Lake Fayetteville...Construction Update

Today was the first beautiful day that we've had in a long time. It was a bit too windy for me to try cycling on the street, so I opted to walk around Lake Fayetteville. I was a bit dismayed at first, after parking in the lot by the ball-field and walking across the dam and through the park to discover this sign.



I was hopeful that the trail was still walkable and whatever branch-problems there might have been had already been cleaned up. Indeed the trail was fine, what wasn't fine was my weather analysis before I started walking. At home, it was windy and just about 60 degrees; cool enough for a couple of layers. So I went with tee shirt, long sleeved sweatshirt and a fleece. I was into the trail about 1,500 feet and I was wishing I had worn a tee shirt and shorts! How can the weather be so different just a few miles away? Anyway I started removing layers and tying them around my waist and continued into the trail.

I got to the Botanical garden and noticed that the trail now goes a bit deeper into the woods and not along their boundary perimeter like it did the last I was here. Okay, that must mean they are making some progress on the extension of the walking trail...

Indeed they are, just where the new trail comes out to visually see Old Missouri road, they have laid a concrete sidewalk to Old Missouri, they are blacktopping the rest of the trail to connect up to what was previously started...about a mile or so of additional improved trail.

I should say they are not quite finished yet but they are making great progress; as you can see from the pictures below

I came out from behind the Botanical Garden on the trail where the white sign is with the arrow. The concrete section will take you out to Old Missouri and presumably the gardens...the blacktop will take to around on the lake loop.
I wasn't walking the trail very far before I came upon this fellow rolling more black top
These guys were taking a short break in laying down the blacktop...I actually got to one section that was so hot, I had to walk in the grass
Here is the build up trail of crushed red rock...it stops just feet from the copperhead bridge
Just a little water to cross before getting on the bridge...there is still about 50 feet or so left to work on to connect to the other side of the bridge-work.

Actually, the only part that is left with nothing done to it is the short section where the Copperhead bridge is...about 150 feet of really wet section, the rest is all gravelled or in some state of being paved. This makes it much better to walk when the weather is soggy. Of course you can still find the old path and use it if you prefer.

I found the 5 plus mile walk a bit much today, maybe it was the heat; maybe it was because I have not been quite as active lately as I was a couple of months ago. This time is was a challenge for me.

Oh,I saw this little guy on the last leg of the trail before coming into the Frisbee section of the park. He obviously is enjoying the weather too!

I got REALLY CLOSE, he is only about 5 inches long!