Labor day ride......

[Harvey Mushman]

I've seen some dirt bikes in some sig' lines and thought I'd throw this out. FMHS team Hare Scramble, Labor day at beautiful Santa Fe Trail Cycle park, Carbondale Kansas. Team up with your buddy and come ride some single track. Three hour race, two man teams, lotsa fun.

Get the details here; http://www.fmhsc.com/

-Harvey
#77

[kchusky]

Harvey Mushman wrote;
I've seen some dirt bikes in some sig' lines and thought I'd throw this out. FMHS team Hare Scramble, Labor day at beautiful Santa Fe Trail Cycle park, Carbondale Kansas. Team up with your buddy and come ride some single track. Three hour race, two man teams, lotsa fun.

Yes indeed, Was able to go out and ride the 525 out at the Warrensburg,Mo. scramble land today. Wow was it dusty!!! Did you go out to Carbondale?

[troy]

Kchusky, where is the Warrensburg scramble area, and is it a legal place to go ride?

Harvey (and others), did you make it to Carbondale?

I had Carbondale as an option, but Safiri & I did a gravel exploration route South of the KC Metro. Wow did we stumble onto a few minimum maintenance road gems! One of the roads didn't go through unfortunately. At the end of the ruts, you push through another 50 yards of 6 foot weeds to an old, abandoned, bridge. The changing river has almost washed out the dirt under the concrete footings on the East side and many of the boards are missing. The road on the other side looked to be a well-travelled 2-track. Would be cool if you could get across, but they have welded steel barriers across to prevent vehicles from getting onto the bridge. The road would definitely be impassible when wet.

Definitely need to get down there for some more exploration.

[will_kc]

Looks like all of us got out to one place or another.

Rode two up with the wife on gravel around our area. Kincaid, colony, LoneElm, Welda, Garnett, LeRoy, Aliceville, Burlington and other roads in between. Nothing to wild, since mom was on board. We did find a tree covered in coffee mugs!

[ajayhawkfan]

I explored an area North of KC on Sunday. Went to Atchison, KS and then along a dirt road that followed the river to St. Joe. From St. Joe NE to Albany and then home. I, of course, picked up caches along the way. The dirt road N. of Atchison would be tough if wet. (A lot like the river road.) There were still mud holes the size of WV bugs in it now. Add a little water and trucks could disappear.

On Monday I went east to Higginsville and back. It was a lot of fun once I got out of the city. It seemed like I was on slab for miles and miles getting out of the city.

Troy and Mike, what areas were you exploring South of the city? You description of a dirt road ending at a closed bridge sounds like a spot in southern Miami county along the Marais des Cygens River, any chance it was?

[will_kc]

tu-safiri uchafu njia lini?

mimi ni tayari!

In mike's chosen language



*we travel dirt road when?*
*I am ready!*

[troy]

Went to Atchison, KS and then along a dirt road that followed the river to St. Joe. From St. Joe NE to Albany and then home...(A lot like the river road.)

I believe that road is still the "River Road" running from Leavenworth to the SW side of St. Joe. I looked at your photos--good stuff! I've never explored NE from St. Joe. I've ridden a lot of the area between St. Joe SE towards Smithville.

Troy and Mike, what areas were you exploring South of the city? You description of a dirt road ending at a closed bridge sounds like a spot in southern Miami county along the Marais des Cygens River, any chance it was?

More in the middle of Miami, Co. 2 miles south and 1/2 mile East of the intersection of Hwy 7/169 and Hwy 68. Take Victory Rd south to where it crosses the South Wea Creek. This spot is just SE of Miola Lake.

Directly East of Miola Lake is a an L-shaped mile that is a very rugged road. Although I could, I would not want to drive my 2WD truck down this road. Find the intersection of Hwy 7/169 and Hwy 68. Go about one mile East then go 1 mile South. Continue South on Woodland Rd. Ride the entire L shape, turn around, repeat. Repeat as necessary!

Btw, Mike, that Road with the abandoned bridge WAS the South end of my planned "spots to check out". I got confused I guess after the Woodland Rd/W. 295th St adventure and turned my navigation off thinking we'd seen all the planned spots already.

Eddie, now you need to tell us where your bridge is at.

