Back to Biking~

A beautiful Easter Sunday, sunshine & temperatures climbing into the mid-80's with 20-30 mph wind gusts.  We'd made reservations for an early dinner in Mineola.  I also had the bright idea of getting our bikes out of the shed & back on the trail.  I had no idea if I could even balance with one eye, but after a few trials & errors - things got easier.

Between the handle bars~

How long it's been since we've had the bikes out, I can hardly remember.  It was in Washington, probably 2015 when we went camping with the Peters at Ft. Flagler.  Before that, mostly on the Centennial Trail prior to Farah & my adventure.  This is the section of trail Farah & I rode in reverse, last September.

At the point where Farah & I got on the trail~

Riding on the limestone was a new experience, but easier than I'd thought. Of course we picked the uphill grade & were ready for a break by the time we reached 275th.

The way we'd come~

A gentleman pulled up, coming from the opposite direction.  He asked where we'd started & said we'd reached the high point of this stretch of trail.  From here on would be mostly downhill into Silver City.  That good news renewed our interest in continuing forward. :-)

Concrete!

We soon came to trail that had a concrete surface! Of course nicer than the limestone & a little more out of the wind. Speeding along, we reached Silver City in no time.

Downtown Silver City

It's a tiny, quaint little town. Nothing open on Sunday. A bike shop, porta-potty in good condition & water not yet turned on. We looked at some of the store fronts, the one below long closed up.

Old style~

Since I hadn't fully charged my Garmin, it gave out just before we reached town.  At the park, was a nice Gazebo & trail signage.

Butch~

We hitched the bikes to the available hitching post.  Of course there are no horses allowed on this, or any other section of the trail.  The exception being a 6-mile stretch south from Council Bluffs. Farah & I rode it often.

The jail was built in 1911 & restored in 2007

Behind the jail, was this nice old wagon, flag flying.

Park like setting~

I had to look around, one of the horses had fallen down, but there they were! The last of their kind on this trail. One with his front legs missing & the other with the hind legs gone. A sad testimony to how little horses are appreciated for all they have done for us - throughout history.  They sported some very weathered tack.

Wagon horses~

From here we turned back.  It was nice having the concrete about half the way back to the high point & we flew the final miles into Mineola.

our route~

 The round-trip was 8.6 miles.  I told Butch that next time we eat after the ride - not before!  At least my completely boring hours at the Y on the elliptical, seem to be paying off.  

Dreamin' of Trails~

What a nice place for a trails meeting!  Sugar Clay Winery was on our list of places to visit, the meeting gave us the excuse.  This was billed as a Trails Plan & Mapping Session.  Over the last couple of months these meetings have been held in four different locations.  Mills has had their plan in place since 2015, but that was before we arrived & we have some catching up to do.

Our map~

Brian Leaders, of the National Parks Service gave a presentation on the importance of developing trails within our state.  We were given two felt markers, pink for hard surface & green for soft.  With them we were asked to mark any areas where we'd like to see future trails.  Thinking long-term was the key...   Being involved over the years as the Centennial Trail in Snohomish County Washington took shape & became reality - it's tough to realize that here, it's only been in the last few years that trails have come into the spotlight.

Enjoying Sugar Clay Winery~

I started looking at the rivers, still thinking of the Northwest & liking the idea of trails along rivers.  But no, I was told that doesn't happen here - land is owned from the center line of the rivers, streams & creeks.  I marked the Wabash Trace throughout this county & did hear that other Equestrian's had marked it also in other Counties.  The existing Equestrian Trail has already been reduced from the original ten-miles to just 6 now, that are still open.  That trail is shared with mountain bikes.  With farming the priority, there just isn't the open land needed for trails.  But - Brian told us to dream big & to imagine if cost weren't an issue, where would we want to go?   Well...  Of course I'd want to go just as far as I could!

Our table's finished map~

We were the only Equestrians in attendance.  Some of the statistics were staggering, when you consider that the squeaking wheel gets the grease...  $364. million spent by Bike riders in 2011.  $8. million in bike sales & the list goes on.  A huge positive impact to the economy.  Bike groups gather statistics to support their trail expansion plans & again have a loud voice at the local, state & national levels.  The importance of joining the Back Country Horsemen of America can't be stressed enough.  They are the group that's large enough & operates in the same legislative venues as the bike lobbies.

My mind-set is changing somewhat.  Even if they're not specifically Equestrian Trails, a trail, any trail is a Good Thing!  It's a place to enjoy what nature has to offer.  There was a gentleman at another table, speaking of how much damage he knew horses would do to any area where they were allowed.  Education is again key - being a responsible horse owner is also key.  Leaving no trace in shared trail-heads is a no brainer.  Being friendly as a group - is becoming even more important as more & more people share the same recreational spaces.

I can't speak for the other riders in our state, but I don't think many like riding on multi-use urban type trail systems.  If those trails connected to somewhere like Waubonsie or Pierce Creek, I believe they would be used much more.  I put in my Dream Trail to connect Waubonsie with the Wabash!  

Wabash Trace - Mineola to Council Bluffs~

It's another sunshine day!  In the 70's - in February!  I'd had a plan in my mind for a while now...  I wanted to ride the Wabash Trace Nature Trail!  I made calls, looked at the published map & could not find where horses could enter the trail - besides the top/north end at Council Bluffs. 

Bike Parking at Mineola~

We knew there was a large parking area at Mineola - it's close to where Farah is stabled.  Butch agreed to drop us off there - then head up to the trail-head at Council Bluffs to pick us up!  Both Farah & I love point-to-point rides & it had been a very long time!

Picnic area too!

