The Covid Files Kewash Nature Trail

Crooked Creek Bridge and a blue sky!

Notice that most of these trails have "Nature Trail" in them?  I guess that prevents cars from driving on them.  I will get back on task.  Despite a rainy week we decided to re-visit a crushed limestone trail that we last rode over 20 years ago.  The Kewash Nature Trail is a 14 mile path between Keota, Iowa, and Washington, Iowa.  We took our touring tandem since its wide MTB tires work better on unpaved trails than our other bicycles.

New way to pack the tandem in the SUV.  Rear rack is between the driver and the passenger.  Tandem needs a bath!

Strange trip to the trailhead in Keota.  Seemed hilly even on the freeway.  I had the Victor, IA, exit in my mind and unfortunately for Mary's need of caffeine and the Honda's need for petrol there was not a truck stop.  The county highways we took after we exited I-80 were hilly and lightly traveled and devoid of gas stations.  We pulled up to an elderly gentleman and a postal worker in North English, IA, and asked where people purchase their gasoline.  We could have used our card at the FS self serve station or continued on to South English, IA, where there was a Casey's.  BINGO!  Casey's, sustaining life!  Then she gave us some sort of Spinal Tap directions to get there.  I had a map and knew the gist so I just smiled and resisted the urge to say "sorry, but my little brain ain't gonna remember that as soon as I put the car in reverse."  The old man chimed in "DON'T GO ON GRAVEL."  That was sage advice and true.  Needless to say we found the convenience store and Mary got her Diet MNT Dew and the CR-V its alcohol free gasoline. 

The Monark-Silver King Inc Rocket.  built anywhere between 1934 and 1957.

Made in Chicago

Larry Sanders, owner of the malt Shop and the red tandem. He asked if we wanted his Bernie Sanders look or his Albert Einstein look.

Keota was interesting.  Rode past an ancient tandem on Main Street in our search for the trailhead.  When we last visited the trail we entered town from the south not the west and north like today.  The trailhead was new.  Not sure if it was relocated or updated but there was plenty of parking and a huge gazebo with electricity, water and tables.  First order of business was to assemble the tandem and ride back to Main St and take photos of the their tandem.

One Larry Sanders owns the Malt Shop where the antique tandem sits.  Although not open, the malt shop is open from June through August, he was there and came outside to talk to us and give us a tour of his establishment.  He is a retired postal carrier.  He told us about the time Ragbrai came through and how his wife only wanted to sell cups of ice cream but they ended up selling 450 malts and 10 cups of ice cream that day.  As for the tandem, he purchased it at an auction for $35.  It is rideable.  I resisted the urge to ask him if he'd be willing to sell it, thinking I had the tools to disassemble it and truck home two tandems in the back of the CR-V.  I think I could but it would not have been a comfortable ride.  He took our photo.

The trail surface is crushed limestone.  Seems to be a bit thicker at the Keota end.  Anhydrous ammonia is stored and sold at the property next to the trailhead so a light pungent odor of cat piss wafted over.  Life in Iowa, it's needed for the crops.  Once rolling we realized two things.  First, because it is a former railroad line the trail is flat, in fact the entire area is flat which seemed odd considering all the hills we encountered getting here.  Second, no benches or kybos.  There was a kybo in the golf course that was on the north side of the trail but no way to get there without going through the fairway.  lots of golfers, too.  If I lived here I'd be golfing as well.  The thickness of the trail rock diminished and we rolled along nicely.

So how many of these Rides of Isolation have we been on since the start of the Covid Lockdown?  5? 6? More?  Mary and I have been hitting a lot of trails during these two months.  We pick them because we do not think very many trail users would be encountered.  Usually the weather is poor, potentially wet and/or windy.  Far away from the Des Moines Metro and its busy trails.  Average trail count is like 7 people.  But today was a sunny day in the 70s after a wet week.  We stopped counting people after 32 on the way to Washington.  We did not count on the way back.  Mary joked that we needed a hand counter.  A single bike here, then two bikes, a group of 4 bikers occasionally, a group of hikers and in Washington itself families.  Honestly, I love to see these unpaved trails being used.  Use equals support.

