Country Views: Checking An Escape Route

An escape route to check an escape route? Yes.

 Maybe over the course of the last year you've noted that the first image in any of my route reports is always captioned "Escape Route:....". That is because in the last year these routes I've been riding have been 'my escape' from whatever happens to be on my mind. The 'World', the pandemic, or whatever. Getting to 'get away from it all' is a way I maintain my sanity. I saw something on Twin Six's social media the other day that relates to this. They posted an image of one of their bikes on a rural road with part of the caption saying,"The dirtier the bike the cleaner the mind". I like that. It should be on one of their t-shirts. 

Anyway.... I have an 'escape route' that takes me South out of town that I like to use. In fact, the idea for this route was spawned by N.Y.Roll, if the truth be known. It is really his escape route idea. I am borrowing it. It includes a lot of municipal bike trail and a bit of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail to Foulk Road which then gets you to a lot of gravel roads South of Waterloo and just to the West of La Porte City. I wanted to scout the bike trail portion out to see if it was clear of snow and ice before I committed to a big ride out that way. 

Of course, the weather is unbelievable right now. More like a late April than an early March. Sunny, very little wind, and very warm. Like into the 50's. I dressed accordingly, grabbed the Noble Bikes GX5, and headed Northeast to hit the first section of bike trail. 

Crossing the Cedar River on the CVNT. This is looking upstream.

I hadn't gotten very far when my watch pinged me. (An Apple smartwatch) and I checked it only to see a name and then I had immediate remorse, sadness, disgust at myself, and a tinge of embarrassment. You see, I completely spaced off a meet-up I was supposed to be at. Oh well! I texted the person later and all is well there. The price of being 'connected' and for being 'Mr. Space Case".

Anyway....the route. The municipal bike paths were all good. No problems at all. Even the CVNT was okay to Foulk Road, so that meant I had free passage to the Southern gravel roads. Not today though. I wasn't quite up for a 50-ish mile effort. I'm still working up to this. So, I set my eyes on maybe diddling around on some of the lesser known roads surrounding this end of the CVNT that I explored last year on "The Quest". 

The Cedar Valley Nature Trail (CVNT) was pretty clear to Foulk Road. This was the worst I ran across. 

McKellar Road. A Level B Maintenance road that you can ride in March? Wow!

I decided to try McKellar Road, which is a Level B Maintenance road. Why? I'm crazy like that. I figured it may be impassable by bicycle, but you never know. And guess what? I could ride it! Amazing!

So, at this point I figured I would circle back and come back on Rottinghaus Road, to Shaulis Road, then back to Foulk and then retrace my route back to the house. I was thinking about taking the CVNT where it crosses just after you bail off of McKellar, but that plan was scuttled as soon as I saw that down this far there was a healthy covering of ice and snow on the paved trail. It looked the same going South for as far as I could see to, so if you are thinking you might try this route to La Porte City, ah.....not yet. Maybe next week?

So, a successful recon, of sorts, and now a bigger route plan down this way shouldn't ba an issue in March. This is a bit unprecedented as we don't usually get rid of snow and ice this quickly. We generally do not see temperatures in the 60's either, but here we are. I'm going to take advantage of this. The best part is even if we do swing back to typical March weather the routes are going to be clear and good for bicycles.

Country Views: Checking An Escape Route

An escape route to check an escape route? Yes.

 Maybe over the course of the last year you've noted that the first image in any of my route reports is always captioned "Escape Route:....". That is because in the last year these routes I've been riding have been 'my escape' from whatever happens to be on my mind. The 'World', the pandemic, or whatever. Getting to 'get away from it all' is a way I maintain my sanity. I saw something on Twin Six's social media the other day that relates to this. They posted an image of one of their bikes on a rural road with part of the caption saying,"The dirtier the bike the cleaner the mind". I like that. It should be on one of their t-shirts. 

