Brown Season: Turkey Burn 2021

Escape Route: Sergeant Road Bike Trail

 This post could also be called "The BH,G,B and B Ride", or the "Four County Tour", and it could also be called "The Horse And Barn Route". But since this is part of the Virtual Turkey Burn thing I proposed, I'm going with the "Turkey Burn" theme on this one. But those other names should give you a clue as to how the route was for visuals.

But before I get to any of that, I have to lay the foundation for this year's Turkey Burn. The idea of this goes back into the 00's when we would gather together and ride at what was then Camp Ingawanis (North side, natch), and we'd ride around the trails and then have some chili at the end of it all. This idea carried onward for several years until at some point in the teens it kind of died out. No one locally was picking the idea up. So, I just decided to start doing my own here a few years ago. 

This year I had options and then......I didn't, and I had to go Saturday or it wouldn't have worked out. The Saturday after Thanksgiving was always the traditional date for this anyway, so that was nice. Then the weather.... At first it looked 'okay', then it was saying we'd have a spot of rain, then at the last minute, the forecast looked spectacular. Well, as good as you can hope for in late November, at any rate. Temperatures were supposedly going over 50°F by noon. Then there was wind. Of course, there always is wind. I had a route planned out, but when I saw the final wind forecast on Friday I quickly amended my route plan, came up with an entirely different plan, and set off to go get a good night's sleep. 

I also had a time limitation on the ride. I had to be back by 2:00pm. So, no full-length century. I could squeeze in a metric though, and with the Sun coming up around 7:00am, I could squeak out that distance with time to spare if nothing went wrong.

I had to dodge this liquefied poop spreader machine on Ranchero Road.

Looking off into Grundy County headed West on Ranchero/170th

It was chilly to start. Low 30's, but the winds were light and out of the Southeast. The flags were barely moving on the houses I passed by on Ranchero Road. My plan was to head over toward Dike, Iowa, head North a bit, more West, then a big push North through Grundy County and into Butler County. The wind was to switch around to the West and then Northwest and get really brutal by around 11:00am. they were talking 22mph with gusts to 35mph. My hope was to cover most of my North and West bits before the wind got up and was tough to ride against. The back half of the route would be tailwind city. 

Horses. I saw LOTS of horses on this route.

That is Dike, Iowa off in the distance as seen from 150th in Grundy County

By the time I had gotten up Vista, over a bit on the black top, and up Vale to 150th, there was some wind happening, but it was light. I kept on the gas riding my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 single speed and pushed Westward to "S" Avenue where I turned North for a bit of a longer run.

The clouds gave way to Sun for a bit as I rode North on S Ave.

 

Looking down at the Beaver Creek Valley riding North on S Avenue.

Crossing Beaver Creek on Terrace Avenue

Eventually I turned East on Westbrook Road and the another push North on Terrace Avenue which is in Butler County. By now the Sun had set the temperatures off up through the 40's and as I labored up the steep, long-ish climb after crossing Beaver Creek, I was considering taking a clothing change stop. But not just yet. I had packed my Twin Six vest and a lighter pair of gloves against what I was expecting for temperatures later into the ride. 

I don't ride much in Grundy or Butler Counties, but I think after this ride I may make a change in that. The terrain was flat in places, but nearing the Grundy-Butler line things get a lot more interesting. Hills kick in and in Butler County you have a lot more streams which have deeper valleys, making for more climbing and more interesting landscapes. 

The big climb on Terrace Avenue dead ahead.

And the other side.

My biggest climb was tough, but I didn't have to walk it, which was good! Then onward to 310th, over to Willow, up North a bit more across the West Fork, and then onward to the last of what could be headwind trouble. 

A big truck kicks up a dust trail behind it. I'm riding East on 310th here.

A few farmers were on the other side of this equipment here getting it ready to store for the Winter.

By this time I was running across traffic out on the roads. It was really dusty out there and I had issues with gravel dust inhalation during and after the ride. I should have pulled out one of the buff thingies I was packing but I was too busy trying to get all the North stuff done before the wind got up. 

