Hike Minnesota

Minnesota, hiking mostly.

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Minneapolis by Will Wright

[hclib]

NOW ON VIEW IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS My Mighty Journey, A Waterfall’s Journey

In May, renowned printer and wood engraver Gaylord Schanilec stopped by the Special Collections department to deliver our copy of his latest project, My Mighty Journey, an impressive fine press book done in collaboration with author John Coy, designer Paul Nylander, and book binder Barb Eijadi, of which only 40 copies were produced. Gaylord gave us a tour of the book describing the concept, process, and work that went into creating this impressive work of art over the last four years. My Mighty Journey and other artists’ books by Gaylord Schanilec, are now on view in Special Collections. My Mighty Journey is open for reading and browsing.

Owamniyomni, the Falls of St. Anthony, is the only major waterfall on the Mississippi River. Over the past twelve thousand years, it has eroded fifteen miles to its present location in downtown Minneapolis. My Mighty Journey is the story of this migration, written from the perspective of the waterfall. The narrative considers the people who lived nearby, the ways they lived, and how the area around the waterfall changed drastically in the past two centuries.

Coy’s poetic narrative complements Schanilec’s stunning visual images, which feature material collected along the riverbank—wood, stones, fish, and plants—to show the progression of the waterfall as it moved fifteen miles upriver from present-day St. Paul to its current location in Minneapolis.

My Mighty Journey was purchased for the Hennepin County Library with funds generously donated by Chris Du Bois. A trade version of this book will be available in October. Join us for an author talk and book signing on Saturday, November 2, 2-3 p.m.

Learn more about the four-year development and creation of My Mighty Journey @mymightyjourney

[hikeminnesota]

Riverwalk | Des Moines, IA | 6/23/2019

A friend and I met in Des Moines for a concert, and the night of the concert it poured. Luckily, our hotel was within walking distance of the venue, because everything was flooded--including the first floor of our hotel (even though it was up on a hill).

The next morning, we did the riverwalk together. It was a casual walk with lots of talking and exploring and trying to figure out what that sign meant... Got in about 2 miles.

Hike 19/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Easter Lake Park | Des Moines, IA | 6/22/2019

A friend and I met in Des Moines for a concert, and we decided to take a hike beforehand. The first park we went to was closed due to construction. The second park was open but the trail we wanted to walk on was closed due to flooding. The third park, Easter Lake Park, was open! Success! We got in about 2.5 miles.

Hike 18/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Interstate State Park | Taylors Falls, MN | 6/16/2019

On Father’s Day, we took my stepdad on a hike at Interstate State Park--the Minnesota side. We did the Hiking Club loop, which was about three miles. It was a great hike, although it was unsurprisingly crowded. A Sunday, Father’s Day, and beautiful weather made for a busy day.

Hike 17/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Pig’s Eye Regional Park | Saint Paul, MN | 6/9/2019

Pig’s Eye Regional Park is the largest and most unknown park in Saint Paul, according to the Pioneer Press, and that feels about right. I headed there with my husband and some friends on 6/9. It was wet and rainy and it was eerie to be there.

The park is next to the rail yards, so you hear trains, but not the normal chugga chugga sound. It’s all screeching and squealing. It felt very dystopian, and I half expected one of us to just fall through a hole in the ground.

On top of that, the site is a former dump and Superfund site, one of the worst in the state. Hiking over a dump was a new experience...

We were on a time limit and only there for a mile or so, but we’ll definitely check it out again. We were all also covered in ticks. I stopped counting at 25, and found a few in my car the next day. Hike 16/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Wild River State Park | Center City, MN | 5/25/2019

We tried going on the Hiking Club hike at Wild River State Park, but it was flooded, so it was a big fail. Did manage just over a mile and a half, but had a birthday party to go to, so couldn’t go to any less flooded sections of the park.

Hike 15/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Cottage Grove Ravine Park | Cottage Grove, MN | 5/20/2019

We headed out to Cottage Grove Regional Park for a hike of just over 3 miles. It was a nice hike, except for the nonstop shooting practice that was going on somewhere. 

We found goats eating weeds. These goats were much quieter than the ones my parents have.

Hike 14/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Tamarack Nature Center | White Bear Township, MN | 5/13/2019

On a Monday night, we went up to Tamarack Nature Center again for a short, 2 mile hike. Some of the paths were flooded, or “seasonally wet,” as seen in the last photo.

Hike 13/52.

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

When people ask you what the weather is like in Minnesota just show them this

[hikeminnesota]

Wildcat Springs | Hamilton, IL | 5/11/2019

A friend and I took a short hike around Wildcat Springs. We hung out in a tiny stream that meets up with the Mississippi, looking for geodes. I’ve bought geodes before, but finding them was a new adventure. This was a slow hike, mostly bent over, looking at the water.

Hike 12/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Tamarack Nature Center | White Bear Township, MN | 4/21/2019

Took a hike around Tamarack Nature Center--lots of deer and some huge wild turkeys. It was a lovely day, and a great hike.

Hike 11/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Villa Park and McCarrons Lake | Roseville, MN | 4/14/2019

Only in Minnesota do you get to go on a spring walk and find a seagull by a no-lifeguard stand with snow on the ground... That sums up this spring.

This ended up being a little over 3 miles, a nice, easy city hike.

Hike 10/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Distillery District | Toronto, ON | 4/6/2019

In early April I had a conference in Toronto. One evening, my husband and I went on a Ghosts and Spirits of the Distillery tour. We heard ghost stories, of course, but we also saw the original shoreline of Lake Ontario, and learned about the Clown Riot of 1855.

I’m counting this as an urban hike.

Hike 9/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Wild River State Park | Center City, MN | 3/23/2019

My husband and I took my niece and nephew maple sugaring at Wild River State Park. It had recently snowed, so there was a bit of warmth in the air. The kids had a blast, and they later ended up tapping a bunch of trees in their backyard. Hike 8/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Wild River State Park | Center City, MN | 2/9/2019

Went on a candlelit snowshow/hike at Wild River State Park. It was a nice hike, hard to get photos of though. The big dipper was pointing straight up and down in the sky. They had a big bonfire, too. Hike 7/52.

[hikeminnesota]

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park | Nerstrand, MN | 2/3/2019

It was about 36 and we had been stir crazy, so we went for a hike at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. The snow was super sloppy and it was hard to hike it, but it was cool to get out of the house. Hike 6/52.