Council Bluff

Johnny Jones, 19 March 2004

Yesterday was a beautiful day, and Bryan was home from Spring Break. I had my hiking books on and the canteen filled before he was done talking with Vika. I had been waiting for this!

I wanted to go up from Johnson's Shut-Ins on the lovely trail that starts beside the stream and goes up to the reservoir, and ultimately to Taum Sauk. But it was too far for Chip and his brother to catch up and join us.

So I called them when they were heading home from the airport and told them which way we were going on the trail around Council Bluff Lake. "Go towards the swimming area," I said. "And be sure to come." I thought it would be fun to meet them on the trail.

Bryan and I started by eating our G & W chicken dinners at the prettiest picnic table, the farthest one from the car. We packed our trash back out, then I grabbed my Leki hiking stick and Bryan strapped on the canteen, that green canteen that was old before we bought it at the Army Surplus store when our kids were both in elementary school.

The Canyon is a great hike. So was Pike's Peak, and the trails connecting the five town of the Cinque Terre in Italy. Some of the trails in the Smokies are beautiful, with the sun peeking through the jungles of rhododendren. The two-mile-high trails in the Rockies are spectacular, with their jewel-like hidden lakes and marmots frolicking in the summer snow.

In Missouri, we've been to Lake of the Ozarks and hiked several of the trails there. But few of them can beat the 12-mile trail around Council Bluff Lake.

We've been on the trail when the lake was frozen half-way across, farther than either of us could throw a rock. And when it melted so that the waves against the ice edge sounded like geese flying overhead, or bells tinkling. For my birthday we hiked all the way around, leaving in the morning and coming pretty close to our 2-miles-per-hour average.

We only had to ford one creek. Usually we hike from the boat launch to the swimming area, an easy hike always in sight of the lake, but with woods on our left, and an interesting outcropping of rock towards the beach.

We like the off-seasons best, when we guess which animals' tracks cut through the sand, and there are no sound of boat motors - just of animals or the wind rustling the leaves. There was evidence of geese, both on the beach and on the sidewalks, so that we had to watch where we stepped.

But the off-season meant that I had to compete with a chipmunk for the ladies' room (outhouse). He ran behind the pit potty, but we chased him with my hiking stick and he ran out the door before I had my turn. It was obvious from the acorn shells that we had disturbed his home.

We hiked all the way to the dam, through the pine forest with its footing of brown needles, before turning around. We were still looking for Chip and Larry. When we got to the beach, we lay down on the dock and let the sunshine soak through us. You don't need a pillow when you've got the gentle sway of the water.

We had just about decided Chip and Larry weren't coming when I saw a hat and guys. It was the Jones boys! My greeting was, "Well, you guys sure are slow!"

"That may be true, but you didn't have to mention it!" Larry replied.

Chip said they had scared some ducks and watched the miracle of their launch from the water. Bryan and I saw a couple of water snakes just after I shed my sweat shirt and continued in short sleeves.

But most of the time, it was just us, the lake, the rocks, the trees, and the tiny white or purple flowers that pop up in sunny places this time of year, just us rustling through the leaves ö not always talking. Hiking is good for just being. It's something to do while you do nothing - nothing but be together and enjoy what God created.

Larry kept remarking about what a beautiful area we live in. He's right. And what a glorious time to enjoy it!