life in iowa H O R S E BAC K R I D I N G WHERE TO LEARN, WHERE TO RIDE IOWA’S AMAZING RAILROAD HISTORY DISCOVER SPECTACULAR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES RUNNING, FISHING AND BEER AT THE DRIFTLESS FLYATHLON INDIAN CREEK NATURE CENTER CELEBRATES 50 YEARS DISC GOLF TEE OFF AROUND IOWA Vol. 4 • Issue 1 • April 9, 2023 A publication of

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The Gazette, Life in Iowa - April 9, 2023

life in iowa

The Gazette is proud to provide Life in Iowa to our Gazette subscribers. Four times each year we’ll introduce you to just a few of the interesting people and places that make Eastern Iowa a vibrant place to live and work. As Eastern Iowa’s independent, employee-owned newspaper, we’re thankful to each and every subscriber who values local news and content. Share your thoughts and comments with us at [email protected] or call (319) 398-8447. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content without permission is prohibited. Published by The Gazette.

CONTENTS 03 Saddle up and hit the trails 04 Exploring Iowa’s railroad history 06 Nine spots to experience Iowa’s most spectacular outdoors 09 Fly fishing and running combine for an outdoor fundraising adventure 10 Indian Creek Nature Center turns 50 11 Disc golf keeps growing in Iowa

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11 COVER PHOTO: An angler searches for the perfect spot to catch a trout during the 2022 Driftless Flyathlon in Yellow River State Forest in Northeast Iowa. Photo by Clint Johnson, courtesy of Running Rivers.

April 9, 2023 - The Gazette, Life in Iowa

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SADDLE UP AND HIT THE TRAILS You can find plenty of horseback riding opportunities across Iowa, no matter your age or skill level By Tara Thomas Gettman, for The Gazette

A student works on dressage skills at Tamarack Stables in Anamosa, IA. Photo courtesy of Tamarack Stables.

With the popularity of shows like Yellowstone, where ranching and riding take center stage, it is no surprise horseback riding is a pursuit some Iowans are excited about. There is no shortage of options to bring out your inner cowboy. “I feel individuals are attracted to horseback riding for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to companionship, feelings of accomplishment, and comradery as you meet others from the equine community who share your interests,” said Renee Price, manager of equine events and operations at the Iowa Equestrian Center at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. The Iowa Equestrian Center, which opened in 2000, is the largest, most frequented equine facility in Iowa. It hosts a variety of equestrian events from world and national qualifying competitions to regional and local shows. If you are new to horseback riding, where do you start? According to Price, the process involves lifelong learning. “A true horseman would say it takes a lifetime and there is always room to grow and improve your skills. I do not feel there is a definitive timeline on learning to ride,” she said. “The rate an individual learns has many variables, including mindset, coaching and natural ability.” Horseback riding has been a part of Price’s life for decades. “I have had an interest in horses for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I began taking formal riding lessons at the age of 8 years old – that was the age requirement for the local stable.” And she was the rare child whose dream to own a horse came true.

“After several years of dedication to riding lessons and learning how to properly care for a horse, my parents purchased my first horse at the age of 12. Under the guidance of my riding instructor, I began competing at a local level.” Price dabbled in all available disciplines, but decided reining horses was the best fit for her. “I went on to show reining horses at a national level in my early teens and continue to do so today competing in the reining and ranch riding events.” Riding stables commonly set a minimum age requirement to take riding lessons. Price suggests two riding stables to consider: Greenbriar Riding Academy in Springville and Wishing Wells Performance Horses in Marion. Greenbriar, which has been around since 1993, provides the horses and equipment for anyone who doesn’t own their own to learn how to ride horses and care for them. The program curriculum includes mounted and unmounted lessons. Riders can choose from English or Western style. The academy’s offerings include private or group riding lessons, specialty horse camps, and horse training and boarding. Price advises that when choosing a riding instructor, “I recommend you choose an instructor who is American Riding Instructor Association (ARIA) certified. Tour the stable prior to signing up for lessons. Meet the instructor to make sure they are a good fit for you.” Wishing Wells Performance Horses operates out of Boulder Creek Equestrian Center in Marion. With large indoor and outdoor arenas, year-round horseback riding lessons are available for beginner to intermediate levels. The facility TRAILS, PAGE 7

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The Gazette, Life in Iowa - April 9, 2023

