Pickle Springs Natural Area Trail Hike

Another badly needed day off, another rainy day.  The beautiful Mrs K helped us out today, though.  I was in no mood to do anything except bitch about the rain, yet she planned a little getaway for us.  Pickle Springs Natural Area.  Never heard of it?  I have, but only in passing.  My daughter is a big fan of this place, but I've never been.  So we loaded up and drove in a rain storm down south a little ways.  Terrible driving conditions, but we were determined.  We got out of the car and were greeted with huge mud puddles.  UG!

Mrs K was determined that we were going to have fun, come hell or VERY high water.  This place is pretty remote, just adjacent to Hawn State Park.  And pretty rugged, it seemed, too.

I started to get really jazzed when we saw the sign and read a little about the geography of the area.  Perhaps it was going to be MORE than pretty rugged??

Still pouring rain, we ventured in and got our feet wet.  Quite wet.  But it was interesting from the word go.  What was this crazy terrain??  It made the local mountain bike trails look like the Katy Trail.  Super rugged!

The very first feature was only a few yards from the entrance was this crazy rock wall.  This was not going to be a nature walk.  It was some serious hiking!

A few yards later, this deep crevice came into view.  We had to hold on to roots and other rocks to get down into it.  This...was my kind of hike.

Still raining, water was running down the crevice along with us.  It got deeper and the features became even more interesting.  The running water and rain was actually an enhancement of the hike...it showed the wild rock formations and there were waterfalls everywhere, along with some of the natural creeks and water flows.

There were too may rock hollows to count.  Everywhere we looked, there was another waterfall, another hollow, more trees growing straight out of the sandstone formations.  It was a lot to take in.  Suddenly, the rainy day gave way to the most interesting hike we've ever been on.

At times it seemed like we had exited plane old fly-over Missouri and were in a crazy wilderness.  Sort of a Jurassic Park without the Velociraptors. 

We were speechless when we saw the huge shelves and holes through the rock.  This stuff became reminiscent of Elephant Rocks, which isn't too awful far away.  There were a few other families at this spot, but were probably two of maybe eight people we saw the whole time.

Waterfalls everywhere.  Everywhere the sound of rushing water. If it were any warmer, we would have totally taken soapless showers here, and at a few other spots. 

Peepholes in so many odd places.  Tiny caves.  Odd rock formations.  Rock overhangs.  Many times we had to use our hands to help us climb up or down a section. Truly a delight for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

This appeared to be the highest spot, very close to some of the views at Elephant Rocks.  This tree was growing between enormous boulders, with no dirt in sight, high up on this cliff.

And this was the underside of that cliff.  The trail wound around the ridge and down under.  The camera does not do this justice, but if you right-click it and see it at full size, it gives you a better view.

I kept getting so excited at the variety of waterfalls.  This one was at the bottom of Rockpile Canyon...literally, upstream there were boulders the size of bulldozers piled upon one another at the bottom of a huge series of cliffs.

And those cliffs looked a lot like Flintstones apartment buildings.  Really, those little caves were pretty deep in the rock.  Looks like a great place to hide from a storm.

Last waterfall, I promise.  This one was at the top of Rockpile Canyon.  It was so loud, and that hollow was so deep.

I have a lot more photos, but really, they just don't show the dramatic features of this place.  Absolutely a place worth visiting.  And don't be afraid to visit in the rain.  The soil was hard as it can be.  We never once had to shake mud off of our shoes.  We could walk straight through the puddles without worry.

Nothing New in the World

I've been reading on the web about how gravel bikes might evolve.  One of the paths of evolution might go toward using flat bars.  I don't want to bust anyone's bubble, but I've been playing that song for a long, long time.  You see...if you do something long enough, it either comes into fashion or it comes BACK into fashion.  Except bell-bottoms.  Don't wait for that. 

We Laugh - We Cry - We go on about our Business

Although nothing really takes our minds off of Rex right now, we do soldier on.  We have to eat, work, do dishes, clean house, pay bills, etc.  Everything reminds us of our canine wrecking ball, but luckily we've laughed more than cried today.  I changed the oil in the Focus.  Didn't spill a drop.

