SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
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The Republican
Voices
Vandalia Trail – Amo to Coatesville...and Beyond
Mike Neilson, longtime Danville High School teacher and longtime hunting enthusiast is sharing his hunting experience with our readers. He’s also shared his knowledge in three books, Available on Amazon. com.
By Jackie Horn
Back at the end of June while my daughter’s family was visiting, we loaded up the bikes, cart, and kids and rode the Vandalia Trail from Amo to the Hendricks/Putnam county line. (The account appeared in the July 8th issue of The Republican.) The family enjoyed the ride which was slightly over eight miles round trip. It was just long enough to be challenging for the adults but not so difficult for the younger set. Sometimes, you want something a little more...adult, a little more adventurous, and without the children. This past week John and I rode the route again, alone. Packing the bikes into the van, we again drove to the Vandalia Trailhead in Amo. The day was sunny and warm, bordering on hot. Remembering our first trip, we recalled a large section of the trail was shaded. We were counting on that to make the ride bearable. With sunscreen and full water bottles, we took off west toward Coatesville.
Travel Hunting - Part 1
0ther bikers – Lavonna Mayo (left) and Candi Harris of Plainfield take a minute to chat while riding the Vandalia Trail from Amo.
______________________________________________ The path continued to pass in and out of shade provided by a tunnel of trees. When the trees were absent, it was bordered by corn and soybean fields and lined with blooming wildflowers. At about the six-mile mark, the trail took a turn in a cluster of trees. I was hot and petering out. John wanted to continue to the town of Fillmore. I was content to sit in the shade and wait while he pressed on. Fifteen minutes or so later, John returned to report that he had made it as far as CR 625 E at the edge of Fillmore before turning around. He assured me I hadn’t missed anything exciting as the trail continued to be a gravel track between fields. As we sat in the shady grove so John could cool down and recuperate, we were joined by another pair of cyclists also taking the Vandalia from Amo to Fillmore. For such a lovely day, the path was fairly deserted. We had encountered only three other pairs of riders. After a few minutes of exchanging tales of our experiences on the trail, we continued on our way.
This trail ride included a refreshment stop at Dawnn’s Diner at Coatesville ___________________________________________________
The route was just as enjoyable as it had been in June. This time we stopped on the bridge over Crittenden Creek to take a peek at the water and admire the view. Mounting up, we continued to Coatesville station where we stopped for a quick drink. Once again on the trail, we made it to the Hendricks/Putnam County Line...and blew right past it!
Without a real goal in mind, John and I continued to pedal westward. At the county line, the paved bicycle path maintained by Hendricks County Parks turns to crushed limestone in Putnam County. The riding surface isn’t awful but it does become noisy. Any conversation between us stopped as it was necessary to shout to be heard over the crunching gravel.
Arriving in Coatesville, we realized it was past lunchtime. John and I were hot, thirsty, and HUNGRY. During our first ride in June, we’d spied Dawnn’s Diner a block off the trail on the corner of Milton and Main Streets. It seemed like as good a time as any to try it out. We were not disappointed! The owners were friendly and the Reuben sandwich was amazing.
After a filling meal and a little socializing, we were back on the bikes and returning to the Amo trailhead. I had logged twelve miles. John, with his extra push to Fillmore, had fourteen. The Vandalia Trail has become John and my favorite place to ride. It winds through scenic farmland and woods with few road crossings. Only one, SR 75 outside Coatesville, has much traffic and it has a flashing caution light/crossing signal. We’re looking forward to riding this route again in the autumn. With the trees changing color, the views promise to be gorgeous!