[ajayhawkfan]

I believe that road is still the "River Road" ....I've never explored NE from St. Joe. I've ridden a lot of the area between St. Joe SE towards Smithville.

It is named River Road.

The area NE of St. Joe is fun and should be explored. The area NW is even more fun (around Riverbreaks Conservation area). There are a lot of twisting roads in the hills and you can also ride along the levies that follow the river. I have only been there once but have been wanting to go back!

Directly East of Miola Lake is a an L-shaped mile that is a very rugged road. Although I could, I would not want to drive my 2WD truck down this road. Find the intersection of Hwy 7/169 and Hwy 68. Go about one mile East then go 1 mile South. Continue South on Woodland Rd. Ride the entire L shape, turn around, repeat. Repeat as necessary!

Btw, Mike, that Road with the abandoned bridge WAS the South end of my planned "spots to check out". I got confused I guess after the Woodland Rd/W. 295th St adventure and turned my navigation off thinking we'd seen all the planned spots already.

Eddie, now you need to tell us where your bridge is at.

I have been in that area before but I don't believe I have been on that road.

My bridge, I'm not sure. I'm not even sure it was on the River. I think it was near Miami County Park. I'm going to try to find it again and when I do, I'll let you know.

[safiri]

tu-safiri uchafu njia lini?
mimi ni tayari!

In mike's chosen language

*we travel dirt road when?*
*I am ready!*

When the wife lets me out to play!

[troy]

So I figured out how to highlight a little section of road and create a link to a Google Map showing it. This link should highlight a small section of road on a Google Map. The top of the route is a really rugged min maintenance road. The bottom is a dead end, min maintenance road that ends at a cool, abandoned bridge. There is also a little place you can play in the creek..but possibly not legally.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&g ... &z=13&om=1

[kchusky]

Troy wrote;
Kchusky, where is the Warrensburg scramble area, and is it a legal place to go ride?

Yes legal, but it's by invite when he is not sponcering a race out there.

Troy & Safiri,

You guys should have come by and said hi. It looks like you were riding South of my house. I'm waiting to hear back from my son, I think we might head down to the bridge area Sunday. Or I should say I'm going too.
Me and my son rode down near that area last Sunday. It was his first DS type ride and he was digging it. He even rode a little faster than I thought he would .

[troy]

Kchusky, I don't know where you live, or we would have stopped by.

Normally, we would have posted up to invite some riders along, but honestly, neither of us was up for a long ride and we really did not have high expectations for the area. It surprised us with some treats.

Before you head out on Sunday, be sure you print out the KS DOT PDF map for Miami County. It is probably one of the most accurate road sources and best of all, it clearly indicates the actual road surface type. You can quickly find the minimum maintenance roads.
http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/Mapscounties.asp

There are several small sections of min maint to the East of Hillsdale Lake that I've not checked out yet. There is one mile of easy min maint on the SW corner of the lake...no big loss if you skip that one, but could be a good part of a larger route. Eddie talks about some stuff further South in Miami Co. Looking at that PDF, you can see several dead end min maint roads that end at rivers down there. Those can be real jewels--sometimes that "dead end" is not a dead end to a dualsport machine. Sometimes you can't cross, but there may be some small areas to explore.

For your route down to the area, this little snippet of road is fun. It's an easy 2-track along the railroad that dumps you into the backside of Bucyrus, KS. Not spectacular by any means, but perhaps more fun that the typical, wide gravel road.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&g ... &z=14&om=1

[kchusky]

Troy wrote;
Kchusky, I don't know where you live, or we would have stopped by.

For your route down to the area, this little snippet of road is fun. It's an easy 2-track along the railroad that dumps you into the backside of Bucyrus, KS. Not spectacular by any means, but perhaps more fun that the typical, wide gravel road.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&g ... &z=14&om=1

I'm over towards the South/East part of Olathe. Thats funny you mention railroad tracks. I rode my road bicycle out on 199th. over by Egerton Saturday. And crossed the tracks there and was eyeing come back down on the 525 and seeing were they went. It sure looked inviting and kind of fun.

I've also, been wanting to head towards Fort Scott I'm betting there is some good stuff down there.

[troy]

I've also, been wanting to head towards Fort Scott I'm betting there is some good stuff down there.

