Spirit Lake to Silver Lake~

It was a beautiful Friday morning, warm with high clouds.  The only detraction was a good stiff wind.  We went out for lunch before driving to the trailhead.  The mileage was anywhere from 11 to 14 miles, depending on what trail map we used.

Ready to leave from the Tatanka Ska Trace Trailhead, Spirit Lake, IA~

As I mentioned, the colors this year weren't nearly as bright as last year.  The red/orange of the Virginia Creeper lit up the trees as we left town.

Color from Virginia Creeper~

In another mile or so, I caught a glimpse of white through the bushes as we approached a bridge.  I called to Butch & stopped.  Swans!  What a beautiful sight!  The first one's I've ever seen so close & in a natural setting.

I was so excited to see this swan family!

When I looked at Google Earth later, this wetland area is the Jemmersion Slough Wildlife Preserve.  It's totally stunning & covers a huge area.  The most beautiful marsh/wetland I've seen so far in the state.  The swan family was totally unconcerned by our presence.

Beautiful countryside~

The trail put us out in what I like to call the great wide-open.  Out in the countryside this time of year, is one of my favorite places to be.  Up ahead of us I could see a clay-colored structure.

The old grain elevator, now for sale~

As we rode nearer, the old grain elevator dominated the landscape.  There was a "For Sale" sign posted nearby.

Shadow turns over 1,000!

Not too much farther, my bike's odometer turned over 1,000 miles!   My first ride on this bike was the end of March 2024.  I haven't ridden as many miles the last few years that I had before my injury, but even so this has been a great bike & given me the ability to continue riding the trails.

Shadow & me, 1,000 miles~

Butch's bike is new in comparison, but we manage a few rides every year.  Finding these trails near one of our favorite spots has been great.  Soon, we could see dust flying ahead & knew we were nearing Silver Lake.

A busy place!

These grain elevators dwarfed the old one's we'd passed!  The semis were coming & going non-stop.  The piles of corn were impressive!

Mountains of corn!

The trail came to an end at South Market Street.  We decided to turn south; I knew the park & lake had to be nearby.  We rode through a neighborhood & found our way to Silver Lake City Park. 

Silver Lake from the park~

It was such a nice area, an old-fashioned park with a playground that reminded us of our childhood.  

Informational signage~

That the area is interested in preserving the shoreline with native plants was great to see.  

The Knox Cabin~

The Cabin was amazing - with signage explaining the historical significance of the structure.

History of the log cabin~

The Cabin was off to one side of the playground area.  A camping area was there too, along with rest rooms, showers etc.  Probably busy in the summer months, we had it to ourselves.

It's a race!

Some of these playground spring riding toys are well over 50-years old.  This is the first time we've seen any similar to ours.  One was an exact replica of our red horse, only made from a plastic material rather than cast aluminum.  

Silver Lake Park~

Yes!  We played on the merry-go-round & swung on the swings!  You can go pretty high!  It was already late afternoon by the time we started back.

Stunning fall evening~

The wind had picked up & was gusting out of the south.  We both used our highest PAS gear to make any headway.  The high cloud cover gave the landscape an eerie cast.

Our way back east~

Butch set the pace & I could tell he was getting hungry!  I did stop to recover my sun bill.  A gust of wind had taken it right off my head!

Trail Signage, rolling hills~

The photo above gives you an idea of the undulating nature of the landscape.  The road crossings were covered with concrete.  Really a nice feature of the trail, mitigating the usual heavy gravel of road crossings.

The swan family at Jemmerson Slough Wildlife Management Area~

On the way back, I had to stop again & sure enough, the swans were still there.  By the time we'd returned to the Bronco in Spirit Lake, we'd ridden a round-trip of 24 miles.  

Our favorite restaurant~

We always have to plan at least one meal at the Okoboji Store.  With the Iowa Hawkeyes playing, we were lucky to get the last empty table on the deck.  Drinks in front of us, dinner ordered!  The perfect way to end the day!