Until I hit Iowa, I thought starting out on the Greenbrier River Trail on a rainy 38 degree day was bad, but starting the High Trestle Trail in a 110 degree in July was far worse! If this trail hadn't been on my bucket list for so long, I most certainly would have turned around and gone home. In retrospect, I'm so glad I didn't!
The High Trestle trail runs across 25 miles of central Iowa (from Ankeny to Woodward), but in truth, it was the 2.6 mile bridge across the Iowa River that captivated me. This relatively new rail trail contains on of the most interesting architectural bridge revivals of all time, (at least in my opinion :). Completed in 2011, the bridge contains 41 angular steel frames representing the structural supports typically used in coal mines. There are 6 beautiful overlooks, each proving interpretive panels outlining the area's culture and history. And the icing on the cake? The entire structure basks in neon blue light at night!
Given the weather, I'd decided to start the trail in Madrid, Iowa near the bridge. This may have been a mistake. Finding the large gravel parking lot was easy. It also had clean restrooms and vending machines. And once again - NO ONE was there!
The path to the main trail was well marked, unfortunately, it was intended to be a walking trail (thru the woods), not a bike trail. Which of course, I failed to realize until it was too late. When steps appeared with no warning, I went down. Fortunately my bike was fine. LOL! But I ended up arriving at the High Trestle Trail with blood streaming down my leg.
There was also absolutely no signage indicating which way to go on the main trail - and worse, nothing to alert me to the path back to the parking lot at the end of my ride. Standing alone at the edge of a rail trail in Iowa at 2PM on a 110 degree day with blood running down my leg, this wasn't a great moment. Ultimately I tried everything possible to mentally "mark" the location of the turn. Failing at that (lets face it - dense woods pretty much look the same everywhere.) I settled on strategically placing sticks near the edge of the trail just before the turnoff. (Fortunately, it worked and I found my way back with no problem.)
Once I finally started out in the right direction, it was only a few miles to the bridge.
Given the heat, I decided against completing the entire 25 miles. I saw only one other person on my ride, which I loved! Unfortunately, it was a guy who insisted on talking to me forever. Trust me, it was way too hot for that!
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