Greetings: Last week I've been out skating several times. I've been using a trail that I predict will soon become the most popular recreational trail in the Twin Cites for skaters, Minnehaha Parkway between Minnehaha Falls and Lake Harriet. Following the Creek through tree shade glades awash with blooming daffodils, the trail is a far cry from its past incarnation of narrow, hard to follow, bumpy paths. While the trail is not completed, most sections are done and the one major spot without asphalt has a reasonable off road detour. What follows in my report are instructions on where to access the trail, cautions about the unfinished sections and editorial comment on this great new link in an emerging off-road recreational nirvana for inline skaters.
To skate from west to east. Park at Burroughs School or Lynhurst Field on West 50th Street and West Minnehaha Parkway. Two blocks south of Lake Harriet's 48th Street Beach. The trail follows the creek on the north side. Reverse the description below. To skate from east to west. Park at Minnehaha Park or Lock and Dam # 1 (free until Memorial Day $1.00 after that.) One block south of Minnehaha Avenue and 46th Street. The trail leaves Minnehaha Park at the new traffic circle at Minnehaha Avenue and Godfrey Parkway. Follow the land bridge over Hiawatha and the Light Rail Corridor. Once over the bridge take the first right onto a 20 foot wide swath of fresh trail. This trail follows Minnehaha Creek on a 1.4 mile stretch. At 28th Avenue South you will need to detour around the final major area of construction on this trail at Lakes Hiawatha and Nokomis. The detour is a pleasant sidewalk with a slight down hill. At 28th turn left and cross the bridge. Turn right and follow the street to the left. Turn right on the sidewalk at East Minnehaha Parkway and continue to Cedar. The Trail resumes on the west side of Cedar. From Cedar Avenue to West 50th Street/Humboldt Avenue S. (two blocks from Lake Harriet) there are five short sections of trail that are unfinished. Most of these can be skated by intermediate skaters. The sections to watch for are: 1) At Cedar Avenue, a 60 foot section of dirt on the west side of the intersection. (walkable or skateable) 2) At Bloomington Avenue, a 60 foot section of dirt on the west side of the intersection. (walkable or skateable) 3) At Elliot Avenue, a 200 foot section of dirt. (walkable or skateable) 4) At Chicago Avenue, a 200 foot section of dirt on the west side of the intersection. (This section is extra treacherous if you are approaching from the west as it starts at the bottom of a short hill.) (Take the road or the sidewalk on the north side of the street) 5) Just west of Portland, a 100 foot section of dirt. (Take the road or the sidewalk on the south side of the street) This trail is a great recreational trail for advance beginners and above. There are rolling hills with adequate runouts and one large hill on either side of Lyndale with a long, clear runout in either direction. This path is almost unused right now. I've skated it four times in the past week and seen only one other skater and about a dozen bike riders. Try it out now before it becomes popular. When this trail is completed it will add another link to a wonderful network of recreational skating trails that allow a skater to travel off road from downtown Minneapolis to downtown Hopkins, Lake Street, the Lakes, the Falls, the River and south to Fort Snelling. I can now skate almost car free for over 50 miles without retracing my path. -- In cooperation, Erik Riese Seward: a great place to live, work, learn, and play! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
