Ribbonwalk

The next Monday, Coty and I explored Ribbonwalk.  This is not part of the Greenway system, but is a nature preserve, now managed by the Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation Department.  Covering 188 acres, just north of the intersection of I-77 and I-85, this spot is a little woodland oasis.

What I love about this nature preserve is the variety of habitats and seral stages, from a Piedmont old field, through the various stages - young pine forest, mature pines, young hardwood forest to a climax mature hardwood forest.  A very unique feature is the Beech Grove with a number of very large American beech trees which are estimated to be 150-200 years old.  This particular grove of trees has been designated a Treasure Tree Grove and there are some massive and beautiful old beeches.

There are a few very old white oaks, as well, including this one which has been wired from the top to the ground to protect it from lightning strikes.  Several of the old scags  are the remains of trees that were struck by lightning.

We were shocked to see this beech, one of the "treasure trees" that had fallen, probably in one of the big storms we've had in the last few weeks.  It still had green leaves on it, so it's demise was very recent.  I climbed around on the tree and felt like I was walking on the back of an elephant!  Not that I've ever walked on an elephant's back, mind you, but I imagine...

When the beech fell, it took out a bridge and several smaller trees.  It left a huge gap in the canopy, as well.  So sad to see it down, but when we looked at the trunk, it was rotten in the middle.  It was one of the largest and oldest trees in the grove.

In addition to the woodland habitat, there are two ponds and a wetland area.  Beavers appear to be very active.  A beaver lodge can be seen on one of the ponds and a beaver dam crosses another.  We saw fresh beaver work, small trees chiseled to a point when they are cut down.  People do fish in these ponds. We met a man enjoying the quiet, fishing the first pond you come to - he told us he comes out to Ribbonwalk to get away from the world.  It is a lovely spot close to the city to do that.

We went in the middle of the day, so not the best time for birding, but we did see a great blue heron, mallards and Canada geese, a variety of songbirds, and we heard a barred owl.

I took both of my classes back to Ribbonwalk in the following week.  It's a perfect spot to observe ecological succession and to appreciate big, old, beautiful trees.  Kudos to the folks who worked hard to preserve this spot and keep urban growth from overtaking it.

Walking the Greenways, #2

Better late than never, right?  A few weeks ago, while I was neglecting the blog, Coty and I walked another one of our area Greenways.  We had a lovely, sunny Monday - was it three weeks back - and took time to walk part of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway.

The plan is to eventually have 15 miles of linked trails, starting just north of uptown Charlotte all the way to the South Carolina line.  Currently, there are three unconnected sections, so we figured we'd do the northern section, part of the middle section and save the southern section for another day.

When we arrived at the parking area  we found this sign. Bummer.  We did try calling the number, but just got someone's voice mail.

We walked past the soccer field at Alexander Park, but the gang graffiti under the railroad bridge was not so welcoming and we decided, since it is officially closed right now, to save this section for another day.  From Alexander Park, this section goes up to Cordelia Park on the southern end of NoDa.  It will be a well used section, someday.  But it wasn't the day we tried.  We will go back.  Here's more about this section.

On to Plan B.  We headed to Charlottetown Avenue and parked along the street (free parking for two hours) and found the northern end of this newest section of Little Sugar Creek.  If you've lived in Charlotte for any length of time, you may remember that this section of town, just north of CMC, was rather an eyesore for a long time.  An old, closed mall and large parking lot sat beside a sad looking, dirty creek.   I don't know the whole story, but the powers-that-be got together and tore down the mall, built condos, and some large and small retail, a few restaurants and best of all, worked on creek and habitat restoration and made it a lovely place for a walk near downtown.  I was impressed.

This is looking north to the point where this Greenway section starts.  See where the pavement ends just before it goes under the bridge.  Someday, this will be linked up, around or through uptown somehow, to the Alexander Park section and on up to NoDa.

Banners line this little section, diners sat at outdoor tables.   Really, this little walkway is quite a treasure.  Someone had a lot of foresight when they planned this.

The creek restoration includes some nice stone work at spots where other creeks and storm water drain into Little Sugar Creek.  

