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.