Pedaling on~

 Butch left Friday morning, heading back toward IN.  As I usually do after he leaves, I cleaned anything I could find to clean.  Tasks I don't enjoy taking my mind off his absence.

Maverick~

Today though, even though the heat & humidity have returned, I wanted to ride.  When I pulled into Happy Trails Mari Jo expressed surprise that I was there.  Even mid-80's with humidity in the low 60's was a better forecast than the rest of this week.  Rain is expected later, that will really make things steamy.

Soybeans turning gold~

My energy level wasn't the greatest, but seeing the seasons begin to change is always uplifting.

Walnut canopy thinning out~

The Walnut trees are dropping walnuts everywhere.  Not as many, but larger than last year's crop. They are tricky to navigate & hitting them is no fun.

Tree down~

Thirty minutes into the ride, I found a trail block.  This one was tricky to get over, the split limbs on the right were just close enough together, the bike didn't fit between them.  Lifting Shadow over them both at once wasn't an option.  A rider who came from the opposite direction offered to help, but I declined & managed to angle Shadow, a wheel at a time, to the other side.

Cattails & Sunflowers~

The wetland near Malvern that burned last year, has completely recovered, except for some of the trees that had lined the trail.

Shadow turns over 400-miles~

I realized too, when I don't have the PAS system on, the bike doesn't record the miles!  Really?!  :-)  I usually keep it on.  Riding in the lowest eco mode balances out the heavier weight of the bike.  When my knees start hurting, it's time to either shift the PAS up, or gear down. 

Fields of gold~

I looped through Malvern, then stopped at the pond as usual.  Only two RVs were at the campground.  A Dad came riding in, holding a dog on a leash & with three little kids on bikes!  I was impressed at his skill!

Silver Creek~

It had been cloudy all morning, but by the time I left to ride, the sky was clearing off & the heat was climbing.  The lush greens speak for themselves.

Shadow on the Trestle~

I started moving out after I left the trestle heading back north.  I was tired, hot & the bugs were awful any time I stopped.  Shadow outran them!  Today, I saw no less than three couples riding e-bikes.  Now that I'm riding one, I have to stop complaining about them.  That said, I still have concerns about bikes capable of what I consider an excessive speed of 28 mph.  Way too fast for a multi-user trail.

I picked up Finn.  He had flushed a cat from under one of the bushes in Doris's backyard his last visit & had a great time chasing it over the fence.  Today, the cat held its ground & Finn would not stop barking!  Doris had to go out & convince the cat to scram!  The story had me laughing out loud!  :-)

The Trestle Reopens~

 It was a beautiful day without as much wind as we've seen so far almost every day this month.  There isn't a person I know who hadn't had about enough of the wind!  To have such pretty spring days & yet have the winds drying things out even more is difficult.  We had a touch of rain .09 last Sat. not even enough to moisten the ultra-dry earth.  Red Flag warnings are almost a daily occurrence.

Leaving from Happy Trails~

With Silver City being my to-go place for so long, it seemed strange to be back.  I was excited to be able to ride the entire route to Malvern again.  It was quiet in town & I was surprised to be the only car in the parking area.

Fields yet to be planted~

Things still look more like late winter than early spring.  The fields are still brown & the leaves are yet to emerge from their buds.  The trail surface was completely dry & very dusty.

The big Cottonwood~

It was almost eerie, how quiet it was rolling onto the new Trestle planks!  They are so tight & smooth after the rough old boards of the original.  I stopped to admire the big cottonwood, but the river is so low now, you can hardly pick it out in the background.

Shadow on the Silver Creek Trestle~

You can see in the photo above, the black boards of decking.  I'm not sure what material was used, but it will probably outlast any other wood type product.  The rails here, as on the White Cloud Trestle, do have a raw look with the rusted metal of the overhead structure.

Boehner Pond - lower than ever~

Shadow made the ride a breeze!  I'm sticking with my goal of keeping the battery charged with constantly pedaling in the highest gear my knees feel comfortable with.  After all, besides getting my time out in nature, I appreciate getting all the exercise I can!

I didn't stop for long at the park, before going on to the Arch in Malvern.  I wanted to try to match up this ride with a previous one on Smokey (self-pedaled).  

