We have been intentionally quiet for the last couple of weeks - doing a lot of listening, reflecting, learning.
The last 2 weeks in the Twin Cities have been emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. When George Floyd’s Memorial Day murder at the hands of Minneapolis Police was documented in a gut-wrenching video, it was trauma unto an already-traumatized community. Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Jamal Clark, Philandro Castile, Breonna Taylor and so many others have come before. Protests and outrage would soon follow, but little did we know that this outrage would make its way around the world. The pandemic has disproportionately affected the black community, Ahmaud Arbery’s killing had just come to light and his killers were finally arrested after 2 months of police protection thanks to a viral video, another video of a white woman weaponizing her privilege against a black birdwatcher in Central Park who asked her to leash her dog caught the attention of the country-- and with the collective weight of 400 years of oppression and system racism, is this country FINALLY ready to have this hard conversation and work towards change? It’s not going to be easy, but I’m more optimistic than ever that this time it will be different, and that the door is cracked open for change. For all the trauma, fear, anger, and sadness I’ve felt in the past few days, I remind myself that my privilege means these feelings are pretty rate for me, but for my black and brown friends, colleagues and neighbors, THIS IS THEIR LIFE. It’s up to me to education and learn, to listen and empathize, and take action to make changes towards a more equitable culture and world. I'm committing to that.
In the midst of the heartache of the #GeorgeFloyd murder and the subsequent destruction and burning of some of the most vibrant and diverse areas in the Twin Cities, Lake Street and University Avenue and the nightly neighborhood watches organize to protect our communities from White Supremacists, while Blackhawk helicopters and the National Guard caravans are seen on my dog-walking routes--- it seems selfish and indulgent to go take a hike. Yes, we have guilt---but I was reminded that in times of trauma and crisis, like if your plane is falling out of the sky, you are supposed to put the oxygen mask on yourself first. Take care of yourself, so you can take care of others. So, we hiked last weekend.
Afton State Park is only 20 miles from our house in St. Paul. Adjacent to Afton Alps Golf and Ski Area. The state park is a popular park for its 20 miles of hiking trails, the beach along the St. Croix River, picnic grounds, and camping.
Opening to the public in 1982, Afton is a fairly new park. The land was purchased in 1967 and although some of the areas had been farmed, the steep slopes and ravines kept it from being previously developed. Local residents fought against the park, fearing the onslaught of visitors, so the development of the land into a state park took a number of years.
Full map can be found here.
We were not surprised to find the parking lot very full and the picnic areas chock full of people enjoying the beautiful day. I was happy to run into a colleague of mine, as working from home makes impromptu connections with work colleagues extremely rare these days. We weren’t the only ones needing a mental and physical health break from the stress of the cities and the weight of the week’s events.
We took the North River Trail that follows the St. Croix River as far north as we could. We then headed over to the Prairie Loop Trail, which tied into the Trout Brook Loop. The 1.5 mile Trout Brook Loop has a couple of serious hills. The map describes this loop: Be ready for a workout as you follow Trout Brook through a secluded ravine and then head up over a bluff top. Your effort will be rewarded with solitude and scenery as you hike.
There were a few remnants of the farm life from days gone by. Nice interruptions on the hike.
Someday we're going to look back on this spring and summer of 2020. A pandemic and great economic chaos, followed by #GeorgeFloyd protests that spread around the work and changed life as we know it. As a family, it was a rare opportunity to hike and spend time together nearly every weekend by exploring someplace new. We enjoyed the bucolic places and scenery in the region, while we had conversations and debate about how to solve the country's vast problems. The much-needed mental and health breaks we took allowed us to re-energize, connect with one another, connect with nature, and remember that change starts with each of us.
Comments