On nice sunny days in mid to late September, it is a spectacular time to be riding, walking or otherwise using the Raccoon River Valley Trail. In these photos, sisters Cindy Jensen of West Des Moines & Panora and Kathy Ridnour of Ames share the views they saw on a Sept. 11 ride from Cooper to Jefferson and back on the north part of the trail. You can see the wildflowers along the trail, with the harvest-ready farm fields in the background. You can see the awesome log jam under the 600-foot-long trestle bridge that carries the trail over the North Raccoon River, and then you can see the beautiful wildflowers garden just south of the Jefferson Depot at the trailhead there. As September continues, you’ll see increasing harvest activity as the farmers along the trail bring in the crop – generally doing soybeans first, then corn. Jensen, incidentally, is a member of the board of directors of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association. Ridnour is the Iowa Department of Transportation’s “Safe Routes To Schools” coordinator.