Went and rode my favorite trail today. Name of the system is Landahl Park just north of Independence, MO. I was bummed when woody came through that I was not able to meet him here for a ride (too wet).
I'm not one to bring a camera on a ride as I usually don't like to stop and take pics, but I figured it was high time that I proved that I actually ride a bike. Plus, my wife had a day out planned with a couple other mom's and their kids so I had plenty o' time to stop and shoot some.
Not the best pics in the world and probably too many, but here goes anyway.
The rules:
Couple shots of the ironically named Family Trail. Only trail in the whole system that has 2 technical off-shoots. It's full of exposed roots and rocks.
Chute that enters you to the trail named Gunbarrel off the top of Family Trail.
Terrain that is typical of Gunbarrel...lots and lots of loose rock of various sizes. Gunbarrel is one of the underloved trails in the system. I love it.
Little down hill rock garden that was the scene of my last blood letting.
We're now at the very bottom of the park and getting ready to "go on the other side of the creek" to ride 10 and little bit of 11.
Yes, 10 and 11 seem to think that they are too cool to have a proper name. These two trails are the most difficult in the park. Longest sustained climbs and have sections that I've never been able to clear. Unfortunately, 10 and 11 are being absorbed by the nearby gun range (hence the Gunbarrel named trail) and are no longer maintained and will shortly be off limits.
About a 4 foot little up with a hard left that leads to...
...this ledge. When I first started riding here I could never put these two moves together. Looks like someone started a cheater line to the left.
After the ledge, you go up a bit and then back down a bit and then hit this super steep rocky, rooted climb. Made it today. Woot! Quick ups and downs are the norm around here as we have no real hills to speak of.
After the section above you'll head back down again and then hit another rocky, rooted climb. I set this shot up first then came back and attempted this section. I failed. Progress halted about right where my bike is in this pic.
Right after that is this. I have never been able to make it up this. Ledged step up that is super steep. If you fall backwards it's gonna suck. Someone started a cheater line around the tree to the left.
The friggin spiders were out in force today. I would have paid money to have DHG as the lead rider through 10 and the bit of 11 I rode today. Thankfully, someone was coming up 11 as I was going down so he got rid of all the spiders down at the bottom.
This creek crossing used to be rideable, but the heavy rains we had this spring washed it out.
11 then meets back up with the connector between Gunbarrel and Family Trail. I stopped for a breather and cleaned all the spiders and insect carcasses off myself and removed the sticky seeds.
I hate this part. It's not hard, but for whatever reason I am sucking air when I get to the top.
Loose rocky climb back up to Family Trail. The top has little ledges that are about a wheelbase apart. If you don't have enough momentum you stop. Duh.
Entrance to Collar Bone Hill on one of the Family Trail tech off-shoots.
From the top of the big rock in the pic above. I saw a guy nose wheelie all the way down this (out of control I might add) and swore to never ride it. I have been true to my word. STIL.
West hub or The Spaghetti bowl. Junctions of Rim Job, Dave's Maze, Family Trail and Will's Wanderer.
Will's is the trail everyone loves. It is super fast and groomed has only a couple rooty and rocky sections. I'm going to take the off-shoot to the left called Swedish Erotica. It got its name from the stashed penis pump and pron that was found in this area when the trail was being built.
Where we've been...
...where we're going. Pretty smooth.
East Hub. Junctions of Will's, Rim Job and Tasty Goodness.
Entrance to Tasty Goodness. Tasty pwns. This trail has the most flow in the whole park. It is teh awesome.
A ledge that I managed to fall up and OTB on once.
This is Snake Charmer. I don't know why it's called that. I always think "Red 5, I'm going in" when I drop into this trench. I had to cross a creek to get to this section. It's still considered Tasty Goodness, but is referred to as the Tasty Lollipop as that's how the trail looks on a map. A big yummy 3-4 mile lollipop.
Step up climb with some ledges. If you can make it up the first ledge the rest are easy. There's no decent way to build speed up to it though. If you fall to the right you'll land in sticker bushes and rocks about 4-5ft down. It will suck to be you. This is the entrance to the "drop zone" area.
"Little" drop. Whatever. It's too big for my wimpy butt.