Under the Arch - looking south~

The flower vines have yet to begun to turn green, but soon & hope I'll to see blooms! 

Bicycle Tree - Malvern, IA

The Bicycle tree always looks so colorful as you ride by!  I made a short loop around town before heading back.  I'd just ridden under the train underpass when I saw two riders stopped on the trail.  Dan & Mari Jo!  Dan was heading the way I was, Mari Jo had been going south.  It was great to see them both & we had a nice chat before Dan left us.  Mari Jo cut her ride short & we rode together back north to Silver City & enjoyed catching up!

Back at Happy Trails, I loaded Shadow & started for home.  I was only about a mile from town when I heard a strange noise.  I looked in the rear-view mirror to see the bike handlebars had dropped & were turned sideways!   Not good!  I found the first farm driveway & pulled off to the side of the road.

 Yakima OnRamp Hitch E-bike Ramp broken Strap

The strap holding Shadow's front tire had broken completely off.  The front of the bike had come down off the rail & was being held to the rack by the rear tire strap & the center post strap.  It was so taunt - when I tried to lift the front end enough to get it back up on the tire rail it was impossible.  When I tried to loosen the strap on the center post, it was so tight I couldn't get it to release & give me enough slack.

About this time, a Sherrif's officer in an unmarked car pulled alongside & asked if I needed assistance?  Well, yes, a helping hand would be appreciated!  He pulled in behind me.  As I pulled up on the front of the bike, he managed to get the strap on the center post to release!  Thankfully, the bike hadn't been damaged!  He had parachute cord, I had bungee cords & between the two, we secured the front tire. 

Butch has ordered all new attachments & straps.  This carrier is rated for two 66 lb. bikes & until a week ago, had only carried Smokey at 32 lbs.  We're attributing the break to the Iowa cold/heat cycle (material fatigue) & have ordered additional straps to double secure the bikes from now on!  

Short Trail Ride~

Butch had left early in the morning & was back on the road.  I decided a bike ride was what I needed & the weather was beautiful.  After reading the trail report from Silver City, riding the trail sounded better than the longer drive up to the lake.  

Mari Jo on the damp trail~

As I pulled in, I saw Mari Jo across the way, on her bike.  I hadn't called, since I'd decided to go last minute.  As we started off, Mari Jo amended what she'd written in her report.  Now, with the warming temperatures, she said the trail had softened.  I had the feeling, my goal of riding to the trestle was not going to happen.

The bridges were dry!  :-)

Just a few feet in, it was all too obvious the trail was not rideable.  At least not for me.  There were short sections that were dry, but for the most part, the trail was rapidly defrosting & soft best described the surface. 

Water in the creek~

It was a chore to make headway to say the least.  Reaching each bridge, it was a relief to have a few feet of hard surface before again tackling the grind & trying to make decent headway.  Smokey's tires were covered with the wet limestone grit sticking to the tread.

We turn back~

At about 2.5-miles, we turned back...  We were making ruts & it was certainly not my idea of fun.  Even if we'd made the Trestle, going back would take more effort than I'd have left to spend.

Soft section, harder section~

The surface doesn't look as bad as it was.  The tires were sinking in with every rotation of the pedals.  I'd made the same mistake last season & told myself then - I wouldn't do it again.  But the alure of the quiet countryside on a beautiful winter day - is hard to ignore.

Road Riding~

It was so laborious, Mari Jo suggested cutting out to the road when we arrived at the section that runs parallel to the trail.  I was more than happy to comply.  If I kept to the main track, it was as hard as concrete without too much loose gravel.

At least, as I returned to the Explorer at about five miles, I was physically tired & that was what I'd needed.  With a warmer than usual second half of February on the way, it won't be long before I'll be enjoying the Wabash again.

Break from the Heat~

 Or so I thought!  The forecast was for lower 80's & slightly less humidity.  By the time I'd driven to Silver City it was already warmer than I'd expected.  Happy Trails was busy, I waved to Mari Jo & took off down the trail.

At Happy Trails~

I'd taken my usual two bottles of water, but I stopped just over a mile out to take the first of my electrolytes.  Even in the shade of the trail, it was much warmer than I like & no breeze at all.

Soybeans getting huge~

The corn is well over 5 feet tall now & completely encloses the trail where it's planted on both sides.  Again, a perfect block to any possible breeze.

