see a tire out in the creek just west of the Highway 35 bridge.

If the Park and Rec folks don't take care of this I hope someone will be able to remove this tire on the official Minnehaha Creek clean up day on July 26th.  That is a chance for volunteers to get together and work along the creek as well as clean up the Lake Hiawatha and Lake Nokomis areas too.  Volunteers get treated to beer and barbecue after they work.  What a deal.  http://www.minnehahacreek.org/events/2015-minnehaha-creek-cleanup-july-26

Mill Ruins Park

Beautiful night for a walk.  I didn't expect to see much trash on this walk but I brought a bag anyway.  I knew that the folks from the Earth Day group had done some of this area.  Just down from some pretty pricey condos, the Guthrie Theater and the Mill City Museum, the Mill Ruins Park is a favorite spot for taking prom, wedding, and graduation photos.  There were prom kids down there tonight in beautiful dresses and tuxes against the backdrop of the Stonearch Bridge.  If you go just a few feet further down to the end of the park you would find this cesspool.  I don't know whose responsibility it is to clean up areas like this but I think one of those swimming pool hand skimmers on a pole would be useful here.