Trans Iowa Course Update #1

Course Update #1: Well folks! It's only five weeks away, and it's time to start giving you my course updates.

<===Gravel looks good so far! (image from 3-19-11)

As followers of the blog already know, the course has been re-conned and is figured out. David and I will now get around to re-checking some critical areas to make sure we are still all good to go.

As of this weekend, the frost is still coming out of the ground, but rains over the course this weekend should hasten that process to completion soon. Temperatures in Iowa have been in the 50's-60's recently, and as far as snow and frost, it has mostly been dispatched over the last three weeks. The big drifts from winter are merely small piles now waiting to finally disappear, if they haven't after this recent rain. That's good news from the standpoint of drying/draining out the land here.

Gravel is primo for riding right now. Many Iowans have been out and are reporting excellent conditions on B roads and gravel all across the state. County maintenance has been happening already, as well, in preparation for the farmers who will be hitting the fields very soon now.

This is the best the roads have come through a winter for any Trans Iowa except maybe the first one. Certainly, they are on par with that sort of condition this year. Sounds good, but we have over a month of weather to survive before the honking of the horn, so don't get too excited just yet!

More to come. Stay tuned................