Where do you go all week and what do you see?- May 2010

It is a question I get asked alot. So here is quick camera phone pictures of life on the road. 87,000 sq miles to cover ( MO, KS, NE, IA, MN, SD, ND, S-IL.) and always all 4 seasons to get through . Not always the best quality pictures, but they give you a snap shot of some of what I see.

Western North Dakota  Theodore Roosevelt National Grasslands

The long and straight road Hwy 85 South from Belfield ND to Rapid City, SD

Sunrise at 30,000 feet

The Fall Corn of Western Iowa

Sioux Center, Iowa

Sioux Falls Park, SD

The Missouri River of Lewis and Clark, Sioux City, IA

3 suns on a Winters morning, Minneapolis MN

Driving conditions are not always the best

The Hummer H3 turns 100,000 miles 2 years, 9 months old

Sunset from 30,000 feet

The worst place to be in a storm is on a highway in IOWA!

Where the Missisippi River is clean and runs slow,

Brainerd, MN

I get a chance to see some awesome client homes

and their backyard!

Sunrise South Dakota style

Hummer reflection in the morning fields

traveling East and the sunset behind me

Rainbow in my backyard... Home at last

Lewis and Clark Trail- Easter weekend April 2010

It is hard to believe that it has been 4 months since I have gotten out to walk on a trail, but with the car accident and work, I have not had a lot of time. It is Easter Sunday and a beautiful Spring day. I wanted to get out for a quick walk before anyone else thought about it. Lewis and Clark trail was a perfect 5.3 mile walk. I was the first to arrive at 7:30 am

just the way I like it. no one on my trail

The trail was a bit muddy in places but you could tell that Spring is coming

The small flowers are out already is spots; periwinkle, fisherman's britches, and what makes Spring smell so good... Apple, Dogwood, and Honeysuckle.

The Trail is in pretty rouch condition, lots of downed trees and the swampy areas that could use some serious trail work. The entire trail has become scalloped from the rain and use.

Looking East

Looking South

Looking West

5.3 miles in 1hr 40 minutes... not bad for being off so long

Wildlife:

heard a woodpecker

red and grey squirrels

Hike on Katy Trail- January 2010

I had read a story on Backpackinglight.com by Lucas Boyer, who had just recently thru-hiked the length of the Katy Trail (225 miles). I have not been on much of the Katy Trail as it is considered just a bike path, straight and flat, but it is right in my backyard so to speak. I decided to take the day and walk a section. In order to make it somewhat challenging I decided to hike 20 miles from downtown St.Charles, the beginning of the Katy Trail, to Defiance, MO.

6:47 am and starting off from the trail head in the dark, not really sure how long 20 miles in 32 degree weather and heavy fog is going to take!

The trail follows the Missouri River or the flood plain of the river the whole way- passing under the Page Extension HWY 360 Bridge

I would actually recommend starting from the Page Extension parking lot. The first 4 miles of the trail are not very pretty and you have to walk next to the road a bit.

After 7 miles the first Katy Trail stop you come to is Greens Bottom Road depot. There is no town but a roadside shop (closed in winter) with water and snacks with maps and info

The Trail is long and straight but the parts that are right along the Missouri river bluffs are pretty

You pass under the very busy HWY 40/61 Missouri River Bridge. I have looked at the trail from the highway many times and wanted to see "what was down there"

Just after the bridge is a quarry lake, hidden by the bluffs from the highway

The day was mostly cloudy but the sun did come out for awhile mid morning. It stayed cold all day around 38 for a high

some of the rock formations along the river are very pretty

nice view of the river along Weldon Springs area

The next stop along the trail is Weldon Springs Conservation area 10 miles from Green Bottom. 4 miles to go

The Femme Osage River crossing is lovely, but frozen.

Finally to Defiance, MO. Ted and Kate's Tavern, normally a hang our for bikers, but today just a few people having beers and me and Vicky having Burgers and Fries.

20 miles in 6 hr and 22 minutes- a touch over 3 miles per hr. not bad, but my feet paid for it later coming off the hard packed gravel of the bike trail.

Wildlife:

Eagle

Read Headed Woodpecker

Cardinals

and the occasional bike rider and jogger