I finally cleared out the back corner of the yard.  An old basketball hoop and various other garbage had accumulated back there. Looks pretty good now.  The photo reminds me of how much all of our dogs have loved to walk along that short wall as they patrolled the yard.  And how much that odd paint splatter on the wall reminds me of a pig.

Did I say ONE basketball hoop?  Nay, but there were TWO.  One in the corner of the back yard, and one on the side of the house.  Seems like when they ruined one, we just bought them another.  We're kind of hard headed like that.  But....I got them all stuffed into the back of the fresh-oil-infused Focus and drove the mess to the dump.  And now I need to vacuum it all out again.

Much more enjoyable was our sweetheart ride at Cliff Cave tonight.  Hot but not humid, we had a fantastic little ride.  I took the shop demo Roscoe with me, as I've never spent any time on a 27.5+ bike.  Man, I had a lot of fun on that thing.  If I ever had to give up my full suspension bike, I would have a Roscoe in a minute.

The beautiful Mrs K took a breather while I did a hot lap on the Bluff trail.  That confirmed the fun factor of the Roscoe, and how beautiful an evening sky can be when it's the backdrop of a sweet mountain bike ride.

Onward and upward.  It's what we do.  Over and over.  Because we're not perfect, and life has too many curve balls to expect perfection.

Rex - Our Pride and Joy

I really didn't want this guy when he showed up. Things change. A lot.  This dog wormed his way...no.  He bulldozed his way into my heart.  He made me love him.  He made us all love him.  And boy, how we loved him.  Tough as nails and as sweet as can be. 

Grief is an emotion I can't handle.

Red, Red, I Want Red

I'm not sure why birds can't find their way out of a garage.  The biggest source of light is the 25 foot wide, 9 foot high door, and yet they always fly around the back, trying to find a way out of the walls.  This beautiful red Cardinal (can't tell that because I'm a crappy photographer) was having a terrible time the other night trying to get out.  I gave up helping.  Eventually, he got out.

More red on our little getaway down to St. Joe State Park.  No closures there for the bike path.  Well, there is one section that is under construction but we're mountain bikers so we found a way around and still rocked some pretty good average speeds. Very few people there, and the path is a lot of fun with switchbacks, uphills, downhills, and good scenery.

To top off the red theme, I was sporting my newly minted all-around bike.  Previously known as the Shitbike because it's frame had such humble origins, it's now built around a bad ass Rage Red Trek Procaliber carbon frame. Was this responsible for my speedy ride at St. Joe?  We all know how much fun it is to ride a new bike, so maybe so.  Or maybe because my beautiful bride kept telling me to go faster as she drafted me.  :)

Weekend Pictorial - Cute Dog and Chicken Edition

Believe it or not, there are tons of things that are going on in our lives that don't involve Rex.  During this time of the plague, Deanna and I are actually very busy at work.  We are lucky to be working but also anxious about working where we have to be in contact with the public.  Both of our jobs have some pretty strict rules in place for engagement.  It makes for some exhausting days.

Our boys have really confined themselves.  Mostly, they meet up with friends on the computer and Playstation.  Not the way I'd spend my time, but I realize this is a whole new world for them...school cancelled, unable to visit friends in person, even having to be distant from Grandma and Grandpa.  Tough and weird times.

Hanna has been in the same boat as Deanna and I.  She's been working at the Bakery and while she's been taking every precaution she can, she also says that a lot of customers don't take the threat of the plague very seriously.  I sympathize with her and it's worrisome.  But, she still finds time to work out and she still thinks she can crush me in a plank competition.  She's right.

Our mission to have the house painted by Spring has failed miserably.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't for lack of trying.  But our house is kind of like a graffiti wall.  We will finish it sometime in 2020.

I've been getting in some off-roading lately.  I've had to go far and wide to get it, though.  Not only are parks closed, but it's also important to me to ride in places that are very unpopulated.  Deanna and I went to Lost Valley today and tore the place up a bit. It had more people than I've been used to, but we managed to stay clear of almost everyone.  We even parked at a different parking lot than usual and rode over to the trails.  I'm hoping to get out of town again on Tuesday for some mountain bike distancing adventures.