Anyway.... I have an 'escape route' that takes me South out of town that I like to use. In fact, the idea for this route was spawned by N.Y.Roll, if the truth be known. It is really his escape route idea. I am borrowing it. It includes a lot of municipal bike trail and a bit of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail to Foulk Road which then gets you to a lot of gravel roads South of Waterloo and just to the West of La Porte City. I wanted to scout the bike trail portion out to see if it was clear of snow and ice before I committed to a big ride out that way. 

Of course, the weather is unbelievable right now. More like a late April than an early March. Sunny, very little wind, and very warm. Like into the 50's. I dressed accordingly, grabbed the Noble Bikes GX5, and headed Northeast to hit the first section of bike trail. 

Crossing the Cedar River on the CVNT. This is looking upstream.

I hadn't gotten very far when my watch pinged me. (An Apple smartwatch) and I checked it only to see a name and then I had immediate remorse, sadness, disgust at myself, and a tinge of embarrassment. You see, I completely spaced off a meet-up I was supposed to be at. Oh well! I texted the person later and all is well there. The price of being 'connected' and for being 'Mr. Space Case".

Anyway....the route. The municipal bike paths were all good. No problems at all. Even the CVNT was okay to Foulk Road, so that meant I had free passage to the Southern gravel roads. Not today though. I wasn't quite up for a 50-ish mile effort. I'm still working up to this. So, I set my eyes on maybe diddling around on some of the lesser known roads surrounding this end of the CVNT that I explored last year on "The Quest". 

The Cedar Valley Nature Trail (CVNT) was pretty clear to Foulk Road. This was the worst I ran across. 

McKellar Road. A Level B Maintenance road that you can ride in March? Wow!

I decided to try McKellar Road, which is a Level B Maintenance road. Why? I'm crazy like that. I figured it may be impassable by bicycle, but you never know. And guess what? I could ride it! Amazing!

So, at this point I figured I would circle back and come back on Rottinghaus Road, to Shaulis Road, then back to Foulk and then retrace my route back to the house. I was thinking about taking the CVNT where it crosses just after you bail off of McKellar, but that plan was scuttled as soon as I saw that down this far there was a healthy covering of ice and snow on the paved trail. It looked the same going South for as far as I could see to, so if you are thinking you might try this route to La Porte City, ah.....not yet. Maybe next week?

So, a successful recon, of sorts, and now a bigger route plan down this way shouldn't ba an issue in March. This is a bit unprecedented as we don't usually get rid of snow and ice this quickly. We generally do not see temperatures in the 60's either, but here we are. I'm going to take advantage of this. The best part is even if we do swing back to typical March weather the routes are going to be clear and good for bicycles.

Back To Reality

The front moves in Monday and The Change is coming!

 So this whole 'False Summer' thing we experienced last week is coming to a close today. Rain and cooler, more seasonal temperatures will now reign as they ought to in November. While I thoroughly enjoyed last week's unseasonably warm weather, it was really weird. You know? Like it just didn't feel right. 

I rode to work yesterday in shorts and a t-shirt, which I figured I was done doing a couple weeks ago. Nope! But it felt odd. The light wasn't jiving with 't-shirt weather' vibes and it was sooper-hyooomid Monday, which also felt very odd. The shorter days, the low angle light, and these odd-ball weather patterns shouldn't be happening together in November. 

But be that as it may, I am - as stated yesterday - VERY thankful for the opportunities to knock out big chunks of "The Quest" to the point that maybe- perhaps - by the end of this week I'll be over the hump and done. Which begs the question: 'What's next, Guitar Ted?" Yeah........ That's a really great question! Actually, I've been pondering that for a bit. Here's my thoughts. 

The whole 'quest' thing kind of took over my riding late into Summer, through Fall, and now on the doorstep of Winter. Reality strikes here and says that I am running out of time for any sort of goals for 2020. There is a small, tiny chance I get a run at my Fat Bike Century, which was put on hold due to "The Quest" activities. But if I do not get around to that, I am not going to sweat that too much. Again- weather will play a big role in whether or not I get to try that yet this year. 

