I've created route. It's called "Plattsburg". The route combines some good roads I am familiar with as well as a lot of new stuff that looks good on the maps and satellite photos. When I route unknown stuff, there will be roads that I think are gravel or dirt and end up being narrow blacktop. This route includes plenty of fun blacktop as well as gravel.
The entire route is about 100 miles and starts in the KC Northland at Hwy 169 & Hwy 435. Just northwest of that intersection is my church,
The Vineyard. (There is an access road off of Cookingham that will take you to The Vineyard if you want to avoid the hwy.) The large parking lot and the large porch with park benches and tables makes for a good meeting point. There is plenty of room for trailers for anyone wanting to haul in.
Some towns we'll touch along the way include: Smithville, Trimble, Plattsburg, Edgerton, Camden Point, Ferrelview.
It is possible that we'll end up having to route around roads that prove too muddy for the group. The Algiers Road is near the end of the route, but don't worry, Mike & Kevin, they've graveled the entire road now....which sucks.
The route includes a stop at the Davis Chapel and cemetery located on a high point West of Edgerton. Katbeanz was the first to show me this place. The interesting part is that the entire West wall of the chapel is laying on the ground exposing the pews, piano, and pulpit to the elements. I'm assuming the chapel is still standing.
You can download the GPX route file here:
http://www.rideforum.net/gps/Plattsburg.gpx
Even if you don't have a GPS or GPS software, you can view this route following these steps:
1. Right-click the link and download the GPX route file.
2. Open the file in a simple text-editor like Notepad.
3. Copy the entire text (CTRL-A is a handy shortcut to select all then CTRL-C will copy.)
4. Open an Internet browser to
http://www.marengo-ltd.com/map/
5. Click the "Load" button at the top and paste in the copied GPX text. (CTRL-V is a handy shortcut to paste.)
Now you can zoom in and out and move around the route to see where it takes us.
A word to those who express disdain towards pre-planned routes and the use of GPS. First, it's a route "suggestion". If we see something we want to explore that is not on the planned route, we can explore--the route is not a goal to accomplish. Second, in my experience when leading a group ride, you'd better have a good idea of where you are going and approximately how many miles you'll be covering. People seem to get agitated if you stop at every crossroad staring confused at your map. The planned route loaded into a GPS allows me to pay attention to the group which means I can ride safer.
Meeting Time & Other Details
Meet at The Vineyard at 11:30 AM. We'll have a short back-pavement ride to downtown Smithville where we'll stop for lunch. From there we'll cross the Smithville Lake Dam and head up along the West side of the lake snaking our way up to Plattsburg....and continue on the route or where our whims take us. We'll never be far from hwy 169 so anybody wanting to cut out at about any point can just head to the hwy and cruise home. I hate trying to guess ride duration, but my conservative guess is the ride will be completed by 4:30PM.
In case you need it, my phone number is (816) 739-9653.
I will continue to monitor the site for where and when details.