Hiking along the Missouri River

My oldest son suggested we hike a nice easy trail called the Lewis and Clark Trail located on the Missouri River.  He told me it was about 5 miles (look above and see it is a bit longer…).

We started out early as the temperature was forecasted to be near 90 degrees F midday.

This was the first hike for my son’s dog JD.  I am sure poor JD was wondering why he was being put into a strange car so early in the morning instead of going for his normal walk.

I am a fan of anything related to Lewis and Clark so I was excited to hike a trail that carries the name sake of the two Missouri River explorers.

The trailhead starts at a gravel parking lot and starts as a nice level hike through some grass and forest land.  Like most of the bluff hikes I had recently completed along the Mississippi River, the river can’t been viewed until you are on the bluff looking down a huge drop to the river.

It is the place where you can imagine Lewis and Clark standing and getting a good idea where they were going to paddle to next as they made their way from St Louis towards destinations unknown yet to them up river.

JD and I stopped for a photo opportunity.  Plus, we were both very thirsty.

The hike after the bluff starts to get more challenging as it dips into ravens and climbs back up the other side.  The path takes a hiker through some areas that contain some huge trees.  As I can’t resist a grand daddy tree I stopped to give one a hug.

At this point in the hike I was out of water and wondered if my son had really calculated the distance correctly.

“It is just a bit more.” he said and must have said at least a dozen times before we made it back.

I was thinking “I am I looking like an old lady that makes him keep saying that?  Is he worried I might not make it?  Look at JD? Poor dog, looks like he has had it!”  Of course as any good parent who wants to avoid conflict and not ruin the moment we were having I didn’t share these internal questions or comments. I do remember mentioning that I was out of water and hoped that we were getting near the trailhead.

This was a great hike! It was even better hiking with my son. He picked a great location and the views of the Missouri River from that location can’t be beat!

Recommendations:

1. Bring more than 1/2 liter of water on a hot day.
2. Wear good hiking shoes and it is rugged.
3. Check the AllTrails website for recent conditions posted by hikers on the trail.
4. Be prepared for changing conditions.
5. Hug a Grand Daddy tree.

 

© The Cedar Journal, 2019, all rights reserved.