EXPLORING IOWA’S RAILROAD HISTORY

Railroad expansion that began in the 19th century laid the foundation for many Iowa towns. By Steve Gravelle, for The Gazette On any midnight in March 1947, one could find 31 first-class passenger trains rolling across Iowa. Bearing names such as Denver Zephyr, Gold Coast, Corn Belt Rocket and Nightingale, the trains connected dozens of Iowa communities to each other and to far-off destinations, many providing travelers all the comforts of a good hotel, from a comfortable bed in a private room to carefully prepared meals and socializing over drinks in the lounge. Those riding and working aboard the trains couldn’t have guessed they were experiencing the peak of the railroad era, the end of a century in which railroad expansion defined Iowa’s development. Seven decades on, two Amtrak trains a day in each direction pause at seven Iowa stops on two routes. Most of the feeder lines to smaller communities off the main lines have been torn up. But Iowans can still explore their state’s raildefined roots. “There’s still plenty of miles of railroad track in the state,” said Thomas Hogan, treasurer of the Iowa chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. “You can get a DOT map, you can trace those railroad lines and get out there.” “Just go out and soak it up” advised Don Hofsommer, a retired history professor and who’s written more than 20 books on Midwest railroad history. Iowa’s settlement was largely defined by railroads thanks to Grenville Dodge and Abraham Lincoln. Dodge first surveyed a railroad route in his native Massachusetts at age 14, in 1845. After earning a degree in civil engineering, he worked as a surveyor, moving to the frontier town of Council Bluffs in the 1850s. He became a partner in a banking firm and a city council member before joining the Army during the Civil War. In the fall of 1863, Lincoln summoned Dodge to the White House. “Dodge thought he was going to be in trouble because he was the first person to arm (freed) slaves,” said Patricia LaBounty, curator of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs. “Outside of Lincoln’s office he

Visitors to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad can travel from Boone to Fraser, IA, via the Fraser Train. Photo courtesy of the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad

waits all day. He gets into Lincoln’s office and (Lincoln) said, ‘I saved this meeting for last because I didn’t want to be interrupted.’ He remembered the conversation he’d had with Dodge in Council Bluffs in 1859.” Lincoln wanted Dodge’s advice on locating the eastern end of the first transcontinental railroad, the Union Pacific, the construction of which had been authorized by the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862. By 1860, other railroads had reached into eastern Iowa and across Missouri to Kansas City, the western end of the national network and perhaps a natural starting point for the new transcontinental. Dodge recommended a more northern route starting in Council Bluffs. Lincoln agreed, issuing an executive order setting the Union Pacific’s eastern terminal there. That set off a frenzy of railroad-building activity as competing

companies located lines across Iowa to link the transcontinental to Chicago, then as now the nation’s railroad hub. “They were frantically trying to build across the state,” LaBounty said. The Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad, later the Chicago and North Western Railway and now the Union Pacific’s route across the state, won the race, reaching Council Bluffs in 1867. But the volume of potential transcontinental freight and passenger business was so strong that by the late 1870s six east-west main lines spanned the state. Communities such as Boone, Creston, Marshalltown and Fort Madison grew around the frequent service, refueling and crew-change stops required by steam locomotives. Hundreds of workers were employed in heavy-repair shops such as those in West Burlington, Waterloo, and

Oelwein, while smaller communities hosted dozens of track-maintenance workers. “About 95 percent of the towns in Iowa were established by railroads,” said Dana Grefe of Woodward, vice president of the Iowa chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. “If the railroads hadn’t come through, there wouldn’t be a town.” A web of branch lines connected smaller towns to main line junctions, often with a single train a day – more as needed during harvest season. Several interurban lines provided local transportation with short trains or a single car drawing electric power from overhead lines. Schoolchildren in the 1920s learned “there is no point in Iowa more than 12 miles from a railroad,” a day’s drive by horse and wagon. When railroads were the only reliable transportation for people and freight,

April 9, 2023 - The Gazette, Life in Iowa

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LEARN MORE ABOUT IOWA’S RAILROAD HISTORY It can take a little looking, but there are ways to explore Iowa in the railroad era. “We have interest that ranges from folks who have never been on a train ever, from all walks of life, to people that are absolutely crazy about railroad history, that know the names of all the engines, they know how much horsepower it has,” said Mike Wendel, director of the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. Perhaps the state’s best-known rail museum, the B&SV (in traditional railroad terms) operates passenger trains over its 5.5-mile route and an operating interurban car from the Charles City Western, which linked its namesake town with Marble Rock and Colwell. The B&SV and its affiliated museum enjoyed its best-ever attendance lasty year. The B&SV’s Chinese-built steam locomotive should be back pulling trains by midsummer after a multi-year overhaul, Wendel said. Like most of the state’s historic rail resources, the B&SV relies on volunteers – another way for interested Iowans to experience railroading firsthand. The museum’s core of 20 volunteers is supplemented by a pool of about 200 ranging from seven years old to over 80. “You can build track, work as car attendants, train to work on diesel or steam (locomotives),” Wendel said. “You work your way up from a brakeman to conductor. You can work your way up to be an engineer, even.” Volunteers are largely responsible for preserving old depots and other landmarks such as interlocking life in most Iowa towns centered on the comings and goings at the local depot. Beyond transportation, the telegraph lines along the tracks brought the latest news. “The depot used to be the hotspot of the town,” said Grefe. “If you wanted to know something you’d go down to the depot.” “A typical Sunday afternoon, we’d hop in the car and go down to the Ames depot,” said Stewart Buck, who grew up to teach art at Bondurant High School. “Just the drama of the train arriving was captivating.” “Especially during the Second World War, you went by rail,” said Don Hofsommer, a retired history professor who has written more than 20 books on Midwest railroad history. “If Dad had to go to Boone or over to Des Moines, they’d go over the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern (interurban) and flag down the car.” Born in Fort Dodge in 1938, Hofsommer became fascinated