My goal was to reach Janesville, at about mile 45 on the loop, before noon. I was doing well on that front, but I kept pushing on. By the time I had 30 miles in I still had not stopped at all. My first stop would be to swap out clothing as I was getting hot and I was feeling it as I went up Willow Avenue toward the West Fork crossing.

This is the only bridge in the area that crosses the West Fork via gravel.

It's crazy that this iron has lasted for decades. How much longer can this bridge survive?

I decided to stop and swap out clothing at the bridge over the West Fork (of the Cedar River). This is one of the three rivers that forms the "Turkey Foot" confluence area of three rivers including the Shell Rock and the Cedar. The indigenous peoples that used to come to this area to hunt in Summer would convene at the Turkey Foot for councils and other gatherings. 

Now most of the Big Wood that covered this area has been cleared for agriculture. It was an odd area for Iowa. Most of the surrounding area was open prairies. As I rode through on Saturday I couldn't help but think about how maybe that old growth hardwood forest should have been preserved. But, too late now.....

Old West Point Cemetery near Waverly Junction

 

Headed toward Janesville here on 265th.

 From the West Fork it is hilly. East on 290th, North on Butler Road, then back East on 265th. By the time I crossed County Road C55 and went up the big hill North of that, the wind went on big time as if a switch had been flipped. But it was okay as I was juuuusssst about done going North. 

A jog North on Badger and then it was over. I was getting pushed down 265th in Bremer County, the fourth county I'd been in that day, (BH, G, B and B- get it? Tour of Four Counties?), and I was off to go through Janesville and back on much more familiar roads to me.

East Janesville Church as seen from the intersection of Burton and Marquise Road.

 

The Sun shines through an American flag on this mailbox on Sage Road.

I actually beat my goal to get to Janesville by an hour and as I made my way down Garden Avenue to Marquise Road and back East I was looking at finishing well ahead of my self-appointed cut-off time of 2:00pm. The tail wind on Marquise Road was fantastic as the wind picked up in intensity now. It was downright hot going East and I actually welcomed  somewhat of a side-wind when I turned South on Sage Road as it cooled me back down a touch. 

A tractor discs up a field just off Sage Road

 

Round bales of corn stalks in a field off Sage Road near Co C57.

I had no real reason to push hard anymore. I was easily going to come in under my time limitation, so I backed it off and planned to take an extended break at The Big Rock. I hadn't stopped for any real length of time just to rest since I swapped out clothing at about the halfway mark into the ride. 

Taking it easy at The Big Rock.

So I ended up swinging back into Waterloo with just over 65 miles in a total time gone of five hours and fourty-five minutes. I was pretty pleased with that result and I felt good for not having put many longer rides in of late. 

I was tickled that I had nailed the route plan and that the winds came up when they did. It all just worked out perfectly. That said, I was ready to be done when I got back to the house. The bike worked great, and everything I used worked well. No complaints. 

I saw a lot of interesting things on the ride. Horses were everywhere on this loop. I don't think I rode more than a few miles at a crack without seeing a horse or two. I saw a bunch of pheasants at one point in Grundy County. I scared up a huge buck and four does in Northern Butler County. I saw another mated pair of Red Tailed Hawks. Of course, there were cows, dogs, and other birds. It was a good time. 

Is that the last 'big' ride of 2021? Probably. I'd be surprised if I get another chance like I had there Saturday with how the time, weather, and everything came together.

Brown Season: Turkey Burn 2021

Escape Route: Sergeant Road Bike Trail

 This post could also be called "The BH,G,B and B Ride", or the "Four County Tour", and it could also be called "The Horse And Barn Route". But since this is part of the Virtual Turkey Burn thing I proposed, I'm going with the "Turkey Burn" theme on this one. But those other names should give you a clue as to how the route was for visuals.

But before I get to any of that, I have to lay the foundation for this year's Turkey Burn. The idea of this goes back into the 00's when we would gather together and ride at what was then Camp Ingawanis (North side, natch), and we'd ride around the trails and then have some chili at the end of it all. This idea carried onward for several years until at some point in the teens it kind of died out. No one locally was picking the idea up. So, I just decided to start doing my own here a few years ago. 

