Dog Days of June

A volcano erupting near Grimes?  No, just another sweltering sun rise on the RRVT!

GRIMES, IOWA - Des Moines had a high temperature of 101 degrees yesterday, the first time it's hit the century mark in some time.  Rainfall is well below normal, and much of Iowa is abnormally dry and considered to be in a minor drought.  This has put a damper on many streams and rivers that are popular for paddling, with water levels so low that dragging the bottom of the kayak or canoe is almost certain.  Unfortunately, the forecast does not seem to offer much relief in the next several days with high temperatures in the upper 90's and very minor chances for rain.
     This is all rather concerning for the crop conditions out there, given we are now moving into pollination time for corn (albeit a little bit earlier with the early heat unit accumulation this spring and summer), and the soybeans seem to be much shorter than normal and needing rain soon.  This will be three years in a row with conditions less than optimal for the crops around here.  Will be interesting to see how the rest of the summer shakes out.
     Cycling in the early morning or late evening seems to be the most comfortable time to be out on the trails right now.  The next leg of the RRVT "north" loop is scheduled to open by the end of this week; I hope to check it out and post some photos of this latest leg of the trail within a couple of weeks.  Looking forward to exploring a new section of the trail between Minburn and Perry soon.

June on the Trails

An ominous, yet gorgeous June sunrise on the RRVT near Waukee. 

WAUKEE, IOWA - As the final days of June come to a close, reflecting back on the month it has probably been one of the most enjoyable periods of time I've had exploring various trail systems in the state.  From the regular visits to the nearby Raccoon River Valley Trail, to the trails in Hardin and Grundy Counties, to the Quad Cities to visit the trail systems over there, it's been quite enjoyable.
     You really can take Iowa's trail network for granted until you visit some other states where such systems are not as well developed.  I recently returned from a trip to West Lafayette, Indiana for a week long agribusiness conference.  I brought along a bicycle, hoping there would be some opportunities for some cycling early in the morning or late in the evenings.  While I was able to get a little riding in, the trail system over there was much to be desired.
     After researching local trails, I came across the Wabash Heritage Trail which ran quite close to the area I was staying in.  It looked like it was a pretty extensive trail running from West Lafayette up to nearby Prophetstown State Park, so I was looking forward to checking it out.  Although segments of the trail were intact, it was quite disappointing to discover that the asphalt surface abruptly stopped in several spots giving way to just a dirt path, and then changing back to asphalt again further down the trail.  Eventually the trail crossed under some bridges in Lafayette and again ended at a gully with a sign that cycles were not permitted beyond that point.  Signage (other than the "no cycles permitted" sign above) was much to be desired along the trail, and many of the segments that veered off the trail to neighborhoods seemed to end up on heavily traveled roads that didn't appear to be too bicycle friendly.
     When visiting with a local about how popular bicycling was in the Lafayette and Purdue University area, I was told that "it's really not a big activity out here".  Obviously, that seemed to be the case.  It really made me appreciate the recreational assets we enjoy right here in Iowa.

With the Trail Comes Dollars

DALLAS CENTER, IOWA - It's been fun witnessing the flurry of activity the RRVT extension into Dallas Center has already created.  The restaurants in town can likely attest to the extra revenues trail users are already bringing to town, even with just the short six mile stretch that's been completed from Waukee to Dallas Center this past autumn.  It's not unusual to see several bikes parked outside the local cafe and ice cream shop at any given time.  I anticipate this is only a taste of what's to come, once the entire loop of the Raccoon River Valley Trail is completed through Dallas and Guthrie Counties by this coming autumn.  It's exciting to think about what other businesses might be opening in the small communities along the trail in the coming years catering to trail users as Central Iowa continues to become a destination for cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.

