Hike #3: Fort Snelling State Park

I hate living in the city, but it has its perks. One of those perks is the Twin Cities Pack Walk. TCPW, to quote the website I just linked you to, is " a community of dog-lovers working together to support and encourage safe dog socialization through structured weekly pack walks." The group was founded by members of A Rotta Love Plus, and a lot of the members have reactive or recovering reactive dogs - which means if your dog has special needs, they're not going to judge you poorly for it. Dog who need space from people or other dogs are just dog who need space; they're not bad dogs. Those of you who have reactive dogs know how refreshing it is to be among people who don't think you're crazy for loving the crazy dog.

Airing out the ears at the top of the trail.

Maus isn't particularly fond of pack walks - too many dogs and people for his taste - but he puts up with them because he loves me. And also because cookies. I'll admit I don't go every week, but it's a nice way to socialize with other dog people and explore a new trail.

And what a trail it is! In spite of being at least partially flooded, Fort Snelling is still a lovely park. If I have to live in a city, at least I live in one that's invested in nature. The morning was overcast, and that somehow makes all the greens and browns stand out even brighter. The park sits at the convergence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, and for a park nestled in between two major cities, it's awfully easy to pretend your in the middle of nowhere. That's pretty much my definition of a good park.

Flooded.

We haven't been on a pack walk for a while, and I think that's at least partially to blame for Maus's good mood for this hike. Usually, Maus endures pack walks, but this morning, he actually seemed to enjoyed hanging out with the group. Although maybe he was just glad he didn't accidentally fall off a cliff.

Hanging with our friend, Hazel.
Photo by Paige.