Ark City River Bike & Running Trails

03/22/2017

One baby eaglet was spotted in the nest with mom today. Hopefully we will see another eaglet!

03/22/2017

OK, Truth be known we have a couple of areas @ Cottonwood Bike Trail that have a little sand as the main ingredient on the path. This sand is a result of the incredible floods last fall and the complete breach of the very high banks on the trail side of the Arkansas River. We have bypassed the two [2] worst impacted parts of the trail. There were areas in the wooded trail area that had as much as 4 feet of new sand deposited in those areas. As a result, these areas partially impacted other portions of the trail, making these trail detours permanent. Now for the "rest of the story". Yes, you may still ride the bypassed "sandy trail" portions [fat tire bikes ?], however let this video be a warning. The possibility of ones ride being an "epic" ride may be different than what most other riders have in mind.

We, the "Walnut Valley Trail Builders", did not want to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that all would go well with our valued visiting riders if we did nothing. Here's hoping that your name will not be attached to a similar video as "the epic rider".

03/16/2017

"Poacher": It was discovered today on the North Loop of the Cottonwood Trail that we in fact have had a poaching incident. The evidence has led this narrator to assume it will continue for a couple more nights. Thankfully we have enuf evidence as to who it is, where he lives, and we have footprints at the site. The trail was blocked at the site, but was moved to the side for a possible future return by the poacher. The 3 pics posted below tell the story and the guilty one by association.. Chew sticks were visible in the river with all the "goodie" eaten off . The 3rd pic may be needed for a warning poster. The odd thing is that it poached a Cedar tree, very unusual and probably not very tasty?

03/12/2017

Bald Eagles and the "Steve Treadway Bald Eagle Sanctuary".
For those of you that do not know that there is a Bald Eagle nesting area in the middle of the Cottonwood biking/running/walking Trails.

A pair of Eagles that return each year to this nest usually have two Eaglets. This year it is still a mystery as of March 11. They or it, is just to small yet to look over the nest rim, however it will be very soon we will know the answer. With this information and the fact that the very best viewing is from the top of the 40 ft. levee at Veterans Lake & Trail. This post is just a reminder that it is a Federal law that the "nest tree' has set back boundries and is a non entry area by anyone. The trail builders have recently posted signs designating this protected land [7.6 acres]. With a generous grant from the Legacy Foundation for signage for the trails, we as stewards also thought it prudent for the Sanctuary boundries to also be posted. Ten [10] signs have been installed around the perimeter of the 7.6 acres.

Here are a couple of pics to make all of this narrative make sense, and a couple of pics [ look very close] of the male Eagle watching this Narrator and the Excutive Director of "Wildscapes" reviewing progress at Chestnut Park River Trail access point. It never moved the 30 minutes we were there.

03/05/2017

Banks & Sandbars on a National Water Trail.
As we all probably know by now there are numerous opportunities and advantages to being designated a Federal Water Trail. One of the biggest advantages is the publicity that will come from the various Federal, State, County, City, and non profit Foundation publications and web sites [we have been in contact with several].

Besides the actual "water" activities [boating, kayaking/canoeing, tubing] there is the river trip experience of overnight sandbar & river bank camping or sandbar day activities such as sand castle building & shore lunch stops. It is not permissible to camp or stop on privately owned land on the river, however an island or sandbar "in" the middle of the river belong to all of us. Ark City has the best of what the river has to offer. A public owned Federally designated river bank access point [Chestnut Park] with gigantic sandbars attached to public land and connecting to over 12 miles of bicycle trails. The first two pics are of the Chestnut Park [under construction] area. This will be for the public river access, and for the parking of kayak, canoe, tube trailers,The rest of the pics are the benefits of what an access point and the river trail can offer.

03/03/2017

For all you "Tubers" or "wanna beez" now is the time to begin to think about making your award winning "Youtube" video's for our page to show the rest of the world what a BIG RIVER float looks like in Kansas. Cute pets, and old fat men in a tiny tube always show good on a funny video [just a suggestion]. Warm weather floating is just a "Hot Day" away. Who knows there might be a prize in the works for the favorite video.
This video features a rather pretty, but Wimpy river. Arkansas River Trail [low & slow] will show far better with your big groups.