Nope, no good stuff down around Fort Scott. None at all--right Eddie?

[Harvey Mushman]

Yes indeed, Was able to go out and ride the 525 out at the Warrensburg,Mo. scramble land today. Wow was it dusty!!! Did you go out to Carbondale?
98 200EXC (just because)
05 200EXC (race, play and plated)
07 525EXC (adventure bike)kchusky

Myself and Donnie Clausen took 1st in C-class. We beat the 2nd place team by about 18 seconds. We pitted right next to them and didn't even know it. XR-nut and his partner finished 3rd in Sportsman swapping Joe's bike back and forth. It was dusty but fun. You guys should ride there some time. The last race of the year is at Milford. You guys should come out, Milford's a blast.

-Harvey
#77 fmhs
'98 RXCe400
'98 RXCe620
'02 EXC300

PS; Joe, I scrutinzed your lap times. I have suggested Paul move you to the 6th row......

[ajayhawkfan]

I've also, been wanting to head towards Fort Scott I'm betting there is some good stuff down there.

Nope, no good stuff down around Fort Scott. None at all--right Eddie?

Boring is what I would call it. Here is the worst of it.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&g ... &z=11&om=1
(Note: there are 2 pairs of dead ends. You can ride between them.)

[troy]

Here is the worst of it.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&g ... &z=11&om=1

Guys, I can testify this stuff Eddie is sharing with you is golden! He led safiri, will_kc, and myself on a larger route that included the stuff he highlights here. A lot of great creek crossings and some nice country! It's stuff I probably would not have found on my own--Eddie's familiarity with the area is a valuable resource to our dualsport community.

[will_kc]

Yeah, Eddie finds some good rides! I think he lives on his bike. Ummmm 18K and has had it less than a year.... ?

I down loaded the KDOT maps for my area. There is a lot of dirt east of Ottawa (Franklin). Has anybody explored it? I'm thinking of heading north and trying it out.

[troy]

I down loaded the KDOT maps for my area. There is a lot of dirt east of Ottawa (Franklin). Has anybody explored it? I'm thinking of heading north and trying it out.

Whoa! You aren't kidding. Why haven't I noticed all that minimum maintenance stuff, curvy roads, and rivers in that area before?!

FYI, I flip between Google Maps and Yahoo Maps depending on who has the best satellite imagery for the area. For this area, Yahoo Maps are far superior. The satellite photos can give you a better idea whether a road really exists or goes across a river.
http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=h&q1=Ottawa% ... 4211&mag=3

Unfortunately, my next few weekends are probably going to prevent me from getting any day rides in. So if you beat me to the area, please report!

[will_kc]

Reporting in as reqested !

Troy you can stick out your bottom lip now!

here are a few pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/klr650Will/ ... ndFranklin

Get out your KDOT of Anderson and Franklin ! I don't have a GPS yet. So don't ask....

Route:
North from 100 and Vermont (Anderson) to 700 and Vermont.
700 west to Texas, then North to 800 back east to Vermont. (twistie hills!)
North on Vermont to 1500. (I stopped at Swank Park, see PICASA.)
East 1/2 mile, then north to 1600.
west to wallace road (another twisty hill!)
North on Wallace to black top.
West to Utah, then north to 2000. Ends in a nice twist.
East on 2000 to Wabaunsee, then north again.
Quick west then north twistie to Utah.
Follow Utah into Greeley.
Stop for a soda.
take 169 north for 3/4 mile then exist left onto black top
Turn north on Wabaunsee (for 1/2 mile).
******* Note ************
The min maint road across the rail tracks is a dead end. The loop on the map does not exist.
I circled from all angles. Warning! shooting zone. The guys and kids had guns blazing all over the place. I stopped and talked to the nice gentlemen
*******************
From the rail tracks, take vermont north east and zig-zag until your heading due north.
This is the fun part. The next dead end (Vermont and Butler) is a blast. I put one pic of my bike in the woods on PICASA! Without a GPS and buddies, I stayed on the main trail. There were side trails everywhere!

Once your done with this, back track to 2430 road and Vermont.
Go west on 2430 to Spencer Crossing. (Bridge on the map) I have a picture of a truck in the river. Need I say more!

After all that I just buzzed home....ran out of time.

Enjoy!