7/27-The T-Bone Trail…Angel

On this, my favorite number day, I planned to rendezvous with a bull named Albert in the town of Audubon. It would be a shorter day than the previous two, which was a good thing. 

First order of business was checking out the spider beetle (or is it the beetle spider???). I rode down to the fairgrounds in Avoca. It wasn’t exactly at the fairgrounds, but close by. 

It’s a Volkswagen Beetle turned into a spider!

Back to the route, there was a short bike path that went to the aquatic center. Then I was back out on the road. The road out of Avoca was much better. There was even a narrow shoulder that was mostly rideable. The wind was slightly in my favor according to the direction they were facing. 

Wind energy!

The first town was Walnut. There weren’t any services I could see, but that was okay because I was just 7 miles in. The next town was Marne. Nothing to speak of there either. 

Ben had told me about a road closure on the route. I came to where I would need to detour to avoid it. While I was looking at the route on my phone, a pickup truck pulled up that said Cass County Secondary Roads on the side. The man in the truck rolls down the passenger side window and says, “You must be tough as nails! It’s 95 degrees out here!” He turns off his truck, and we start talking. He asks how old I am. Turns out he’s also 64! His name is Richard, and this area is his patrolling area of the secondary roads. He knows all the roads. I tell him I’ve been told there’s a road closure on Buck Creek Rd (they are replacing a bridge). He tells me how I can get around it. I tell him I’m heading to the T-Bone Trail. He’s familiar with it. After we chat a bit more, he offers to throw Wanda in the back of his truck, and just take me over to the start of the trail. Of course I accept! It really wasn’t that far, but it gave us more time to chat. 

I told Richard he was what we call a Trail Angel!

Even though it wasn’t that far, it really made my day. Not because I didn’t have to ride, but because I got to meet a great person!

I said goodbye, and made my way onto the T-Bone Trail. It was a former railway that went from Audubon to Omaha (I think). It was how the cattle were transported, hence the name “T-Bone Line”. The trail doesn’t go to Omaha, but it goes from where I got on, all the way to Audubon, nearly 20 miles. 

It was wonderfully shaded much of the way. 

Going by corn fields and beans.

The first “town” was Brayton. Not much there (except a post office and a nice trail park). Richard told me it was where his family had settled.

Next up was Exira. Just off the trail was a Casey’s. By now I was hungry. I got my usual dose of calcium (chocolate milk), and a cream filled maple bar. 

There was a park called Plough in the Oak. It was on the other side of the road, but there was trail access. Well, there were several oaks, but I never saw on with a plough in it (shouldn’t it be “plow”?). Then I could hear thunder, and it started to rain. I ducked under a big oak to wait it out.

Just a small thunderstorm, lasted about 5 minutes.

Richard had told me there was a place in Hamlin that was known for pie and sirloin steak. Funny thing, it wasn’t a POI on RWGPS. I’m really glad he told me about it (Darrell’s Place) because it was a rather nondescript looking building from the trail.

Does that look like a restaurant to you?

Even though I wasn’t terrible hungry, I had a BLT and a piece of coconut cream pie. 

Yummy!

When I came out, it was thunderstorming again. I rolled Wanda over to the Randi Jo Munch Memorial Park picnic shelter next to Darrell’s Place. It was 1:00. The forecast said it would be sunny at 2:00. I waited. 

Staying dry

Sure enough, close to 2:00 the storm had passed. The sun came back out, and boy was it ever humid!!! Literally, a bunch of water had been thrown on the ground, and it was an absolute sauna! I just had about 3 miles to go to Audubon, and my rendezvous with Albert, but it was oppressive!

As I neared the end of the T-Bone Trail, I saw the Bluegrass Inn. I could also see Albert. I made the decision to go to Albert first, then come back to the hotel. It was just too humid to try to camp. 

I saw actual cardinals today!

T-Bone Trail trailhead sign

ALBERT!

As you can see, he’s kinda big! The eyelashes make him look a little feminine (cow like), but he’s got the goods in the back (all bull)!

I rode the quarter mile back to the hotel. This is my 3rd night indoors. The heat advisory is supposed to end tonight. Tomorrow I should finish Segment 4 (Plains) in Perry, IA. I haven’t checked to see if there is camping there, or just a motel. I was feeling bad that my damp tent has been packed away for three days. I’ve spread it out in the room to air it out. 

Rainfly on the other bed, tent is over the bathroom door, and footprint is draped over a small table.