This year I had options and then......I didn't, and I had to go Saturday or it wouldn't have worked out. The Saturday after Thanksgiving was always the traditional date for this anyway, so that was nice. Then the weather.... At first it looked 'okay', then it was saying we'd have a spot of rain, then at the last minute, the forecast looked spectacular. Well, as good as you can hope for in late November, at any rate. Temperatures were supposedly going over 50°F by noon. Then there was wind. Of course, there always is wind. I had a route planned out, but when I saw the final wind forecast on Friday I quickly amended my route plan, came up with an entirely different plan, and set off to go get a good night's sleep. 

I also had a time limitation on the ride. I had to be back by 2:00pm. So, no full-length century. I could squeeze in a metric though, and with the Sun coming up around 7:00am, I could squeak out that distance with time to spare if nothing went wrong.

I had to dodge this liquefied poop spreader machine on Ranchero Road.

Looking off into Grundy County headed West on Ranchero/170th

It was chilly to start. Low 30's, but the winds were light and out of the Southeast. The flags were barely moving on the houses I passed by on Ranchero Road. My plan was to head over toward Dike, Iowa, head North a bit, more West, then a big push North through Grundy County and into Butler County. The wind was to switch around to the West and then Northwest and get really brutal by around 11:00am. they were talking 22mph with gusts to 35mph. My hope was to cover most of my North and West bits before the wind got up and was tough to ride against. The back half of the route would be tailwind city. 

Horses. I saw LOTS of horses on this route.

That is Dike, Iowa off in the distance as seen from 150th in Grundy County

By the time I had gotten up Vista, over a bit on the black top, and up Vale to 150th, there was some wind happening, but it was light. I kept on the gas riding my Twin Six Standard Rando v2 single speed and pushed Westward to "S" Avenue where I turned North for a bit of a longer run.

The clouds gave way to Sun for a bit as I rode North on S Ave.

 

Looking down at the Beaver Creek Valley riding North on S Avenue.

Crossing Beaver Creek on Terrace Avenue

Eventually I turned East on Westbrook Road and the another push North on Terrace Avenue which is in Butler County. By now the Sun had set the temperatures off up through the 40's and as I labored up the steep, long-ish climb after crossing Beaver Creek, I was considering taking a clothing change stop. But not just yet. I had packed my Twin Six vest and a lighter pair of gloves against what I was expecting for temperatures later into the ride. 

I don't ride much in Grundy or Butler Counties, but I think after this ride I may make a change in that. The terrain was flat in places, but nearing the Grundy-Butler line things get a lot more interesting. Hills kick in and in Butler County you have a lot more streams which have deeper valleys, making for more climbing and more interesting landscapes. 

The big climb on Terrace Avenue dead ahead.

And the other side.

My biggest climb was tough, but I didn't have to walk it, which was good! Then onward to 310th, over to Willow, up North a bit more across the West Fork, and then onward to the last of what could be headwind trouble. 

A big truck kicks up a dust trail behind it. I'm riding East on 310th here.

A few farmers were on the other side of this equipment here getting it ready to store for the Winter.

By this time I was running across traffic out on the roads. It was really dusty out there and I had issues with gravel dust inhalation during and after the ride. I should have pulled out one of the buff thingies I was packing but I was too busy trying to get all the North stuff done before the wind got up. 

My goal was to reach Janesville, at about mile 45 on the loop, before noon. I was doing well on that front, but I kept pushing on. By the time I had 30 miles in I still had not stopped at all. My first stop would be to swap out clothing as I was getting hot and I was feeling it as I went up Willow Avenue toward the West Fork crossing.

This is the only bridge in the area that crosses the West Fork via gravel.

It's crazy that this iron has lasted for decades. How much longer can this bridge survive?

