Our adventures this afternoon took us to Backbone State Park!
It is located in Delaware County, about three miles south of Strawberry Point, and was the first of Iowa’s now 83 state parks. It’s name comes from a rock ridge at the center of the park that some believe to look like the backbone of a person. My hiking cohort did not make it to see the “backbone” but that’s something I will do on my next trip out here!
However, we did get to experience about 3 miles of the 21 mile trail system within the park. We hiked along the East Lake trail which provided fantastic views of the Backbone Lake. The lake is possible due to a dam at the Maquoketa River. The dam was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps who played a large role in the building of the park’s amenities.
Along the hike, Marley and I found some natural hiking sticks that we used along our journey. If I were a true hiker, I would have brought an official “trekking pole,” as I have learned they are called. According to the website Mac’s Adventure, the main purpose of using these sticks is to reduce the stress on your joints, especially those in the legs and back, and distribute it more evenly around the body. Other benefits include creating a low intensity upper body work out, enhanced stability, improved posture and endurance, and navigation on uneven terrains.
I could definitely tell the difference between using the stick versus not, especially on the steep inclines. As for improved endurance, I’d have to go on a few more hikes to give it a fair review.
Today was one of the handful of times I’ve ever been hiking and it was definitely the most intense in terms of terrain - which w worked up quite an appetite. Thank goodness for granola bars and water! Hiking was a great workout and I look forward to finding more parks and trails in the future!
After our hike we had a little bit of time to hang out before we traveled back to campus. The area where we gathered to meet the bus was along the beach at the south end of the park. There we were able to see a few structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between the years of 1933-1942.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was developed as a part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal. The program employed young men who were out of work due to the Great Depression to improve state and national parks. Of the 800 they worked on, Backbone was one of them.
As previously mentioned, they helped construct the dam to create Backbone Lake. They also built structures around the lake to create a place that people would like to visit. The architecture is very rustic and many of the materials used came from within the park itself. I thought they were absolutely beautiful and incredibly meaningful. The Civilian Conservation Corps not only helped young men earn wages, but also created beautiful places for families to enjoy for decades to comes.
I also found it fun that some of the more modern amenities in the area, like restrooms and drinking fountains, kept with the same architecture.
The beach area has now expanded to include a playground and a permanent bags, or corn hole, set. Members of the ensemble took advantage of all of these attractions. Katie, Jared, Chandler, and Camilla even got creative and used some oranges leftover from lunch as the bags! It was very entertaining to watch, as long as you were outside of the splash zone.
I ended my day sitting with Aubree and Sarah at the dock on the lake. It was a peaceful view to end a beautiful day in nature! Although I have not spent much time in state parks before, our trek to Backbone inspired me to explore the beauty that can be found within our state!
Rachel Green ‘23
French Horn