The case for winter trail maintenance

By Cheryl Allen
Posted 8/2/22

At the Kalona City Council’s work session on July 26, the council looked at their preliminary Southtown Recreational Plan, which would give Kalona a nice outdoor recreation area with an outdoor …

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The case for winter trail maintenance

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At the Kalona City Council’s work session on July 26, the council looked at their preliminary Southtown Recreational Plan, which would give Kalona a nice outdoor recreation area with an outdoor shelter, bathrooms, and what looks to be at least a few miles of paved trails.  As a trail-loving runner myself, this plan excites me. 

I’ve put in hundreds of miles on the Kewash Trail, but it has limitations.  Black flies and mosquitos are serious pests in the spring and early summer.  In the summer, the full sun exposure from West Chester to Keota is an energy-killer.  It’s easy to find myself seven or ten miles from my car and depleted enough to wonder if I will make it back.  The Kewash is lonely; I might see one or two other users on a two-hour run.  If it rains, the mostly unpaved trail becomes water-logged and difficult.  In winter, once snow covers the trail, it’s impossible to run.

I have a strong preference for running city trails.  The Terry Trueblood Recreation Area in Iowa City is my go-to.  I run the paved trail around Sand Lake as a warm-up, and then head down the Iowa River Recreational Trail north to Napoleon Park or use the sidewalks to connect to the Sycamore Trail to the east.  I exchange greetings with my favorite couples and dog walkers and fellow runners.  I’m never so far from my car that I can’t stop for water or bail out, even on a 20-mile training run.

Best of all, some parts of these trails are maintained in the winter.  Cleared of snow and salted, every day.  Oh, Iowa City, you have my heart.

I am not a treadmill runner.  For me, running outdoors is essential.  I need to feel the air and see nature, whether it’s a sunny 80 degrees or gloomy, biting ten degrees.  I am all-weather, and I am not alone.  Even on the dangerously cold winter days, I will be in good company on the path around Sand Lake.  There are other die-hards who walk or run that trail every day, no matter what.

Good health and wellness know no season.  We don’t stop needing exercise and fresh air just because it is winter.  Our minds may long to stay indoors and hibernate, but our bodies need movement just the same.  There is even some evidence that cold therapy is necessary and beneficial, as seen in those who swear by the daily cold shower or icy water swim.

The City of Kalona does not expect to maintain its proposed trails in winter.  However, if a community wants to encourage its residents to stay active and prioritize their health by making trails easily accessible, I would argue that winter is not a time to slack off in that commitment.  If you clear the trails of snow and ice, we will come.