I decided to stop and swap out clothing at the bridge over the West Fork (of the Cedar River). This is one of the three rivers that forms the "Turkey Foot" confluence area of three rivers including the Shell Rock and the Cedar. The indigenous peoples that used to come to this area to hunt in Summer would convene at the Turkey Foot for councils and other gatherings. 

Now most of the Big Wood that covered this area has been cleared for agriculture. It was an odd area for Iowa. Most of the surrounding area was open prairies. As I rode through on Saturday I couldn't help but think about how maybe that old growth hardwood forest should have been preserved. But, too late now.....

Old West Point Cemetery near Waverly Junction

 

Headed toward Janesville here on 265th.

 From the West Fork it is hilly. East on 290th, North on Butler Road, then back East on 265th. By the time I crossed County Road C55 and went up the big hill North of that, the wind went on big time as if a switch had been flipped. But it was okay as I was juuuusssst about done going North. 

A jog North on Badger and then it was over. I was getting pushed down 265th in Bremer County, the fourth county I'd been in that day, (BH, G, B and B- get it? Tour of Four Counties?), and I was off to go through Janesville and back on much more familiar roads to me.

East Janesville Church as seen from the intersection of Burton and Marquise Road.

 

The Sun shines through an American flag on this mailbox on Sage Road.

I actually beat my goal to get to Janesville by an hour and as I made my way down Garden Avenue to Marquise Road and back East I was looking at finishing well ahead of my self-appointed cut-off time of 2:00pm. The tail wind on Marquise Road was fantastic as the wind picked up in intensity now. It was downright hot going East and I actually welcomed  somewhat of a side-wind when I turned South on Sage Road as it cooled me back down a touch. 

A tractor discs up a field just off Sage Road

 

Round bales of corn stalks in a field off Sage Road near Co C57.

I had no real reason to push hard anymore. I was easily going to come in under my time limitation, so I backed it off and planned to take an extended break at The Big Rock. I hadn't stopped for any real length of time just to rest since I swapped out clothing at about the halfway mark into the ride. 

Taking it easy at The Big Rock.

So I ended up swinging back into Waterloo with just over 65 miles in a total time gone of five hours and fourty-five minutes. I was pretty pleased with that result and I felt good for not having put many longer rides in of late. 

I was tickled that I had nailed the route plan and that the winds came up when they did. It all just worked out perfectly. That said, I was ready to be done when I got back to the house. The bike worked great, and everything I used worked well. No complaints. 

I saw a lot of interesting things on the ride. Horses were everywhere on this loop. I don't think I rode more than a few miles at a crack without seeing a horse or two. I saw a bunch of pheasants at one point in Grundy County. I scared up a huge buck and four does in Northern Butler County. I saw another mated pair of Red Tailed Hawks. Of course, there were cows, dogs, and other birds. It was a good time. 

Is that the last 'big' ride of 2021? Probably. I'd be surprised if I get another chance like I had there Saturday with how the time, weather, and everything came together.

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Feedback:

I ran a question by y'all last Friday about what it was you liked about this blog and should I run a survey to ascertain whether or not I should focus this blog on certain, more popular elements which might be more interesting for those who come here. 

Well, I think it would be fair to say that the result of the feedback is that (a) NO- there will not be a survey if you have anything to say about that, and (b) DON"T GO CHANGIN' THE BLOG! 

Okay, I hear ya, loud and clear! I also want to thank you that commented for such kind and encouraging words. You folks are the best! Thank you! Now, since you've spoken so clearly and in the numbers that you have, I will just keep on 'keepin' on' with things as they have been. Oh, yeah.....there may be a tweak here and there. A new idea for a series, perhaps. But as far as I can tell, y'all don't mind that, so I'll plan on forging ahead for the foreseeable future.

Ahh!! It burns!!

A Note On The "Virtual Turkey Burn": 

I realized pretty early on that this is going to take more space than this coming Saturday can handle. So, (as of this writing), I am aware of two reports which, on their own, are separate blog posts. What to do?

I have a really packed line up for the blog this December. Bike reports, looking back on 2021, and more have all been features here which fill a lot of space in December. I'm already scheduling double posts on "Bikes of 2021" as it is. 