What reality will dictate - probably - will be that I'll go to just doing fun rides through the Winter and when next riding season comes along, I might try another quest. Here's where I need to acknowledge the influence of a local cyclist and reader of this blog- (well, at least he comments from time to time!), and we'll just call him "T.S." here. Well, T.S. has already bagged all the gravel roads in Bremer County, and is attempting the same in Butler County, (or do I have that backward?), anyway..... T.S. is doing this and was at it first, so this idea is not my invention, and that is the point I'm making. I am just using this fantastic idea as a way to see a lot of Iowa I'd never see otherwise.

I've ridden a lot of roads in Tama County

Maybe in 2021 I'll do another 'quest' type challenge and if I do, it will have to be nearby, because it is my belief that much of 2021 will be like the majority of 2020 has been. That means I am making zero plans to do any events or races at all. While many events will be, and are, finding ways to happen, well, you guys and gals go ahead. I am finding far more joy and personal discovery by doing these oddball back road rides than I have found in suffering through a race course with, really, almost no personal contact. All my social fun was on either end of the bike riding at races, and since that is all a rather ill-advised idea these days, and probably will be well into 2021, I see no benefit to racing. Now if things miraculously change in that regard, I will revisit these thoughts. But if I were a betting man.......

So, I was thinking.... I've ridden a lot of Tama County gravel roads and driven on many others. I feel I know most of this county well, but what else is there out there? Maybe I need to inventory where I've been and knock out where I haven't been in 2021. Maybe......

Tama County has a plethora of Level B Maintenance roads, most of which I have already been on in a truck or on the saddle of a bicycle, but I know I haven't made them all, and I've seen some roads far off on recons and during rides that I've always wondered about. It could be a lot of fun, and since I've done a lot of Tama County miles already, it is an achievable goal without shutting out other aspects of my life. Unlike say, if I decided to bag all of Buchanan County's gravel, since I've barely ridden in that county. Buchanan County could be a lot of fun to explore, but to achieve that goal, I'd have to shut out a LOT of other stuff in life. 

The whole thing may not even happen anyway. It's all a pipe dream right now and I have to knock off the last miles of the current quest first. The realities of Life may dictate a completely different set of goals and tasks to accomplish. I mean, who wulda thunk we'd be doing what we've done this year back in 2019? No one- that's who. 

Reality. You just never know what it will be......

Back To Reality

The front moves in Monday and The Change is coming!

 So this whole 'False Summer' thing we experienced last week is coming to a close today. Rain and cooler, more seasonal temperatures will now reign as they ought to in November. While I thoroughly enjoyed last week's unseasonably warm weather, it was really weird. You know? Like it just didn't feel right. 

I rode to work yesterday in shorts and a t-shirt, which I figured I was done doing a couple weeks ago. Nope! But it felt odd. The light wasn't jiving with 't-shirt weather' vibes and it was sooper-hyooomid Monday, which also felt very odd. The shorter days, the low angle light, and these odd-ball weather patterns shouldn't be happening together in November. 

But be that as it may, I am - as stated yesterday - VERY thankful for the opportunities to knock out big chunks of "The Quest" to the point that maybe- perhaps - by the end of this week I'll be over the hump and done. Which begs the question: 'What's next, Guitar Ted?" Yeah........ That's a really great question! Actually, I've been pondering that for a bit. Here's my thoughts. 

The whole 'quest' thing kind of took over my riding late into Summer, through Fall, and now on the doorstep of Winter. Reality strikes here and says that I am running out of time for any sort of goals for 2020. There is a small, tiny chance I get a run at my Fat Bike Century, which was put on hold due to "The Quest" activities. But if I do not get around to that, I am not going to sweat that too much. Again- weather will play a big role in whether or not I get to try that yet this year. 

What reality will dictate - probably - will be that I'll go to just doing fun rides through the Winter and when next riding season comes along, I might try another quest. Here's where I need to acknowledge the influence of a local cyclist and reader of this blog- (well, at least he comments from time to time!), and we'll just call him "T.S." here. Well, T.S. has already bagged all the gravel roads in Bremer County, and is attempting the same in Butler County, (or do I have that backward?), anyway..... T.S. is doing this and was at it first, so this idea is not my invention, and that is the point I'm making. I am just using this fantastic idea as a way to see a lot of Iowa I'd never see otherwise.

