Country Views: Making The Grade

Escape Route: You know- I don't know the name of this bike trail!

Okay, with all that "Hall of Fame" business behind me now, it is time to return to normal programming around here. I have been on a few rides but I'll start out with this one from last Tuesday. 

We got copious amounts of rain over the weekend and into Monday, so I wasn't real sure what things would be like out in the country. But it was a fine, warm day, with little wind, and big, blue skies. I figured it would make for a great day of riding.

The route plan was to ride paved bike paths and roads over to Young Road, ride that out to near Jesup, Iowa, and then up North, cutting back on Newell so I could swing back home on the bike path along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. I wore my new Cedar Valley gravel riders jersey made by Bike Rags for this ride.

The Cedar River at Evansdale. It is down a bit again.

Young Road. It started out fine......

As I got going down the street from where I live I was waiting at a light to go. A car making a turn into the opposing lane had its window down and I barely caught the guy driving it saying, "...up on the sidewalk where it belongs." Ha! Are people really this ignorant? The guy was not at all impeded by me whatsoever. Reason #264 for Why I Ride Gravel.

...then it went to this. Signs of a road grader!

Well, I got out to Young Road without further incident and things were going nicely. Then I discovered the tell-tale signs of a road grader. There were few car tire tracks on the freshly graded surface, so I was on the lookout for this grader. It couldn't be all that far away. 

Grader spotted!

I had to follow this grader for a  mile or two also!

Well, it took about three miles, but I ran up on the grader at an intersection. It was going my way too, and the blade was extended out so far I felt like I should not pass the grader on the left. So, I decided to follow the machine. I was thinking this might be a slow-roll, but surprisingly, this grader operator was going at a comfortable clip for a cyclist. 

I think I followed him for a mile and a half before he pulled over as if he wanted me to go on by. That was either him being nice, or him being spooked by a grown man following him on a pink bicycle. It was probably him just being nice..... 

Garling Road

The only evidence I saw of recent rains. Here on Osage Road.

Eventually I headed North and stair-stepped over West on Osage Road and then on Nesbit Road to get to Newell. Then it would be a straight shot back to Waterloo and the industrial area where Tyson Foods plant is located. 

Evidence of another road grader near Barclay United Presbyterian Church.

The Black Mountain Cycles MCD got the call today. I've changed a few things recently on it.

Once I turned on to Newell, there was immediate evidence of grading there. Wow! Same grader, or another, different one? I was betting on it being a different one, but I was sure to find out as only half the road was done and they typically do not leave things half done for long out here. 

 

An example of low-no till planting here. Look closely and you can see the rows of new crop poking up.

I decided to stop for some beef jerky and water at a bridge crossing Poyner Creek. There were cottonwood seeds floating in the air so thick that it appeared to be snowing cotton balls at times. I spent a bit of time relaxing here and then hopped back on the MCD to finish up the ride. 

Grader number two spotted!

This grader operator was taking a bit off the edge and piling it up on the middle of the road.

I finally came across the grader I thought I might see. It was coming toward me and I scooched as far right as I dared and he seemed okay with my passing. This grader operator was taking so much off the edge that he was in the dirt and turning over a good swath there. I could smell the aroma of fresh dirt in the air. I happen to like that smell. But why take so much off the edge?

Maybe they are wanting to widen the road back out a bit. Weeds and overgrowth can take over a road if left unchecked. But whatever the case, it was like this all the way back to pavement. I had to be real careful where the grader operator stopped at crossroads and for farmsteads where they do not grade in front of, I noted. (?) 

Any railroad nerds reading this? Waterloo's rail yards.

It was a great ride and, surprisingly, I felt strong. I will need to keep the good rides flowing now that I have a bit of an event to do on the 19th. (See previous post if you have not caught that.) 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions!