Dutch Ditch

June 12, 2020

The plan today was to head southeast for a long loop ride in Marion County, stopping in Pella for lunch and a Dutch Letter desert. Once again, Peggy was joining me and we planned an early start from the small, unincorporated community of Otley, which was the point on the loop closest to Ames. The day began with clear skies, negligible winds and moderate temperatures – just about perfect. It quickly went south.

Our early departure plans were foiled when: 1) Peggy had to clean the pile of blueberries that cascaded from her freezer and rolled under her refrigerator; 2) we encountered a 20-min road construction delay; and 3) we got lost on the way to Otley when I ignored my gps directions. When we finally arrived at our planned parking spot at the Otley School we discovered that the old school was now a business. After some negotiation with the store proprietor, we found a suitable place to leave our cars and, eventually, were on our way.

From Otley, we headed southeast on gravel roads toward the western terminus of the Volksweg Trail, which would take us into Pella. The first five miles to the trail were not pleasant – chunky gravel that resulted in bone-jarring downhills and slip-sliding uphills. It was a great relief when we turned east onto county highway G28. After about a ½ mile, we dropped down to a bike trail that was undergoing construction/repaving; however, the surface looked rideable and there were no barriers to give us pause. A number of idle construction machines were scattered along the trail, but the only workers we encountered were two surveyors who pleaded ignorance when asked if the trail was closed. It was a great ride on our own private trail.

Chunky gravel on the way to Lake Red Rock

We sometimes had to navigate around large construction machinery

After a couple of miles, the construction zone ended and we were on the official Volksweg, a 12.5 mile paved route along the northern edge of Lake Red Rock, a 15,000 acre man-made lake on the Des Moines River. The trail meandered along a somewhat rolling terrain, sometimes hugging the lake but more often winding through woodlands. After navigating around another trail construction project, we followed the trail as it left the lake and headed northwest into Pella.

Lake Red Rock, a 15,000 acre man-made lake

The Volksweg trail hugs the lake before veering off through the woods

Another construction zone - this one required a detour

Pella was settled in 1847 by a group of Dutch immigrants seeking religious freedom from the Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands. Religion and Dutch heritage have remained important pillars of Pella since the founding days, and today the city of ~10,000 is renowned for the annual Tulip Festival, windmills, and an old-world feel to downtown. After finding a nice shady spot in the central square, I went in search of Dutch Letters, an S-shaped crusty pastry filled with almond paste. Over lunch and our newly purchased dessert, Peggy and I decided to ditch our planned route back to Otely and take a more leisurely approach the afternoon. We spent a little time exploring downtown Pella, including a nice visit to the local bike shop where our suspicions about Marion County gravel roads were confirmed. It seems like the county is fastidious about keeping the roads in good shape, with frequent applications os new gravel.

Tourists flock to Pella for the annual Tulip festival - the 2010 festival set a world record for the most people dancing in wooden shoes

The butcher reminded me a bit of neighborhood meat shops in France, while the message was all Pella

The Dutch-like architecture of downtown shops

The Klokkenspel, and benches in the shape of Dutch Letters

The Vermeer Mill is the tallest working windmill in the United States.

Convinced in the sensibility of our decision to avoid a long, hilly ride on rocky roads, I re-routed us back to Otley. The options were either the 4-lane US Highway 163 or a series of well-graveled roads. After a brief stretch on Business 163, it was gravel all the way to Otley. There was an unexpected amount of traffic, with each passing car or truck kicking up clouds of dust that hung in the air on this windless day. Surprisingly, it took a while after arriving in Otley to find the old school and our cars. Overall, it was a good day on the bike but I vowed to forever avoid the gravel roads of Marion County.

Sometimes a little wind can be a good thing

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Today's ride: 31 miles (50 km)
Total: 721 miles (1,160 km)

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