Oh, and the chicken?  It seems that the Lemp Mansion has a restaurant.  I know most people probably already knew that, but I didn't.  Anyway, they have carryout going now and MAN!!  I gotta tell you I made a pig out of myself.  We each got the chicken, mac and cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes, and bread.  So.  Freaking.  Good!  I recommend it! Get you some!

It's Tuesday, so things must be done

Tuesdays have been my day off for a while now.  It's nice to have a day off in the middle of the week.  Since the plague has come our way, it's been a mixed bag.  What do I need to accomplish and where do I need to go?  And of course, where to ride?  Since St. Charles has not closed it's parks (and they are much more sparsely used) I chose Lost Valley today.  Never my favorite mountain bike trail, and it's a far-ish drive out there.  I was surprised today, though.  It was in good shape, only a few wet spots, and I saw 6 people total on the trail.  The Mound parking lot, under construction by the way, was nearly empty, too.  It was a good ride and I'm really glad I went.

I've been putting off vacuuming out the Focus since...well...since I got it in 2018.  Oh, I'm sure I've vacuumed it once or twice.  Not much, though.  So today was the day.  I went deep.  Not deep enough to get all of the Rex-hairs out of the carpet.  Clean enough, however.

As hard as I tried, I could not hear my boys doing any housework.  Wait....nope.  Couldn't hear a thing....

Rex wasn't doing any housework either.  He was in his familiar spot, on Hanna's bed, looking out the window.  He was waiting on Mom to come home from work.  He's had a good couple of days.  He got all riled up this morning and raced down the steps, barking at the back door.  I let him out and he went crazy in the back yard, his panties in an obvious bunch over something.  It made me happy to see that he's still all jackass.

Staying out of Trouble - Bikes as Therapy

Local trails are closed.  That's a real bummer because I need some relief from the monsters in my brain.  I texted my work mate and told him we were going to St. James today.  Why St. James??  Because that's where a very remote, kick ass mountain bike trail exists.  The beautiful Mrs K and I visited this place last summer for a mountain bike race and I have vowed to return ever since.

Just a straight shot down highway 44 gets you this very well cared for, very remote, and incredibly well designed place.  Never mind the asphalt...it was the dirt we were concerned with.  And people?  We were social distancing to an enormous extent!!

Evan was obviously outgunned.  He brought a plastic spoon to a bazooka fight.  While his super-bright Procaliber may have outshined Blurple on the bike rack, out on the super rough Forest City trails the full-suspension bike reigns supreme!  Man, that place is tough and really interesting.  Lots of fun features, too.  20 miles later, I had my fill of delicious single track and Evan was scouring the classifieds for long-travel full-suspension bikes.....

On our way out of St. James, we spied was was without a doubt a Velociraptor attack on an unsuspecting Chevy Cobalt.  You see the darndest things out on Route 66!

Never to leave well enough alone, the beautiful Mrs K and I coaxed Eli into riding an E-bike with us on the street.  He put the screws to us.  At one point, he was pedaling up a hill with his hand on his hip, taunting me.  Live long enough to see your kids revel in your defeat and you've accomplished something, I always say.

When Bored - Everyday Things Can Seem Interesting

First completely off-the-wall yet incredibly interesting thing:  This Lightning McQueen sandwich box used to be Eli's.  He used to have a matching thermos to go with it, but that's gone.  Now, I use it in my lunch box.  Why?  Because!  I'm incredibly immature and Lightning McQueen spells danger and adventure!

Use a GPS device on your BMX bike?  I do!  Because anything worth doing is worth quantifying.  I have to put it in an odd spot on the top tube because -just no- it won't fit on the bars or stem.  Sometimes I look down to see how fast I'm going and almost run into stuff.

For years I've been using my BMX bike to ride up to the stairs.  And to do sprints with.  It's fun and it absolutely befuddles passers-by because -old guy on a little bike- is just too much for some to wrap their minds around.  Just slightly more adult, I've been painting the doors in the house.  Amazing how beat up they get, and how "BRIGHT TRIM WHITE" is really white.  And bright.

