Calgary Parklands: Calgary Greenway, Monterey Park

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The sun shone on us with autumnal warmth, even while the calendar said winter. The Calgary Greenwaystretches 138 kilometres around the city. We gathered at 16 Avenue and 68 Street NE to explore on foot a section that is usually ignored when we speed by in our cars.

As we rounded a curve from 16 Avenue, we began to parallel Stoney Trail, albeit from a good distance. Neighbourhoods full of two-storey houses bordered the other side of the path, and it seemed that each neighbourhood had its own path onto the Greenway. Indeed, more than on any other walk, we encountered people striding and strolling for their daily exercise. We all waved and “helloed”. One couple stopped to talk to me. They wanted to know where we were from, possibly thinking we were a tour group. I explained, and they were pleased that we had chosen to walk on their pathway this week. After we reached 68 Avenue and turned back, we saw most of the walkers again, in a grand group appreciation of the fresh air.

Naturally, the grasses and flowers had all died down into a low-level golden glow. Small stands of aspen bare of leaves punctuated the prairie landscape. Scottish thistles had lost their royal colour. Silver Dollars twinkled their pale seed pods as light breezes rustled the dried plants. In tiny frozen sloughs, bulrushes waved their subdued brown heads. Against the sun, the down on the exploded seed heads shone like white Christmas lights. On the largest slough, covered minimally with ice, sat a man with headphones in a lawn chair facing away from the walkers, obviously enjoying some solitude.

We had our lawn chairs, too. We set them out on the parking lot, suitably distanced, and chatted while enjoying lunch in the sunshine.

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Photos

Bulrushes edge the slough
My favourite plant in the marshes

Man on slough
Getting away from it all!

Calgary Greenway, Monterey Park
The prairie side of the city

Aspen stand
Vertical enhancement in the landscape

Flowers in seed
Almost as good as summer blooms

Frozen slough
Swirling patterns

Exploded bulrushes
Bright against the light

Northeast wetland pathway
A short loop - frozen in December

Neighbourhood pathway
Encouraging walks for exercise and pleasure

Comments

[Isabel Gibson]

Flowers in seed
That's my favourite photo in this post. Not sure why. I also like the expanse of grasses and the openness of the landscape. Your experience with encountering walkers is similar to mine in Phoenix and Ottawa - I seem to see more folks on trails adjacent to neighbourhoods than in designated parks. Not sure that's a fact, but it's my impression.

[beentouring]

Flowers in Seed
Thanks, that is my favourite photo, also. Something cheery about it.