MINES of SPAIN

 Wednesday, September 21

There should have been a STORM WARNING for today!  Maybe there was and I just didn’t get the memo. I left Mary’s house in Marion, Iowa in the morning and drove about two hours to Dubuque.  My goal was to trek the “Mines of Spain” and find out what that intriguing name is all about.
The sun was shining and it looked to be another perfect day for a tromp in the woods.

   Once in Dubuque I found the trail and after a bit of confusion between the differences in my map and the one from the Interpretive Center I got started. The sun was still out and only a bit of a breeze through the trees – just enough to make a nice sound. I started down the Nature Trail  descending about a thousand steps (Note to self :You’re going to have to climb UP these on the way back) toward the Junkerman Farm – an old farm  that the trail travels through.

Passing the little chapel in the woods that dates back to the early 1800’s I came to the Wine Cellar, then let the farm and caught the Mesquakie Trail. I noticed that the ‘colors’ are just beginning to change – just a few highlights of red and gold but not the dramatic show that is to come in another week or two, but it was a beautiful day and  I was having an adventure.

But then, about three-quarters through what was supposed to be a trek “out and back again” of 9.5 miles the sun disappeared, and the wind kicked up.  It happened so fast I couldn’t believe it.  One minutes I was tromping along thinking I should stop and take off my jacket; the next I was  shivering and looking for cover!  The sky (what I could see form under  the forest’s canopy ) turned  that strange color of dusty pea green that all Midwesterners know is not good thing.  So, I decided to turn around early  and pick up my step trying to get off the trail before the storm hit . NOT! Very quickly the woods began to HOWL as the wind tore through, crashing branches  and knocking a nut right on the top of my head. Ouch.  But no rain. Very strange indeed. But, you can bet that I hustled just as fast as I could to get back to my car. Even all those many stairs I had to climb on the way out flew under my feet. Funny what a great motivator fear can be!  LOL

I didn’t find out what that name, “Mines of Spain,” is all about except that there used to be a large lead mine in the area. And my ‘big’ hike for the day was cut down to only 6.58 miles according to my trusty pedometer. But it’s all good.  I survived the storm in the Mines of Spain.  ..and the adventure goes on.