Tunnel Trail bike trip Oct 2019

We enjoy getting together with family members to enjoy a long bike ride, typically on converted railroad rights of way.  This year we headed to southern Illinois to meet my cousin Phillip and his wife Wendy and ride the Tunnel Trail bike trail.

The Tunnel Trail is a former railroad right of way converted to a bike trail. This usage preserves the right of way should future needs prove the need for a railroad again.

On the way we stopped and spent the night at the Giant City State Park. They have a lodge that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp during the time of the Great Depression. It is a spectacular example of stone and timber construction.

We started one day of our ride in Vienna (Pronounced VI-enna) and rode north 10 miles or so to the long railroad tunnel the trail is named for

Julie and I rode our trikes which make for a comfortable and stable ride

Occasionally you will travel in a culvert under  a highway

Phillip enjoyed his new recumbent and set the pace for speed. He can really move on that  'bent'.

The former railroad bridges now support hikers and bikers

Most of the route travels thru tunnels of trees and keeps you well shaded

Eventually you approach the tunnel

There are bluffs on each side of the tunnel approach

It is downhill most of the way back from here

This is a comfortable machine to ride

These are very pretty trails to ride

The ride thru the bluffs is a wonderful way to see the trail

Over two days we rode the trail from Vienna to the Tunnel and then from Vienna to the Wetlands Center.

We'll save this end of the trail for a future trip

Lots of creeks along the way

Occasionally there are stops along the trail with information and some services

This is the Wetlands Center

Kinda fun to find the former railroad right of way crossing a current railroad right of way

Nice to close the trip by sitting around a camp fire on a crisp autumn evening and  talk about the trip

Bikes all set in place on the rear of their Honda Civic ready for travel home

Exploring the Bouillon King Mine Site

We stopped in the Rock Shop in Ouray, Colorado and picked up a book detailing various locations in Colorado to search for specific types of rocks. Traveling to most of these locations involves the use of high clearance, four wheel drive vehicles.

One such site for rock hounding is the Bouillon King Mine Site. This is a bit west of Red Mountain Pass up 3 miles on a one lane Jeep trail to well over 12,000 feet above sea level. It is quite the trip.

We were searching for limonite pseudomorphs after pyrite rock which is reported to be 3/16" cubes located in a gray matrix.. Our rock hunting skills are still very much at the amateur level so we didn't find the wonderful examples I envisioned, but had a nice day nevertheless exploring the area.

This was September 9th of 2019 and the wild flowers were in full bloom right next to piles of snow from the severe winter of 2018/2019.

Our dog accompanied us on the trip and loved exploring the mountain.

The trail starts out easy enough with room for two vehicles to pass

The switchbacks are tight

The views are spectacular

There are still piles of snow from the previous winter

Wild flowers abound

Little waterfalls result from the melting snow

This is an overview of the Jeep trail heading down from the mine site. That little white dot is a pickup truck

Zoomed in on the pickup truck heading down

You are pretty much at the top of the world

This is the one lane Jeep trail. Folks heading uphill have the right of way. If you meet someone coming up you are required to back up until there is a place to pass. You get a good workout with your mirrors backing up this trail.