A River Walk in Reno
By A R Mallett
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[/media-credit] The Truckee River, winding through the heart of Reno, is a peaceful and invigorating location for an early morning walk. We left the car across from the rose garden in Idlewild Park, off Idlewild Drive, and headed upstream along the raised, paved walkway. The path follows the edge of the river and is bordered by trees and apartments once it leaves the park. The good surface makes it an ideal place to exercise and it is wheelchair and stroller friendly. Quarter mile markers let you know how far you have walked. On a beautiful bright sunny winter morning it was well-used, with joggers, cyclists, walkers and dog-walkers enjoying the outdoors. The river was clear and flowing quite gently, in contrast to the bounding, milky torrent of the spring snowmelt. On summer weekends, dozens of adventurous people can be seen floating down the river on inflatables, obviously enjoying the ride.
The river and its banks are a haven for birdlife. We saw ducks riding the current or resting on the sun-warmed rocks, Scrub Jays and Blue Jays in the trees, almost invisible against the deep blue sky, and the large American Robin, really a thrush, quite unafraid as it darted around us. At the wooden seating structure where the path leaves the river, we turned back, and circled the lake, which was mostly frozen at this time of year. Ungainly-looking Canada Geese flew in and skated to a stop on the ice, raucously announcing their arrival. Dozens of waterfowl gathered at the lakes edge, the ducks’ iridescent feathers gleaming in the sun. They were not at all perturbed by our presence. Our easy one-hour walk refreshed us and set us up for a day of errands in the city.