Ending on a serious note.  Our pride and joy.  He is a huge jackass. And the source of so much joy for our family.  He's got cancer.  You can see that lump in the photo, just behind his right front leg. Nothing we can really do about it.  For now, he is the most spoiled dog on the planet.  And we like it that way.

Curious Observations on a Random Monday

At a time when conventional wisdom says that we should not congregate in large numbers, it was curious to see the Arnold Wal-Mart parking lot chock full of cars.  All the way across.  And it's a BIG lot.  This was at 10am.  I did not go in to investigate.

Perhaps as curious as a packed parking lot during a pandemic is my inability to beat my hip problems.  I'm still able to run stairs without much discomfort, but normal running causes me a lot of pain after the fact, like when I'm sitting or lying down.  It's disappointing, as I was starting to really get my speed up this past summer and fall.  I was doing track workouts and was disproportionately and irrationally proud of my 5:45 mile.  I was like a kid who just won a participation trophy.  Since then, I've really battled with this old-man hip thing.  I HATE being unable to do something.

Curious, too, is how this dog is able to mimic my sleeping positions.  I could learn a thing or two from him, though.  Like...how does he sleep so long?  How does he sleep so hard?  How does he snore so loud and not wake himself up?  Curious, indeed.

Birthday Week - Can't Make This Up Edition

There are probably a billion posts circulating today concerning the pandemic and all of it's ramifications.  This won't be one of them.  This one is about more enjoyable things.  Such as the Hershey's bar I found in my sock drawer.  I know of only one person who would do this for me. (With my Jerry Seinfeld impersonation) Hanna!  That was awful sweet.  Literally.

My birthday was rather low key this time around, with good reason.  Not much sense in trying to go out anywhere, big parties certainly weren't in the cards.  The beautiful Mrs K has been having some pretty serious health issues completely unrelated to what's in the news.  Quite a bit of stress at work trying to juggle personal safety and customer service.  So...dinner at home with the kids.  Aya Sophia was our delivered food of choice and it was exquisite as always.  Then we just goofed around at home.

What is a better stress reliever than exercise? And my preferred activity has always been bike riding.  After work Saturday, I hurried and got in a solid ride at Cliff Cave.  The riding was great and the sunset was even better.  I'm 53 years old now, and not nearly ready to fully grow up.

St. Patrick's Day Muddy Massacre at Berryman

I've had pretty good luck with the Berryman trail over the past couple months.  I decided to try again today since I was off work and the trails here were muddy.  It takes 90 minutes from my door until I pull into the Brazil Creek parking lot.  I was met with...nobody.  Notta.  Not a single car or person in the lot.  Ah, the trails all to myself!

What else did I have to myself?  Water.  And mud.  Lots of it.  Seems that it rained a LOT there this morning.  Ug.  Anyone that knows me knows that I hate mud and riding in it.  But I brushed off my concerns because DAMMIT I needed a good day on the bike.

Another thing people might know about me is that I usually forget something when I go riding.  Sometimes it's not important.  Other times?  Kinda important.  Today, it was Gu.  Energy gels.  Berryman takes more than a couple hours of pretty intense effort and this old body needs some kind of get-up-and-go along the way.  I had an epiphany at the Sullivan gas station on the way...Skittles.  I just thought they would be easy to reach in my jersey pocket and gobble up as-needed.  Oh, they were easy to grab.  But harder to eat.  Jesus in a rowboat, those things were chewy and took forever to swallow.  Not to mention that they just flat out don't cut it as a substitute for energy gels.  And now there are a bunch of them stuck in my jersey pocket.

Remember how I said I brushed off my concerns about the wet trails?  About 100 feet into the trail, my concerns were front and center.  Many sections of the trail were flowing like the Meramec river.  And about the counter-clockwise direction...I don't like it much.  Maybe I would have liked it more if I wasn't simultaneously choking on chewy Skittles and getting sprayed in my eyes with water from the trail.  I don't know, it just wasn't a great ride.

I was happy to see that Strava thought this was a "Historic" effort.  It felt historic to me.  I was suffering and may have blurted out some swear words to the squirrels and birds as I closed in on the final miles.  I may go back to riding the other direction, at least I have grown a bit more familiar with that way.  I will definitely go back to Vanilla Bean Gu.