Silver City to the Lookout~

It was one of those perfect hazy days of November.  I knew the trail would be dried out enough to ride & decided to ride the section north from Silver City.  There was only one other car with Nebraska plates, in the parking area by Happy Trails.

Northward Bound~

I was surprised to see the first mile of concrete still covered with leaves after all the winds we've had.  The air was so fresh & the smell of the leaves the strongest of the season.

Stuck Van on a Grade B Road~

The picture above is a perfect example of why not to try to drive on Grade B roads after a rainstorm, or two!  I could hear the groan of the engine before I reached a clear spot on the trail to see where the noise originated. (This was one of the roads Farah & galloped when it was dry.)

Farm pond~

I'd taken a photo of this pond early in early October.  It was beautiful then & even more beautiful now.  The surface of the pond looked like a mirror, reflecting the trees.  There was absolutely no wind today & that's very rare, especially this late in the season.

Shadow~

When I made the climb back up to the trail, from admiring the pond, Shadow was waiting for me.  If not for this bike, I doubt I'd be doing the miles I've been used to.

Leaving Mineola~

The four miles to the Mineola trail head went by in no time.  The trees are still sporting some color & I enjoy them all.

Unidentified tree~

This is the second tree I've seen on the trail with the beautiful orange leaves.  My best guess so far is a Black Cherry.  

Harvesting Corn~

Further along the trail & more noise.  I soon saw why. It's still amazing to see how cleanly modern machinery can harvest corn from a field.  Very few ears are left & they're soon picked off by the deer, squirrels, turkey's etc.

At Margaritaville, I stopped to take a short break before finishing the last couple miles to the Lookout.  I assumed I was alone.  Wrong!  The slam of the outhouse door startled me!  A man came out who evidentially was walking the trail.  He didn't speak, I got back on Shadow & continued on.  A lesson to remember - even with no bikes around, someone may be.

Shadow & the view~

The Lookout bench rest spot wasn't occupied. I put in a call to Butch & took a short break before starting back south. 

Territorial View~

Though limited, I love what there is of a view from this hill.  It'll be a shame when the trees grow enough to close it off.

The "Lookout"

This rest spot is one of the nicest on the trail.  Most of the improvements occur on the mile's closest to Council Bluffs. There are so many areas further south that could use some work, but at least the two trestles each side of Malvern were repaired.

Lewis & Clark Trail~

Just past the underpass is the signage for the Lewis & Clark trail.  It follows the Wabash Trace for several miles & even continues through Glenwood.  When I passed the Grade B Road again, the van was gone.  

View of Mineola in the distance~

The view from the Old Goat rest area is another I always stop to admire.  With so much downhill on this stretch of trail, I wasn't too worried about getting back before sunset.  From here I had just over four miles left to reach Silver City.  I arrived at the Explorer by 4 p.m. & returned to pick up Finn from Doris by 5.  Once home, by the time I'd put the bike away, it was dusk.  Shorter days, but I'm enjoying them while they're still here.  Before long, the cold will come~