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The Republican
Hunting Tips & Reflections By Mike E. Neilson
Exploring Hendricks County
Jackie Horn and her husband, John, transplanted from Warsaw to Plainfield to be near family. An Advanced Indiana Master Naturalist, Jackie is a retired substitute teacher who continues to teach (and learn) about all things outdoors. John is a retired CNC programmer and the photographer on the team. The Horns enjoy traveling, walking, hiking, kayaking, and bicycling. ______________________________________________
Thursday, September 16, 2021
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I recently returned home from a very successful guided pronghorn antelope and mule deer hunt in south-central Wyoming. Prior to the hunt, I needed to make the decision whether to drive to my area or fly. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and I’ll try to highlight those in this essay. If you are a DIY (Do It Yourself) hunter, you are driving so disregard this tome and carry on. Let’s start with flying to your hunting destination. The greatest advantage is the time savings, especially the further you must go to reach your hunting camp. My Wyoming trip would have taken 6 hours flying one way including one transfer in Denver, a plane change and an hour layover. Another advantage is that you don’t usually arrive already tired to your destination, a definite perk when hunting. Flying isn’t without its own disadvantages. First you may not be able to fly exactly to your final destination. You might also have multiple layovers and may even have to change airlines or even worse, change airports! Another disadvantage is that once you get to the airport, you need to find your way to camp so either the outfitter/guide needs to fetch you or you need to rent a vehicle. Sometimes the cost of picking up a hunter is included in the price of a hunt, other times not. Read into that, you might incur additional expenses. Check with your insurance agent when renting a vehicle to see what type of coverage you already have. Car rentals are notorious for gouging renters so be prepared and educated. Finally, you might have to overnight before arriving at camp so you could also incur the cost of a room plus possibly the cost of a ride to the hotel. Third, you are somewhat limited in what gear you can take. Each airline has its own rules and pricing structure concerning baggage and sporting equipment. Be sure your gun or bow case meets the airlines requirements and TSA’s as well. Your daypack will qualify as your carry-on so your binoculars, cameras, medication and other important items and paperwork travel in here. (No knives, blades, handguns or ammunition please!) The more bags you pack, the higher your costs and the logistics of getting to and from home. Fourth, flight delays or cancellations can be trip killers. Nothing sours a good hunt worse than missing a connecting flight or bags that come up missing. I’ve had my fair share of flight problems but those don’t frustrate me nearly as flying home with perishable meat and then getting a delay. Missing bags aren’t usually the end of the world unless the missing bag happens to be your weapon of choice. I’ve had duffle bags come up missing but (knock on wood) I’ve never had a bow or gun case go MIA. And don’t forget about transportation to and from the airport. Is somebody going to drop you off, or will you leave a vehicle at the airport? Lastly, let’s look at costs. On my recent Wyoming trip, the flight to Denver and a connecting city wasn’t bad and the time was reasonable. Baggage costs were about $100 for the bow and a duffle bag. Coming home, I was hoping that I’d be bringing back some trophies and some meat and was willing to pay for that privilege. However, the cost of renting a vehicle was just too high. I was looking at over $1,000 just to rent the least expensive vehicle for the week, that was more than double the cost of my flights. Add the expense of all my gear and gas plus possibly additional insurance and the costs were just too steep to justify a flight. Next Week: Hunting on the Road - Traveling by Car ______________________________________________
A Squirrel About Town By Archy Archy seemed in unusually high spirits. “Yes, you might say bubbly,” he laughed. “We squirrels were entertained by the humans at Fair on the Square over the weekend. Both days the southwest corner of the court house yard was a sea of bubbles as children tried out the different wands being sold by one of the vendors. “The looks on their faces,” the squirrel gave a toothy grin. “You rarely see that joy of discovery on people’s faces these days.” I tried to remember those times when I had that look on my face. When it snowed for the first time of the season, when I watched a just-born calf get up on its wobbly legs, when I was driving at night and pretending to chase the moon. “The bubbles came up into the trees where we were watching,” Archy recalled “Sometimes they would rest on a branch just before they burst....” “Like they felt glad to be home...” I finished his thought. Archy’s face turned solemn. “Why do so many of your kind dismiss the wonders of nature and spend so much time complaining about science. It’s all the same thing you can use science to find beauty, the same as using poetry or painting. It’s just another means of communication.” A minute passed, then Archy said, “What you need is a new Enlightenment. Why don’t you start one? An age of reason would come in handy right about now.” Once again, the squirrel was right. ____________________________________________