The Hut, Centennial Park, West Chester, Iowa.

West Chester, IA, is the midpoint of the trail.  BTW the trail is well marked by double sided signs indicating what mile you are on and the other side how many you had left to go.  We saw two old original posts that had the mile number on them.  There is not much in West Chester except a "hut," as local bikers call it, to the large shelter in Centennial Park.  Seems that trail users take to the streets in this town.  The trial is overgrown and rougher.  We were followed by a woman who suddenly turned off the path and then reappeared as we were preparing to cross the highway.

One the way down little traffic on this bridge.  Not so on the return.

Made possible in part by the CDC.

3 miles outside Washington the Crooked Creek Bridge appears.  It is a beautiful old rail bridge and a popular stop.  Also, it was the only bridge on the trail.  On the return there was a couple fishing from the bridge as well as a family.  We encountered two men on fatbikes and their women riding toward Keota.  All dressed in in party biker regalia--sleeveless orange shirt with team name on back.

With a mile and a half left to go the trail suddenly is paved.    More and more people and a few families are out enjoying this path.  We continue east past a trailhead and into Washington where the trail suddenly and without fanfare ends.  An older couple on bicycles look a bit confused when I asked them if the trail picks up elsewhere.  Some sort of grunt so we continue on and find the "square."  Squares are the foundation of every significant small Iowa town.  Usually they have a park or a courthouse in the center.  Flowers, benches, war memorials, perhaps an old artillery piece and always shade.  One way traffic and if lucky, parking in the middle of the street.  So we circled the square looking for a place to have lunch.  Two Chinese restaurants, a coffee shop, a Mexican place that was closed and a place called the Frontier Family Restaurant which is on the north side of the square.  We believe the Mexican restaurant that we visited all those years ago was located across the street.  Now it is a Mexican ice cream shop.  Mary had a tenderloin and I a Reuben.  We recommend this place.  The conversations from the other patrons were audible.  The common topic:  the protests and violence and destruction from the night before.  I was hoping that we could have a long day without that news.

Reuben at the Frontier.

The Tandem locked up in front of the Frontier.

Somewhere between the Frontier and the trail our rear tire was punctured.  We were about a mile into it when we became suspicious.  Sure enough the tire was losing air.  No benches and an unkempt shoulder forced us to conduct repairs on the trail proper.  Lots of people passed by and the kids were like "look a double bike!"  But we were prepared: two new tubes, levers, patch kit and pump.  I was worried that I could not find the troublemaker but I merely felt the inside of the tire and replaced the tube.  As soon as we were rolling again Mary made a hissing sound out of her mouth as her mind was elsewhere.  I asked her to stop that right away.  One should never make that noise while on bicycling with others and especially less than a mile after fixing a flat tire.  Rules.  The tire held.

Less people on the return.  But we had a headwind to slow us down a bit.  Once back and loaded we drove to the nearby convenience store.  Needed water, caffeine and a snack.  Hit it at the right time, 5th in line.  And then two familiar looking men entered and headed to the beer cooler.  Yep, our fatbike friends.  We last saw them when they had 11 miles left to go to Keota.  We rode into Washington, had lunch, fixed a flat and continued 13 miles to Keota, took the wheels off the bike and placed it in the car, I changed clothes and then drove to the store.  They rode 11 miles and drank at the Roost near the malt shop.  The beer they were purchasing would be consumed at The Hut 7 miles east of here.  Small world!

A great day to be bicycling.  Another lovely trail explored during the covid.  Great to see the trail used and the fun folks that ride it.  I searched my Bike Log to find out when we did ride this trail but could not find in.  Must have been before I kept records.  If you ever need a a different trail to ride on this is it.

The gazebo at the Keota trailhead.