To some this looks like a cold icy land, far from the warm buildings that hold the comfort of TVs, computers, and a thermostat to turn up. A land that may look foreign and unnecessary to spend time with. But to others it could be a tragic romantic view where the city is over coming the nature of the woods and populating the unpopulated. Others may old a more neutral view. This is a place were for a second they can spend in the wild around them and the next spend shopping downtown. As I've mentioned before I am a big time runner. But besides being a running fanatic I am also a ski bunny and lucky for me one of the greatest places to cross country ski in Minneapolis is right down the street from my home at Theodore Wirth Park. I'm a romantic as well. I fantasy, I dream, I wonder, I journal, I create but most of all I'm emotional and am easily moved by the things around me.
I've been skiing the trails at Wirth for a couple years now but during my freshman year at Washburn I joined the ski team (actually we created it, there was no one to begin it) and fell in love with winter. Ever sense then I haven't gotten tired of winter, even when there's snowstorms in April. The winter literally transforms Wirth's golf courses into a winter wonderland. The blanket of snow that covers the trees and hills make me feel as if your up north trudging your way, up and down, along Lake Superior or casually moving along the flat fields in Iowa at Grandma's farm. It places you into a different world. The nature is surrounding you around every turn where it's quiet and peaceful with only the swiftness of the skis under your boots. It’s only until you come out of the woods and see the lights of the skyline, you realize you’re still in Minneapolis.
I've been skiing the trails at Wirth for a couple years now but during my freshman year at Washburn I joined the ski team (actually we created it, there was no one to begin it) and fell in love with winter. Ever sense then I haven't gotten tired of winter, even when there's snowstorms in April. The winter literally transforms Wirth's golf courses into a winter wonderland. The blanket of snow that covers the trees and hills make me feel as if your up north trudging your way, up and down, along Lake Superior or casually moving along the flat fields in Iowa at Grandma's farm. It places you into a different world. The nature is surrounding you around every turn where it's quiet and peaceful with only the swiftness of the skis under your boots. It’s only until you come out of the woods and see the lights of the skyline, you realize you’re still in Minneapolis.
Minnesota, the land of ten thousand lakes, used to be filled with fresh, unpolluted waters and bounteous amounts of wood lands and prairies. Now is filled with industrial land, smog, houses, light rail, construction, roads, cars, ect. People in the city tend to fall away from the outdoors and nature. They are too busy with their work and lives. Is it really that difficult trek on down to Wirth, Minnehaha, the river, or the lakes and take time to enjoy that scenery? I love the city life but I need the best of both worlds to get me by. Sense we have the opportunity to go outside in the beautiful land of Minneapolis, we might as well take it. Regardless not all the Minnesotans can be like the natives or Paul Bunyans of the past.
Thank you for that beautiful photo! I was absolutely dreading the snow, the ice, the cold. Basically, I was dreading living in Minnesota. That all changed when I saw a scene a lot like the photo you posted. Noticing the beauty of winter, even in an urban setting, makes facing the upcoming chilly months a little more bearable. I think it's great that a normally icky and frightful season can be mitigated by such a awe-inspiring and romantic scene.
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