towers. Staffed round the clock, such towers controlled traffic at busy junctions. Its duties shifted to remote workers sitting before computer screens, Iowa’s last operating tower closed in the 1980s, but volunteers rescued the 1907 tower in Iowa Falls and the nearby depot. “It’s all on a volunteer basis,” maintained by the Iowa Falls Historical Society, said Jerry Lehtola. The tower and depot are open on the Fourth of July weekend and at other times by appointment. “We’ve got a lot of Rock Island stuff, and bits and pieces if the Illinois Central,” Lehtola said. “It was a great way for the people to connect.” The Union Pacific Museum in Council Bluffs draws on volunteers but is also supported by the Union Pacific Railroad, which donated its historic materials and covers operating expenses. “Having Mile Zero for the transcontinental railroad be in Iowa is a really an important thing, and you can get a feel for that in our museum,” said curator Patricia LaBounty. Those who pursue their interest may become fullfledged railfans. “The younger guys are quite motivated and very talented photographers,” said Tom Hogan. A Marion resident who grew up in Monticello after that town’s branch line was abandoned, he’s treasurer of the Iowa Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and publisher of Steel Highway, a magazine and website dedicated to railroad photography. “I deal a lot with the younger crowd through Steel Highway, and I deal with older age group through the

by railroads while growing up in Callender, where his father ran the local lumberyard. “It’s hard to explain,” he said. “I think the mystique was oblique. The trains ran at night and I would never see them.” The young Hofsommer began exploring railroads as Iowa started turning away from them. As more people bought automobiles, the Good Roads movement extended the reach of paved highways and travelers preferred the flexibility and convenience of their own cars. The railroads responded by cutting their passenger trains, first on the lightly-trafficked branch lines, then on the mainline routes. Amtrak, the quasi-public corporation created by Congress, took over the truncated passenger rail network on May 1, 1971. Half the nation’s passenger trains disappeared overnight. Regionally-based railroads merged into larger networks, relentlessly efficient conveyors of bulk commodities and

Visitors enjoy an exhibit at the Union Pacific Museum in Council Bluffs, IA. Photo courtesy of the Union Pacific Museum

Iowa chapter,” he said. Dedicated to the exploration and preservation of railroad history, the NRHS’ Iowa Chapter remains healthy, its membership doubling to about 150 over the past three years. It’s not even necessary to leave home to experience the state’s railroads. “Virtual railfan” sites stream webcam feeds 24/7 from busier rail locations. Steel Highways maintains 31 webcam feeds, mostly in Iowa, including one at the Iowa Falls tower. “This is a new wave, having these webcams out for railfans to see these locations that they might never see in person,” Hogan said. “You know where the terms ‘online’ and ‘offline’ came from?” LaBounty asked. “Railroads. And they mean pretty much the same thing.”

finished goods in intermodal containers. “The big railroads ceased to be a business offering a service to the average person on the street,” said LaBounty. “It became a business-tobusiness relationship.” “I was just getting the bug on how cool this was, and then they’re all gone,” said Buck. Retired from teaching, he’s

a historian and artist specializing in historic rail subjects. But a sense of history and the drama of massive machines rolling across the landscape still draws Iowans to experience the state’s railroads, many equipped with cameras to record tomorrow’s history.

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The Gazette, Life in Iowa - April 9, 2023

NINE SPOTS TO EXPERIENCE IOWA’S MOST SPECTACULAR OUTDOORS From the Missouri to the Mississippi, there’s plenty of outdoor beauty to explore in Iowa. YELLOW RIVER STATE FOREST EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

MINES OF SPAIN TRAIL

PALISADES-KEPLER STATE PARK LOESS HILLS STATE FOREST

DEVONIAN FOSSIL GORGE

WHITEROCK CONSERVANCY

WILDCAT DEN STATE PARK NEAL SMITH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

By Jacqueline Kehoe, for The Gazette You probably know Iowa’s most lauded state parks—like Maquoketa Caves, Backbone and Pike’s Peak. They’re phenomenal spots, but they’re just a fraction of the spectacular forms Mother Nature has taken across the Hawkeye State. This year—if you haven’t already—make it your mission to explore some of Iowa’s lesser-known outdoor oases. You’ll find views you literally can’t get anywhere else, from fossil-rich riverbeds to Spanish quarries to hills only rivaled by China. For

world-class outdoor experiences across the state, here’s where to go.

