Lousy weather limited participation in the Fall Festival on the Raccoon River Valley Trail, but the communities did welcome the few who braved the cold and wind. Here is a brief story and some photos from the event.
COOPER, Iowa, October 4, 2009 – Cloudy skies, occasional sprinkles of rain, a temperature in the upper 40s and a stiff northwest wind limited participation in most activities held on Saturday, October 3, as part of the fourth annual Fall Festival on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.
It was such an uncomfortable day to be outdoors — especially until later Saturday afternoon — that not more than two dozen bicyclists were seen anywhere on the 56-mile-long trail. Ten riders, all well-bundled against the cold weather, are known to have ridden the full length of the trail from Jefferson to Waukee, turning that brisk wind into a nice tailwind.
In Jefferson, a tram that was pulled by a tractor, offering rides for people who can’t walk or bicycle far enough to see much of the trail, made only one run with five people aboard. About 10 ate “Burgers & Brats at the Bridge” at a cookout held on the trestle bridge over the North Raccoon River south of Jefferson.
Alex Krueger had his historical photos of Herndon on display trailside in that community. In Yale, several people drove in and visited the renovations happening at The Windsor hotel and the old round gym. In Panora, Dave and Mary Beidelman hosted coffee and muffins at the Heritage Park shelterhouse trailside early in the morning.
Probably the most successful event of the day was the “Trick-or-Treat Trail Trek for the Dogs” at the trailhead in Panora. Kristine Jorgensen organizes the event as a benefit for the local animal welfare organization “PETS,” which stands for “Protecting Even The Strays.” Dogs and masters came in coordinated costumes. They took a stroll on the trail, stopping at several activity stations, prior to contests for best costumes and best pet tricks.
Also in Panora, a local rock band “Bus 15,” made up of Panorama High School students, gamely played in the tough weather.
In Dallas County, a “poker ride” that was offered in the trail towns there, attracted no participants in its first hour, so the coordinators wisely canceled and headed for indoor locations to watch football.
“The weather was a real bummer, no question about that,” said Chuck Offenburger, of Cooper, secretary of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association. “But after all the good weather we’ve had through the late summer and early fall, we couldn’t really complain.”
You can tell how cold it was on Saturday, October 3, during the Fall Festival on the Raccoon River Valley Trail, by noticing how bundled-up these bicyclists were as they were ready to leave Jefferson on their ride to Waukee. The six cyclists on the left are members of the Bellevue Bicycle Club from the Omaha suburb of Bellevue, (left to right) Dennis Wermers, Ray Anderson, Stella Montgomery, Lynn Rollins, Linda Hayek and John Olson. The couple in red jackets on the right are Shellie and Loren Vander Schaaf of Maurice in northwest Iowa. The strong northwest wind was a tailwind for them all.
Here, Karen Snizek (left) of Jefferson doctors up her hamburger sandwich, prepared by Carla Offenburger (center) of Cooper and Chris Woods (right) of Des Moines. This was at “Burgers, Brats & Bikes at the Bridge,” a cookout on the trestle bridge over the North Raccoon River, south of Jefferson.
It was cold for people and animals alike on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. This dog and owner were warming each other during the “Trick-or-Treat Trail Trek for the Dogs” in Panora. (Photo by Kristine Jorgensen)
This group drove from Panora to Herndon to see the display of historical photos of that small community that had been put together by Alex Krueger. Front to back are Mary Beidelman, Karen Sievers, Jim Sievers and Dave Beidelman. Herndon grew into a nice-sized town in its early history, since it was an important junction between two different railroads, one running north-south and the other east-west. Krueger’s photos are a fantastic portrayal of that history. (This photo by Alex Krueger)
Folks looking at the historical photos in Herndon were startled when suddenly, a herd of 10 or more local ponies came trotting through town on the trail, after having gotten loose from their home field. (Photo by Alex Krueger)
