new territory

(this is mostly for me - it's just a boring mile marker.)
I was inspired to walk in nature this morning.
I considered going for a hike along the Bonneville shoreline, but it has rained and snowed this week (snowed at higher altitude, I mean) and I thought the trail would possibly be snowy, and probably muddy and slippery. That wasn't what I had in mind, so I opted for the Jordan River Parkway.
There is a spot that has marshlands, and a nature center (at about 5040 South, 850 West for the locals). It sounded like a good spot to begin.
Ideally I wanted to begin the trail closer to my home (the nature conservancy is about three miles south of where I am), but I had never been on the trail, and I wasn't sure how it intersected with the busy roads, if one must cross over them, or even if the parkway went (north to south) all the way through the Salt Lake Valley.
Turns out, it does!
The trail (a two lane bike/run/walk paved trail) either has a bridge that goes over the busy roads (48th, 45th, 39th, and 33rd) or else it tunnels underneath.
I think it goes all the way to Lehi (and even beyond), which is about 20 miles south of where I live.

Going over there I was a bit nervous. One, I've never been. Two, it's outside of my neighborhood, and my travel zone. Three, well, it's the Jordan River, and I'm a girl alone, who most probably couldn't outrun anyone (only the very most decrepit :) ).... you know how it goes to be by yourself in strange territory. I wasn't frightened, but just didn't really know what to expect.
But... it's Saturday morning, seems to me that it's the best possible time to have a go at it - should be lots of people on the trail.
But hopefully not too many.

It was really nice.
After about forty minutes I found a particularly quiet (well between busy roads) and lovely spot - a high edge that dropped straight down into the river. It was sort of a pointe. I chose to meditate there for about twenty minutes or so. It was so lovely!

Then I continued on, as I wanted to get all the way to 33rd, so I could know if it went through (if I could begin this trail at 33rd).
By this time I had been gone for an hour and-a-half, so I got to 33rd, then turned back the other way.

I think I'd like to take this trail once a week. Just to stir things up. I really liked it.
I walked (at a fast clip) for two hours and fifteen minutes (not counting the 20 minutes for meditation) and I figure it was between 7 and 8 miles.

It winded, and varied up and down hills, and was smooth and uninterrupted. Not too busy. A person every four or five minutes or so.
A lovely walk.