Onward Past Riverdale

With winter weather fast approach we took advantage of ideal temperatures this morning to log in some miles on the trail.  Beginning where we left off in July (Corp of Engineers Administrative Building), we headed east and then north of Riverdale along both paved and dirt roads.

(Heading east out of town…)

(…and then north along a tree line)

Light rain was followed by a moderate southeast wind, providing a nice push north.  On the way we enjoyed a vista of the lake, along with fields of recently harvested peas and soon-to-be harvested corn.

(Lake Sakakawea, looking northwest)

(Dry pea residue)

(An aberration on today’s journey…   …a carpet of cover crops in wheat residue)

(Mostly on gravel roads today)

The soil for this leg was a mix of Temvik and Wilton silt loams (Typic and Pachic Haplustolls).  Both are very good soils for agricultural production, and are found most frequently in Emmons County.

(Location of today’s soil)

(Today’s soil)

After five miles we decided to retrace our steps, stopping periodically for refreshments and bathroom breaks.  The highlight of our return journey was a close-up visit with some horses.  One was particularly friendly.

(They rushed to the fence as we passed by)

(This one seemed ready to join us for the rest of the hike!)