Glorious Saturday

WAUKEE, IOWA - This Saturday was one of those types of days where we just wanted to stay outside as much as possible and soak up the warm sunshine, feel the gentle breeze, and enjoy the aroma of springtime around us.  Besides getting a fair amount of yard work done, there was also some time spent cycling on the Raccoon River Valley Trail and around the great trail system in the City of Waukee as well as a visit to Big Creek State Park again to spend some time paddling on the open water.  It sounds like we have a couple more days of this nice, mild weather until later in the week when highs only in the 40's (!) are predicted.  Farmers are pushing hard trying to get anhydrous applied, wrap up tillage, and some have even started to plant corn while there was a window to get some field work done before the next system moves in.
     The BikeIowa.com calendar is starting to fill up with several rides in and around Central Iowa....just about every weekend there is something going on around the area.  Bike Month begins this coming week with several activities planned.  Locally the City of Perry has several activities coming up including the Hiawatha Classic which I hope to participate in again this year.  Also preparations are well underway for a couple of big cycling events locally - the grand opening of the North Loop of the Raccoon River Valley Trail on June 1st, as well as RAGBRAI's trip across Central Dallas County in July.  Looking forward to both of these activities and many others for both the cycling and paddling enthusiasts here in Central Iowa!

We encountered this little guy basking in the sunshine himself on the trail this morning.

A peaceful moment on Big Creek this afternoon.

April Paddle at Big Creek

POLK CITY, IOWA - I was fortunate to attend a couple of events put on during the past several weeks by the good folks at Canoe Sport Outfitters in Indianola - Paddlefest and Demofest. These two events provided a great way to learn more about the different styles of kayaks that exist and better yet offered the opportunity to actually test various models in the water to dial in what best fits a given paddler's skills and intended use.  After attending these events, and trying different models out, I had determined that a recreational type kayak that had elements of a "transitional" class of kayak was probably the best fit for me.  This past Saturday was the first opportunity I had to get out on the water with the Kestrel 120 and chose to visit Big Creek State Park near Polk City.
     Conditions were partly sunny and in the lower 50's with very light winds when I arrived at the beach area of Big Creek.  There is currently a lot of construction going on at the beach were it looks like several new shelters, a boat house, and other structures are being built.  Not knowing if the boat ramp was accessible, I elected to embark on my journey by launching from the beach area that was still open outside of the construction area.
     Once situated in the boat, with my PFD in place, I pushed off and was quickly enjoying the beauty of Big Creek from offshore.  The kayak was very stable and it didn't take long to get comfortable as I moved further from shore.  I paddled along the east edge of the lake, and enjoyed observing several species of waterfowl along the lake.  There was a handful of folks fishing around the east perimeter of the lake along with a few fishing boats and one other paddler on the water.  Outside of that, it felt like I had the lake to myself.
     I have typically done most of my kayaking on the local rivers in the area, so it was a bit of a different experience paddling around the lake.  I certainly didn't have the advantage of a current pushing me downstream, so I was reliant on my own "engine" to keep me moving.  It didn't take long to get warmed up and I probably could have gotten by without wearing the jacket I had on under my PFD..
     After paddling for about three miles, it was time to return to shore and head home.  It will be fun to check out some more of the various Iowa water trails this coming summer!
    

Trail Cleanup!

DALLAS CENTER, IOWA - We have been water logged the last week or so all throughout the area (what a difference a year makes!) but the weather finally "broke" this weekend and treated us to some gorgeous sunshine, light winds and a great day for some trail maintenance along the RRVT in Dallas Center.
     Since biking the newly opened segment of the RRVT running north out of Dallas Center, I have been bothered with the amount of litter and junk that had accumulated along the former railroad right-of-way.  So this past weekend, with the help of the city we organized a small group of volunteers to clean up that stretch of trail and try to make it more presentable to folks coming through town.
     After only two hours of work, we were able to scour both sides of the trail and fill up a pickup load full of debris to take to the dump.  Paper, cardboard, metal, glass, plastic and just about anything else you can imagine was picked up.  Thanks to the efforts of these volunteers, that stretch of trail looks much more pristine as you come through town.

Biking in the 'Burbs

CLIVE, IOWA - Activity seems to have picked up on the RRVT the last week with the milder
weather we've been experiencing.  On several jaunts between Minburn, Dallas Center and Waukee the past several days folks are definitely taking advantage of the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the tranquility of the rural Dallas County countryside.
     After riding the RRVT into the heart of Waukee today, I veered off onto a "spur" trail that was recently expanded through several neighborhoods, across Alice's Road, and eventually into Clive where you can continue on to the trail system that eventually takes you to downtown Des Moines (without some of the big hills on the existing stretch of trail along Hickman Road).  It sure is exciting to see how easy it is to get just about anywhere in the Des Moines metro nowadays via the excellent network of paths and trails throughout the area.  We're quite fortunate to have these assets in our backyard!