Wabash Trace Nature Trail Bike Ride 8 24 06

  Right off the bat I had better fess up to not making the entire 126 miles.  Minor medical problem I hadn't anticipated made cutting it short approbriate.  Can we say Preparation H, nudge nudge say no more.  I did however manage 90+ miles.  We made it to Shenandoah.  Was it easy?  The first 27 miles wasn't bad, the last 5 miles was OK. 13 miles was all uphill and after awhile I was so worn out.  So anyway.  Come along and I'll show you the way.

               

   We finally got everything loaded and ready.  We didn't know about taking all that water but it turned out we needed most of it.  It was hot and there is just hardly any place to buy more.  We were on the trail by 9:45 give or take.  We were slightly nervous about leaving our car after we arrived and found the porta pots had either been vandilized or blow over.  Fortunately no problems.

                      

   Since this is a converted railroad track it is straight most of the way to start and no steep hills.  There are grades though and they fool you.  They just gradually go up and up and up.  The great thing about the torture of the hills though is the bliss of the long slopes down,  Wheeeee....

                    

  We saw this house on the outskirts of Council Bluffs, Ia.  It doesn't look haunted to me.  This is actually a daycare!

                 

   We saw this pretty horse on the way and I had to get a picture.  You can also ride next to the trail on horseback.

              

  The grades are gradual so it wasn't too difficult at first.  Only when exhaustion sets in do they seem to get really bad.

           

   Fortunately the path is canopied with trees along most of it.  It cuts down on the view, bad, but it helps with the heat, good.

          

Some time was spent initially adjusting the load so the ride was smoother.  Rick had about 30 pounds of water and supplies on the bike.  Heavy on a bike.

            

   Parts of the path reminded us that fall was right around the corner.

                   

   And at first there were plenty of benches to rest your tired legs.

          

   Not your typical biking clothes or your typical biker we saw on trails,  I was by far the heaviest and oldest.  Gee, I wonder if I broke any records?  Still smiling and completely enjoying myself.

        

   At this stop we decided to try the 5 hour energy drinks we had brought.  We were both chicken to drink the whole thing the first time so we split it.  The taste wasn't near as bad as we had been made to believe.   Also we were slightly worried it might throw Rick into A-fib.  It didn't and we did get a boost which was nice.  At least 2 1/2 hours worth.  We also had a power bar.  The view was pleasant and the wildflowers pretty.

        

          

          

   The sweet scent of flowers though soon gave way to manure, lots of it.

            

         Not a blade of grass or tree escaped the cattle on this feedlot.

                

 You can buy a t-shirt with a drawing of this bridge on it to remember the trip by.  I might get me one.  This bridge is pretty cool.  The wooden timbers are really old.

                     

  There were some neat rural things to see on the way.

                         

  But some of the farm houses sure have changed since I was a girl.  Raising those beautiful dogs must pay well.  Or farming allows them to have all those beautiful dogs!

         

     One thing kind of unnerving was above your head in the canopy were a ton of web worms.  They completely strip the branch they are on.

           

   The walnuts look like they survived though.

              

    Rick is smiling most of the time.  He is always happiest when traveling.

        

  I think it said there are a total of 21 bridges on the trails.  Most are wooden and fun to cross.  Watch out for nails though.  Across was what the cars use, not as much fun.

              

                         

   The first part of our trip was 9.6 miles to get into Mineola.  People do this ride on Thursday's for tacos and margarita's at the steak housein town.  So far it has been an easy ride and we are feeling good.  The gentle slopes didn't even faze us.  We both had a good laugh over the name of this porta pot. Turd Toters.   Little did either of us know it was the last one on the trail!

                

   The elk horns were why I took the picture but check out that massive tree in the back!

                       

   From here it is on to Silver City. 4.3 miles. 

               

   What do you think of this bird house.  Even the dead trees are important.

                                

   Since we were on a gravel road we spent alot of time emptying out our shoes.  Doesn't he look cute!

            

         In Silver City is the original jail from 1911.  I sure would have hated to be stuck in that tiny place for long!

           

           A little door opened behind the bars, I assume to shoot anyone trying to break the crook out.

                       

         

        The posse could tie their horses up right outside.  And use the great bathroom indoors?

         

   From Silver City we traveled to Malvern which was 8 miles and then to  Imogene which was a long stretch, 13.6.  After Malvern most if not all of the benches disappeared and finding a Turd Toter was just a dream.  No cold water, hot hot hot and by this time it was getting onto 4 oclock. 

            They had a nice park in Malvern and a bathroom.  However it was outhouse type bathroom.  Now I spent summers on farms as a girl without indoor plumbing so that didn't bother me but there was a big spider web in the hole.  I went out and looked for a stick to clean it out and the park was so clean there wasn't a stick to be found.

            

   The park was pretty though and we had some trail mix and rested. 

            

    I took less pictures and buckled down to try and make some time.  Oh,and no more benches!  That was really bad because I would have loved to sit, and not on the trail, too dirty.  Most of this stretch was uphill, gradual, but uphill still.  I would come around a corner expecting to see it start going down only to see it still went up.  Weird though as it was so gradual you couldn't always see it, just feel it in your legs.

                   

                        We still had some pretty sights though.

        

            

          

      My legs are bruised all over.  Why?  Grasshoppers.  You would be flying downhill enjoying the reprieve and whack, right on the leg or face, or arm, a grasshopper would smash into you.  I am such a fragile flower, Yah right, I bruised from it.

             

   We saw a few places where the train had derailed and they just left the cars in the water.  Would have been hard to get them up.

           

       Couldn't you just picture Huck Finn fishing on this bank!

          

   The trail stretched on for miles and by this time I was beginning to think it had no end.  Who's stupid idea was this!  Oops, mine again.

                  

    Miles and miles of trails and miles and miles of cornfields.

                 

                

      Happily, we finally came across this bridge which had seats on it so we could sit and empty our shoes and rest.  Simple comforts.  Looking over the river I saw where another train had derailed.  Hummmm how safe were these bridges we were driving over?

                      

               

         It was a pretty wild river though.

             

            The next bridge was my favorite.  Not only was it really neat and looked great in pictures, it was the last bridge before Shenandoah.  You can see it in the distance.  I almost cried.

                   

                   

           Looking at my reflection while I resting on the bridge I wondered what had I been thinking when I suggested this trip.  Perhaps this.  The quiet view from a bridge.  Bone tired but peaceful.  Almost there. 

                     

            This bridge was my gateway from suffering. 

                           

       So I climbed back on my trusty bike and prepared to ride into town.  The last few miles seemed as long as the whole trip.  I was completely done in.