Cycling in the Quad Cities

DAVENPORT, IOWA - This past week, while on business in the Quad Cities I had the chance to check out two great trail systems on both sides of the Mississippi River.  First, the Mississippi River Trail (Scott County) which runs through Davenport and Bettendorf, now linking up with the Duck Creek Trail which runs through Bettendorf.  On the other side of the river is the Great River Trail, running from Savanna, IL to Rock Island, IL.  Both of these trails follow the Mississippi River providing some spectacular views of some great scenery along the way.
     It's very easy to cross from one state (and trail) to the other via the Government Bridge, which runs from Davenport to the Rock Island Arsenal.  From there, it's across another bridge to Rock Island and on to Moline.  The Government Bridge was quite impressive, built before 1900 it carries both car and rail traffic double-decker style.  Plus the bridge has a swinging section that allows barge traffic to come through.
     I biked a total of about 70 miles over the course of the five days I was in the Quad Cities, and each time I ventured out the trails were humming with plenty of folks taking advantage of the near perfect weather conditions all week long.  An added bonus was all of the rail traffic in the immediate area I was staying in, with sightings of Union Pacific, Iowa Interstate, BNSF and other major railroads all in the same area.  Many of the trails actually run parallel or underneath the railroad infrastructure there, making it quite easy in intercept rail traffic in the area.  There is a tremendous amount of history in this area, with many interpretive stops along the way where you can learn about the history of the settlement of this area.  I hope to return some time and explore the rest of the Great River Trail further north of the Moline area:

Enjoying a nice sunset on the Great River Trail in Rock Island.

The Government Bridge running from Davenport to the Rock Island Aresenal is quite bike friendly with a dedicated bike path.  On the Davenport side, this ramp connects you to the MRT.  You can see the Lock and Dam in the background.

Dawn on the MRT near Credit Island Park in Davenport.

A Union Pacific Train barrels through Davenport next to the trail early one morning.  Just made it across the tracks onto the trail before the train made its way past my location.

A BNSF freight crosses a railroad bridge over the MRT in Davenport.

Enjoying the MRT after just departing Bettendorf headed into Davenport.  This section of trail was just recently opened.

More railroad action along the Great River Trail in Rock Island.  Here an Iowa Interstate train sits waiting for the go ahead to proceed to the Rock Island Arsenal and eventually cross the Government Bridge back into Iowa.

My final ride across the mighty Mississippi coming returning to Davenport.  I had just been held up in Rock Island by a barge passing through the lock system, closing down the bridge for a time.

Pine Lake State Park

ELDORA, IOWA - Over the Memorial Day weekend we were blessed with some very nice weather, albeit a bit windy at times.  There was a LOT of activity on the trails, and conditions were perfect for a whole host of outdoor activities.  Besides visiting the Comet Trail in Grundy County for a quick ride on Monday, I also checked out the Pine Lake State Park/Tower Rock Trail that runs from Eldora, through Pine Lake State Park, and continues on to Steamboat Rock.  This trail is only about 4.5 miles long, but winds itself through some gorgeous areas within the Iowa River Greenbelt.  There's a few sections that are quite hilly and make for a good cardiovascular workout.

The Iowa River from the High Bridge along Highway 175.  The trail crosses this bridge on its way to Pine Lake.  This section of the Iowa River is quite popular for paddling and tubing.

The trail near the spillway from Upper to Lower Pine Lake.  This is one of the segments that is quite hilly.

A view of Lower Pine Lake from along the trail.  This trail runs adjacent to the lake in many spots.

Sunset through the trees as I exit the north boundary of the park on the way to Steamboat Rock.

The trail crosses under the IARR trestle at Steamboat Rock.  A huge amount of railroading history in this area.

A portion of this trail uses bike lanes along S56 between Eldora and Steamboat Rock.  More than adequate room for passing vehicles.

After nearly smacking into a deer as I came around the bend in a fast descent down this hill, I encountered this road (trail) hazard just a bit further down the path.  A couple of joggers came from behind and scared these birds off the trail shortly after taking this photo.

Iowa Bicycle Festival

JEFFERSON, IOWA - The local cycling club in Greene County hosted the first annual "Iowa Bicycle Festival" on Saturday, June 26th.  The event included a number of displays, a bicycle and RAGBRAI bus parade, bicycle tours of Jefferson and a number of other activities on the courthouse square.  The cycling club in Greene County is quite active, putting on a number of events throughout the summer, and as always they did a good job organizing this first annual event.
     With a strong southeasterly wind forecast for the day, I thought it was about time to work in a long ride among the shorter trips I'm more accustomed to taking down the trail.  Plus I thought it would be fun to ride from Dallas Center all the way to Jefferson without ever leaving the RRVT.  I departed from Dallas Center just before 7 AM, and arrived around 11:30 or so.  Total mileage was just shy of 60 miles.  I was thankful for the nice tailwind today!

