Cuivre River, Part II

Thursday, December 30, 2010 (and 55 degrees)

Hiked again at Cuivre River with Pat, but this time we brought his two English mastiffs Dalton and Guinness, and Juno, the puppy he found on his farm last year. The Powers that run this state park must be in the midst of remarking the trails at this time because even the newest maps do not match up with the trail marking colors, numbers or arrows. We began hiking the South Loop of the Big Sugar Creek Trail again, but it appears we ended up on the Cuivre River Trail at Cheatham Rd. (which again, is not only not marked on the map, but is also literally not marked with a road sign when you come out of the woods).

In any case, we encountered two groups of horse back riders who were friendly and understanding. They waited while we leashed the dogs and wished us a Happy New Year. Despite the muddy trails and plentiful horse manure (and losing Guinness for a small amount of time), this was an entertaining hike with beautiful scenery.

Clark Trail

Tuesday, December 28th

In my opinion, the best time to hike this 5.3 mile trail is always early on a snowy winter morning. This morning the usually full parking lot had only one other vehicle besides mine. Portions of the trail were slick, which added 30 minutes to my usual two hour time. Of course, as I struggled, two trail runners blazed by me, sure-footed, wearing only shorts in 25 degree temperatures.

Cuivre River State Park: The South Loop of the Big Sugar Creek Trail

Monday, December 27th, 2010

Hiking with my brother Patrick is always a mixture of meandering, memorized movie dialogue, and philosophical ranting. But who else would be crazy enough to go hiking with me in 20 degree temperatures with snow on the ground (and also be game for leaving the designated trails--even more game than me?)


We think we hiked 4.5 miles today. . . but who knows? We saw a total of one person (the girl "manning" the Visitors' Center) and two cars (they were gone by the time we arrived back at the trail head).

Urban Hike: Through Carondelet to Sr. Marie Charles Park and Bellerive Park

December 25th, 2010

You take the Central West End; I'll take Carondelet, for a variety of reasons:

• # of trendy people: 0

• Fantastic views of the Mississippi River from Sr. Marie Charles Park and Bellerive Park

• Jay Farrar, formerly of Uncle Tupelo, presently of Son Volt, was inspired to write his song, "Sultana" while on a stroll above the river at Belle rive Park.

• A giant community garden that was established in 1999, before every neighborhood had one.

• Limitless variety of interesting sights and sounds that never grows tiresome even if things might get a little scary from time to time. So you might see a few prostitutes, or even be mistaken for one yourself. It's a small price to pay for keeping it real.

The Lews and Clark Trail

Tuesday and Wednesday, December 21 and 22

Hiked the 5.3 mile trail both days (that's Clark, add Lewis for a total of 8.3 miles).
Muddy time: 2 hours and 16 minutes. Frozen ground time: 2 hours. Great views of the Missouri River from the bluffs and few people.

Just Hiking Ratings:

# of people: this can be a well-populated trail, but it is long enough that it never seems overly crowded. You might see families, pet owners with dogs, or trail runners. Everyone I have ever encountered in a ten year period has been kind and friendly.


Trail Difficulty: Easy to strenuous. There are some extended hills that will make you BREATHE.

Surrounding Area: Busch Wildlife is nearby. The Lewis and Clark Trail is just south of where Highway 40 meets 94. The terrain changes from strip malls and shopping centers to semi-rural.

The Drive: Close to the highway. This is a trail to stop off at on your way from St. Louis to St. Charles--or vice versa.

Other Points of Interest: Magnificent vistas of the Missouri River from the bluffs relieve stress quickly. Spend a few minutes stepping out onto the intermittent rock plateaus to enjoy not only the view, but also the sound of the currents below.

Urban Hike: Carondelet Park

Near the end of South Grand is Carondelet Park, the third largest park in St. Louis, after Forest Park and Tower Grove. Dotted with lakes, frequented by geese, and filled with trees, Carondelet is a well-kept secret.

Urban Hike: Eads Bridge and Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park

Friday, November 26th, 2010

Nothing like a little jaunt over the Eads Bridge in 35 degree temperatures to rouse oneself from post-Thanksgiving, tryptophan torpor. (I know that belief has come to be recognized as false, but the alliteration was just too nifty to pass up.) And then, push yourself to go a bit farther past the Casino Queen to the Malcom W. Martin Memorial Park for more spectacular views of the St. Louis City Skyline. People who think St. Louis isn't beautiful just haven't found the right places to look yet.

