McRoberts Cemetery and Home Site: Lost Valley Trail

Monday, March 19, 2012

Hiked 3. 62 miles after school. Found the McRoberts Cemetery and home site. Hiked out of the trail around 6 or 6:30, just as it got cooler and a little darker.

Tuesday, March 13: The Lost Valley Trail

Hiked after school in unseasonably warm temperatures in an attempt to escape unpleasantness at a meeting. (When do we ever have a full week of 80 plus degree weather in March?) Left the trail in search of the Teetters home site. Although I hiked to the proper coordinates, I found only an old wash tub--and not the remains of the homestead. It was about 6:30 or later when I started to hike back to the trail--and I got a little panicky thinking I wouldn't make it back before dark. But I did. The photo is of an owl, who appeared to be injured as it didn't fly away when I approached. I was going to get closer, but wondered if it would attack--so the photo is from a far distance. I also saw about ten deer running through the woods.

Sunday, March 11: Weldon Spring Conservation Area

More cemeteries and oddities. All coordinates and directions for The Lower Hamburg Road Hike can be found on the TNT web site (http://www.thetntstory.org/). This is the gate (with three large rocks) that I was looking for last Sunday. It's across the road, south about .4 miles from the gate I thought was the correct starting point. There really isn't a parking lot, so if you are nervous pulling over the side and leaving your car in the dirt, park in the parking lot next to the other metal gate and large rocks, just .4 miles north of this location. (It is also across the road.) I hiked in intermittent but light rain, 55 degree temperature. The wetness made everything more vivid. I did seem some bicyclists on the Katy Trail, but no one on the Hamburg Road trail--and no one at the cemetery or Yahn Damn.

All of these hikes are called Cemetery Hikes on the TNT web site. And each trail contains an old graveyard; the Heck Roth Cemetery is the burying place of a Civil War regimental musician. You can find what remains of the Beatty home just 100 yards down the trail from the cemetery. Look to your left, the same side as the cemetery.

Before you reach the Katy Trail, you'll see this section of fence, which has been cut away--if you go through the opening, you'll find yourself standing in front of a reservoir of some sort. There were geese swimming in it on the day that I visited.

The very cool thing about this hike is that the trail runs into the Katy Trail which runs parallel to the Missouri River. Easy hike, great views.

The Yahn Damn: Frederick Yahn decided he would start a motorboat club by damning a small stream that flowed into the Missouri River. The project was abandoned, but the structure still stands down a hill just off the trail.

The Hamburg Dump lies just off the trail and contains artifacts dating back to the 1940's.

Wednesday, March 7: Weldon Spring Conservation Area

Mades Cemetery

I was wrong about the TNT web site hikes being inaccurate. I finally found the right metal gate and large rocks described in the One Short Hike/Three Cemeteries hike. It is on the east side of 94--then you cross the road and go down a short hill to the bike path. Use your GPS to hike about .19 miles into the woods to find the Murdock Cemetery (696813 4283337). Although it wasn't far from the road, I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere because there is no path to follow. It was a warm (70 degrees) but windy and gray day--although the air seemed very still in the woods. Some of the headstones are gone, and according the TNT website, some of the bodies in this cemetery were disinterred. Reading that John Murdock was the son of a Revolutionary War veteran while looking at the cemetery really caused me to internalize the concept of how old these graves are (and also how short human life spans are). Although there are few grave markers and headstones left, daffodils still mark the places where tombstones must have been.

The original iron gate still surrounds the Mades Cemetery. This is the last on the hike, and the closest to the bike path, although it is not visible from the path. It is surrounded by trees but lies on the edge of a field.

Where a tombstone must have stood in the Murdock Cemetery

Murdock Cemetery

You can find the hikes at http://www.thetntstory.org/

Unfortunately, I left the camera at home and had to photograph using my cell phone.

Schneider Cemetery

The Schneider Cemetery (696707 4282968), like the Murdock Cemetery, feels like it's out in the middle of nowhere--especially on a gray day. The headstones date from the 1800's and are inscribed in German. According to the TNT web site, the farm was in the Schneider family for about 100 years before they sold it to the government during World War II.

Muschany Cemetery, March 5

Figured out the GPS and was able to find the Muschany Cemetery (N 38 40.133' W090 45.133'), just about 200 yards up a hill from the Lost Valley Trail. The first two burials were in 1876. Daffodils line the path up to where the homestead once was. Returned to the Lost Valley Trail and hiked out to the Hoekelman fireplace, then turned around, for a total of about five miles. Awesome weather. Sunny but not too hot, around 55 or 60. A few bikers; all cars had left the trailhead by the time I got back. at around 5:30.

Lost Valley and Hamburg Trails, Sunday, March 3

Hiked the Lost Valley Trail and surrounding areas with my brother Pat and his dog Juno. We were looking for cemetry hikes described on the TNT website, but didn't have much luck as I hadn't learned to use the GPS I bought at Bass Pro on the way to the hike--and it seems as if many of the trails have been changed/regraded and graveled. I did find what I think is the site of the Muschany Farm (see the old water trough and section of fence, but had no luck finding the cemetery. Next time!

The Katy Trail can also be accessed from the Hamburg Trail (see the first photograph). This is definitely going to be a trail to return to hike or bike soon. Probably did about five miles today, total, maybe a little more.

Thanks to Dad who picked me up at the Lost Valley Trailhead around 5--before it became dark--and who drove me back to my car about 4 miles northeast on 94.

Urban Hike: Sunday, February 26

Paul and I walked around Tower Grove Park and surrounding neighborhoods, ending up at Local Harvest for lunch. Awesome Spring-like, allergy-filled day.