Two of central Iowa’s most popular bicycle trails are another step closer to being joined into what one backer calls a “mega-trail.” A 15-thousand dollar grant was landed this week that will help extend the High Trestle Trail from Woodward to connect with the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Perry. Mike Wallace, executive director at the , says they’re working with some two-dozen landowners.

“That gap that we’re trying to make the connection on is a nine-mile segment,” Wallace says. “We’re utilizing former railroad right-of-way and road right-of-way and some land parcels that we’ve been able to acquire, all to make that nine-mile connection.”

The Raccoon River Valley Trail runs a total of 89 miles while the High Trestle Trail is 25 miles long — and it links to other trails extending into Des Moines and well beyond. Closing that nine-mile gap is part of a five-million dollar project, Wallace says, and the timeline is still fluid. “We need to raise another $2-million, so when that happens, I can’t really tell you,” Wallace says. “We apply for state grants, federal grants, private grants, foundations, all those types of things. It’s a slow process.”

The High Trestle Trail has won international acclaim, in large part thanks to the 130-foot-tall bridge and its 43 diamond-shapped ribs, which are illuminated by cool blue lights at night. The trail goes through towns like Woodward, Madrid, Slater, Sheldahl and Ankeny. A recent Iowa State University study found each rider spends between six and 20-dollars per visit.

“It’s a real shot in the arm especially to smaller communities,” Wallace says. “All of the sudden, thousands of people are coming to their community, whereas before they’d be driving right through and not stopping at all. It really does make a significant difference for all communities, whether it’s small or large.”

The north loop of the Raccoon River Valley Trail connects 15 communities and four counties in what’s believed to be the longest paved loop trail in the country at 72 miles.

(Radio Iowa)

One benefit of a cooler spring was a lack of mosquitoes in Iowa, but Deputy State Epidemiologist, Ann Garvey says the rains and warm weather have change that situation. Garvey says that makes it important to wear insect repellent if you are going to be outside. “We are hearing a lot anecdotally about nuisance mosquito activity and if you wear that insect repellent like a DEET product — that would be effective against mosquitoes and against the ticks — which we know are out and about this time of year as well,” Garvey says.

If you are out during the day then you’ll need sunscreen along with the bug repellent. Doctor Garvey says the used of both often leads to a question. “Sometimes people will ask ‘do we put the sunscreen on first or the insect repellent?’ The recommendation is to put the sunscreen on first and the insect repellent over the top,” according to Garvey. “You’ll often have to reapply the sunscreen more often than you will the insect repellent, so it’s important to read the directions and reapply as directed.”

Garvey says mosquitoes can carry disease and if you are in areas with trees or lots of grass, you could also be bitten by ticks and exposed to a disease. “The most common tick associated illness in Iowa is Lyme disease. We have several hundred cases every year. Last year we had about 250 cases so we expect we’ll see a large number of cases again this year,” Garvey says.

Lyme disease is the only worry when it comes to ticks. “The other two most common ticks are the American dog tick, and that can transmit illnesses like Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Tularemia,” Garvey explains, “and the Lone Star tick can transmit Tularemia and Erlichiosis and so while we talk a lot about the deer tick or the black legged tick, there are other types of ticks that can cause other types of illnesses.”

People pay a lot of attention to avoiding getting bitten by a tick or a mosquito, but sometimes forget some common things at the holiday picnic that can also lead to illnesses. Garvey says they see a lot of illnesses created by improper food handling. “So it’s important as we’re grilling and having those picnics and barbecues this weekend that we’re handling our food properly and encourage everybody to cook their meats to the proper temperature — and keep their hot foods hot and their cold foods cold,” Garvey says.

You can find a variety of information on avoiding ticks and mosquitoes and proper food handling on the Iowa Department of Public Health website.

(Radio Iowa)