Saturday, September 3, 2022

Red Rock Prairie Trail: New Trail New Tires

 


The latest part of the Central Iowa Trail system opened this week.  The Red Rock Prairie Trail.  When completed the trail will originate in Bondurant, Iowa, and end up Cordova Park at Lake Red Rock and link up with the Volksweg Trail that visits the lake and goes into Pella, Iowa.  For now, the completed section is open from Prairie City to Monroe, Iowa.  Nearly 10 miles in length as is.  Mary and took the opportunity to ride it today.

In the future, the trail will begin in Bondurant on the Chichaqua Trail and connect to the Gay Lea Wilson Trail in Altoona.  From Monroe it looks like a parallel trail/sidepath along highway 14 to Cordova Park where it will connect with the Volksweg Trail.  For the adventurous, take SE Vandalia Rd out of Des Moines to Runnels and then F70 to Monroe.  Mary and I saw the Dream Team take this route a few summers ago.


File photo from our 2020 exploration of Prairie City and the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge across the highway.

Another file photo from the previous ride.  I failed to take a photo of the bison this time.

We left our vehicle at Entryway Park, the place with the bison statue, next to the Casey's off of Highway 163 in Prairie City.  After driving through town, we determined that this was the trailhead.  No signage.  The trail crosses the road/highway exit instead taking the existing Prairie City Recreational Complex trail system.   Be aware that there are sandy spots here and I had to stop and wipe off my new tires as the sand and crap stuck to the new rubber.  Literally, I installed them prior to leaving and the only distance they rolled was from my living room to my car.  Once across the highway the trail curves about a bit to take one through downtown square area and finally to the open countryside.

Mural in Prairie City.  We took fast bikes since this was a mere recce ride.

The surface of this trail is concrete.  So new that black Bobcat tire marks are still visible showing off the endless circles they made during construction.  Flat rail grade.  Very few trees except near Monroe.  No benches yet.  There are a few bump outs of concrete that allow for access to the farm fields.  I doubt benches will be placed on theses.  No signage.  A few mile markers are near Monroe.  In fact, the markers begin a mile outside Monroe.  The last one we saw was "5".  Seemed odd to have mile markers on an incomplete trail because there will be a section north of Prairie City and another south of Monroe.  At the minimum, the numbers will be replaced.  Most likely, the posts will also need to be relocated to show true distance.  Without fanfare or notice, the trail terminates in Monroe just south of the square.  

The trail is built on a former rail line that follows highway 163 and old highway 163.  Since Mary and I are from southeast Iowa we spent a lot of time looking out of car windows as our families traveled to Des Moines from Ottumwa along 163.  We watched the conversion of the two lane 163 into a four lane highway.  The towns along the way were bypassed so people could drive their vehicles faster without stopping.  My father once said that the four lane would not be completed in his lifetime.  He was almost right.  Once my addiction to bicycling sunk its claws into me I'd stare at those railroad tracks and think that it would make a nice trail.  And it is although it could use trees to block the wind, sun and view of highway 163.  Perhaps in my lifetime.  It is after all, a new trail.

Rolling out of Prairie City we encountered a family on bicycles and people walking.  It lightened my heart to see locals taking advantage of a beautiful and enjoy their newest community asset.  On the way back we saw a woman on a trike recumbent and her son on his own bike.  Glasses, freckles, Bass Pro cap and an ear-to-ear grin on his face, "the bugs are insane!" he shouted as we passed.  I didn't want to correct him by informing him that grasshoppers lack enough brains to develop an antiquated medical condition.  Yes, there were plenty of grasshoppers sunning themselves on the hot concrete, but it is late summer and that is what they do.  "Try to run them over," I replied.  Bad humor.  I was more concerned about the ragweed and the fact that our tires were turning green from that.  But yes, are spokes have a lot of grasshopper guts on them now!

Mary told me that I have too many bikes for our house.  If we lived here, then yes.

Somewhere on G40 between Pleasantville and highway 14 is a sign for Red Rock.

"Clark, the shittar is small!"

We rode around the square in Monroe.  Spotted a Mexican restaurant that would make a nice destination ride some evening.  Around the corner was another eatery.  The bar, Mike's Lounge, on the other side of the square also sells tacos and pizza.  But the main attraction was the Replica House.  A model of a stone house built in Red Rock, Iowa, once an attraction just off of 163 but the bypass of the new highway hid this little gem.

Prairie City itself has some nice features.  Coffee shops, restaurants and pubs.  We noted these when we first drove into town looking for the trailhead.

This is a nice addition to our trail system.  I hope the other sections are completed soon.  We are already looking for routes to this trail from Des Moines for a longer ride.  Do yourself a favor and visit the Red Rock Prairie Trail.