I've ridden a lot of roads in Tama County

Maybe in 2021 I'll do another 'quest' type challenge and if I do, it will have to be nearby, because it is my belief that much of 2021 will be like the majority of 2020 has been. That means I am making zero plans to do any events or races at all. While many events will be, and are, finding ways to happen, well, you guys and gals go ahead. I am finding far more joy and personal discovery by doing these oddball back road rides than I have found in suffering through a race course with, really, almost no personal contact. All my social fun was on either end of the bike riding at races, and since that is all a rather ill-advised idea these days, and probably will be well into 2021, I see no benefit to racing. Now if things miraculously change in that regard, I will revisit these thoughts. But if I were a betting man.......

So, I was thinking.... I've ridden a lot of Tama County gravel roads and driven on many others. I feel I know most of this county well, but what else is there out there? Maybe I need to inventory where I've been and knock out where I haven't been in 2021. Maybe......

Tama County has a plethora of Level B Maintenance roads, most of which I have already been on in a truck or on the saddle of a bicycle, but I know I haven't made them all, and I've seen some roads far off on recons and during rides that I've always wondered about. It could be a lot of fun, and since I've done a lot of Tama County miles already, it is an achievable goal without shutting out other aspects of my life. Unlike say, if I decided to bag all of Buchanan County's gravel, since I've barely ridden in that county. Buchanan County could be a lot of fun to explore, but to achieve that goal, I'd have to shut out a LOT of other stuff in life. 

The whole thing may not even happen anyway. It's all a pipe dream right now and I have to knock off the last miles of the current quest first. The realities of Life may dictate a completely different set of goals and tasks to accomplish. I mean, who wulda thunk we'd be doing what we've done this year back in 2019? No one- that's who. 

Reality. You just never know what it will be......

Country Views; Mudslinging

Another gorgeous Saturday

Another Saturday, another bell ringer of a day. Sure....it was really windy from the East, but it wasn't beastly humid, way too hot, or raining. That's three Saturdays in a row. I'm betting that will about do it for that streak, but I'd be happy to be completely wrong about that.

I decided to do a bit shorter ride since I had to take care of some business mid-day and then hang out with the family in the afternoon. So, a short two and a half hour morning ride was done. I also had to finish up reviewing the Hutchinson tires on my Fargo Gen I, so I took that bike out and headed South.

The temperatures were barely into the 60's when I left so it was very comfortable. Bright Sun was everywhere with barely any clouds to be seen. As I said, a stiff, gusty East-Southeast wind was about, but hey! I'm okay as long as I can pedal. 25mph winds or no. The wind was enough from the Southeast that going South wasn't easy. But this wasn't going to be an all-day ride either, so I was okay.

My objective was to go see if I could ride Petrie Road's Level B section from the West to the East, then go over to Ansborough and back looping toward Waterloo again. I started from the house, so there was a fair amount of pavement and alleyways in this route. The recent heavy rains from the tropical storm, Cristobal, maybe would make that dirt road out there impassable, but there was only one way to find out- that would be to go ride it if I could. 

Petrie Road's Level B section looking in from the West end.

 Long time readers all know about Petrie Road. It is the nearest, good, section of Level B Maintenance road to me. I ride it often. It was also featured in Trans Iowa v12 just before Checkpoint #2. Unfortunately the day of that Trans Iowa this section was a cakewalk. Boy! I sure wish it would have been like it was Saturday!

I'm walking on the grassy section here about five feet above the road way, still in mud!

I had to walk to this point before I could ride again.

I got about 30 yards in on the West side before I had to get off and walk. I was in the South strip of grass, which eventually becomes a two to three foot wide grass choked 'shelf' hanging about five feet above the road bed. Even up off the sticky, cake-like muddy road bed, I was stepping in wet mud. The only thing keeping me from sliding off into the mire below was the vegetation.

Grass nearly chokes out the double track near the East end of Petrie Road's Level B section.

Crops sprout forth on a terraced field off Petrie Road.