WHITEROCK CONSERVANCY

1436 Highway 141, Coon Rapids Go for: mountain biking, paddling, stargazing Whiterock Conservancy’s 5,500 acres wind across open prairie, savanna, wetlands and oaken forests, the Middle Raccoon River coursing through the tree-lined middle. An hour west of Ankeny near Coon Rapids, the list of things to do at Whiterock is as diverse as the landscape: think

hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, UTVing, camping, stargazing, paddling, and more. The hills here come carved with more than 40 miles of trails—16 of which are intermediate-level singletrack, making Whiterock’s mountain biking hard to beat ($5/day). Waterhounds, on the other hand, can rent canoes and kayaks on site to paddle the 8-mile Middle Raccoon River Water Trail. It winds and wends along gorgeous sandstone bluffs and verdant savannas, and flows deep into the land trust’s quiet corners. PARKS, PAGE 8

April 9, 2023 - The Gazette, Life in Iowa

RIDING RESOURCES

Students practice riding skills at Greenbriar Riding Academy in Springville, IA. Photo courtesy of Greenbriar Riding Academy.

Resources abound for online or in-person support should you need guidance about horseback riding options in Iowa. One example is the Iowa Horse Council. Started in 1978, the volunteer-based nonprofit organization believes in the value of horses and horse activities and serves and supports the entire industry through communication, education and promotion. The group even has a trails committee, made up of members who have a passion for trail riding and a desire to maintain and further trail riding in Iowa. Meeting once a month, the volunteer members sponsor educational clinics catering to Iowa trail riders. Clinic fees are kept as low as possible, and discounts are available to Iowa Horse Council members. Past clinics offered include a confidence clinic for fearful riders, a trailer backing clinic and a camp cooking clinic. In addition, the IHC collaborates with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to ensure that horse trail riding lands and the rights of those who use them are protected, as newly proposed laws move toward final approval. The DNR website features an equestrian section that details a number of parks and forests available to horseback riding, plus equestrian campgrounds. The following parks include designated equestrian campgrounds: • Brushy Creek State Recreation Area - Webster County • Elk Rock State Park - Marion County • Lake of Three Fires State Park - Taylor County • Nine Eagles State Park - Decatur County • Shimek State Forest - Van Buren County • Stephens State Forest - Lucas County • Volga River State Recreation Area - Fayette County • Waubonsie State Park - Fremont County • Yellow River State Forest - Allamakee County Cedar Valley Stables in Tipton is recommended as a good source to answer trail riding questions. Open on weekends only from mid-April to midNovember, they offer hour trail rides for $50 per person, which includes horse rental. Riders must be at least eight years old. You can find top rated horseback riding trails in Iowa courtesy of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy website’s Iowa Horseback Riding Trails and Maps section. If you’re looking for an easy and short horseback riding trail or a longer one, you can peruse the list of options then click on a trail to find descriptions (including length and surface), maps, photos and reviews.

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individual. Some people are looking for companionship, while others are working FROM PAGE 3 towards a goal or competition. Each are has horses available for guests to ride, or rewarding in their own right.” If you are not sure if horseback riding they can haul in their own horse for an is right for you, “come out to the Iowa additional fee. Equestrian Center and watch a variety Price says there are a variety of price of events to see what disciplines interest points, some depending on the level of you,” Price suggests. commitment. She says the center hosts events Before you sign up to saddle up, consider the physical expectations of the nearly every weekend. “The majority of our events are free to spectate and we activity. have concessions on site for food and “Horseback riding can be physical beverage purchase,” she adds. “We invite and can require, or build, core and leg you to come see our facility and watch a strength for proper equitation,” Price variety of horse breeds and disciplines.” says. “All depending on your skill level This fall, the Iowa Equestrian Center and discipline.” will host two National Llama and Alpaca But that’s just part of what is required. shows and a large Cattle Show. You can “Caring for a horse and tacking them up to ride can also be quite physical,” she check out their Calendar of Events for details. adds. Activities like putting a saddle on Keep in mind, horseback riding is a horse’s back, supporting a horse’s leg much different from other outdoor to pick its hooves, cleaning and bedding activities in that you can’t entirely control stalls, lifting bales of hay, lifting bags of the animal you’re doing it with. grain and hauling water buckets all are “Horses can be very humbling,” Price involved if you take on more than simply admits. “Try not to become frustrated riding. and learn from all experiences good and Emotional factors are also involved bad.” in horseback riding. Price says “the emotional benefits are unique to the

TRAILS

The Iowa Equestrian Center at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids is the largest equine facility in the state. Photo courtesy of the Iowa Equestrian Center

THE COOLEST MUSEUM IS IN CEDAR FALLS!

