tmiser from rocheport on 3/22/2011 6:09:30 AM:
Put in 45 miles yesterday - Rocheport past Wilton and back. Trail conditions are nice. The geese are nesting in the bluffs the first few miles downriver of Rocheport. A couple are territorial and will stand their ground hissing at you. Do not be alarmed, they will not attack. Seems like every year some idiot decides that it would be fun to kill one of these defenseless geese. DON'T DO IT!!! Talk to them gently and they will leave you be. Also, DON'T KILL THE SNAKES!!! I saw half a dozen snakes yesterday, the first of the year. None of them poisonous, all sunning themselves on the trail. Leave these creatures alone. They have more of a right to be there than you do. You will see copperheads occasionally but they are non-aggressive. Give them a wide berth and they will ignore you. The bridge over the Moniteau creek at Rocheport is being replaced right now so the DNR has the trail blocked at MM182 and is routing traffic down Hwy 40. If you don't feel like risking your life on Hwy 40 there is a way around the by-pass using conservation land. If anyone is interested in this route let me know and I will relay the information. Tmiser.