Eventually I exited that muddy strip and then continued onward to the East up and down rollers until I reached Ansborough and then out of the blast of Easterly winds. Along the way, any farm on the South side of the road provided a wind break. These came at intervals which proved to be beneficial to my climbing the rollers, which was nice. Especially since the gravel was deep and freshly laid out here.

I don't think I've ever photographed this barn from the South side.

Freshly cut hay drying in the Sun. The smell of it was strong here.

The ride was a success. I got a good two and half hour ride in, I got my final information I needed to complete my tire review, and I enjoyed the communing with nature I got to engage in. Good 'head-clearing' time. That said, I think it is high time I replaced the drive train on the ol' Fargo. Signs of wear and tear are rearing their head. Worn parts, outside the drive train, like cables and housing, also need attention. No surprise. I have drug that bike through a few knotholes, so it is amazing it works as well as it does.

Good thing I have a few other bikes to ride in the meantime!

Country Views; Mudslinging

Another gorgeous Saturday

Another Saturday, another bell ringer of a day. Sure....it was really windy from the East, but it wasn't beastly humid, way too hot, or raining. That's three Saturdays in a row. I'm betting that will about do it for that streak, but I'd be happy to be completely wrong about that.

I decided to do a bit shorter ride since I had to take care of some business mid-day and then hang out with the family in the afternoon. So, a short two and a half hour morning ride was done. I also had to finish up reviewing the Hutchinson tires on my Fargo Gen I, so I took that bike out and headed South.

The temperatures were barely into the 60's when I left so it was very comfortable. Bright Sun was everywhere with barely any clouds to be seen. As I said, a stiff, gusty East-Southeast wind was about, but hey! I'm okay as long as I can pedal. 25mph winds or no. The wind was enough from the Southeast that going South wasn't easy. But this wasn't going to be an all-day ride either, so I was okay.

My objective was to go see if I could ride Petrie Road's Level B section from the West to the East, then go over to Ansborough and back looping toward Waterloo again. I started from the house, so there was a fair amount of pavement and alleyways in this route. The recent heavy rains from the tropical storm, Cristobal, maybe would make that dirt road out there impassable, but there was only one way to find out- that would be to go ride it if I could. 

Petrie Road's Level B section looking in from the West end.

 Long time readers all know about Petrie Road. It is the nearest, good, section of Level B Maintenance road to me. I ride it often. It was also featured in Trans Iowa v12 just before Checkpoint #2. Unfortunately the day of that Trans Iowa this section was a cakewalk. Boy! I sure wish it would have been like it was Saturday!

I'm walking on the grassy section here about five feet above the road way, still in mud!

I had to walk to this point before I could ride again.

I got about 30 yards in on the West side before I had to get off and walk. I was in the South strip of grass, which eventually becomes a two to three foot wide grass choked 'shelf' hanging about five feet above the road bed. Even up off the sticky, cake-like muddy road bed, I was stepping in wet mud. The only thing keeping me from sliding off into the mire below was the vegetation.

Grass nearly chokes out the double track near the East end of Petrie Road's Level B section.

Crops sprout forth on a terraced field off Petrie Road.

Eventually I exited that muddy strip and then continued onward to the East up and down rollers until I reached Ansborough and then out of the blast of Easterly winds. Along the way, any farm on the South side of the road provided a wind break. These came at intervals which proved to be beneficial to my climbing the rollers, which was nice. Especially since the gravel was deep and freshly laid out here.

I don't think I've ever photographed this barn from the South side.

Freshly cut hay drying in the Sun. The smell of it was strong here.

The ride was a success. I got a good two and half hour ride in, I got my final information I needed to complete my tire review, and I enjoyed the communing with nature I got to engage in. Good 'head-clearing' time. That said, I think it is high time I replaced the drive train on the ol' Fargo. Signs of wear and tear are rearing their head. Worn parts, outside the drive train, like cables and housing, also need attention. No surprise. I have drug that bike through a few knotholes, so it is amazing it works as well as it does.

Good thing I have a few other bikes to ride in the meantime!

Country Views: Investigating The Level B Road

The level of smell here was at 10.

