Bear Creek Trail

I haven't written much about the Bear Creek Trail so far and that's because I don't use it too often. I don't live very close to it.

But I was over by the trail the other day and I was pretty impressed. It goes by a nice lake by Cosmo Park and by the L.A. Nickell Golf Course. It looks like a great trail and I will have to get over and run on it before I leave Columbia.

If anyone has any experiences on it they'd like to share, please leave a comment here.

Grass is cut

The grass is finally cut in the Grindstone Nature Area, meaning you're free to run around the grassy areas without being slowed down by the thick stuff.

I was down by the trail on Tuesday morning as the mower was laboring its way through jungle.

It really feels good to run in the grass, especially this time of the year when it's lush. It can be better on your knees too at times than the gravel or dirt. It has a little more resistance.

Get out there and smell the grass!

Fun in the woods

On Saturday night, I was already getting excited to run the next morning. The rain was coming down off and on and I knew the trails would be somewhat sloppy in the morning, which I enjoy as long as they're not flooded. There's also something about running after a rainfall that is refreshing.

This morning, I set out along the Hinkson Creek Trail again and headed up to some paths I rarely take in the wooded areas next to the larger dirt paths. It was a fantastic workout. I ran into a few dog owners along the way, but they were great and pulled their dogs aside as I ran by. One group of people even said they didn't want their dogs getting me muddy. That was nice.

There are some good hills to run up and down in these less-traveled trails. There is a pretty good one near the trailhead as you first enter the Grindstone Nature Area.

Once I got out of the woods, I continued to head down the trail until I got to the MU Recreation field and then turned around. I took the gravel trail all the way back home.

This was a great run on a pretty nice morning. Try out the trails in the woods if you get a chance, it's another good change of pace.

More rough conditions

I got out early this morning on the Hinkson Creek Trail to check out the damage left behind from the nearly 36 hours straight of rain Columbia received. It wasn't too bad compared to some other lengthy rain storms we've had, but still there are some tough spots to navigate.

I mainly stayed on the gravel parts of the trail and there are quite a few large puddles covering the width of the trail. I sprinted through those on my tip-toes so I wouldn't get my shoes completely soaked.

There are also some parts on the trail where the gravel got washed up and off the main part of the trail. There are some larger exposed rocks in those places because of that and it is somewhat difficult to get good footing in those areas.

It's tough out there, for sure, but if you're a cross country fan who likes getting dirty like me, you'll love it. It's not impassable and can be quite an adventure, which is what we're all looking for anyway, right?

Have fun!

Downtown running

A few weekends ago, I tried a running route I hadn't used in a few years. In fact, part of it was brand new.

I ran from my apartment on Old 63 South up to the MU campus via Old 63, Stadium Blvd., Ashland Rd. and College Ave. After some running on some pretty steep hills to get to campus, I took a break and walked through campus until I got to Elm St. From there, I ran up Eighth St. to Walnut St. then north on Providence to Hickman High School. I then ran back from Hickman to campus, but then walked the entire way back to my apartment.

This was a nice change of pace from the gravel trails I normally run. It was a great look at some of the downtown and campus buildings in a workout format. It provided challenging hills that helped to build aerobic endurance.

I recommend trying a downtown run at least once a month for some new scenery, if nothing else.

My "dirt dogs"

The conditions on the trails in Columbia are rapidly improving from the time of my last post. The sun has been out in abundance the past few days, drying out the gravel and grass from most of the melted snow and rainfall.

Still, you can count on the spring showers and storms as we continue to roll through April.

That's why I've always had two pairs of running shoes to use on the trails.

One is for good conditions and I try to keep these shoes in good shape. That means not wearing them a day or two after a rainfall to avoid getting them muddy. They are usually relatively new shoes that I have purchased within the last year.

Dirt dogs on the left and better shoes on the right

I keep another pair for the day of a rainfall or to wear a few days after it has rained. This helps you to still be able to get in a creative workout without worrying about destroying a pair of shoes everytime you run after a rainfall. It's good for this second pair of shoes to be older and ones you aren't worried about getting dirty. I usually just use my former "good weather" shoes as my bad weather shoes once I get a new pair. It's a continuous cycle that begins again once I find a good new pair of shoes on sale!

Once you have this old pair, you can run through the trees and grassy areas to continue to have fun running even after bad weather conditions.

Muddy times

It's a tough time to run on the Hinkson Creek Trail with all the snow melt and rain. It will only get worse today with some wet snow falling. I do not recommend traveling the dirt trails today on the Hinkson Creek Trail. I was just on them on Thursday and there were parts that were very swampy.

The area that is especially bad is where the two dirt trails merge toward the middle of the nature area.

The gravel parts shouldn't be too bad, however.

This will likely continue for the next few weeks as we get through the unpredictable weather of March and April. It's probably best to stick to the gravel trail through these times, but even it could be messy at times.

Last Saturday, I jogged west along Grindstone Pkwy./Nifong Blvd. to the Providence service road by Gerbes, then turned north and went to Green Meadows Road and turned back around. That was a nice alternative to the sloppy trails.

Dogs on the loose

I've been noticing a bit of a disturbing trend recently on the Hinkson Creek Trail in the Grindstone Nature Area. More people have been disobeying the "leash law" that is posted which states all dogs should be on a leash on or around gravel trails.


This ignorance of the law has bit me - literally. On a day this winter, I was bitten by a dog who was off of his/her leash on a gravel trail. It wasn't a hard bite. The teeth didn't actually clench down on my wrist, but the attempt was there. I was really surprised this family would let a dog who they couldn't keep under control off of its leash. What's almost worse is that I didn't even get a "sorry" from the owners. That was really puzzling. I think it may serve as a reason behind why people don't leash up their dogs on the trail - they don't think it's a problem that their dogs are overly playful with disinterested joggers.

Some joggers have different purposes when they are out on the trail. For some, it's to just enjoy the fresh air while getting some exercise. For others, it is socializing with someone, which could include others on the trail, including their pets. And still, for some others, it is getting a specific workout done. Dog owners need to respect the desire for all trail users to not be disturbed. Please, if you are going to bring your dog anywhere in the Grindstone Nature Area, make sure they are properly trained. Specifically, make sure they won't attempt to bite.

Just a week ago, as the temperature got warmer, I again encountered many dogs off of their leashes along the gravel portion of the trail. Some looked very dangerous, running far away from their owners. I was forced to stop jogging and walk when I saw these dogs, as to not incite them further by running.

Please, keep your dogs on a leash if you cannot control them. Think about the other people using the path.