Tornado - Wabash Trace Trail~

 On the 21st., the rain hit & within just a short time, we'd accumulated 1.57 inches!  It came down fast & furious.  During the afternoon, the tornado sirens were blaring & we received another .20 inches.  It was a scary afternoon. 

By Wednesday morning, the sun was shining & the air so very fresh & clean.  It was like the earth breathed a sigh of relief after receiving such badly needed moisture.

North from Silver City~

After mat making, I decided to load Shadow & head to Silver City.  I spoke to Mari Jo & we compared rain & tornado information.  She told me a tornado had crossed the trail between Mineola & Margaritaville.  I decided to go see if I could find the area.

Just outside Mineola~

I crossed the bridge & Barrus Road.  I'd just ridden a few feet when I came to the washout above.  I'd heard that Barrus had been covered with water & now I know where it came from.  This mud is very slick.  I had just enough room to walk the bike along the far edge.

This must have been a waterfall~

The washout area was large & it was obvious that a huge amount of water had gone through this area.  Corn stalks had been pulled from the culvert under the road.

Keg Creek~

I could hear Keg Creek before I got to the bridge!  You can see how high the water had gone up the banks by the flattened grass along the sides.  Probably close to double the volume of a few weeks ago.

Tree down~

Farther along going north, this tree was down & ready to fall on the trail.  There was enough room to get under it, but I hustled!  I actually thought maybe this had been the path of the tornado.  I was wrong!

Tornado's path~

Another mile & seeing blazing sunshine ahead was the first clue & as I approached, the damage was impossible to ignore.  Here was where the tornado had crossed the trail.  It had wickedly torn the trees apart for a section probably 150 ft. long. Volunteers had come through & cleaned the debris off the trails surface.

Margaritaville~ 

The cyclist hangout had been spared by only maybe 100 feet.  There's a house too, just out of the above photo that had been narrowly missed.  I stopped to sit up on one of the benches & call Butch.  It was such a gorgeous afternoon.

Dumfries underpass~

I continued on, planning to turn around at the area I call the Lookout, just a few miles south of Council Bluffs.  I dismounted & started to walk Shadow around the edge of the mud, (my prints on the far right) when I saw a truck with two trail volunteers coming from the north.  I was sinking so deep & Shadow's tires were covered in mud.  

I decided just to forget my plan, trying to step backward into my own prints.  The truck made it through - I made it out - mud squishing under my feet.  Yuck is all I can say...  I tried to get it off my shoes & ran the bike through some grass, but it was a mess.  I turned back toward Margaritaville.  

Looking south at the Tornado's path~

Returning south, I again viewed the damage to the trees from the tornado. It's scary just how ripped apart this small area is & think of the destruction done to homes, businesses & entire towns this season.  No one can remember a year when the sirens have gone off so often.

My electric horse~

It felt funny riding with all the mud coming off the tires!  I was happy I had fenders to catch it before it came flying up at me.  Getting it all off the underside of the fenders was another story!  

Mineola~

I stopped one more time to admire the view just outside Mineola, thankful that the town didn't have any damage.  The last four miles back to Silver City I saw two Woodchucks!  One came up & started to cross the trail, then stopped right in the middle!  As I took evasive action, I narrowly missed his tail!  

Back at Happy Trails, Mari Jo was just closing the shop, but let me use the hose to get the worst of the remaining mud off Shadow.  What a mess is all I can say.  I washed my new tennis shoes & made the drive home with wet feet!