Saturday was a day I had several things to do around the house, and it kept threatening rain, so I postponed my bike ride to Sunday. That turned out to be a good deal since it was clear, warm, and very dry out. In fact, it was so dry out we had fire warnings. 24% humidity is unheard of here in the month of May, so this felt like riding in the desert to me. I'm used to it being 'swampier' than that.

Anyway, I decided since I had 650B wheels on the Stormchaser that I should go try out the Level B Maintenance section of Petrie Road. I hadn't been down that way in quite some time, so I figured an exploration of its current condition was warranted. I also was wanting to see if there were signs it might be getting turned into a C Maintenance Road, which would mean it would be gated off and access to riding it would be pretty much gone. After having spoken to an adjacent landowner there during T.I.v12, I have had the distinct feeling that this could happen at anytime. So far, it has not.

So, I headed on down South via the Sergeant Road Trail and I noted that all the flowering shrubs were doing their thing now. It smelled like a refreshed bathroom which had been sprayed with some flowery air freshener. Only, you know......more natural, and beautiful. Not that sickly fake smell of man-made crap. Anyway, the odor was intense. I cannot remember it being that way before. Does less air pollution and traffic have anything to do with that? Perhaps.... Anyway, I was digging it.

This large glacial erratic is located South of Waterloo, but is often obscured by vegetation. This is a rare clear view of it.

Most fields I saw had been planted already.

Of course, the Level B Maintenance section of Petrie Road is pretty much straight South of Waterloo, and it doesn't take long to get there. I figured I would give myself an option to go there and come back, or to ride a bit further and perhaps catch a bit of Level B I am aware of in Northern Tama County. The roads were super dry, chunky, and rough with all the agricultural equipment passage for planting recently.

There was still some planting going on on Sunday.

I foumd Petrie Road and since I've been down that way we've had wetter weather, planting, and who knows what sort of traffic has been down that road. I was certain the ag equipment had been through there since almost everything I saw was planted now. What I found was a bit shocking.

I don't think I've ever seen the Level B part of Petrie Road so rutted out and torn up.

The Stormchaser with 650B wheels and tires.

First off, approaching from the East, that section where the road is almost always low and muddy has been filled in with white rock. This isn't any ordinary gravel, but it is fist-sized chunk that was tough to navigate with 47mm tires. Then the hill going up from that point is blown out sand, as usual, but at the top the road gets into a clay section and the ruts were so deep I had to be very careful to avoid running down into them. This pretty much stayed the case until I got out on the West end. Before I got there I was startled by a rooster pheasant. The tell-tale flapping sound and whistle of its wings were unmistakable.

Another planter putting seeds in the ground.

I decided that the chunk that was predominate on the roads combined with the Stormchaser's very unforgiving front end was making riding not so much fun, so I turned the bike back Northward and headed back to the shed. Probably a good thing considering how fatigued I was Saturday. Maybe I need to take a short break. Give myself some time to rest.

But this Spring going on Summer has been just too fantastic to pass up for riding.

Country Views: Investigating The Level B Road

The level of smell here was at 10.

Saturday was a day I had several things to do around the house, and it kept threatening rain, so I postponed my bike ride to Sunday. That turned out to be a good deal since it was clear, warm, and very dry out. In fact, it was so dry out we had fire warnings. 24% humidity is unheard of here in the month of May, so this felt like riding in the desert to me. I'm used to it being 'swampier' than that.

Anyway, I decided since I had 650B wheels on the Stormchaser that I should go try out the Level B Maintenance section of Petrie Road. I hadn't been down that way in quite some time, so I figured an exploration of its current condition was warranted. I also was wanting to see if there were signs it might be getting turned into a C Maintenance Road, which would mean it would be gated off and access to riding it would be pretty much gone. After having spoken to an adjacent landowner there during T.I.v12, I have had the distinct feeling that this could happen at anytime. So far, it has not.

So, I headed on down South via the Sergeant Road Trail and I noted that all the flowering shrubs were doing their thing now. It smelled like a refreshed bathroom which had been sprayed with some flowery air freshener. Only, you know......more natural, and beautiful. Not that sickly fake smell of man-made crap. Anyway, the odor was intense. I cannot remember it being that way before. Does less air pollution and traffic have anything to do with that? Perhaps.... Anyway, I was digging it.

