After attending the funeral of a church friend, I drove to the Keystone Trail and changed out of my suit and tie in my car the Pope Paul VI fertility clinic. I walked to the trail basking in the beautiful low-humidity and 62 degree temp. Cyclists and hikers filled the trail. Even the most serious cyclists seemed to be light hearted and smiling.
I started at Mercy St. near 72nd and hiked to Q Street before I turned around to hike back. This section took me under a railroad trestle. An a-frame shelter protected the trail users from falling ballast rocks and hot oil.
I also passed under Interstate 80. The noise of the passing cars traveling at 70 mph overhead was impressive. It reminded me of my hitchhiking days when I slept beneath Interstates all over the U.S.
The trail system has a unique marking system designed for the safety of users.
Trail marker installed by Rotary
Here is the explanation of the marking project given on the trail map:
“Trail Marking Has Enhanced Safety for Trail Users
“To commemorate Rotary’s Centennial, the 11 Rotary Clubs of Omaha and Council Bluffs accepted the challenge of marking 105 miles of recreational trails to improve safety for trail users. The project, completed in 2005, placed 8″ round markers at each mile of the trail and 5″ markers every tenth of a mile.
“These markers aid emergency response personnel in locating injured or distressed trail users more quickly…”
Thank you Rotary!
Today I hiked 5.7 miles in 2 hours. I picked up 2 pounds 3 ounces of trash. Nine ounces of it was recyclable.
Filed under: Omaha Trails | Tagged: David DeFord, hike, hiking, Omaha, Rotary, trail, trails