Departing Dallas Center.  Conditions were cloudy and quite humid.  I did get sprinkled on a few times, but nothing significant during the entire trip.

At the depot in Redfield.

A tunnel of trees between Redfield and Linden.  This section of the trail has a slight grade and makes for a good workout.

Heading north out of Panora.  By now, the wind had switched mostly to the south making for a nice tailwind.

Prairie silos in Yale.  They have a great trail head here, including a relatively new restroom facility that someone built as part of their Eagle project.

Pedaling through Herndon.  The small marker on the left side of the trail marks the spot where the North Loop of the trail, running east from here to Perry, will connect up hopefully by the end of this year.

Winkleman Switch, just south of Jefferson.  This was a former livestock shipping point on the Rock Island Railroad, plus a "helper engine" was kept here to help trains make it up the rather steep grade of the Raccoon River valley further ahead.

Rolling into Jefferson at the former RI depot and now trailhead.

Festivities on the Courthouse square in Jefferson.

Plenty of things to see and do around the courthouse square in Jefferson.  There is a new cycling shop, "All Abilities Cycles" located right on the square.

2012 Hiawatha Classic

PERRY, IOWA - The 2012 version of the Hiawatha Classic Bike Ride, sponsored by Perry Parks & Recreation, was moved to May 19th of this year.  The ride is typically held in June, but to help celebrate Bike Month the ride was moved up.  Weather today was quite warm and very windy, with a strong south wind gusting into the 30's.  About an hour into the ride, a line of storms approached from the west.  Although some lightning and hail was reported over by Herndon, the bulk of the precipitation missed the route.  This year's route went through Perry, Dawson, Yale, Herndon, Cooper and Rippey although you could elect to take a shorter route.  As always, the RRVT west of Perry was in pristine condition with lots of flowers blooming and plenty of shade from the trees that line the trail.

Departing Perry heading west.  Just to the north of this area is where the Milwaukee Railroad once had a major operation and yard with maintenance buildings, a roundhouse, and several other facilities.  Today, if it wasn't for the trail, you wouldn't even know it once existed.

Further west along the RRVT west of Perry.

The Milwaukee Depot in Dawson has been restored and turned into a very nice trail head with a rest area, museum displays and restrooms.  If you saw this building just a few years ago before it was restored (at that time nearly ready to fall down due to neglect), you'd be amazed with how it looks now.

On the return trip storms were starting to roll in.  Note the ominous clods approaching from the west.

Moonset and Sunrise

DALLAS CENTER, IOWA - Captured these photos of the moon setting in the west, and a little bit later the sun rising in the east, during an early morning ride on the Raccoon River Valley Trail this week.  What a great way to kick off the day...on the bicycle with these great vistas from the Dallas County countryside:

Pedaling Wolf Creek Valley

GLADBROOK, IOWA - This weekend while visiting family I had the opportunity to bike the Comet Trail and the adjoining Wolf Creek Trail, two of my favorite places to cycle whenever I am visiting the area.  Combined, these two trails stretch nine miles between the towns of Gladbrook in Tama County, and Conrad in Grundy County.  The trails follow the abandoned line of the Chicago Northwestern Railroad that once ran between Toledo, Jewell and points west.  Growing up in the area, I was witness to the demise of this railroad line in the early 1980's and the development of the Comet Trail which is where I was first exposed to the rails-to-trails phenomenon.  The Wolf Creek Trail was more recently developed as a number of trail supporters in the Gladbrook community worked with the Tama County Conservation Board, among other groups, to acquire the former railroad right-of-way along with some land where a short detour from the former railroad bed is required due to reclamation back to row cropping.

Sunset over the Comet Trail in southern Grundy County.

     The trail has a crushed limestone surface, and lends itself to a bicycle with slightly wider tires than what a road bike offers (although I have ridden this many times on a road bike).  This weekend, I had brought along the Sun EZ-1 which is perfect for a leisurely ride through the Wolf Creek Valley.  The weather this weekend was quite hot and muggy (a return to some of the conditions we saw several weeks ago), and on Friday there was threat of severe weather in the area which developed just to our north.  Fortunately the southern flank of the storm missed us so conditions were great on Friday evening for a quick ride between Beaman and Conrad just before the sun went down.

