As the Heat Breaks~

 It seemed like a very long stretch of August heat & humidity.  Finally, the last few wonderful days we've been ten degrees below normal.  It's been just grand!  The evenings too, have been the nicest we've had in forever!

Ready to leave Boehner Pond~

I hadn't ridden since the first of the month.  Even with my list of to-dos stacking up at home, I was more than ready to visit the trail.  I stuck to my plan of not riding across the Silver Creek Trestle.  (Due to the intrusive game cameras.)  I instead left from the pond & took the rougher section of trail south.

Dying trees~

I was glad I did.  I'm thankful every time I ride this trail that it's here.  I've said before, with so much of Iowa in cropland, natural areas are rare & appreciated.  (There are several areas of native prairie I'd like to visit in the springtime.)  

Ripening Wild Plums~

This is the first time I've seen the plums on the trees!  Usually, they are already devoid of fruit.  This time, they are still at least days away from being ripe.  I bit into one to be sure & yes it was bitter!  If I get back this way again, I'll have to beat the wildlife to them!  I understand they make a wonderful jelly.

Perfect Iowa Day~

Going this direction, the trail gets less use since it's farther between towns & makes for a longer round-trip.  The trail also is rougher in sections with more debris for whatever reason.  It was a tougher ride when I didn't have the assist.  Doing the ride to Imogene is something I prefer to do with Butch or at least have him available to pick me up!  It's a way out there on my own.  I look back at the rides I used to do on a seven speed Townie.  Five years make a difference.

White Cloud Trestle

This Trestle Bridge has now become my favorite.  Only a few stickers, no lights, no game cameras - yet.  No booze bottles strapped to the uprights.  We'll see how long it lasts in its historic, unaltered beauty.  

West Nishnabotna River~

The river was running full.  Mesmerizing in its quiet passage of smooth current under the bridge.  Only the sound of the squirrels squabbing in the surrounding trees breaking the silence.  I had the trail to myself.

Break Spot~

I stopped at 7.67 miles & called Butch from the bench where we take our break when he rides with me.  It was so tempting to go further, but since I hadn't ridden in a while, I turned back.

Returning north~

Back at the Trestle, one of those gorgeous days you wish you could put in a bottle to uncork mid-winter!  The mostly downhill return was - as usual - a blast to ride.  The miles went by too fast!

Nishnabotna River - upstream~

I stopped again on the trestle.

Back to Malvern~

Back at the edge of Malvern, the big bike takes up a portion of the skyline.  I returned to the pond, loaded Shadow & joined the ever-increasing traffic on Hwy 34.  I was amazed at how many cars were heading west toward Council Bluffs/Omaha, after I took the Glenwood exit.  

I picked up Finn at Doris's.  Both look forward to their weekly visits.  It was such a nice evening, Finn & I sat out for a while.  The trees surrounding the backyard have grown so much I can almost forget we have neighbors.

South from Malvern~

 A perfect day, chilly, light wind, but perfect.  I wanted to ride the trail again but decided to try the more difficult section going south from Malvern. With no construction traffic today, I parked at Boehner Pond in my usual spot.  I expected to see people at the park, but all was quiet.

At the bicycle tree, going south~

I'd worn a t-shirt, my vest & windbreaker.  This time, my arms were cold under the windbreaker!  Lesson finally learned!  Take my coat!  The uphill grade starts at the beginning of the limestone & continues to the first road crossing. Not too much farther, the old sign gives you an idea of where you are.  I still think this is one of the more challenging sections of the trail & isn't as popular.

At almost 4-miles~

It takes a while to go to Imogene, as Butch & I found out last season when Finn went with us.  It was late in the day when we'd returned. 

My plan today was to ride out for about an hour, then turn back.  I'd not made connections with Doris, so Finn stayed home alone.  I don't feel comfortable leaving him in the yard, he's so small.  (Nika was larger & accustomed to being out - from her time on our acreage in WA.)  

Tree down~

My last ride here April 12th of last year, the plums were in bloom.  No blooms today, we'd had a low of 21 at home last night.  A hard freeze that ruined the beautiful Magnolia blooms on all the trees & some of the other early bloomers too.

I couldn't miss the limb across the trail in the photo above.  It was attached to a huge old cottonwood the winds had taken down, shown in the photo below.  It was split right down the middle, with each half falling two different directions.

The remainer of the old Cottonwood, split in the middle~

All was stunningly quiet at the White Cloud Trestle.  The river flowed below; the birds were singing above & it was warm on the new dark deck boards.

White Cloud Trestle~

I continued on, there were so many obstacles on the trail.  Limbs down, twigs everywhere.  I was glad for fenders each time a tire hit something & it hit the fenders instead of my legs!  I was somewhat worried about getting a flat.  It would be no fun to walk out from here, since it's a more remote area.

Woodchuck damage?

Stopping at the bench where Butch & I had taken a break on our trip back, I couldn't help but notice the damage to the new bench!  My first though was beaver, but after talking to Butch & looking around - no water - I realized it had to be a woodchuck!  It had tried to nibble along the top rail of the bench, but the brown wood type material hadn't been as easy to chew as the black.  Mother nature wins this one...

From the bench & break spot~

The afternoon was even more beautiful than the morning had been.  I'm partial to late afternoon light anyway.  No blooms of any kind yet, but I kept hoping.  Maybe in another week & things will change.  I turned back toward Malvern & enjoyed the relative ease of the downhill grade.  Even so, I noticed the difference, after a winter of cruising around at Lake Manawa.

West Nishnabotna River~

Back at the Trestle, I stopped again for a few minutes, just soaking in the sunshine & the quiet.  In just a short distance I saw a jogger up ahead, then another girl doing the same.  Impressive, since they had to have started from Malvern & were possibly doing ten miles or more. 

Back in Malvern~

Another photo with the large bike!  This trip, Shadow has over 700 miles, the last time in April, the bike turned over 100.  I was tired by the time I'd returned to the Bronco.  I'd ridden just over 15 miles.  I hope to improve my mileage & gain an edge on Butch before he gets a chance to be on the trail again!