Address: 121 Center Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Phone: 319-266-5149

Website: www.cfhistory.org

• Email: [email protected]

We also have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/icehousemuseumcedarfalls/

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The Gazette, Life in Iowa - April 9, 2023

PARKS FROM PAGE 6

The Pine Creek Grist Mill, framed here by the Pine Creek Bridge, is the oldest working grist mill on its own site between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. The Pratt Truss bridge is made of wrought iron and was built in the late 1800s. Photographed in Wildcat Den State Park in Muscatine County. Photo by Liz Martin, The Gazette

WILDCAT DEN STATE PARK

1884 Wildcat Den Road, Muscatine Go for: history, photography, hiking Mark Twain wrote that Muscatine’s sunsets were some of the best on Earth—imagine if he had witnessed them from Wildcat Den State Park, just 10 miles east. With spectacular sandstone formations like “Steamboat Rock,” “Fat Man’s Squeeze” and the “Devil’s Punch Bowl,” the views here are sublime, golden hour or otherwise. The short-but-sweet trail system packs a punch, too: All the trails are rated difficult, coursing among dense mixed forests that taper off at 75-foot cliffs. Beyond the park’s 300 million-year-old terrain, Wildcat Den claims two historical sites of the pioneer kind: the Pine Creek Grist Mill—one of the oldest working grist mills in the country—and the one-room Melpine schoolhouse. Public tours run during the summer, Wednesday through Saturday.

YELLOW RIVER STATE FOREST

729 State Forest Road, Harpers Ferry Go for: camping, backpacking, hiking, fishing In Iowa’s incomparable Driftless Region, Yellow River State Forest tops the list when it comes to serious outdoor adventure. Nearly 9,000 acres of dense woodlands, towering bluffs and meandering trout streams provide the backdrop to the state’s most off-grid adventures. (If you’d like to up your outdoor game via backpacking and wayfinding, start here.) This distinct state forest is divided into six units: Paint Creek, Luster Heights, Yellow River, Paint Rock, Mudhen, and Waukon Junction. Most outdoor-seekers and anglers will head to the Paint Creek Unit, the forest’s largest at over 5,000 acres. Paddlers may want to hit up the canoe launch in Yellow River; while backpackers may wish to scope out the backcountry camping area at Paint Rock.

LOESS HILLS STATE FOREST/BRENT’S TRAIL

206 Polk Street, Pisgah Go for: hiking, elevation training, snowshoeing The Loess Hills are the second-largest loess formation in the world. Needless to say, there are plenty of spots here worth a gander, but a “new” hike has stolen many Loess-loving hearts: Brent’s Trail. At 8.1 miles with an elevation gain of 1,646 feet, this is one of the state’s steepest, toughest trails. (If that’s not enough, you can add on a four-mile extension as well.) Blazed in 2019, Brent’s Trail connects the GleasonHubel Wildlife Area to Murray Hill Scenic Overlook via the Loess Hills State Forest. Note that it’s technically a shuttle hike—if you don’t have a car to park at each end, you’ll need to retrace your steps. Tip: Consider walking back via Larpenteur Memorial Road for a more direct shot.

DEVONIAN FOSSIL GORGE

2850 Prairie Du Chien Road NE, Iowa City Go for: fossil-viewing, geology, family-friendly outdoor fun Iowa’s periodic floods have left a mark on the state in many ways, including unearthing its wild geologic past. Between the floods of 1993 and 2008, some 20 feet of soil washed away near Coralville Lake, exposing what would become the Devonian Fossil Gorge. As you walk here, you’re stepping foot on a warm, tropical seafloor from 375 million years ago—look for brachiopods, crinoids and horn corals (which look like bugle chips!) in the ancient limestone. Partially paved, a family-friendly 12-stop tour makes it easy to find the secrets hidden at your feet. At the gorge’s finish, you’ll run into the 0.6-mile River Walk Trail, which gently traces the Iowa River.

sissippi. Named by Julien Dubuque quite literally, this former lead mine (yes, owned by Spain), now offers some of the state’s most stunning vistas. Visitors can hop between wetlands, tallgrass prairies and 250-yearold oak groves, with rocky bluffs rising above it all. Though 12 miles of hiking trails are maintained, the 1.6-mile Horseshoe Bluff Trail is the Mines’ iconic trek, offering absolutely towering views of this former quarry. History buffs should hoof it to the Julien Dubuque Monument, where Dubuque is buried, resting high above the Mississippi and Catfish Creek.

EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT

151 Highway 76, Harpers Ferry Go for: archaeology, hiking, scenic views This national monument in Iowa’s northeastern corner comes widely regarded as one of the country’s finest examples of prehistoric mound-building cultures. Built between 800 and 1,600 years ago, over 200 American Indian mounds fill the park, often taking the form of animals—from birds and bears to bison and panthers. We’re not talking handfuls of dirt: the Great Bear Mound, for example, is 137 feet long and 70 feet wide. Be sure to stop into the visitor center to fully understand the importance of this archaeological site. Afterward, scope out any of the 14 miles of hiking trails that meander through this historic outpost, wooded bluffs and tallgrass prairies leading to fantastic views over the Mississippi.

