Rolling hills, open fields and a bridge that stands nearly 160 feet above the ground highlight what riders will see while gliding on the tracks of Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad's unique rail bike attraction.
Poised to open July 21, thrill-seekers and nature lovers will be able to pedal down the tracks of the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad on four-wheeled, motor-assisted, open-air carts also known as rail bikes. Operated by Rail Explorers USA, the 12.4-mile round-trip tour winds along the Des Moines River and features a cross over the 156-foot-tall Bass Point Creek High Bridge.
Rail Explorers is the brainchild of Australia-native entrepreneurs Mary Joy Lu and Alex Catchpoole, a wife and husband team that launched their first rail bike fleet in 2015 in New York's Adirondack Mountains.
Des Moines Register photographer Zach Boyden-Holmes and I took a ride on the rails this week to see what the trip was like.
The bikes, which look more like rail carts than bicycles, share the track with the Boone railroad tourist trains. Riders take off from what will be the Rail Explorers depot behind the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum at 123 10th Street.
Lu recommends loading up on sunscreen and water, and bringing some refreshments for the turn-around point. Each rail bike is equipped with a basket to store personal items.
Riders choose between a two-person and four-person bike, which cost $90 and $160, respectively. The bikes have four steel wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, and the REX Propulsion System, a custom-built electric motor to help riders navigate steep hills.
Each seat on the go-cart-like bike is adjustable for height to comfortably reach the floor pedals and has lap-seatbelt straps. The person who sits on the right side on the tandem — and the right-rear side on the quad — has control of the bike's breaks and the electric motor.
Tours will include about 30 to 40 people, and bikes will be spaced about 300 to 400 feet apart. Each tour will have two guides leading the pack and two following.
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Boyden-Holmes and I, along with the Rail Explorers' team, Lu, Catchpoole, Teancum Hale and Joseph Turner split into a tandem and quad bike.
The track — composed of two steel rails atop wooden planks sitting over a bed of gravel — starts on flat land passing a few residential streets. The homes become sparse as the track opens into vast farmland before the scenery transforms into Boone County's rolling hills and timber.
Riders must pedal, but they don't have to steer, which left my hands free for plenty of videos and photos — including a few selfies.
The track crosses at least two intersections before continuing into the valley. We stop to watch for traffic before crossing each road; Lu says each intersection will have flaggers to watch for traffic during the tours.
We pedal under Pilcher's Bridge — an old timber stringer bridge on Mallard Avenue— and through a wall of moss and sage-colored trees that line both sides of the track. And then, as if out of nowhere, we emerge into a clearing and the chalky-white gravel under the tracks drops off ahead.
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We spot a sign that reads, "Bass Point Creek" before steadily starting our venture over the 156-foot Bass Point Creek High Bridge, the tallest trestle bridge in the state available for public train rides.
In our multiple conversations, Lu has emphasized while the ride is suitable for all ages, it's likely not a ride for the height-averse. And I now understand why. The track occupies the entire width of the narrow trestle bridge. No barriers stand between the rider and the world below.
It's a breathtaking view. Rolling hills topped with tens of thousands of trees greet us under Wednesday's overcast sky. Lu points out a thin stream of water below us that snakes its way through the greenery: the Bass Point Creek, which runs into the Des Moines River to the west of us. The wind picks up as we glide on the tracks over the nearly 800-foot-long bridge.
We stop the bikes for more pictures when we reach the end of the bridge. We turned back at this point — about 2.7 miles in — but Lu says the tour continues through forest-like scenery for another 3.5 miles, crossing over a 900-foot-long bridge that runs over the Des Moines River before reaching the turn-around point a few miles east of Fraser.
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Lu says the turnaround area, complete with picnic chairs and umbrellas, is a good spot for riders to catch their breath and enjoy a home-brought snack and refreshments. It's also a good lookout spot for viewing bald eagles and deer.
Tickets will be available online in the next few weeks at railexplorers.net, Lu says, adding the public should strongly consider booking in advance. Riders must sign a waiver and each tour will get a safety briefing at the start of the ride.
Virginia Barreda is a trending and general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.