Pike Island, where the rivers merge

I hadn't been to Pike Island since the fall flood. Since I had a tennis off day and since it was 45 degrees and sunny, I decided to have a walk in the woods.  Pike Island is the woods, too, and there is a herd of white tailed deer that overpopulate the area and it's always nice to catch a glimpse of one of them bouncing through the underbrush.  The map below places Pike Island between St Paul and Minneapolis, just where it actually is, and at the confluence of the Minnesota (to the south) and Mississippi Rivers.  It's part of Fort Snelling State Park, and, I think, run by the DNR.

There are several benches by the Mississippi with a clear view of the running water and whatever flotsam and jetsam are floating by. I stopped here for a photo and a short sit down. It was a brisk day, not windy on the island, a fine day for glimpsing deer. I actually encountered an antlered buck on my journey, but he was far enough off and moving fast enough that I was unable to get a satisfactory photo of his magnificence. There will be other days.  And other bucks.

As you can see there was standing water in places on the island. The trees seem acclimated to sitting in water for long periods of time and still are able to thrive. There was soil and other debris deposited on the ground, left over from the flood waters, and they gave some areas a definite drab appearance.

There were a few other hikers taking in the natural settings - maybe five or six of them. I went by the flood pole, too. It is marked for the high water marks in each of the major floods since white folks have been living in the area, back to the early 1800's. The top mark is 1965, followed by 1952 a couple of feet lower. Someone, a volunteer or a DNR person has marked this year's flood (2010) above the 1952 mark and about half way up to 1965. The water has come down a long way since then, probably due to one of the driest Octobers on record in these parts.

It was an educational walkabout, and it made me hungry for three bean salad, my own favorite recipe. I came home and whipped up a batch for enjoyment the next few days.