PALISADES-KEPLER STATE PARK

700 Kepler Drive, Mount Vernon Go for: wildlife viewing, fishing, picnicking Just outside Cedar Rapids, dramatic river bluffs and deep ravines take over the landscape at PalisadesKepler State Park. With CCC-designed architecture as majestic as the park’s hardwood trees, a simple picnic in this spot can be transportive. But beyond marveling at the architecture, visitors come to fish near the old dam for catfish and walleye, wander nearly six miles of trails, post up in the rustic cabins or in a tent, watch the wildflowers bloom, stroll the sandbars, and more. Note: The park’s history goes much further back than the Depression Era. There are American Indian mounds here as well, and fossils—like mammoth teeth—have been found in the exposed rocks.

NEAL SMITH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

The Julien Dubuque Monument in the Mines of Spain Recreation Area was built in 1897 over the site of Dubuque’s 1810 burial vault. The 25-foot-tall, circular limestone turret sits on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Photo by Diane FannonLangton/Gazette correspondent

MINES OF SPAIN STATE RECREATION AREA

8991 Bellevue Heights, Dubuque Go for: hiking, photography, history Marking the spot where Iowa “began,” the Mines of Spain are both a national historic landmark and a fantastic place to explore the rough edges of the Mis-

9981 Pacific Street, Prairie City Go for: wildlife viewing, birding, scenic driving Less than 0.1% of Iowa’s prairies remain, making the swaths that do absolutely remarkable—and worth your time. Just 20 miles east of Des Moines rests the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, a 6,000-acre grassland oasis for countless species, including the refuge’s own herd of bison. Head out this spring to see the newborn calves, and bring your binoculars to spot the feathered residents, from sandpipers and yellowthroats to meadowlarks and bobolinks. Fifteen miles of hiking and biking trails weave through the refuge in addition to a five-mile auto tour that comes narrated via the refuge’s app. Stop by the visitor center Tuesday–Saturday; trails are open year-round for endless outdoor exploration.

April 9, 2023 - The Gazette, Life in Iowa

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FLY FISHING AND RUNNING COMBINE FOR AN OUTDOOR FUNDRAISING ADVENTURE The annual Driftless Flyathlon supports conservation efforts in northeast Iowa’s Driftless Area.

By Katie Mills Giorgio, for The Gazette Each year Running Rivers, a conservation nonprofit which operates in Iowa and Colorado, puts on an event called the Driftless Flyathlon to support conservation efforts in the Driftless Area of northeast Iowa. Ryan Rahmiller, Driftless Flyathon race director, said the triathlon-style fundraiser involves running, fly fishing and beer drinking. Running Rivers’ motto is “conservation through recreation,” and so there is a fundraising component of the event, incentivized by prizes from local and national sponsors. Over the last five years, the event has raised some $75,000, which Running Rivers has put toward conservation projects within Yellow River State Forest, including building a new kiosk with information on trout fishing in the area and helping support a water quality project on Little Paint Trout Stream. “It doesn’t really require you to be a tremendous athlete,” said Rahmiller. “There are people that are very good anglers and there are people that are also very good runners and sometimes those meet at kind of a cross section as well. It’s a lot of strategy and just a lot of fun.” The event includes about a five-mile out and back run. While racing on the course participants must also try to catch a trout, measure it, and responsibly release it. For every inch that the trout measures, five minutes are subtracted from the participant’s final time. But if they don’t happen to snag a fish that day, 20 minutes is added to the finish time. “We always have people that are a little bit skeptical of the running part, but everybody that comes regardless of their ability ends up having fun,” said Rahmiller. Rahmiller said there’s some strategy involved, as some participants work on catching a fish right away and then completing their run, while others complete the run and try to snag a trout in the last 100 yards. He estimates that in the last several years about 70 percent of participants end up catching a fish.

Competitors race off at the start of the 2022 Driftless Flyathlon in Yellow River State Forest. The event, which raises money for conservation efforts in the Driftless Area of northeast Iowa, includes a five-mile run, a trout fishing competition, and plenty of craft beer. Photo by Clint Johnson, courtesy of Running Rivers

But fishing isn’t the event’s only appeal. “The setting in the Yellow River State Forest is incredible,” Rahmiller said. “I think that there’s a good argument to be made that if you help a stream somewhere it will help water everywhere. And I think people recognize that the Driftless is such a unique, beautiful area.” “I still hear from a lot of people that say they had no idea trout were even here in Iowa,” Rahmiller added. “So it’s great to be able to showcase our sponsors from the area and what we have to offer. Yellow River State Forest is an absolute gem. And, people see a lot of value in being able to enhance beautiful places like that.” Plus, there’s craft beer to enjoy when the race is done. “For the last four years

