Someone at the last River City Running Club annual meeting in January 2026 (!?) mentioned the route, and I've been looking forward to running it since, but weather, schedule, illness, ect. kept getting in the way. Weather wise, October 18 could not have been a better day. The morning was cool but not too cold with the afternoon warming a bit, but not too much.
As I started out, I was the only person at Grandad's Bluff, I loved being able to look out over town and to be able to see the halfway point at Eagles Bluff in La Crescent way off in the distance. Running down from the bluff was cold at first, with wet leaves. I was definitely slower here with road shoes on, but managed to not crash. Through the marsh I spotted some ducks relaxing, but otherwise it was calm as the college students had not yet woken up. On to Riverfront park, I saw that there was an operational water fountain, so I topped up my water supply while I watched a Mississippi River cruise boat dropping passengers at the park. Past the park, I climbed the bridge stairs, not the way I usually go, but beads and underwear on the steps added some diversity to the route for sure. Crossing the bridge deck, I spotted some fishermen zipping along, looking to get to their spots for the day. At Pettibone I elected to follow the asphalt to minimize cross country path finding, it did add a bit of extra length though. I think I spotted a way to shorten the supported route via Paddleboard too! After crossing the newly built Wagon Wheel bridge, I headed into Eagles Bluff Park, where I haven't actually run before. The trails were great if not heavily travelled, I didn't see a single soul despite it being a great morning for a hike (or run!) on these in town trails.
Heading back it was warming up and people were starting to get out on the trails by the time I made it back to the Wagon Wheel. I really enjoyed seeing people out biking walking and running. One person was running with flowers, several families with dogs or kids on bikes and strollers, lots of people walking to fish were all spotted on the way back. I was starting to drag by the time I got back to Riverside, I was definitely low on water and refilled at the same fountain and walked for a bit while I ate the last of my calories. By the time I was back in Hixon, it was B-U-S-Y. People everywhere enjoying being outside and it made me so happy to see. I ended up walking the last few stretches of the climbing trail, Aspen, to keep my heart rate low. Even taking it relatively easy, 27 miles is still a long way! Finishing up at the top of the climb, I had to dodge a few tourists who looked at me a little funny as I stretched to touch the flag pole.
Wrapping it up, I sat at the top for a bit and reflected on how lucky I was to be in a place with such amazing views, trails, and public spaces for running, walking, and outdoor exploring.