Frisco Highline Trail

We finally got a break from the sweltering heat today, so you know what that means...it's time to get outside and do something cool before it gets hot again! Today I went on a ride with 2 guys I work with (Jared and Joe), on the Frisco Highline Trail which is now the second-longest rail-trail in the state of Missouri. The trail was created and is maintained by Ozark Greenways. They are a local organization that develops trails throughout the Springfield area. Be sure to check out their website and see if there is a trail near you.

The Frisco Trail runs between Springfield to Bolivar. You can get the map from the Frisco Highline Trail's website. The trail is about 35 miles, but today we didn't really feel like doing the whole thing. In the past I have done sections of this trail (Springfield to Willard, Willard to Walnut Grove, and Walnut Grove to Wishart), but I hadn't done the section from Wishart to Bolivar. Today we started in Bolivar and rode to Walnut Grove, which is essentially half the lenth of the trail.

Last summer there was vandalism to the Little Sac River bridge. The bridge was constructed of treated wood, and someone thought it would be a good idea to torch the whole thing. Needless to say, it created a stopping point for many people riding the trail, and it was near impossible to get around the bridge in any way because the river was fairly deep in that section. Today was the first time I had seen the new bridge, and I must say it was very nice! Congrats to the Greenways folks for making a bridge that is a bit more difficult to burn, unless there's some way of burning concrete that I am unaware of.

Looking back, I'm glad we only rode 18 miles, I was unprepared to ride the entire distance because I didn't have enough water and I'm not in that great of shape. All I can say is that I was glad to see the car! I downed two bottles of Gatorade I bought in Walnut Grove, which tells me I was a bit dehydrated. Enjoy the pictures, it was a beautiful day!