Since we hadn't pre-ridden the trail with our bikes, I had no idea what we'd encounter on our ride.  (Later Butch told me he'd had to back up the drive to get the truck & trailer out.)

Discouraging!

The signage made it more than obvious horses were not welcome here.  We both wondered why this is?  I hope to find out.  Regardless, Farah & I have ridden the length of the Centennial Trail - through towns where horses were not allowed - yet made friends along the way & did no damage.  As the Chairman of the Centennial Trail Coalition, I worked to keep Equestrians Right-To-Ride in the public eye.  I knew horses were allowed on the section near Council Bluffs, so hoped to find the parking area that made it possible.

On our way!

It was a exciting challenge for the two of us!  Farah moved right into a trot & her speed just kept going up!  :-)  It has been since our last ride in WA, she's been able to move out!  I know she knew right away this would be a one-way ride :-)

The first bridge~

When I saw this from a distance - my first thought was that it had steel grating...  That would not have been fun - but Farah wasn't shod - so it would have helped the steel on steel sound we'd experienced one day near Arlington, WA!  We were in luck!  It was gray wood decking!

Water flowing below - I think Keg Creek~

 The trail was making a big bend to the north.  Soon, there were trees on both sides - it was just beautiful & reminded me very much of a section of the Whitehorse Trail we used to ride often.

Beautiful!

These views, this time of year, are all shades of gold & browns.  Not the lush greens we'd already be seeing where we're from!  As we rode along, I wondered when the first flush of green starts appearing here.

Cowboy Pass?

We came to the above pass!  A Cowboy Pass where no horses are allowed?

At just under 2-miles - Our first of six road crossings - Applewood Ave.~

Here I was really hoping to see some sign of another trail-head, but there was none.  We were also looking for anything that looked like a horse trail!

Resting spot~

There were several benches placed along the trail, some in perfect spots to sit & enjoy the day.

Flag flying!

Farther up & we could see the American Flag flying from quite a distance off!

Bike nirvana!

Wow!  What would horsemen do to have a nice place like this along the trail!  Ton's of parking for bikes, covered picnic area & a trash container was overflowing.  Just across the way was a private residence & a historical marker.  A town that lived off the commerce of the rail line.

Dumfries - April 26, 1895 - October 7, 1931

From here we continued on - still searching for the illusive horse trail!

On we go~

It was So quiet out - no roads, no traffic noise, just the sound of the breeze in the trees & the birds chirping.  We were both having a wonderful time!

Just about 4-miles - Dumfries Underpass~

I didn't see any traffic on the road above.  Farah marched in & we were through & moving forward.

Mileage Markers~

Plentiful mileage markers - almost every quarter mile.  It was just shortly after this we found the horse trail off to one side!

On the horse trail!

Farah recognizes a real trail when she see's one & she saw it almost before I did!  It was oh so nice to be on one!

The next bridge!

The trail would weave from one side of the main line to the other.  We usually knew when we were  coming to a bridge, as the trail would go up, or down - to it.

Out in nowhere~

 This was the most remote section of the trail & it was stunning.  You almost felt like you were out in a wilderness area.

Main Trail below~

We loved the hills!  Farah - the hill machine - hasn't had any opportunity to put her skill to use.  Here she bounded up - but I'd have to ask her to slow as we approached the top - not knowing what would be on the far side of the crest.

Needs work~

This section was a bit tricky, the ground was wet & slippery, the downhill side was steeper than it looks here & at the bottom was a grizzly wire fence that had been knocked over.   On long stretches of the trail there would be barbed wire along side.

Pretty all the way~

It was such an amazing day - we hadn't seen a soul the entire way.  One spook over a black squirrel - otherwise - we were both enjoying the trail.

Windmill~

This windmill was on the far side of the fence from the trail, but it was spinning rapidly in the breeze.  That wasn't a problem, but I think Mark should incorporate one of these in his Trail Course!

The shadow~

It was the shadow!  I tried to get a video - but I was too busy :-)  The shadow of the blades whipping around right on the trail was something neither of us had ever seen & Farah really thought it might get her!  :-)

At your own risk~

There were a couple times when I really hoped the bridges were strong enough to support the weight of a horse!  This sign did nothing to improve my confidence. :-)

The longest bridge~

The decking here was almost new & in great shape!  The last of the seven bridges we crossed.  I never dreamed there would be so many.

The final underpass~

Butch had called to see how we were doing & warned me about this tunnel.  It was low!  So low another inch & the top of my helmet would have been hitting the top!  I should have gotten off - but didn't.  We cruised right through.

Late afternoon~

It was getting later in the afternoon & we both knew from the noise of the traffic on the road - we were getting close.  There were two large trees blown over across the trail, but we made it around.  This would be a good place to do some trail clearing & cleanup too.

We find Butch & Nika!

These two had walked several miles of the trail - but agreed to come out again to meet us!  Nika was pretty surprised, but Farah had things figured out!  We put the hitching post at the Tastee Treat to good use & sat up at the picnic table to enjoy two absolutely yummy shakes!

End of the Trail~

Finally, we walked the final few yards to the end - or beginning of the trail - depending on which way you're heading!  At just ten-miles - it was a really great ride!   Farah was not surprised to see her trailer waiting.  We took her back to her stable, I spent an hour grooming her - she's finally losing a few hairs from her winter coat.  Then - on to the car wash - to clean the truck & trailer.  This is an event almost every time we take them out.  Lots of road grime from going on the gravel roads!

It would be wonderful if bike riders would share this trail with Equestrians.  Many horsemen have mentioned it's scary when the bikes are out in numbers.  On this ride, the two we saw near town didn't make a sound as they flew by.  The signage says bikes are to yield to everyone - but does that ever happen?