This large glacial erratic is located South of Waterloo, but is often obscured by vegetation. This is a rare clear view of it.

Most fields I saw had been planted already.

Of course, the Level B Maintenance section of Petrie Road is pretty much straight South of Waterloo, and it doesn't take long to get there. I figured I would give myself an option to go there and come back, or to ride a bit further and perhaps catch a bit of Level B I am aware of in Northern Tama County. The roads were super dry, chunky, and rough with all the agricultural equipment passage for planting recently.

There was still some planting going on on Sunday.

I foumd Petrie Road and since I've been down that way we've had wetter weather, planting, and who knows what sort of traffic has been down that road. I was certain the ag equipment had been through there since almost everything I saw was planted now. What I found was a bit shocking.

I don't think I've ever seen the Level B part of Petrie Road so rutted out and torn up.

The Stormchaser with 650B wheels and tires.

First off, approaching from the East, that section where the road is almost always low and muddy has been filled in with white rock. This isn't any ordinary gravel, but it is fist-sized chunk that was tough to navigate with 47mm tires. Then the hill going up from that point is blown out sand, as usual, but at the top the road gets into a clay section and the ruts were so deep I had to be very careful to avoid running down into them. This pretty much stayed the case until I got out on the West end. Before I got there I was startled by a rooster pheasant. The tell-tale flapping sound and whistle of its wings were unmistakable.

Another planter putting seeds in the ground.

I decided that the chunk that was predominate on the roads combined with the Stormchaser's very unforgiving front end was making riding not so much fun, so I turned the bike back Northward and headed back to the shed. Probably a good thing considering how fatigued I was Saturday. Maybe I need to take a short break. Give myself some time to rest.

But this Spring going on Summer has been just too fantastic to pass up for riding.

Country Views: Expert Level Gravel

This sign is at the start of one of the best sections of gravel around in Iowa.

I was out for a gravel ride Wednesday and I went to an area I've ridden in several times before, but it had been awhile since I'd been down that way. N.Y. Roll and a friend of his had done a night time grind down there recently and their social media posts gave me the inspiration to go down there again and ride.

Of course, I am talking about "Ridge Road" in Northern Tama County. This road is only about 27 miles or so from home and just outside of Traer, Iowa. In fact, you can park in Northwest Traer, be on gravel in a block's distance, and within two miles you are at the foot of the climb up which marks the start of Ridge Road.

Ridge Road, just like the name suggests, is on a high ridge running Northwest to Southeast for several miles. This gravel road meanders atop the ridge offering travelers spectacular views off either side of the road for miles. The trip is worth it just for the view, but the climb is also one of the only ones of its type in Iowa. A climb that rises steadily for over a mile, and despite a few rollers on top, never really quits climbing if you come from Traer. The "easier" passage of Ridge Road is to take it starting on the Northwestern end of it and travel toward Traer. But trust me, you don't want to do that if you want to earn your "Expert Level" Gravel Scout Badge. That's because Ridge Road can be put in a loop course in and out of Traer that, in my opinion, is one of the most physically and technically challenging loops in the State. 

I say this because when I put on Trans Iowa, I loved using this area for routes. Tama County is no joke, and the gravel travel in Tama County is awesome. I've not only used this area for Trans Iowa courses, but for Guitar Ted Death Ride courses as well. I've been around too, and I can say with some confidence that there isn't much tougher challenges out there then some of what Tama County has on offer, and this loop I did is a great sampler platter, if you will. This loop, as a matter of fact, is one I would not recommend to anyone not confident with and/or not very experienced in gravel skills. The risks are too high for folks with poor handling skills.

A twisty road sign- one of my favorites!

You can literally see for miles off either side of Ridge Road on a good day.

