Long-time American River Parkway Foundation (ARPF) mile steward volunteer and avid equestrian Sue Fossum talks about her experience enjoying and giving back to the American River Parkway through the years.
Thousands of people visit the Parkway each year to run, bike, paddle, and enjoy. We’d like to share a few of their stories with you. Our first story is from Kim Conley – US Olympian and professional runner. — It’s a warm morning in early July as I set out from William Pond Park for an easy run on the American River Parkway. I am headed in my favorite direction, running downstream with the river. There is something about being out here that feels like an escape from the rest of the city of Sacramento, and the narrow ribbon of the Parkway setting makes one feel entirely surrounded by nature. Even in the depths of summer you can feel a coolness blowing off the water and the tall grasses and wooded oak area provide homes for a variety of animals that dart across the path from time to time. From William Pond I climb up and over some rolling hills to a higher vantage point over the river. I soon come upon one of the many pink stone benches that dot the Parkway. This one stands in the shade of a tall oak tree that overlooks the river and on this morning Terry, one of my favorite parkway fixtures, is sitting for a break during his morning walk. I first met Terry three years ago, finally stopping to introduce myself after years of waving and saying “good morning” every time I ran by him. I learned that he has lived along the Parkway for over fifty years, before it was even the Parkway. Terry has seen the area transformed from a flood plain surrounded by orchards to the twenty-three mile network of connected regional parks that exists today. He started as a regular cyclist on the path, but more recently, since hip surgery, he walks once or twice daily from his house out to the river. Today I stop for a brief chat, and like the last time I spoke to him, our interaction has me impressed by his long-standing connection to the area and prompts me to reflect upon my own developing history. I’ve lived in Sacramento ten years now, since graduating from UC Davis in 2009, and at every turn I am reminded of how I have built my career on this trail. Not long after seeing Terry this morning, I pass by a fellow alum from the UC Davis Cross Country and Track and Field program. My history with the Parkway actually begins before I lived in Sacramento, when I first arrived at UC Davis and our team would travel for weekly long runs on the Parkway. It always felt exciting to me to leave the confines of Davis to explore new, beautiful sections of the Parkway. Eventually, as my years of crossing the Causeway added up, and the length of my long runs simultaneously increased, I began to connect different trail sections from various starting points. These trips developed my appreciation of the extent of the… Continue reading Stories from the Parkway: “I have built my career on this trail.”
