Charlie and I decided to do a short one we'd been putting off because basically it was a trail that runs along the highway. The distance of the trail was .83 miles one way.
What surprised me was how warm it got.
The trail head is right on the edge of Bridge 10 on Highway 131 and it heads towards Rockton. It is a nice trail that easily takes an equine rider, bicycle rider, or hiker straight into Rockton without much travel on the highway. This very first part is also the same trail one follows to get on the south end of the Hay Valley Trail.
This trail heads up between cropland and is well worn. Rockton Bar attracts riders, bicyclists, hikers, and motorcyclists and is famed for it Chicken Q's.
Rockton also has the most awesome fur store where a person can get fur hats. It's called Wild Things Furs. This is where I got my infamous Skunk Hat.
[I may be looking for a Beaver or Muskrat hat this year that has a bill on it to shade my eyes from the sun.]
The trail continues through a spot with just a trickle of water. I wonder if this area would have been underwater if the dam had been finished?
I don't know.
Charlie and I made it to the end of Dutch Hollow Trail. Charlie was having trouble as he got really hot so close to the ground on a trail that basically was a 6 inch deep groove of dirt and sand from years of hooves compressing the soil.
I picked him up and we continued to hike. He wanted down when we got to a shaded area and in no time at all we were back to the parking area.
I stopped and took some photos while standing on Bridge 10. It is a pretty river and looks very quiet. However, it does rage when flooded.
We spent some time down on the canoe landing in the parking area and cooled off in the Kickapoo River.
I think this was the prettiest part of the whole experience.
Kickapoo Bluffs along the river:
Section 37.
Done.
On Wednesday it is supposed to be a warm one so Charlie will stay home while I do a long hike.
I'll be picking up short sections that I haven't been able to get to yet. My best estimate is that I'll be doing approximately 7 miles in order to catch those 3 sections and make it a loop.
Monday afternoon's Map:
My Partner in Crime:
