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.