Shelley Lake Prepares for Annual Fishing Derby

Beautiful Greenways of Raleigh NC

I visited Shelley Lake to see how it was coping with the drought. The trails are flat and firm along the two mile stretch that circles the lake. The drought has done little to hamper the activities at the lake. There was some effect on the rental boats last summer as the mud began to rise at the northern tip of the lake.

My visit was on April Fool's Day through no particular plan. It was a very nice day, which in itself was a bit of a surprise. The weather locally has been bouncing between near freezing in the morning to very reasonable by late afternoon. The air temperature is not as cold as the morning air which gets some aid from something called a chill factor.

The entry into the lower parking lot off Millbrook Road was adorned with beautiful pink flowers. This highway has a median filled with grass and flowers much like the rest of the city used to have before the traffic overwhelmed the roads. It is a very nice touch.

The parking lot was not full yet, though it often is. The entry to the Shelley Lake Loop Trail is either uphill west or uphill east. Each choice forces one to climb a hill to the top of the earthen structure that keeps the water in. During hurricanes, this structure has kept whole neighborhoods safe, so I am not complaining.

As I pant my way to the top of the hill I finally arrive. From here there is a wonderful view of the lake and the wooden sides that hide the trail.

Those new to the more than fifty four miles of greenway in Raleigh may also be surprised that the city has three thousand acres of parks and recreation lands. This doesn't include the five thousand acres of state park in the city.

The two mile trail is dotted with benches for those who find the trail tiring and those who just want to stop and watch the birds frolic in the trees.

To my right I can see acres of soccer fields, which are usually full of happy romping children on weekends and after school. To my left I can see the boat house with the boats neatly lined along the dock. At the top of a hill the rest facilities sit like a lookout tower, but much shorter.

As I wander around the lake I am amazed by the fresh new life springing from the freshly watered soil. Tiny flowers of blue, red, white, yellow and purple intermix to create a rainbow on the fields.

The birds flitter above, jumping from branch to branch and changing trees each time I try to aim my camera. They know how to drive people crazy. They twitter with pleasure each time they hear my shutter capture only air.
People young and old are walking, running, biking, sauntering and sitting along the trails. When I reach the bridge high above the water, the seagulls sail in the air trying to catch the bread and crackers thrown to the ducks and geese far below.

Some people have especially large pieces of bread to throw. They like to watch the seagulls catch these high in the air.

Children seem to prefer to see their bread fly quickly by the ravenous gulls to the tiny birds far below. A few try to land it on the floating birds' backs. This sets up quite a ruckus as a dozen birds try to claim the prize as it floats by on the frightened bird.

The trail is also adorned in a few places with some color. The hill west of the entrance is adorned with wisteria at this time of year. This is a vine whose flower looks like an upside down lupine hanging in the air. It is a very pretty sight.

The trail is in excellent condition. It is primarily a paved trail with a few areas of wooden bridge and boardwalk. It does have the one concrete bridge where most of the bird feeders go.