Down the ACR Trail

Gee, spring a person from the office and she actually gets out and walks now and then...

Today I took a stroll on the ACR Trail, which is down the hill from the hospital and loosely follows the old CP Rail right-of-way. The trail is probably best known as a short-cut used by RDC students on their way to and from school, but if you're out there during classes when the college traffic slows down it makes a decent short walk (barely 2 km, but keep in mind that it's not a loop). It's not the quietest trail in Red Deer since it does parallel Taylor Drive, but judging from the activity that was going on this morning the birds don't mind the traffic noise at all.

One of the most striking things I noticed on the trail was that Waskasoo Creek is still flowing quite freely. Normally the creek is very sluggish this time of year, but with all the rain we've had lately it's looking surprisingly healthy right now. I'd say that the robins, sparrows, and other song birds are enjoying the extra water. I stood on one of the bridges for a while and watched several of them using a quieter spot as a natural bird bath. Quite the production.

And, really, a neat thing to be watching in the middle of a busy city. Red Deer's trails are one of the city's greatest assets. Be sure to get out and appreciate them!