we’ve partnered with Big Grove Brewery, and they produced a beer called Wade Wisely, which is a play on words as we want to remind anglers that at certain times of the year when the trout are spawning that we want them to wade wisely in the streams so they don’t crush any eggs. Big Grove has been a really fun partner in this.” Interest in this type of event is growing, Rahmiller said, noting that similar races happen in Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina. “We’ve had interest in hosting events in Africa, Idaho, California, and even New Zealand. I think people are craving something a little bit different from your typical road race, but it’s been more successful than I think we could have imagined.” This year’s Driftless Flyathon will take

place October 6-8th. Registration for the event opens on April 15. The event is capped at 70 participants–mainly to ensure the event does not have a negative impact on the environment–and is expected to fill up in just two days’ time. In the past, people have traveled from eight different states to participate in the Driftless Flyathon. “It’s a fun event and a great community building event,” said Rahmiller, noting that participants spend the weekend at Yellow River State Park. “They get to know each other and make connections. We’ve gotten lifelong friends from this event over the last five or six years.” For more information about the event and the organization behind it, visit www.runningrivers.org/ driftless-flyathlon.

10 The Gazette, Life in Iowa - April 9, 2023

INDIAN CREEK NATURE CENTER TURNS 50

The center will host an anniversary event and a “BioBlitz” to celebrate. By Steve Gravelle, for The Gazette As it has for generations, Indian Creek Nature Center remains an important educational resource, hosting thousands of students every year. But its function is simpler than that. “Seven days a week, you can come out the nature center and take a hike,” said center director John Myers. “The basic core is that nature is important to people,” said Rich Patterson, the center’s director for 36 of its 50 years. To that end, the center’s grounds and trails are open every day of the year from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Leashed dogs are welcome on the seven miles of trails that connect to the metro trail system via the Sac and Fox Trail. The center celebrates its 50th anniversary Oct. 14 with live music, food and beer from local brewers. It’s also hosting a “BioBlitz” the week of June 25 in which visitors can use a smartphone app to help inventory the center’s wildlife and plant species. Blitz week will include guided tours, but the free event is open to anyone who wants to spend time there. “We’d like everybody to come out and identify as much as they can,” said Sydney Foster, the center’s land and farm coordinator. “I’d really love for people to get off-trail at this event. There’s more to explore than what you can see from the trail.” The center has conducted biological surveys of smaller areas before, but the BioBlitz is its first attempt to track animal and plant life across its entire area. Information gathered by visitors over the week will help guide future programing and land use. “I just want people to explore the biodiversity we have here,” Foster said. “I’m hoping from this event some people will grow more of an interest in getting out and exploring these areas.” The seed that became the center was planted in 1970, when Cedar Rapids businessman B.B. Stamats visited a nature center in Minnesota. Stamats recruited a committee of about 40 local residents to pursue development of one for the Cedar Rapids area, and Indian Creek Nature Center was incorporated

Families trek through the trails searching for wildlife during a Trail Trekkers day on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, at Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Photo by Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette.

as a nonprofit in 1973. The search for a site led organizers to what was then known as the Greenbelt, about 1,000 acres along the Cedar River purchased by the city with federal funds in 1968 to prevent development in the river’s flood plain. The parcel included what had been a dairy farm. The organizing committee signed a lease with the city for 120 acres, including the dairy barn that became the new nature center’s headquarters, and Indian Creek Nature Center hosted its first public event on Groundhog Day 1974. Later acquisitions secured 210 acres of meadow, marsh, and woodlands that draw more than 40,000 visitors a year to programs and uncounted numbers just out for a hike. In 2016, the center received the donation of the Etzel Sugar Grove Farm north of Marion bringing the center’s holdings to 476 total acres. Patterson, who joined the center in 1978 and served as director until Myers’ arrival in 2013, noted a change in the way people relate to and make use of its programs. “In the early days there was a strong emphasis on helping people to learn about nature, to identify trees and birds and wildflowers,” he said. “What has changed is (the realization that) exposure

to nature is good for people’s well-being. That doesn’t mean it’s not important to tell the difference from a sparrow and a bluejay.” Myers expects hundreds of students will attend this year’s summer camp programs. “Everything from preschoolers learning about frogs to high schoolers learning about water quality,” he said. “They’re all designed to get people outside and connected with nature.” Stable funding was a priority during Patterson’s early years at the center. “There was no money for years,” he said. “It was a hand-to-mouth existence.” Patterson worked with donors to establish an endowment that funds dayto-day operations. “Between the endowment, program revenue, and donations we operate with a pretty diversified revenue source,” Myers said. Those established sources and community support helped the center weather the COVID pandemic that shut down public gatherings. “We lost a lot of our program revenue, but we had reserves and we had endowments and contributions that kept us going,” Myers said. Another Patterson legacy is the center’s emphasis on customer service

