Today I’m off on my bicycle to visit every lake in Minneapolis, City of Lakes.
A lake is not defined by size or depth as some may suggest. A lake may be defined as an enclosed basin filled or partly filled with water. A lake may have an inlet and/or an outlet stream, or it may be completely enclosed (landlocked). Generally, a lake is an area of open, relatively deep water that is large enough to produce a wave-swept shore.
1. Powderhorn Lake. I’m standing by a lake in a park in a neighborhood that provides fodder for the ten o’clock news. Trees hide the city around me. A couple walks by, we chat, they point out an egret, they seem pleased when I observe this is a lovely park.
3. Lake Nokomis. A couple minutes later I reach the popular beach lake, Nokomis. Overhead, pairs of planes disappear into the trees to land on parallel runways. I’ll take the rumble of a modern stage 4 jet engine over the annoying whine of Ski-Doos. Gasoline-powered boats are not allowed on Minneapolis lakes.
4. Diamond Lake. I stand on a short fishing dock. The DNR stocks the lake with a variety of fish, but today there are no takers. As with every lake in Minneapolis, this lake is a retreat from the city. Shorefront houses hide in the trees.
5. Grass Lake. In some ways this is a redux of Diamond Lake. It’s small, with public access, surrounded by shorefront housing. The Minnesota DNR Web site states this lake is near Richfield the adjacent first-ring suburb. The Minneapolis neighborhood map claims this lake is in Minneapolis.
Solo wind-powered sports are popular on this lake. In the summer, windsurfers show up in force. In winter, they morph into snowkiters.
8. Lake of the Isles. I watch a specialized boat remove invasive Eurasian Milfoil. This lake is personal. Almost 3 decades ago, I met my partner at a birthday brunch. At meal-end, I suggested a walk around this lake. Dwight accepted, the other guests wisely declined. Since then I’ve been around the lake over 10,000 times, many times with Dwight.
We live a few blocks from Lake of the Isles, so I get to be here in all seasons. When Minne the Lake Creature has headed south to a warmer clime, our Isles creature emerges from the ice. This is a good running lake in the winter. The three mile path around the crenelated lakeshore ensures you’re not running straight into a frigid northwest wind for too long.
9. Cedar Lake. When I described this lake to my 6-year-old nephew, he remembered if from a year ago as the lake with the guys practicing to walk a tightrope. This beach attracts the more rebellious type. There’s generally a police car parked nearby, but I still occasionally catch a whiff of weed.
10. Brownie Lake. I walk my bike down an unpaved trail to this little hidden lake. The local paper calls it “the little lost lake.” Today I have the lake to myself.
11. Birch Pond. There’s no path so I park my bike, and crash through the undergrowth to catch a glimpse of this little pond.
12. Wirth Lake. I walk past the beach. Folks are playing volleyball, sunning themselves, and strolling. A lifeguard watches over the swimmers. Minneapolis and the neighboring suburb, Golden Valley share this park land.
I continue through Theodore Wirth Park, past the public golf course. The bike path is now set in a wide parkway towards the northern edge of Minneapolis. Just before I head east on my loop, I cycle a couple blocks to Ryan Lake.
13. Ryan Lake. Part of the lake is in Minneapolis, and part in Robbinsdale, the adjacent suburb. It’s surrounded by shorefront houses, but, as with every lake there is public access. A sign warning of dangerous ice reminds me to treasure this warm summer day. I stand and watch a freight train crawling along a berm on the north shore.
14. Webber Pond. This pond could be a large puddle left after the latest rainstorm. It’s the third in a series of ponds. The first, most distant pond is a freshwater swimming pool, the first in North America. The middle pond has special plantings to purify the water from the pool.
15. Loring Pond. I’ve attended many Pride festivals in this park. Back in the early 80’s I would go to Pride in defiance: back then, people like me were still barred from entering the USA. With marriage equality, this year’s Pride was definitely celebratory. Today, the park is quiet. In the distance, I glimpse the Basilica peeking out of the trees.
16. Spring Lake. I’m just a few blocks from our home. It’s an inauspicious end to my explorations today. The lake is green thanks to lawn runoff. Unseen traffic rushes along the elevated Interstate behind me. But the lake looks well cared for: the park system has installed a dock. As with all the other lakes in Minneapolis, I don’t see any garbage piled up.