WDM, IA - The High Trestle Trail

And, today, we’ve got the highlight of my bro’s trip to Des Moines, the High Trestle Trail. If you thought that the highlight was to visit me and Gary, you thought wrong. It’s the trail and the Iowa State Fair, where we’ll go on Wednesday.

We got up, had breakfast, put some bread into the bread maker and talked a bit but by then Jack was getting antsy and I knew that I probably couldn’t send him out on his own to walk. Ouch, I’d probably have to take a warm-up walk. Yep, that’s what he wanted to do: walk in the morning so the afternoon was free for the bike ride. He's going to wear me out So, off we went around the area here for about 4.5 miles. If Gary had been here we could have tag-teamed Jack on his routine: I could have walked with him, Gary could have ridden bikes, I could have done sit-ups and Gary could have done push-ups. We would have left Jack on his own for the rest of his regimen. But Gary was long gone in Fort Dodge so it was up to me to entertain Jack and his entertainment of choice is exercise.

When we returned, the bread I had put into the breadmaker was done, it was about noon and we ate out on the deck. Beautiful day. But, I could only delay the inevitable for so long and finally it was time for biking the High Trestle Trail.

First we had to get our bikes into his truck which has a 6’ bed but a 2’ metal box in it which makes the bed actually 4’. Our bikes are about 5’ long so it became a question of fitting them in. Finally, we laid them down on their sides, put padding under and between them and tied them in, leaving the tailgate open. And, we were off.

The High Trestle Trail, opened in 2011, is 10’ wide and stretches 25 miles along the old railroad bed between soybean and corn fields with several forested areas in between. Working agricultural territory, Iowa’s bucolic hallmark. You can see barns, farmsteads, farming machinery, small towns and cattle grazing along its length.

The High Trestle itself is an old Union Pacific railroad bridge which soars 13 stories over the Des Moines River and a large flood plain valley. When the train roadbed was built in 1881, trains had to snake down the cliff side to the valley below with brakes on, then speed up to get enough oomph to get back up the hill. Finally, in 1912, the railroad built a bridge spanning the valley. Here are some pictures showing the process.In the picture above I assume that there are some very strong cables attached to a cliff side on the right (which were not in the original picture so I'm just assuming) holding up the actual road bed. Why they are driving out on it, I haven’t a clue. Doesn’t look like something I'd do.

60 years later, in 1972, the Corp of Engineers built a much stronger bridge further down the river, designed to withstand the periodic river flooding. This new bridge had 22 concrete piers, the largest weighing more than 2 million pounds. In 2002, the railroad disbanded this roadway and took the roadbed off the piers leaving them mired in the mud below. Some farsighted people saw not the ‘Iowa Stonehenge’, as the piers were called, but a bike trail along its length. 10 years later, their dream was realized with much hard work, the trail was opened and we can now travel its length.

The original bridge was near some mining shafts worked by Italian immigrant families in Madrid, Iowa (pronounced Mad’ rid) and the new bridge decking has a decorative structure which is supposed to represent the mining shafts. You can see this design in this picture of my brother.

But the most stunning view of the bridge is at night and that is below. What a signature bridge.

Another neat thing are the history panels which line several areas of the bridge. One is pictured below. The two pictures of the bridge’s construction are from one of these history panels. Other panels talk about the flooding that has periodically covered the valley below, the different types of animals that populate the area and farming in the valley. 

 As we were crossing the bridge I saw a doe and her fawn crossing the river below and was able to snap this picture of the fawn.

My brother has wanted to bike the High Trestle Trail since it was built and was in ecstasy as he rode over the valley. Then we rode on between the farm fields and then through this tunnel, called the Tiger Tunnel after the Madrid Tigers, a local team. Is this art or is this graffiti? I's thinking 'folk art' and I enjoyed seeing it on our way.

Finally we turned around, got back to our starting point in Woodward, Ia. and loaded the bikes into the truck. Jack tied them down and we were off.

But we didn’t get too far (about a block) before we spotted the Woodward ‘Mall’ with an ice cream store. Inside the woman at the counter told us that the tanning booths were over there, the bike spot was over there and the coffee shop was right where she was. But, it was all one room about 30’ x 30’. In this room was a gift shop, a card shop, a jewelry shop, a coffee shop, an ice cream shop, a tanning booth, a bike shop, a chair saw shop and - there were several riding lawnmowers, too. They sold everything. WOW. In a small town you’ve got to expand your horizons and think outside the box.

Jack’s choice was Wells Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream and was it ever creamy. My cold soda hit the spot.

Back at home, we showered, got dinner ready and ate when Gary got back.