Over The River and Through the Woods...

It’s Saturday and it is finally warm enough to get out and see the town again!  Of course when I say warm enough, I mean it is above freezing and I can stand to be outside for more than fifteen minutes at a time.  On my first engagement with Manawa, I spent most of my time in a vehicle driving around town and getting familiar with the area.  You would think after living here for almost nine years, I would have explored all there given that the entire city is only a few square miles.  Sadly, living here has not provided me much time outside the house.  If I am not going to a local business, working in the yard, or commuting to and from work, there is little that I do in town here.

Of course now that it is finally warm enough outside, I have decided to move away from the gym and treadmill and take my run outside finally!  Having run a great deal in the service, I have found that I prefer the treadmill as it is easier on the joints, but in my exploration of Manawa, I have found that there are some off road areas worth taking a look at.

I decided to start my run from home and set off to take a look at the Little Wolf River Trail.  This trail was a new development a few years back in order to provide a scenic venue for residents and visitors to enjoy for walking, biking, or hiking.  This trail runs along the Little Wolf River, up near the Elementary School, and then back down to the central part of town.  Last year they completed a new section along the highway which provides a way to connect two sections of the trail.  It is maintained by a non-profit organization called the Little Wolf River Trails Organization.

Along my run I noticed that the trail system runs along the river, but never crosses it.  If you recall that old sawmill I mentioned in my last post, there exists today an old trestle that spans the river that has long since been out of service.  The local trail organization has been in contact with the railroad and the hope is that they will someday be able to claim that trestle and use it for the trail.  This would allow the Little Wolf River Trail to span the river and connect to the Tomorrow River Trail.  Once connected, the trail will span from Manawa over 30 miles away to Plover!

I also noticed off in the distance what appears to be a trailer park on the north side of town, but is off the main road a few blocks.  Having never known this was there, I was surprised when I saw how large it was.  Given that the total population of Manawa is only about 1,300 residents, I would say this would be large enough to house at least 10% of the population. 

Alas, I cannot run much further today and I'm off to see Motown the Musical, so for now, I am content with the discovery of the trail and will plan my next expedition to the northern part of town.