STAGECOACH TRAIL: A real community gem

August 9, 2023 admin COMMUNITY 0

Commentary in Text and Photos By Roger Allen

Stagecoach Trail is a community gem being utilized by hundreds of residents for recreation, exercise and exploration. It is popular with walkers, runners, bicycle and tricycle riders and those who like its quiet exposure to nature, the chirping of birds, an occasional sighting of wildlife, and its great variety of wildflowers and other native and non-native vegetation.

This summer of 2023 I have been taking a closer look at what a great asset Stagecoach Trail is for residents of Montezuma in particular, and for Poweshiek County.                   First of Two Parts

BIRD’S-FOOT TREFOIL was in colorful abundance on the well maintained shoulders of the east trail for this foursome riding west through the valley of the trail. In the photo are former exchange student Kari (Flage) Heimstad and her husband, Finn, followed by Al and Denise Rabenold, taken during Kari and Finn’s June visit here from Alta, Norway. The Rabenolds are daily riders on the trail. Asked for their thoughts about it, Al wrote: “Denise and I are among hundreds who enjoy what Stagecoach Trail has to offer.  Both locals and visitors enjoy the scenic view while improving their physical fitness whether biking or walking.  You can challenge yourself with the hills or simply enjoy an easy stroll while taking in the beauty that nature has to offer while meeting new friends.  Thanks to Mark Vavroch and his dedicated crew for keeping the trail clean and in tip-top shape. Stagecoach Trail is truly a ‘Diamond’ (Lake) in the rough.”

With photography as part of my career and now as a retirement hobby, that “closer look” has drawn me to see and appreciate the artistic shapes and big variety of colors and textures that its vegetation provides for the senses. And I have taken on the challenge of capturing some small samples of its multiple dimensions seen by the human eye, but seen in just one or two dimensions on digital “film” and in print with its various limitations.

With the help of Amy Andrews, Poweshiek County Conservation Naturalist, I have been enjoying learning not only the proper names but also some of the distinctive traits of a few of the plethora of plants there to be observed up close as I walk the trail, not previously noticed when gliding by on a bicycle.Facts

Facts and Figures about Stagecoach Trail

The North Trail:

The trailhead for the north segment starts on the south side of 480th Avenue, the county paved highway a mile or so north and west of Montezuma.  This trail is 4,250 feet long according to Mark Vavroch,  Poweshiek County Conservation Executive Director. It was created in 2003 with an asphalt surface. In 2020 it was resurfaced nine-feet-wide with asphalt. It provides a smooth, winding path through the Conservation Wildlife Area. It terminates at a new modern restroom facility and parking area in northwest Diamond Lake Park.

PALE PURPLE CONEFLOWERS along the trail. These are in the same genus but different from purple coneflowers grown in flower gardens. These were the ones that grew in Iowa prairies, native to our particular are
QUEEN ANNE’S LACE – This pretty wildflower is a familiar sight along the trail and in meadows and along roadsides all summer long. Native to Europe and Asia, Queen Anne’s lace is invasive in North America and some may consider it a weed. The leaves are delicate and thready, somewhat fern-like in appearance. The flat flower tops are a creamy white disk of tiny flowers. It is also commonly called wild carrot, as the root looks like a slender pale orange carrot and has a carrot-like scent. The young root is edible and can be eaten like a carrot, raw, in a salad, or cooked in a soup

The East Trail:

The East Trail trailhead is in the northwest corner of Montezuma where North Hayes St. curves into West Madison St. It provides a direct connection of the city with Diamond Lake. It is about 3,100 feet long, with an eight ft. wide paved surface. It became a reality in late 2010 according to Director Vavroch.