Just Hiking Ratings:

# of people: People in cars but no one is walking when it gets cold. A loan camera man was coming down from the overlook.

Difficulty: Easy. Bridge is one half mile across one way.

The Drive and the Park: park your car in downtown St. Louis, just up from Laclede's Landing and walk across the bridge, or take the Metro Link. There is Metrolink access to the Bridge.

Other Points of Interest: Helicopter rides of the area are offered for $35.oo. They load on a riverfront dock in front of the arch. During the warmer months, the Gateway Geyser on the Illinois side of the Mississippi shoots water 600 feet into the air.

Boulder

July-August, 2010

Boulder, at least in July, when I visited, is a hiker's Paradise. A person can walk, hike, or bike to any desired destination through a labyrinth of trails and paths, enountering only prairie dogs and other like-minded indviduals.

Bellefontaine and Calvary Cemeteries

Fall Seasons: 2008, 2009, 2010

Perhaps it sounds morbid, but a morning or afternoon hike at Bellefontaine and Calvary Cemeteries is anything but. A meandering walk through these Cities of the Dead is peaceful, historically and artistically relevant, and somewhat strenous.

Just Hiking Ratings:

# of people: Well, not counting the deceased, you might come across a cemetery guard in a vehicle, groundskeepers, or the occasional vehicle on a drive-through tour. On a Sunday afternoon or weekday skipping school, expect to see almost no one. It's a great place for those seeking solitude.

Difficulty: If you stray from the path, there are hills and hills to climb.

The Drive: Both cemeteries are right off Highway 70 on West Florrissant. Plenty of parking within the gates.

Other Points of Interest: Visit the cemetery web sites for information about historical figures buried there.

Calvary: Kate Chopin, Dred Scott, Tennessee Williams--to name a few.

Bellefontaine: William Burroughs, the Anheuser Bush Mausoleum

Boulder--Chautauqua

July-August 2010

Paul and I ventured to Chautauqua Park in Boulder, at the foot of the flatirons. We only hiked forty-five minutes or so up to the flatiron, but at the high altitude, our sorry vacationing St. Louis lungs were huffing and puffing.

Just Hiking Ratings:

# of people: there are a fair number of hikers on this trail as the park is right in the city of Boulder, but everyone on othe trail is polite, focused, and interested in hiking.

Difficulty: Boulder residents think of these trails as a light morning stroll, but we would give this a very difficult rating.

Drive: If you're staying in Boulder, you can walk to this park.

Nederland

This creek is in the town of Nederland, Colorado (Ned for short).

Paul, his sister Karen (a resident of Boulder) and I attempted to hike around the reservoir, but a storm blew in and we were forced to spend the hour drinking beer and eating burgers at the Wild Mountain Microbrewery instead.


Just Hiking Ratings:

The Drive: An hour drive from Boulder into the mountains on windy roads with amazing scenery. Thankfully, I was just a passenger and could enjoy.


Other Points of Interest: In March Nederland hosts Frozen Dead Guy Days, a festival commemorating a cryogenically frozen body that is kept in a shed in Ned. We were visiting at the wrong time so didn't attend, but since the festival sounds groovy, Paul bought a T-shirt and I bought a fleece hat to commemorate the event.



.Update: The Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival is up for sale (just the festival--not the corpse!) Twenty thousand people showed up this year, and some of the folks in Nederland are disturbed by the amount of drinking that goes on. See this New York Times article for the skinny:

Frozen Dead Guy Festival Up for Sale: The Man Himself Stays on Ice.

Pere Marquette

Saturday, October 30th, 2010

Paul and I hiked between six and seven miles at Pere Marquette (not pronounced Pierre Marquette--hello!) Temperature 65 degrees, fall foliage changing colors, the quintessential Fall hiking day.

Pere Marquette Link

Map to all the trails


Just Hiking Ratings:

# of people: this is a fairly populous trail, especially on a Fall weekend. There were between two and five people at each vista. Not overcrowded, but expect to pass or let pass at least four or five other hikers.

Difficulty: The trails are short and interlocking, but inclines are steep.

Surrounding Area: There's a lodge and picnic area at the park. Five miles from the park is the town of Grafton on The Great River Road. We recommend lunch at the Ruebel Hotel.

The Drive: About an hour out of St. Louis. Take the Great River Road and enjoy a scenic route once you're out of Alton, Illinois.

Other Points of Interest: The park is located at the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers and is named for Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette.