July 28, 2013 PEDALS
adventure: PANHANDLE PATHWAY
Besides the really cool bridge over the Tippecanoe River,
there were lesser bridges over lesser creek that broke up the long stretch of
asphalt. One that caused me to chuckle was labled “Mike and Mike’s Bridge.” I presumed it was the newer bridge next to
the rusty old bridge, but it brought to mind a favorite ESPN morning radio show
of the same name, hosted by Mike “Greenie” Greenburg and Mike Golic. Somehow, I can’t picture either of them (a
big city “dandy” and an ex-football player) riding along in the Indiana
countryside on a couple of bikes. But if
they did, I’m sure we’d hear about it.
The Pan Handle Trail did give us the opportunity to spot
some interesting wildlife. Along with
the ubiquitous cows found on Indiana farms, a farm on the path also had
llamas…or were they alpaca? Not sure
which they were, but they weren’t too sure about us either and watched us
intently, as though WE were the ones with a strange look. Also crossing our path, literally, was a
quail that skittered in front of us as we sped by. Cool!
One of the goals of the summer was to take a canal boat ride
on the Wabash Erie Canal in Delphi, IN, which only runs on Saturdays and
Sundays, so Tom’s birthday seemed like a good time to check off that goal..and
add a bike ride with it. My favorite source of finding trails, Traillink.com,
was helpful in showing us a trail we were previously unfamiliar with, the Panhandle trail. This trail connects the
Indiana towns of Winamac and Kenneth by going through tiny towns I previously
had never heard of such as Star City and
Thornhope. Since it was in the general
direction of Delphi, we decided to go for it.
Part of the reason I like Traillink.com is that previous
bikers post information about their ride, such as scenery, quality of the path,
and notable sites. I have learned that I can only ride about 20 miles in one
trip without creating too much pain for my lower back. Since this path is 20 miles long, we had to
choose at which end to begin because the ride would be 10 miles out…and the
same 10 miles back. I was grateful for
the postings because we found out that the best spot on this trail is one mile
south of the Winamac Trailhead…a view of the the Tippecanoe River from a
fabulous bridge…so Winamac was the winner!
 |
| Extreme courtesy is STRONGLY suggested |
After arriving at a trailhead and getting the bike ready for
a ride, I typically go to the map and informational sign that is posted to get a picture and find out
interesting info about the path. I was glad I took the time to complete this
task at the Pan Handle, because one of their suggested rules caught my eye…and
my sense of humor. Besides the usual,
wear a helmet, stay to the right, don’t litter, the Pan Handle Pathway takes
courteous riding seriously….Rule 3 not only asks you to be courtesy, it
recommends that you say “Hi” or “Hello” as you pass other riders. I laughed out loud when I read that…and then
proceeded to follow that rule every time we passed other riders. I chuckled each time too.
The post on Traillink.com was right, we quickly rode up to
the bridge on the Tippecanoe River and stopped to enjoy the view. The water was moving quickly, a testament to
the steady rains that have fallen this summer, in contrast to last summer’s
drought. Way too fast for a kayak trip,
unless your car is waiting at the other end, but perfect for a nice bike view.
 |
| View of the Tippecanoe River from the bridge south of Winamac |
 |
| 2 signs of Agriculture |
The path was straight and in some ways, boring, without a lot of diversity in the
scenery or direction. However, there
was enough difference in these two areas, along with a nice tree canopy, to
make an enjoyable ride. As I looked for
interesting signs, I was surprised to see a random informational sign in front
of a random field. I came up to read it
and found out it was all about
(surprise, surprise) CORN IN PULASKI COUNTY!
Corn in any county of Indiana (with the exception of Marion
County/Indianapolis) is as common as dirt, but the good people of the Panhandle Trail felt that we path users would want to be informed about THEIR
corn. Not sure what that was about, but
it does constitute an interesting sign…plus it gave me an excuse to stop and
get off my bike.
Another interesting sign was the one that greeted us at the
Thornhope city limits…it declared that there were 70 residents that call
Thornhope their home. For such a small
town, they sure do have big buildings!
 |
| The skyscrapers of Thornhope are part of the SIGNS of agriculture |
Besides the really cool bridge over the Tippecanoe River,
there were lesser bridges over lesser creek that broke up the long stretch of
asphalt. One that caused me to chuckle was labled “Mike and Mike’s Bridge.” I presumed it was the newer bridge next to
the rusty old bridge, but it brought to mind a favorite ESPN morning radio show
of the same name, hosted by Mike “Greenie” Greenburg and Mike Golic. Somehow, I can’t picture either of them (a
big city “dandy” and an ex-football player) riding along in the Indiana
countryside on a couple of bikes. But if
they did, I’m sure we’d hear about it.
The Pan Handle Trail did give us the opportunity to spot
some interesting wildlife. Along with
the ubiquitous cows found on Indiana farms, a farm on the path also had
llamas…or were they alpaca? Not sure
which they were, but they weren’t too sure about us either and watched us
intently, as though WE were the ones with a strange look. Also crossing our path, literally, was a
quail that skittered in front of us as we sped by. Cool!
Outside the small town of Star City, another small sign
appeared in front of a tree. Since we
had passed hundreds of trees, I of course was curious as to what made this tree
special. Another dedicated supporter
sponsored an Indiana Native Tree, the red oak, and wanted to make sure we did
not miss it.
 |
| THE MIGHTY RED OAK...not to be missed on the Panhandle Pathway |
The final interesting sign was one that appeared with predictable
regularity. At every road where the Pan
Handle crossed a county road, a large formal sign indicated that these were
access points for the Pan Handle Trail.
To me, these signs represent the enormous pride that the Pan Handle Path
supporters have in their trail, a well-maintained and easy to ride path that
gives you a glimpse into rural Indiana.
 |
| One of the prettiest Trail signs we have ever seen! Kudos to the Panhandle Pathway! |
Oh yes, this path will also be remembered as the one where
the benchmark of 600 miles was reached….let’s keep riding!
The stats: (RT) 20.1, Time: 1:59, ODO: 618
Notable Nature Sightings:
A quail, llamas (or alpacas), Indiana corn, and a Red Oak Tree (they
must be notable..they had signs!
Notable Signs: Rules of the path requesting that riders say "Hi or Hello" as they pass!!!