Just near the hospital, lots of redbuds, wisteria, and other flowering shrubs in were in full bloom.  If I worked at the hospital, I know where I'd take my breaks!

South to Freedom Park...

We walked about halfway through the park and then turned around and headed back north.  We had a deadline...

My walking partner and I were headed to see Jane Eyre at the Regal Manor after our walk.  We wanted to get done in plenty of time to make our 2:00 matinée!  

Nice views of the city skyline heading north.

This was a lovely walk.  I'd go again.  Freedom Park is beautiful, especially in the spring.  We plan to pick up where we stopped in the park and finish this central section, then drive a little south and pick up the southernmost section another day soon.

To read a little more about Little Sugar Creek Greenway, go here and here.

Walking the Greenways

I just spoke with my sister-in-law, Laura, on the phone yesterday. She is six days into her AT hike and called to report that all of the gear we sewed back in February has performed exactly as hoped! That was gratifying to hear. I think of her often and am excited about her goal of walking the entire AT this year.


I have a much less ambitious goal, inspired by my walking s-i-l and by a recent walk with my students, led by a birder from the Audubon Society. That walk, along the Four Mile Creek Greenway, got me interested in finding out more about the greenways around here. So, I did a bit of research and found that there are 180 miles of greenway in our area, covering a wide variety of habitats and settings, from the wooded areas along the Mallard Creek Greenway to the center city.


For our first Greenway walk, I chose the McAlpine/Campbell Creek Greenway. 


"Charlotte's original Greenway Park, McAlpine Creek Greenway, built in 1978, was the first public greenway trail ever acquired and built in the western piedmont of North Carolina."

Seemed like the right place to start!

The first section of our greenway walk was flat and pretty open.  The trails run near, but not right next to, McAlpine Creek.  On the opposite side of the trail, it looks like the city has put in sewer lines and has cleared the trees from a fairly wide swath beside the trail.  That makes the walk feel very open.  With few leaves on the trees when we walked, it was very sunny.  I was expecting more shade and more of a wooded walk.  That is NOT what the first section of McAlpine Greenway is (from Sardis Road to the park).  For people who live in the adjoining neighborhoods, the greenway is an excellent way to walk or bike to the park.  If I lived in that area, I'm sure I'd use it frequently. 

The start of McAlpine Creek Greenway along Sardis Road

When you get into McAlpine Park you have the option to branch off onto the trails that go around the pond and the wetland area.  These trails are used for cross-country races and are well maintained.  They go through more wooded areas.  Along the trail near the wetland, you're likely to see herons.  If you take this walk in the morning, there are lots of birds - bank swallows, tree swallows, swifts, belted kingfishers, red-bellied woodpeckers, flickers, and more.  Coty and I did do the loop around the cross country course and added about a mile to our greenway walk.

The pond at McAlpine Park

When you leave the northern end of the park, you cross over Campbell Creek and the greenway name changes to Campbell Creek Greenway.  This section of trail is what I expected, closer to the creek and more wooded.  Just after you cross Margaret Wallace Road, you pass the remains of a turn-of-the-century grist mill.  Charlotte was a very different place when that grist mill was in operation, that's for sure.  

The Campbell Creek section is a pleasant walk, once you get away from the noise of Independence Blvd. near Margaret Wallace.   It ends rather abruptly along Harris Boulevard, where a set of steps leads up to the streetside sidewalk along Harris.  We turned around there and headed back a mile to where our car was parked along Margaret Wallace Road.

Bridge over Campbell Creek

Coty receiving a birthday phone call

 at the end of the Campbell Creek Section

We walked a little over six miles, from the start on Sardis Road, adding the cross country loop in the park, to the end of Campbell Creek Greenway and then back to our car at the parking lot on Margaret Wallace.


I enjoyed the walk, especially since I got to do it with my sweetheart on his birthday, but I can't say that it's a walk I'd go back to unless I was going birding.  For people who live near this greenway, it would be an excellent place for walks and bike rides away from the busy streets, but it wouldn't really be a destination walk for me, except for birding purposes in and around McAlpine Park.


Next walk: Little Sugar Creek Greenway