The
Chichaqua Valley Trail just had their Grand Opening Celebration. I was
out of town and the celebration basically got rained out with about 1/3
of the riders showing up due to the rain.
I had taken
Monday off and wanted to go check out the new connection from Berwick to
Bondurant where I would grab lunch at Founder's Irish Pub.
The Ride
I left Ankeny around 11 am headed East on my trusty Salsa Vaya.
The
Oralabor Gateway Trail is only a few blocks from the house. I headed
West past
Kyle's Bikes, crossed State Street and S. Ankeny Blvd (both
busy intersections with plenty of driveways cross-roads).
As
soon as you pass the Oralabor Cemetery and head South does the ride
become peaceful. Trees line both sides of the trail for about a mile
until you cross SE 54th St where it becomes the
Gay Lea Wilson Trail.
After
that you are on the outer edge of an Industrial Park for several miles.
You cross under interstate 35 and the trail jogs back North for a bit
before heading East.
Before long you will cross the intersection of
SE Four Mile Dr and NE 54th Ave. In less than 1/2 mile, you'll see trail
going left (to Berwick), straight (toward 4 mile Creek), or right (goes
under Interstate 80 and ends. This will eventually connect with Des
Moines).
There are no signs up (yet). I am sure they
will be coming. I took the trail left toward Berwick which was only
about a mile North East. I wanted to stop at Mallys Park, but kept
riding.
The Oralabor Gateway and Gay Lea Wilson trails
are in great shape and the new 8+ mile Chichaqua Valley Trail connector
was super-smooth concrete.
A couple more miles in,
and you pass Griffs Valley View RV Park which we hear is a nice place to
stay, but often there is no open sports. I do not think they offer tent
camping.
The trail continues North and
East and you'll be able to see the Bondurant Grain Elevators. The new
trail does have some gentle grades and some open areas that can be...
uhh.. pretty windy.
If you keep going
North East out of Bondurant for about one mile, you'll pass Lake Petocka
and the Lake Petocka Trail that circumvents the lake. This is a super
nice park with playgrounds, baseball fields, shade, and restroom
facilities.
Two more miles from Lake Petocka and you'll come across
the old Chichaqua Valley Trail trail-head. No more roads to get there!
Keep going and you'll hit Santiago, Mingo, Ira and Baxter.
Bondurant Depot
The
Bondurant Depot is the first thing you'll pass once you get into town.
The trail goes right by it. There are restrooms, picnic tables, benches
and plenty of bike racks. The depot has been beautifully restored and
pays homage to the Great Western Chicago Railway that was in use for
over 100 years until it was abandoned in 1983. There is plenty of
parking near the depot.
Lunch
Founder's Irish Pub has a special "mini-trail leading from the Depot to their
patio area. How convenient! As I pulled up around 1:30 pm there were 4
bikes leaning up against the fence. There was no one I recognized, but
did notice a BIKEIOWA coozie on one of them. I walked inside to see a
few folks at the bar, a few more at some tables and a couple playing
pool.
I ordered a 'Dirty Bastard' by
Founder's Brewing Co.
which is a dark Scotch Ale., and chose a chicken sandwich and fries from
the menu, and headed outside to the patio to enjoy the great weather.
Their patio is huge! I am going to guess there patio can hold 80-100
cyclists with the same inside. On the patio was a box of water bottles
and trail guides that were left over from the rained out celebration.
Outside
I talked with a couple of older gents from Urbandale who had ridden up
to check out the new trail too. One said he was up there on Sunday and
the trail was packed.
The beer was cold and tasted
great. This chicken sandwich was superb. The fries were fries. I always
get a side of hot-wing sauce to spice things up a bit. The
bartender/waiter was polite and attentive and asked me if I needed
anything else at least twice before bring out the bill. Total bill was
$14.58 which was fair.
Total Miles
From
Kyles Bikes in Ankeny, you can get to Bondurant and back all on trail
in about 32 miles. Maybe a little less as I did a little exploring.
Another 17 will get you to Baxter. Ride the whole Chi-bang and you'll
get in 66 miles!
Conclusion
Hey
- It was a Monday and I was NOT at work or on the computer. I was
riding my bike on some new trail! What could have been better?!? It was
a nice change as I usually ride the Neal Smith, High Trestle, or
gravel...
This trail is home to
Fiday Night Bikes,
Thursday Night Beer Rides and the
May 30th Fat Tire Fun Ride. The New connection is certainly an invitation for more bike traffic. I will definitley ride it again and again. Go East.
About the Founder's Irish Pub
Situated right off the bike path in Bondurant, IA, Founder's Irish Pub
provides
an authentic atmosphere to enjoy the Emerald Isle's renowned spirits,
favorite foods and live musical entertainment. Lively and festive
anytime of the day, Founder's Irish Pub
is the perfect place to gather with friends or meet new people.
We're
a casual "everybody's bar," where everyone will feel welcome and
comfortable. 12 beers will be available on tap with numerous other
bottled beers and tons of liquors to choose from. Founder's Irish Pub will also have a full kitchen open every day from 11am to 9:30pm, with the bar closing every night at 2am.
They just received new Fat Tire Pit Stop in April 2015 too!
Founder's Irish Pub
110 1ST ST. SE
Bondurant, IA 50035 MAP
(515) 918-7178
email: DRINK@FOUNDERSIRISHPUB.COM
web: http://www.foundersirishpub.com
About the Chichaqua Valley Trail
The
Chichaqua Valley Trail (Bondurant to Baxter) was built in 1987. The
slope of the trail is very gentle due to the railroad bed it is
constructed on. This makes it a great trail for beginners and families.
The
route crosses through open farmland, rolling meadows and forested river
valleys. The western portion of the trail is shaded by tree arches.
Midway along the trail a long wooden railroad trestle crosses the Skunk
River, which is the backbone of the 7000+ acres Chichaqua Bottoms
Greenbelt conversation area. The River bridge has pull out areas where
users can stop to admire the tranquil Skunk River and Greenbelt. Nowhere
else in Iowa do trails users have the access to such an extensive
natural area.
The
new 8+ mile new trail now connects the trail through Bondurant and
Berwick to the Gay Lea Wilson Trail which leads users into Ankeny,
Altoona and Des Moines.
source of info - Chichaqua Valley Trail Grand Opening info packet from April 25th 2015.