Wabash Trace Revisited~

Today dawned brisk & sunny!  Just enough wind for a decent chill too.  For the first time this season,  I wore my old, wonderful warm, but breathable tights that Diane made for me 100-years ago.  A light weight thermal shirt cut the cold too.

I picked Farah up & headed north - a real change for us.  In just 15-miles I was pulling into the Wabash Trail parking at Council Bluffs.  Only a couple cars in the lot, so I had plenty of room to pull the Bronco & trailer off to one side along the grass.

At the north end~

There was a ton of large truck traffic on the road, fully loaded side loaders full of dark dirt.  Lots of excavation going on somewhere.  My plan was to head south & see if we'd have horse trail to the break spot that the bike riders call "Margaretville".  I didn't exactly remember where it had started, from our first & only ride here last February.

We Did have light!

I'd put my light weight jacket on, but figured I'd be removing it shortly.  Wrong! Instead I was zipping it up & putting on the gloves that I'd thankfully left in the pockets!

Wooded Trail~

To see a photo - it looks remote, when in fact, the early part of the trail takes you along a busy road just off to our left.  Lots of noise everywhere, grain bins with blower fans going, the traffic, trains in the distance etc.

Limestone surface~

Farah doesn't have shoes, the limestone surface was literally as hard a concrete.  So strange that it can be so hard when dry - then so soft when wet.

Soon you come to the longest of the many bridges.  Of course we're used to bridges :-)

Between the Ears - Signage~

The fact that the Horse Trail is also a Mountain Bike trail is bit disconcerting.  As mountain bikes began to discover the tree farm trails in WA, the usual issues arose.  Those same issues occur here.  There are several hills that are blind & blind turns too.  Since the parking lot was so empty - I really didn't expect that we'd run into anyone.

Can you see it?

Just below Farah's nose in the photo above is wire.  The rusted wire blends in So very well to the leaves & debris on the ground.  I never leave a trail!  Farah's coat has lightened two shades in the last two weeks.  Her summer chocolate is long gone, replaced by winters two-tone gold.

Looking down on the limestone bike trail~

It was one of those stellar days of fall - that are so rich in sight & smell I never want them to end.  So nice to head out & just Go somewhere - no loops, no looking for miles & just finding perimeter fences.  

A break spot for the bikes in someone's "yard"

 The place above, seems to be a rest spot for the bike riders.  The usual cheap beer cans in the trash container.  No real obstacles, someone had cut small bushes & branches off the trail in places.  Farah wasjust cruzing along on a loose rein.

Natural arch~

 I hadn't looked at my GPS route from Feb., it was more fun to recognize different things as we went.  The Squirrels were about the only wildlife we saw - busy gathering walnuts this time of year.

High on a hill~

 By now, we were about four-miles out.  The noise of town had faded, things had gotten quiet & so peaceful.  Just the sounds of the birds, the breeze & Farah's hooves crunching the dry leaves on the trail.

Views~

When we made it to the territorial views & were still on horse trail I was so happy!  I didn't remember & we had ridden it from the other direction - if we'd be able to get this far & indeed we had!

The never-ending beauty of the trail~

As we came up on five-miles, the only time we'd had to broach the limestone, was to cross a bridge, or now, go through the underpass.  This one had the designation of Dumfries -  the historic name of the old town that had been in the area of Margaretville. 

Going under~

 Once through, it was just a short distance until we saw our destination!  No one was around, it was past our lunch time, so I dismounted to let Farah graze on what grass we could find.  We heard a vehicle coming?  A truck was driving up on the limestone & pulled in to park.  A couple got out & introduced themselves as Connie & Tom.  They'd come to remove the decorations that had been put up for the Taco Thursday bike ride & Halloween.

Margaretville!

We talked for quite a while, they agreed that horse trails are way too sparse in a state where most of us had experienced a childhood that included at least one horse.  Such a shame & it has been my greatest disappointment since returning.

Heading back~

Finally, it was time to turn back - both Farah & I wanted to continue on to Mineola...  Without a designated horse-trail - we would have had to ride the edge of the limestone & heaven forbid!  From there it would have only been five-miles back to Farah's stable.  The Garmin showed that we were just over six-miles out from Council Bluffs & only 4-miles away from Mineola.  Connie said that the horse trail continued a bit further, but got swampy.  I remembered that from our ride - maybe we'll check out just how much farther that is - next time.

Color & views~

We weren't in any hurry to get back, it was just too perfect of an afternoon.

Eastern wahoo

I pulled Farah up when I saw these blooms!  Slightly blurred by the breeze - but blooming in November?  I checked with the Iowa State University Horticulture Dept.  They were kind enough to reply back.  Usually blooming early in the season, I'm excited to have found them after our hard frosts.  I won't complain about our night temperatures in the 20's though - it put an end to the bugs!

Closer to town~

This area, even with the road noise, is so beautiful & reminds me of a countryside out of the past.  It's an amazing feeling to be back in the great wide-open & be able to enjoy the blessing of being away from huge metropolitan areas.

Power Plant in the valley~

 I'd watched as a large band of clouds started moving in from the west & within minutes the day had gone from golden to gray.  The wind picked up & just a drop or two of rain fell.

Farah looks & listens~

 Farah has always had the habit of stopping of her own accord, since our very first ride & I've always let her.  She is so astute & aware.  We could just see fast moving traffic on Interstate 29 & probably the Veterans Memorial Highway.  We could also see the big trucks, still hauling dirt & the edge of an industrial area.

Bronco & Trailer~

We covered just over 12-miles & been out for over four-hours.  My round-trip - was just 33-miles!  Farah's stable had actually been on-the-way!   So nice to spend time riding, rather than driving.   For the 300+ miles I've ridden this year, the truck & trailer have taken us 3,000 miles.  Sad statistics...