Trip 5: December 9th

“There are very little joys in life that compare to running through freshly fallen snow” at least that’s what my high school cross country coach would always say.

Today, I’m not sure if I agree with him because I decided to drive as I adventured to my last round of parks on this challenge. I have 22 parks to run to today, all on the Northeast side. They mostly lie in a cluster of small nature areas and neighborhood parks that sit beyond the main routes I’ve grown comfortable with. I’ve never ventured over here before so I was excited to see what this area had to offer and hoped that I wouldn’t completely freeze as I explored the parks. 

As a disclaimer, the weather made it quite difficult for me to take pictures due to my phone getting too cold and my hands almost freezing off. I’ve taken some of my own pictures for this post but others are taken off the Ann Arbor Parks Website. I will note those distinctions with the pictures but you will most likely be able to tell because those pictures won’t have any snow in them!

Oak Woods Nature Area was my first stop, and I honestly didn’t expect much because of the snow. But as soon as I stepped in, everything felt unbelievably still with snow calming the trees. It reminded me of a nature area in my own home town where I used to train for high school cross county races in the winter. I was surprised that the trail had footprints on it because of the snowy weather, but it was encouragement for me to go and explore the woods a little further than I originally planned. 

Kilburn Park was your typical playground that I’ve seen dozens of times (you probably have too). 

Arbor Hills Nature Area at faced looked like another typical nature area, but upon entering it had a few frozen-over ponds. The boardwalk had a few traces of people but overall was a perfect winter wonderland that you would expect to see in a snow globe.

Sugarbush Park was bigger than I expected. It had a playground, tennis court, and a small loop in the woods. It was peaceful and felt almost secretive with no one else out or any traces of people anywhere. 

Images 2 and 3 are published by the Ann Arbor Parks Department

Bromley Park was covered in snow. It’s hidden in between neighborhoods like a lot of other parks on this side of Ann Arbor. It was your typical park with a playground but this one did have quite a few swings, which are my favorite thing on a playground so I was happy to see that.The park also had a free little library that I checked out (a little disappointing inside I will admit) but I was very happy to spot one nonetheless.  

Buttonbush Nature Area was a short loop, but beautifully coated. The snow clung to every low branch, making the entire park feel cozy.

Foxfire East, North, South and West Parks were all surprisingly very different despite sharing the same names. Foxfire North had a cute playground and a basketball court (which I honestly have seen a lot less of than I expected along this journey) while Firefox South seemed more like an abandoned lot. East and West were a little more similar with some trails, but still slightly underwhelming compared to their sister park Foxfire North.

Images 2 and 3 are published by the Ann Arbor Parks Department

Olson Park felt much bigger than it looked like on the map. There was a small sledding hill that I saw some children going down that made me wish I had brought my own sled. Overall, I liked this park and its unique playground equipment but I wasn’t able to explore as much of it as I wanted because of the cold.

Dhu Varren Woods Nature Area was slippery, muddy, and covered in slush. Dhu Varren reminded me of the messier winter days when running is more of an exercise in balance than speed. The trail was uneven and soft, but the quiet was beautiful. Snow absorbs even the thought of noise.

Placid Way Park was primarily a playground but it had a very cool yellow climbing structure that I would have tried out if not for the snow.

Traver Creek Nature Area was another typical nature area (though I do feel bad saying that because I love nature areas). It had a cute creek cutting through, though by this point I was pretty cold and could feel myself enjoying the parks less and less.

I took a quick detour to warm up in my car for a bit (much needed) and then I went to Leslie Park, Leslie Science & Nature Center, and Leslie Woods Nature Area which I am grouping together because of their namesake. This place is perfect for children if you are looking for an interactive nature activity or overall some great green space and trails.

Tuebingen Park is a small park, but the afternoon sun hit the snow perfectly. The entire space glowed gold for a split second, and I felt lucky to have caught it at just the right time.

Stapp Nature Area was a little underwhelming because of how much snow was everywhere. There weren't any footprints for me to follow so it was a bit tricky to navigate. I definitely went off the beaten path, although there wasn’t one at the time to follow.

Leslie Park Golf Course was much better than expected because I am typically anti-golf courses because they take up so much green space. But in full honesty the golf courses in the snow are weirdly beautiful. The endless rolling white hills, the perfectly straight lines from maintenance vehicles, the frozen ponds looked like something out of a movie. 

Black Pond Nature Area was stunning in winter. The pond was dark and mostly frozen, framed by snow-covered brush. It felt a little eerie and very peaceful.

Northside Community Center was my last stop though it was closed so I wasn’t able to come in. This was one of the places that made me question what a park really was. I am still a little confused how this fits in with the definition I discovered (and if you are curious read my “What is a Park” piece under the parks button!) but it was a nice building nonetheless.

What surprised me today wasn’t the beauty of the big parks, but how transformed the tiny ones were under a layer of snow. The snow made everything feel new again (despite how cold I was getting). This was a good sign for me to appreciate the seasons as well because I love to complain about the snow. I sometimes forget that the world is still out there because I only want to stay curled up in my house rather than taking a trip to my local park.