– “how we treat people who have come out here,” as Myers puts it. The center counts 18 full-time staff, with another 28 seasonal and parttime supplemented by more than 600 volunteers yearly. “They’re just as important to the center and the longevity of the organization,” Myers said. Two of the full-time staff and a parttime employee conduct Creekside Forest School, the center’s preschool program for three- and four-year-olds. Myers said 28 are enrolled in this year’s program, which meets half-days four times a week during the school year. The Fresh Air Academy hosts after-school programs four days a week. Such newer programs are still driven by the nature center’s core principles. “Being with nature tends to calm people,” Patterson said. “It’s good for your health, it’s good for society, it’s good for your family.” Indian Creek Nature Center 5300 Otis Road SE, Cedar Rapids (319) 362-0664 www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org/

April 9, 2023 - The Gazette, Life in Iowa

11

DISC GOLF KEEPS GROWING IN IOWA Easy to learn and fun to play, disc golf has plenty to offer pros and amateurs alike.

By Molly Rossiter, for The Gazette Playing disc golf in 12-below wind chill isn’t something Rob Schelker likes to do often, but it was a charity event and he didn’t want to miss it. “It was in Grinnell and the weather was brutal, but it was for a good cause,” said Schelker, 55, a resident of Albia. “I’m generally not going to go out there and do it in 12-below wind chill, but I do try to get out at least once a month, even in the winter.” The Professional Disc Golf Association describes disc golf as a game “played much like golf except, instead of a ball and clubs, player use a flying disc.” It was created in the mid1970s and the objective is for each player to start at “the tee” and complete each hole by getting their disc in a chain basket in the fewest strokes – or throws. Schelker started playing about five years ago when a friend introduced him, and he’s been hooked since. “It’s a great way to get together with some friends and relax and have fun, or even go out on your own,” Schelker said. “And it’s a very low-cost hobby – you can get started with just some used discs and a bottle of water.” Disc golf took a while to get a decent following. The PGDA was formed in 1976 and didn’t reach 100,000 members nationwide until 2016. The sport’s popularity has since soared: PGDA membership has doubled and is now at more than 200,000. And Iowa is considered something of a mecca for disc golfers: With 351 courses statewide, Iowa ranks third in the country in courses per capita – a slide from the No. 1 spot it held until mid-2022, according to UDisc.com, an online disc golf resource created by two Iowa State University graduates. A complete list of Iowa’s courses – and many upcoming tournaments – can be found on the website. “I think it’s a sport that is applicable for all ages,” said Aaron Swander, 33, of Marion, the disc golf pro at Titan Disc Golf in Cedar Rapids. Swander said he got his start playing ultimate frisbee – a team disc sport that’s something of a cross between soccer and football – more than a

decade ago, but it could be difficult to get a group together to play a game. “With disc golf you can play on your own or with a group; there’s that kind of flexibility within the sport. And it really is good for all ages – I know kids who are getting started and there are guys in their 70s who are some of the original players from the sport’s early days.” The sport’s popularity in Iowa isn’t just recreational: one of the top disc golfers in the world is 17-year-old Gannon Buhr of Urbandale. The teen has been a member of the PGDA since 2015 – when he was 9 years old – and last year alone he took in more than $100,000 in prize money, in addition to sponsorships. That, Swander said, is a good sign for the sport. “When you have kids out there playing and getting involved, that shows the sport is going to grow well into the next generation,” he said. “It really bodes well for the sport.” Most courses are free to use and have a varied level of difficulty based on the terrain, Swander said. In eastern Iowa there are more wooded and hilly courses. “The geographical features, the greenspace, having some successful players here – it all helps to build the sport’s popularity in Iowa,” he said. “The oldest course in the state is in Cedar Falls, installed in 1978, and a five-time female world disc champion, Juliana Korver, went to University of Northern Iowa. Her success drove the popularity of the sport in the late 1990s.” Although Swander said disc golf pros like himself don’t really give a lot of lessons, there are leagues across the state that people can join and learn. Most are listed at iowadiscgolf.net, although the site is asking for leagues not listed to sign up. Or, like Schelker did, anyone interested can talk to a friend who plays and pick it up pretty quickly. “I’d seen the baskets around and started to wonder what they were for,” Schelker said. “It looked fun but I never got into it. Then a friend introduced me, and we do it all the time now.” A “beginner’s set” comes with

Disc golf enthusiast Rob Schelker of Albia, IA, celebrates a hole in one. Submitted photo

three discs: a putter, mid-range, and driver. Beginning discs can be relatively inexpensive, or, Schelker says, beginners may get lucky with a gracious veteran. “People who have been playing a while tend to collect things – I’ve got over 60 discs of my own,” he said. “If I’m teaching someone how to play, I usually give them a few to get started.”

He said anyone who’s interested should give the game a try. “It’s definitely a low investment,” he said. “There’s not much involved. No greens fees, no golf carts – just grab a couple of frisbees and a bottle of water and go.”

12 The Gazette, Life in Iowa - April 9, 2023

ONLY THE S S ARE SILENT

THIS COULD BE YOUR CAMERA ROLL. HAVE YOU HEARD?