The Walnut Grove~

Seeing the Walnuts & the shade they provide, made it seem cooler, but it wasn't.  I thought about turning back at the Hwy 34 underpass but decided to continue on.  The last mile or so of concrete is always such a nice reward after seven miles of limestone.

Arch at Malvern, looking north~

Riding all the way to the depot, I stopped under the shade of the arch to log my stats.  Any shade at all was welcome - but the only breeze - was the one Smokey made!

View from the north picnic area~

The southern picnic covered area was occupied, so I rode on around to the far end.  On a Sunday, I was actually surprised there weren't more riders out.  I made my usual call to Butch.  He was in the middle of a reset, on a strip of land between the Columbia River & Columbia Slough, just outside Portland, OR.  His weather, in the low 70's with a nice breeze off the water, made me very envious!  As we were talking, I could see a large line of thunderheads off to the north.  The weatherman had forecast storms later tonight, into early tomorrow morning. 

Silver Creek west, from the trestle~

The weather forecast was wrong.  By the time I was back at the trestle, the clouds had moved in.  With them, the almost constant, rolling sound of thunder.  I was more than thankful for the cloud cover though.

Tall Bellflower~

Here & there were the Bellflowers, still in bloom.  I've found a couple of these in our woods, so I hope to have more.  Native American's used the crushed root for coughs.  I felt a couple drops of rain, so picked up my pace the last few miles. The air was positively stifling...  No breeze, very still & humid.

Just two miles south of Silver City~

Once I was back into an open area, I had to stop to get a photo of the amazing clouds sweeping in.  There was no doubt now - rain was coming fast!

I got back to Happy Trails, loaded Smokey & went inside to say goodby to Mari Jo.  She was closing up shop & said if I hadn't shown up soon, she'd have gone looking for me.  So nice of her!  I'd driven just to the top of the first hill out of town - when the rain hit!  A torrential downpour!  I put the wipers on full blast just to see at all.  I drove out of it, but a steady rain followed me back to Glenwood.  I had just enough time to put Smokey away when the heavy rain hit.  

We've gone from very, very dry, to getting at least some rainfall every other day.  The grass is so green & growing so fast, the mowing continues to be non-stop.  At least I don't have to water! :-) 

(Interesting stats from Omaha.  April through June 6.00 - rain.  July alone - 6.30)

March Chill!

I'm trying to convince myself this March is normal for us, but it's sure felt cold!  The Robin's returned to our yard on the fourth & the fox came through that same day.  All of last week hosted a string of gray days.  To go along with the cold, we've had a couple wet snowstorms.  The one on the ninth was beautiful, if heavy.

3-9-2023 Wonderland of white~

Mari Jo & I were watching the weather & had decided on today for a walk on the trail.  The original forecast was for about 50 degrees, sunshine & wind.    Well...  It wasn't!  We saw the sun for about 3-minutes early this morning & temperatures in the low 20's. 

Does it look cold?

 By the time I'd made the drive to Happy Trails, it was 28 degrees with a blowing wind & a chill factor of 21.  The sky was the same slate gray, it's been most of the week.  We had rain yesterday morning, turning to snow/slush around noon.  It left about an 1" on the front walk - heavy & full of moisture.  It was even too wet to stick to the trees.

North from Silver City~

Not to be deterred, we were both dressed in layers.  I had two-layers of polar fleece under my Carhart jacket.  We both had our hoods up!  Mari Jo was correct though, once we were a way up the trail, the hills & trees cut the wind somewhat. 

Coon tracks in the frozen slush~

Once we were on the limestone, Racoon prints were everywhere.  It was very difficult without Nika.  I knew it would be.  I'd been putting off a first walk without her - for over a week.  The hand that held her leash felt so empty...  Since it's now too wet to walk the woods at home, it was time I got out.

Snow covered limestone ahead~

No one but the two of us were walking the trail this day...  We walked fast & Gracie was limited on her stops to sniff!  

The road home~

I enjoyed the walk & the drive too.  The Countryside still looks like winter - as does the sky.  I'm no fan of the time change either...  Every year we're promised will be the last & every year it's extended again.  This same date in 2021, my tulips were already over 6" tall!

