KRT+ Kickapoo Park

Loading up the Raleighs and headed to pick up Dwight
Dwight's Novara Rondonee is aboard

Arrival at Kickapoo
We let the Dodge do the climbing  😄

Bicycles reassembled
Dave and Dwight focused on something

And we are off -- almost

Skyline Drive to the back entrance to the Fair Grounds and rail trail

Interstate 74 roars below us

Passing thru the unremarkable Fair Grounds

Beginning of the Rail Trail
Cycling toward the former RR trestle

Trestle
Quarter mile long and 90 feet above the Middle Fork at the highest point


Difficult to imagine riding a locomotive across -- long boiler and track looking ahead, and nothing but air looking down from the side window
Decking is now Ipe also known as Amazon Walnut
Read more about the trestle HERE


Former right of way appears to have been rather wide

Trail continues in southern Oakwood and then terminates



Veterans Memorial in Oakwood

Rest Area

Bicycle sculpture

Lots of tracks indicate frequent use

View south
Middle Fork River

Approximately 90 feet to the river

View north


l
Flood debris

Back at the Dodge

Return to the truck
Dave will load his bicycle, Dwight and I will descend a very steep slope
Dave meets us at the bottom and we won't have to climb that slope going back

Dwight shot past me on the down slope and continued on -- here he is returning



Back on the main road, we cycle to the Mountain Bike trailhead

We are all on road bicycles and opt for the gravel Haul Road which turned out to be a bit more of a challenge than we anticipated
Went too far down slope on loose gravel and then had to re-climb to the more suitable surface

Haul Road the OK part
Too busy pedaling and keeping balance to stop or take photos on the loose gravel part

Smooth asphalt on the way back to the Dodge  👍


Murky Yucky pond

Dave struggles with cell phone -- impossible to read the screen in sunlight -- mine too

Raleigh back in home port

A truly great and memorable ride enjoyed by all --- except for that one part  😡



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Zizzo!!

Image
On my way back to the house, I met the UPS van headed west from our neighborhood  Hmmmm  Do you suppose?  And there it was!!  Ran in the to get the camera Box says Heavy -- and they ain't kidding Ready to unpack and assemble what little needs to be assembled in the, uh, living room Is that a problem?  Not with CEO temporarily detained elsewhere (Back in the day I would have had my Oldsmobile in the living room if I could have) Very compactly packed! Zippy makes his way back into the light of day Very well packed and protected Beginning to take shape There he is in full form I'm 6'2 and actually fit very well  Folding practice -- really, quick and easy The color appears rather red in the photo -- actually its more of a reddish orange Pumped up the tires and ready to go! As BikemanforU once said "We don't blow up tires, we inflate them" A few short rides around the block or two And a very happy Rich! This is the base model and so lacks some refinements of the
Read more

July Rides Week One

Image
Just a mish-mash of photos taken on various rides Generally, things you don't see from motorized vehicles One of the great things about cycling, as well as the peace and quiet broken only by the whirr of the tires on the pavement The non-identical Schwinn Twins The clunky saddle on CT will be dealt with On a Diamond Back ride the sunlight backlighting these weed leaves was interesting Here, the Le Tour is ready for some road time Seed heads on plantain and timothy Blue and Blue Cornflower blue blooms on chicory Grassy Weeds White roadside flowers Wheat field ready for harvest They will replant the field with soybeans Riding north to Wellington, Illinois  -- That's Dave my Mentor when arriving here in 1969 Grain bin and ancient corn crib surrounding by junked vehicles Along the Wellington Road Corn is looking pretty good considering we are in 'extreme drought'  ??? Wellington, Illinois Once an enterprising little place The old brick house is being restored to its origina
Read more

Kickapoo Rained Out

Image
 The best made plans as they say . . . . Rain was predicted for this morning but was supposed to be clear of the area by now Obviously, it wasn't CT was tucked away in the back of the Edge where unfortunately it would remain Blurry photo of a stop sign on the Middlefork Riveri I guess canoes and tubes are to not go beyond this point??? Grassy weeds and view blockers --- what a relief it is from corn and bean fields THAT is not a bicycle, it is a Ford Edge with a Schwinn inside Cypress trees -- had no idea they were this far north in Illinois High Wall of a former coal strip Very deep pond in a former coal strip Blue flowers Same pond different view direction No turtles on the log today Viewing dock and bench Pond scum and evidence of someone who puts the W in Recreation 22 million acres of prairie then down to 2500 acres of natural prairie today But -- we raise a hell of a lot of corn and soybeans  ;) View from a shelter waiting out the rain More pretty flowers Inland Sea through
Read more