There is another odd fact about Tama County that is pretty consistently true- They have a slightly chunkier, gnarlier gravel than anywhere else. I don't know why their particular "grind" of rock is the way it is, but Tama County generally does not scrimp on using it. You can almost always count on there being a good layer of "chunky goodness" on Tama County roads. Just ask anyone who has ridden Trans Iowa when it went through any part of that county.

You can see this rural water tower for miles around. It takes quite an effort to go by it!

Coming down off Ridge Road on K Avenue, South. You'd better be a confident downhiller on these roads!

So, you have a ridge road with a long climb up to it. Big deal! Yes, but what goes up must eventually go back down, and in Tama County, that can mean "down fast!"  This is one of the major reasons I don't recommend this area to many folks because unless I know that they are good bike handlers I may be sending them off to a very bad deal. 30+ mph and loose rock is no joke, but those speeds and Tama County loose rock is downright sketchy. I know that folks with limited down hill skill sets have a lot of issues on gravel and it only takes one wrong move and you are going to be fishtailing, or possibly wiping out, because of the technical nature of high speed bombing on looser gravel. Having the right set up is critical too. Especially in terms of air pressures.

I rode the carbon Noble Bikes GR-5. NOTE- The "white patch" behind the telephone pole is the next hill on gravel!

Getting to see this view from atop the Wolf Creek Wall means you had to pay in some tough climbing.

Of course, what comes down has to go up again, and again, and again. Most climbs here aren't that long, but they are really steep, and they can come one after another, sometimes endlessly. This loop I did has several steep ups, and they aren't of the easy variety. Bring your climbing legs for a big section of this loop. I used to recommend a certain section on this loop as training for locals that were going to try Trans Iowa. That's how tough these are to get up. And of course, the downhill part applies every time here as well.

A lonely John Deere sits in a field near Traer, Iowa.

Barns for Jason

After a pretty intense first half of this loop you get a little relief with some 'normal" Iowa rollers. The chunky goodness of Tama County made this part no less of a grind though. At least it was nice out with a stiff Northwesterly breeze and big skies overhead. Not too hot either. Nice and comfortable in that regard. I felt bad for anyone having to work indoors on a day like it was Wednesday.

There is nothing finer than an Iowa dirt road in summer. Fast! Smooth! Fun!

Barns For Jason- Part 2

Then I got into some Level B Maintenance roads. Now these can be your worst nightmare, or the best thing you've ever ridden on. In Summer it generally is the latter. However; you still have to be on your guard. Ruts, potholes, whoop-de-dos, garbage, buried stone, shards of beer cans and bottles, and other nasties await your fragile tires and unsuspecting self. I saw a bungee cord with metal hooks, several crushed aluminum beer cans with sharp edges, and lots of embedded stone and even bricks! So, just because it looks easy and is fun, it doesn't mean it is without its own forms of peril. And of course, if it is spring or Winter, well......fahgeddaboudit. You will have a miserable time on a bike. But everyone already knows that, right? 

I remember someone remarking at this year's GTDRI that dirt road intersections seemed odd. Well, here is another one!

 

Good times on O Avenue South of Highway 63 in Tama County.

So, we have regular hills, longer climbs, fast, sketchy down hills, steep climbs, and Level B dirt roads, all in the same loop? Yes. And.......it's all within a half an hour drive of Waterloo, and it can be done in two hours. (More if you want it)

Barns For Jason- Part 3

Barns For Jason- Part 4

The scenery doesn't stop either, as you can see from my "Barns for Jason" images here. That isn't all there is to look at either. There are ample wildlife viewing opportunities, and the general goodness of rural Iowa, of course. But that said, this little nook of Tama County is pretty charming, and there are several other parts of Tama County with great views as well.

The low water crossing of the Wolf Creek on O Avenue.

Climbing up from the water crossing on O Avenue.

So, all of that and a lot of it is pretty dang difficult stuff. I would say that anyone that does that loop and can handle it all without missteps is an "expert gravel grinder" and could probably handle just about anything out there off pavement on roads and byways.

I had a good outing and felt pretty good on this ride. I need to get down there more often and ride. I can put together several variations of loops from  Traer, but the one I did is probably the most difficult and the most fun. I'd do it again in a heartbeat on a good day.