We had lived in Stevens Park Estates for over 30 years, but it wasn’t until I had surgery that I began walking the Coombs Creek Trail every day. At first, I walked just for the exercise, but I quickly discovered the other joys to be gained from walking the trail.
The Coombs Creek Trail begins underground west of Jefferson, surfaces just east of Davis and then runs east until it empties into the Trinity River. The trail follows and parallels the creek from Davis to the Trinity, passes through and around the Stevens Park Golf Course and then follows the Kessler Parkway through tree-lined areas.
In the parkway’s open spaces, large and mature trees make the area home to a wide variety of birds and wild animals. Hawks, owls and other birds of prey live here as well as many different varieties of songbirds. Raccoons, opossums, squirrels, coyotes, foxes, even beavers, all make their homes in the creek. It’s amazing that although we are only five miles from the center of Dallas, we still have quite a lot of nature to spot, hear and enjoy.
The real joy of walking the trail, though, has been the many people I’ve met and gotten to know on my walks. Young and old, men, women, boys, girls, and babies in strollers. People running or walking; out with their kids or with their dogs. You get to know them.
For the most part the dogs are well behaved. I came close to being bitten once -— and the dog was on a leash. A rather large dog broke away from the boy who was walking him, jumped at me and tried to bite me. Fortunately, I was wearing some very baggy sweatpants and all the dog got was pants and not me.
You see the highs and lows of life on the trail. All the dog owners who have walked the trail with their pets have developed a great bond of love and affection, so when a pet passes it can be the same as a loved one passing. We have had several people go into a notable depression after losing a pet. It isn’t until they get another pet and get back on the trail that they can return to their old self again. All of this plays out on the trail.
Texas seasons also play a big role in the life of the trail. Hot summer months…walkers and runners move their schedules to early morning just before or just after sunrise as that is the coolest time of day. Fall…the heat retreats and walkers and runners hit the trail later in the morning, later in the afternoon or evening after work. Winter months see walkers later in the day because it’s warmer then.
There’s always something to see on the trail. Look for future articles on the subject, or better yet, check out Life of the Trail for yourself.