So, I have decided that if I get more detailed reports, which would be fantastic, that they will be scheduled as separate posts in between all the normal end of the year fare here. That means that tomorrow you will get my report, and the others will follow in the order that I receive them, starting Saturday. If some are a mention, a line or two, and an image, those will be compiled into one post. 

I'm not sure what, if anything, will be submitted beyond the two I am aware of now, so this all may be much fuss about not much. Stay tuned......

From a GTDRI

International Influence:

There are some "negative nancy's" out there who say that "It doesn't matter what you do, your individual actions don't matter. The World will keep on turning and 'The Man' will always win.", or some such depressing malediction based on that thought. Well, I'm here to tell you that all is simply rubbish. 

How can I be so bold? Well, at the risk of looking like a braggart, 'look at me', as an example, and I bet YOU reading this are also a part of this. What am I talking about? Well, it's gravel grinding! That's all! It's something that has spread so far and so wide that the bicycle industry is all gaga over it, events on the magnitude of the largest cycling events ever are based upon it, and it has reached world-wide proportions. If you've turned a pedal on gravel here in the USA, go ahead, pat yerself on the back, because you helped push this thing along until even writers in foreign countries are asking me about what the heck is going on here. 

The latest example of just how far this nutty idea has gone was exemplified to me recently when a journalist from Italy contacted me on Instagram asking about Trans Iowa and whether or not some images could be used which this journalist had come across. After a few messages and a bit of time, this article appeared on a site called "Lifegate", which is in the Italian language. 

I encourage you to translate that article (Google Translate works well) and tell me if you don't think that is a beautifully written article about the gravel scene. Maybe it is just me, but anything I have read or heard from an Italian language writer or speaker has a little extra passion and 'something' to it that hits me a lot differently than English writers and speakers do. Anyway, it's well worth the effort to translate it and read. 

The bottom line here though is that Italians have taken to this form of cycling enjoyment with a verve and passion that I find refreshing. It is important to me that the writer saw that it isn't all just a racing scene- far from it! I only wish that our mainstream cycling journalists could see that competitiveness isn't the focus or goal of the gravel scene. 

New Twists In Shipping Saga:

Occasionally I update you all here on what is going on in the supply chain. When I first started referencing these issues, hardly anyone was talking about it, but now you see news on mainstream news outlets talking about the L.A./Long Beach ship 'parking lot' issues and what not. But as I've said all along, this entire deal is so complex that it is not due to just ships piling up at one point in the world.

The latest news is that China has imposed a seven week quarantine for any seamen coming into the country to help quell COVID issues. China is much more aggressive than just about anywhere else when it comes to lock downs involving COVID. Their policies are very strict, and this fairly new edict which involves crew changes and the ability of crew members to disembark in China is going to have a big effect on the supply chain going forward. 

There are some really interesting , (and rather alarming), motivations for this and other things China is doing with regard to worldwide shipping. I keep up with most of it by watching a You Tube channel called "What's Going On With Shipping", by the way. You can check out the latest video where I learned about this new issue with the quarantining of seamen here. If you find these sorts of things fascinating, subscribe to that channel and you'll find out all sorts of things you never knew. (Just seeing how much sea traffic is out there is mind blowing!) Check it out....

Okay, enough random stuff for one day! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!

Randomonium

 NOTE: Okay folks, if you haven't been around long enough here to know what a "Randomonium" post is, then here is the deal. I ramble, rant, and randomly moan about all things cycling in one, incohesive, bizarre post. "Randomonium", okay?

Feedback:

I ran a question by y'all last Friday about what it was you liked about this blog and should I run a survey to ascertain whether or not I should focus this blog on certain, more popular elements which might be more interesting for those who come here. 

Well, I think it would be fair to say that the result of the feedback is that (a) NO- there will not be a survey if you have anything to say about that, and (b) DON"T GO CHANGIN' THE BLOG! 

