Tag: Lewis. and Clark Trail (Page 5 of 5)

Farm Country

March 29, 2016 / Bruce "Buck" Nelson / 6 Comments

It was near freezing last night with the humidity near 100%. Moisture condensed on the outside of my sleeping bag but I slept warm. Many coyotes were howling at times.

Cliffs lined the right side of the trail for most of the day and I only saw about a half a dozen people on the trail. Huge, foggy fields lay on the floodplain towards the river in the early morning. Birds sang enthusiastically, including beautiful red cardinals. At one point I saw a pair of Cardinals and a pair bluebirds in the same tree, a few feet apart. A raccoon ran along a narrow ledge high on the cliff face. Luckily he was sure-footed.

Just before 8 I reached a crossroads and was delighted to find an open cafe where I enjoyed biscuits and gravy with coffee.
It turned into a beautiful day, sunny and mild. There is hardly an insect out yet. I saw a color phase of gray squirrel that I’ve never seen before. I would call him A “ghost squirrel,” grayish-white. The old architecture in this area of Missouri, which must’ve been one of the first areas settled, is very interesting. Most of the farmsteads today looked successful and neat with very nice houses and barns and grain bins.

A good rule of thumb when you’re on long hikes and really hungry is the pizza place has just closed, won’t open for several hours, or is open tomorrow, or yesterday. The pizza place in Marthasville was closed as this was Monday.

I tried the feed store hoping they would have some snacks, but they had nothing but animal feed. I plodded over to a gas station and they had a meager selection that was also expensive, but I grabbed a half-gallon of Rocky Road ice cream. I ate two thirds of it effortlessly, put the rest in a plastic bag wrapped in my jacket, and then a few miles later sat down by a pretty little bridge and polished off the rest of it, still half-frozen.

Katy Trail Bridge

The Katy Trail is a real gem, well-maintained with nice benches every mile or so. The trailheads in small towns, maybe every 10 miles, have really interesting historical signs as well as maps of the trail. One of the few frustrations is the map displays have symbols for water sources, restaurants and grocery stores, yet none of those sources are actually plotted on the map.

It could hardly be easier walking. The only thing making it difficult is my feet are still getting broken in and the nearly unvaried flat surface I believe, is considerably harder on feet and shins than a rolling or slightly uneven surface.
I camped by a brook between the cliffs and river.

end of the day

Another 20 miles today. The Pacific ocean is still a long ways away, but each day adds up.

Clark, May 25, 1804

rain last night river fall Several inches… Passed a Creek Called R. La freeau at the pt. N 20 ° W 2 miles To a Small french Village called La Charatt of five families only, in the bend to the Starbord This is the Last Settlement of Whites…7 houses and as many families, Settled at this place to be convt. to hunt, & trade with the Indians…

Crossing the Mississippi

March 26, 2016 / Bruce "Buck" Nelson / 4 Comments

I slept great and woke up early. I packed in the first gray light and began to follow the bicycle trail that runs along the river. There were many deer and hundreds of ducks and greese, even wild turkeys.

I passed a lock and dam I had “locked through” when I paddled the Mississippi. It’s a big, powerful river.

At Alton I stopped for breakfast. There was a table of old retired guys, curious what I was up to, having trouble relating to the “whys and hows” but friendly and cheerful. The Alton bridge across the Mississippi is a work of engineering art. There was a wide bicycle lane making for a safe, stress-free crossing into Missouri.

A few months ago there was a big flood. I picked up another bicycle trail and in places there were windrows of corn stalks washed from-who-knows where, some fields were sprinkled with flood debris: drums, plastic bottles, lumber.

For the next few miles I linked together a combo of backcountry roads, rail lines, levees and cross-country travel. At last I arrived at the Katy Trail which I will follow for the next 200 miles or so. It is a “rails to trails” route. I followed it for eight more miles or so, through farmland and often lined by trees with their leaves just starting to appear.

It’s important in the first few days of a long walk to not over-do it, to avoid blisters and other injuries which are much more common until you get your trail legs. I took the time to adjust laces, and to put on sunscreen. I’d planned to do about fifteen miles, but with my feet feeling good I decided to do a few more miles so I could camp next to the Missouri River. It’s good to be underway.

Clark, May 15, 1804 rained all last night and this morning untill 7 oClock, all our fire extinguished, Some Provisions on the top of the Perogus wet, I sent two men to the Countrey to hunt…

Lewis: the barge run foul three several times—on logs, and in one instance it was with much difficulty they could get her off; happily no injury was sustained, tho the barge was several minutes in eminent danger; this was cased by her being too heavily laden in the stern. Persons accustomed to the navigation of the Missouri and the Mississippi also below the mouth of this river, uniformly take the precaution to load their vessels heavyest in the bow when they ascend the stream in order to avoid the danger incedent to runing foul of the concealed timber which lyes in great quantities in the beds of these rivers.

Check out my latest location. Click on the placemark for more info.

Camp Dubois, the Journey Begins

March 24, 2016 / Bruce "Buck" Nelson / 9 Comments

Hartford, Illinois

My old smokejumper buddy Ken Coe picked me up at midnight. I locked the door of my cabin and caught the plane to Seattle.

After breakfast, I boarded my next flight to Minneapolis. In all my many years of flying around the West I don’t think I’ve ever had a good look at Great Falls from air, but today I could easily pick out my long portage around the falls and dams, months and perhaps 2,000 miles in the future.

I had to make a long run in Minneapolis, and I mean run, to catch my final leg to St. Louis. I barely made it at that.

Scott Mandrell was right on time picking me up. A friendly, intelligent fellow, he is a fountain of information on the Trail, having portrayed Lewis in the epic reenactment of the expedition. He showed me around Camp Dubois and then dropped me of near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri.

I walked down to the water and stood for a few minutes looking at this significant place. I’d last seen this sight when I canoed the Mississippi fifteen years ago. I walked just far enough to find a good place to camp.

It’s a cloudy, dark night. Frogs are singing, and the cottonwoods are creaking in a light wind.

Clark, May 14, 1804 Set out from Camp River a Dubois at 4 oClock P.M. and proceded up the Missouris under Sail to the first Island in the Missouri and Camped on the upper point opposit a Creek on the South Side below a ledge of limestone rock Called Colewater, made 4 1/ 2 miles, the Party Consisted of 2, Self one frenchman and 22 Men in the Boat of 20 ores, 1 Serjt. & 7 french in a large Perogue, a Corp and 6 Soldiers in a large Perogue. a Cloudy rainey day. wind from the N E. men in high Spirits

Check out my latest location. Click on the placemark for more info.