Ice on the Water ~

 Sunshine, warmer & no wind.  A day to be outside & enjoy.  I drove over to Silver City & was at the trail-head by early afternoon.  With the days getting so short, so quickly, I wanted to allow plenty of time.

Silver City~

I will say it was a bit chilly, in the low 40's & cooler in the trees.  But on the open sections of trail, the sun was warm.  With the trees again devoid of their leaves, it's quite a change of scene.  Back to stark & bright!

The trail~

Only the Catbrier had a few leaves left, hanging in the sun. 

Ice forming~

It's been cold enough, long enough now the creeks have the first layer of ice forming.  So beautiful & yet it seems early - not even winter - yet!  Just before the bridge, a familiar rider was coming my direction.  Mari Jo was on her way back north, we'd just missed meeting up.  We both commented we were a little cold, but it was worth it to be out on such a nice day!

Ice Forming on Silver Creek

The creeks are So low...  We need mositure so bad...  The latest statistics show Glenwood at 16" below normal.  I can personally attest to the incredible dryness of our soil.  We're supposed to be due for rain this coming week - it can't come soon enough.  I dread crossing the gravel roads if there's any traffic at all, which thankfully there ususally isn't.  The dust clouds carry for miles.

North from Malvern~

I did end up removing my jacket at the trestle.  My vest was enough as long as I kept moving.  I rode past the park to the arch by the depot, before turning back to take my break at the park. 

A very low pond~

As you can tell from the photo above - the pond is very, very low.  It's only fed by rainfall & that's been in scarce supply.  I have heard the harvest from our area didn't fare as badly as anticipated, but other issues affected the yeilds.  A little of a silver lining in an otherwise dusty season.  

Returning to Silver City, it wasn't long before my coat went back on!  I pulled in at home, an hour earlier than just over a week ago, to find the sun already setting behind the woods.

Last of the Color~

 Today, to me anyway, was a perfect weather day!  The mornning started out at 28 degrees, frost on the ground & brilliant sunshine.  We had our mat-makers fall pot-luck & the turnout was smaller than usual.  We missed seeing all our friends & still had enought food to feed an army!  I ate way too much & every bite was yummy!

I'd planned to ride today, with Monday's misty rain gone & my work caught up yesterday.  I was ready to leave when Butch called & said he had time in his schedule to come home for the night, before heading west!  I could just get in a shorter ride.

Soy field down for the season~

At Silver City, things were quiet, only one other vechile in the parking area by Happy Trails.  The countryside, with the fields down, has regained it's wide-open look. I ran into Mari Jo a couple miles from town, she was returning from a ride as I was leaving.  We had a short conversation about the weather & drought.  She mentioned that the worry is the municipal wells providing water to the towns - possibly going dry if this drought continues...  

Southbound~

The views from the trail are rapidly transitioning from the beautiful golds & oranges of early autum, to the last of falls color.  Someone had gone along this area of trail & swept away the walnuts & leaves.  I could see either sweep or blower marks here & there.  The rest of the trail was a little easier to navagate, with some of the leaves gone.  The squirrels are hard at work still, gathering up the bumper crop of walnuts.

Silver Creek ~

It was a very quiet day too...  The water level in Silver Creek has gone down some.  The .30 of rain we received on Monday, was hardly enough to settle the dust.  (Butch though had welcome rain to drive through, all the way south to Carthage, MO.)  Nebraska is even drier than we are.  The North Platte river is completely dry.  I'm amazed that Silver Creek is still flowing & the small creeks feeding into it still have a little water.  

South end of the Trestle~

The rust of the trestle, looks beautiful against the orange of the leaves.  The smells too, are so fresh, since the light rain.  Today the weatherman said we had a slight chance for more moisture, but the clouds didn't produce what we need so badly.

Bright colors!

I called Butch from the trestle & he was already in town & dropping the trailer.  I turned back for Silver City.

The look of fall~

The trees now barren, have the look they'll keep for the upcoming months of winter.  Mari Jo & I have mentioned many times, how neither of us could live in a place that doesn't have seasons.  

Another bright little tree!

I wasn't up to par today, that's for sure!  The heavy lunch took it's toll on me.  I was happy to finish up the shorter ride & return to the Explorer.  As I came down the hill a couple blocks from home, it was easy to spot Butch's big Blue Freightliner parked in his spot by the cabin!