Okay, I hear ya, loud and clear! I also want to thank you that commented for such kind and encouraging words. You folks are the best! Thank you! Now, since you've spoken so clearly and in the numbers that you have, I will just keep on 'keepin' on' with things as they have been. Oh, yeah.....there may be a tweak here and there. A new idea for a series, perhaps. But as far as I can tell, y'all don't mind that, so I'll plan on forging ahead for the foreseeable future.

Ahh!! It burns!!

A Note On The "Virtual Turkey Burn": 

I realized pretty early on that this is going to take more space than this coming Saturday can handle. So, (as of this writing), I am aware of two reports which, on their own, are separate blog posts. What to do?

I have a really packed line up for the blog this December. Bike reports, looking back on 2021, and more have all been features here which fill a lot of space in December. I'm already scheduling double posts on "Bikes of 2021" as it is. 

So, I have decided that if I get more detailed reports, which would be fantastic, that they will be scheduled as separate posts in between all the normal end of the year fare here. That means that tomorrow you will get my report, and the others will follow in the order that I receive them, starting Saturday. If some are a mention, a line or two, and an image, those will be compiled into one post. 

I'm not sure what, if anything, will be submitted beyond the two I am aware of now, so this all may be much fuss about not much. Stay tuned......

From a GTDRI

International Influence:

There are some "negative nancy's" out there who say that "It doesn't matter what you do, your individual actions don't matter. The World will keep on turning and 'The Man' will always win.", or some such depressing malediction based on that thought. Well, I'm here to tell you that all is simply rubbish. 

How can I be so bold? Well, at the risk of looking like a braggart, 'look at me', as an example, and I bet YOU reading this are also a part of this. What am I talking about? Well, it's gravel grinding! That's all! It's something that has spread so far and so wide that the bicycle industry is all gaga over it, events on the magnitude of the largest cycling events ever are based upon it, and it has reached world-wide proportions. If you've turned a pedal on gravel here in the USA, go ahead, pat yerself on the back, because you helped push this thing along until even writers in foreign countries are asking me about what the heck is going on here. 

The latest example of just how far this nutty idea has gone was exemplified to me recently when a journalist from Italy contacted me on Instagram asking about Trans Iowa and whether or not some images could be used which this journalist had come across. After a few messages and a bit of time, this article appeared on a site called "Lifegate", which is in the Italian language. 

I encourage you to translate that article (Google Translate works well) and tell me if you don't think that is a beautifully written article about the gravel scene. Maybe it is just me, but anything I have read or heard from an Italian language writer or speaker has a little extra passion and 'something' to it that hits me a lot differently than English writers and speakers do. Anyway, it's well worth the effort to translate it and read. 

The bottom line here though is that Italians have taken to this form of cycling enjoyment with a verve and passion that I find refreshing. It is important to me that the writer saw that it isn't all just a racing scene- far from it! I only wish that our mainstream cycling journalists could see that competitiveness isn't the focus or goal of the gravel scene. 

New Twists In Shipping Saga:

Occasionally I update you all here on what is going on in the supply chain. When I first started referencing these issues, hardly anyone was talking about it, but now you see news on mainstream news outlets talking about the L.A./Long Beach ship 'parking lot' issues and what not. But as I've said all along, this entire deal is so complex that it is not due to just ships piling up at one point in the world.

The latest news is that China has imposed a seven week quarantine for any seamen coming into the country to help quell COVID issues. China is much more aggressive than just about anywhere else when it comes to lock downs involving COVID. Their policies are very strict, and this fairly new edict which involves crew changes and the ability of crew members to disembark in China is going to have a big effect on the supply chain going forward. 

There are some really interesting , (and rather alarming), motivations for this and other things China is doing with regard to worldwide shipping. I keep up with most of it by watching a You Tube channel called "What's Going On With Shipping", by the way. You can check out the latest video where I learned about this new issue with the quarantining of seamen here. If you find these sorts of things fascinating, subscribe to that channel and you'll find out all sorts of things you never knew. (Just seeing how much sea traffic is out there is mind blowing!) Check it out....

Okay, enough random stuff for one day! Thanks for reading G-Ted Productions!