Quick, fun edit of tubing in Helen, GA

02/27/2017

Trails, they come in many forms & types, Whether they be for biking, running, walking, kayaking/conoeing, or just slow river floating which we will call for this article "Tubing". A growing water activity, that has come into its own with the manufacturing of safer specific tubes for this activity.

Here in Arkansas City with 7 hike/bike trails and the "Arkansas River National Water Trail" running around town We have all the above within a few minutes of our homes. So, let's look at this new "tubing" activity for Ark City.

The "Walnut Valley Trail Builders" and "Kansas Wildscapes" are building new access & egress points for the "water trail" in Ark City One being at the new Chestnut Park below the old Chestnut river bridge. The other just finished, is on the river at the south edge of the city by the Summit St. bridge. The entire Arkansas River National Water Trail is 192 miles long, beginning at Great Bend and ending at Ark City [Oklahoma St. Line], so kayakers will be flooding into AC this summer. But, this narrator believes the "tubing phenom" across the nation will become a major factor in Ark City. With the completion of the egress point on the South edge of town it now will allow "tubers" to float 2.6 miles, floating past a sandbar that is the size of two [2] football fields [camping?], a wooded Eagle Sanctuary with a visible nest and Bald Eagles present most of the time. And ending with easy egress with plenty of paved parking and covered picnic tables for float trip refreshments. Yes, this is a long post , but Hey it can't
get much better for the summer with all these opportunities. Here are a few "tuber" pics to give you an idea of what is coming to AC. I will make a prediction about the third picture, "AC 4th of July 2017" ? You bet. Of course our river can accomadate lots more if need be.

02/20/2017

The North Loop Trail and the Levee Trail may not look muddy, but under those leaves they will be to wet & muddy to ride for a few days. As of 1 AM we have already had 1.5 inches. Please enjoy riding the paved levee and lake trails for now. Anyway, these are also the best vantage points to view the Eagles in their nest for your nature walk.

02/13/2017

While we are waiting for the eaglets to hatch or for winter [?] to end, maybe a bike safety video would be in order. Certainly knowing ones limits is the order of the day, but uncalculated risks taken usually have a fallout effect. Whether it results in physical injury, bike damage, or fellow riders becoming part of the equation, it usually does not end with a desirable result. "Seeing is Believing" might be a good title for this video. Funny, some of it, eye opening to the real dangers, yes definitely.

Hi all! Wheelie fails, faceplants off bikes, failed stunts and much more for this special bicycle fails compilation! Enjoy watching and stay tuned for new fa...

01/09/2017

We thought, since bike riding will mostly have to wait until spring weather and hiking the Cottonwood trails is curtailed until the Eagle chicks are ready to leave the nest, that viewers could watch an Eagle Cam from Florida. You will be able to watch and get an idea what will be happening in the nest with Ark City's nesting pair and their eaglets. The Eagle Man thinks that eggs may possibly be laid this coming week. If you see the female on the nest and not leaving, then eggs have been laid. If she is on the nest it is very easy to spot her from the paved levee trail by Veterans Lake. Here is the link for the Florida cam. [Last nite @ 12 midnight there were 7,750 viewers world wide. [just click on the pic]

View more and chat live with experts at: http://www.swfleaglecam.com/

01/07/2017

Well it was 18 deg. at 3 PM at Veterans lake adjacent to the Levee Trail and the River Trails. There were no other walkers or bikers there on this sunny clear afternoon, except for this narrator, approx. 300/400 Canadian Geese, and one Pileated Woodpecker doing what he does best. The eagles were gone for the afternoon hunting? The geese have been there most of the week, might be a chance to see nature up close especially if you take a loaf of bread or some corn.

01/03/2017

It was reported and verified that a drone was sighted flying at Veterans lake on Monday January 1. It flew over and hovered near the Bald Eagle nest. The Federal laws protecting the Bald Eagles are very definitive about eagle disturbance.

If the eagle is disturbed while nesting or the eaglets are present and she leaves the nest under duress the fine is $100,000. If the eagle abandons the nest leaving eggs or eaglets, the fine is $250,000. If the Bald Eagle attacks the drone and is injured by it, the fine is $250,000 and up to 3 years of imprisonment.

It is this narrators wish and the Eagle Expert [who goes daily to check on the Eagles] that this does not happen again. With a 6 ft wingspan they are easily watched from an acceptable distance.