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.