West bound toward Conrad.  Lightning could be seen in the north as storms just missed us in Northern Grundy County.

This little guy was guarding the trail when I jumped on the trail.  Fortunately he was the only snake I encountered this evening.

     On Saturday I headed east toward Gladbrook.  The morning was quite muggy, and with all of the moisture in the air it was rather overcast.  However, conditions were still great for an early morning ride.  Lots of wildlife seen this morning, including an encounter with a skunk who was foraging right in the middle of the trail and fortunately didn't bother me after making some noise to shoe him back into the adjoining woods.

Headed east on the south edge of Beaman through a tunnel of trees.

Wolf Creek has its headwaters in Southern Grundy County and meanders its way eastward across Tama County toward the LaPorte City area, where it eventually spills into the Cedar River.  It's not quite wide enough for decent paddling in this area, although some areas may be navigable further east.

Entering Gladbrook on the northwest side of town.  Parts of the trail have an asphalt surface (further ahead) due to some flood damage that occurred back in 2008 to help stabilize the trail.

At the eastern terminus of the Wolf Creek trail is the spot where the Chicago Great Western Railroad once intersected the CNW.  The CGW depot sat in this lot straight ahead.  The CGW was eventually absorbed by the CNW, who also abandoned this line (which ran between Marshalltown and Cedar Falls, among many other cities) in the early 1980's.

Here is the trail head in Gladbrook.  Note the new sign that Tama County Conservation must have just put up within the last several months.

Downtown Gladbrook.  A number of places to stop and grab a bite to eat...I was too early though...Casey's was the only place open at 6:30 AM.

Headed back west.  This prairie area is located just northwest of Gladbrook.

Just about back to Beaman.

Total mileage for Saturday was about fifteen miles on the Sun 'bent.  Quite a nice way to start off the weekend enjoying some fresh air and the picturesque Wolf Creek Valley.

Iowa River Valley Trail?

ELDORA, IOWA - Over the past several months, central Iowa media outlets have been reporting on the expected abandonment of the Iowa River Railroad which owns the former Union Pacific, (ex CNW, M&Stl, Iowa Central) railroad line that runs from Ackley to Marshalltown.  Actually, IARR only plans to abandon the segment from Steamboat Rock to Marshalltown, as north of Steamboat Rock to Ackley IARR still runs regular traffic from the ethanol plant at Highway 20 to the CN railroad at Ackley.  Over the last several years railroad traffic has declined, particularly from Eldora south, due to a number of economic and other factors..
     The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has been spearheading efforts to preserve this corridor for a possible multi-use trail through the area, engaging local government entities along the line about the possibility of converting this to a trail if abandoned by IARR.  A recent article in the Marshalltown Times-Republican made it sound like the Board of Supervisors in Marshall County weren't too excited about the notion, citing the cost of maintenance.  However, it sounds like support may be a little more favorable up in Hardin County for such an endeavor.  Will be interesting to see how this evolves, but I certainly think this corridor would make for a fantastic trail through a very scenic part of Central Iowa and could provide a good boost to the economy in the towns along that potential trail.

RRVT

WAUKEE, IOWA - The weather the past couple of weeks has returned to more seasonal conditions, much different than the abnormally warm weather we enjoyed during March.  I've noticed the RRVT hasn't been quite as busy as it was with the warmer weather, but I expect that will change once the warmth returns later this week.
     Yesterday afternoon, checking the radar I was surprised to see that there were a couple of tornado warning polygons on the screen up in northwest Iowa.  No severe weather was forecast for the day, however a cold front was sweeping across Iowa apparently spawning some "cold air funnels" that must have reached the ground.  While taking a quick ride down the RRVT to Waukee and back, it was quite obvious that the front was approaching rapidly from the northwest as a bank of clouds overtook the clear skies overhead.  Returned just in time for a quick thundershower to douse the neighborhood before the sun returned to illuminate Dallas Center's "prairie silos".  Fortunately no funnel clouds sighted on the Raccoon River Valley Trail this afternoon!