"Big" drop. The transition is barely there and the runout is sketch. Needless to say I won't be attempting this one anytime soon.
The aforementioned creek. We'll now ride back up to Tasty Goodness proper, ride it to it's end and take a fireroad up to Rim Job.
Entrance to Rim Job from the fireroad. Rim Job is classic Landahl. It is a mix of all the other trails. Some flow, some quick ups and downs, embedded rock, loose rock, chutes and etc...
If you ever ride here this is the section you'll remember. This is the section that people talk about when you mention the trail to them. Mikey's Tantrum. You enter either the chute on the right side of the pic or take a more direct approach and enter from the bottom left.
Hard on the brakes and then to the left gets you here.
Back up.
Looking down, then the trail goes back up.
Down and up again. Ugh. Trust it me it's tough.
Last chute down, looking down from the rocks that were the topmost rocks in the prior pic.
Last chute up. I'm thankful that I have a King rear hub. The rocks are just over BB high and pretty close together. You have to line it up just right. The quick engagement of the King gets me up with a bunch of 1/4 pedals.
After this Rim Job twists and turns for a couple more miles and ends with an off camber embedded rock section then spits you out at the Spaghetti Bowl. Quick ride up Dave's Maze and I'm done. I would guess I put in about 17 miles today. If I ever move away from this area I will miss this trail.
BIG props to ERTA, The Earthriders, and Jackson County P&R for an awesome trail network.
Post ride refreshments. Cherry vanilla coke and Peach "pie". I rule.
I'm not one to bring a camera on a ride as I usually don't like to stop and take pics, but I figured it was high time that I proved that I actually ride a bike. Plus, my wife had a day out planned with a couple other mom's and their kids so I had plenty o' time to stop and shoot some.
Not the best pics in the world and probably too many, but here goes anyway.
The rules:
Couple shots of the ironically named Family Trail. Only trail in the whole system that has 2 technical off-shoots. It's full of exposed roots and rocks.
Chute that enters you to the trail named Gunbarrel off the top of Family Trail.
Terrain that is typical of Gunbarrel...lots and lots of loose rock of various sizes. Gunbarrel is one of the underloved trails in the system. I love it.
Little down hill rock garden that was the scene of my last blood letting.
We're now at the very bottom of the park and getting ready to "go on the other side of the creek" to ride 10 and little bit of 11.
Yes, 10 and 11 seem to think that they are too cool to have a proper name. These two trails are the most difficult in the park. Longest sustained climbs and have sections that I've never been able to clear. Unfortunately, 10 and 11 are being absorbed by the nearby gun range (hence the Gunbarrel named trail) and are no longer maintained and will shortly be off limits.
About a 4 foot little up with a hard left that leads to...
...this ledge. When I first started riding here I could never put these two moves together. Looks like someone started a cheater line to the left.
After the ledge, you go up a bit and then back down a bit and then hit this super steep rocky, rooted climb. Made it today. Woot! Quick ups and downs are the norm around here as we have no real hills to speak of.
After the section above you'll head back down again and then hit another rocky, rooted climb. I set this shot up first then came back and attempted this section. I failed. Progress halted about right where my bike is in this pic.
Right after that is this. I have never been able to make it up this. Ledged step up that is super steep. If you fall backwards it's gonna suck. Someone started a cheater line around the tree to the left.
The friggin spiders were out in force today. I would have paid money to have DHG as the lead rider through 10 and the bit of 11 I rode today. Thankfully, someone was coming up 11 as I was going down so he got rid of all the spiders down at the bottom.
This creek crossing used to be rideable, but the heavy rains we had this spring washed it out.
11 then meets back up with the connector between Gunbarrel and Family Trail. I stopped for a breather and cleaned all the spiders and insect carcasses off myself and removed the sticky seeds.
I hate this part. It's not hard, but for whatever reason I am sucking air when I get to the top.
Loose rocky climb back up to Family Trail. The top has little ledges that are about a wheelbase apart. If you don't have enough momentum you stop. Duh.
Entrance to Collar Bone Hill on one of the Family Trail tech off-shoots.
From the top of the big rock in the pic above. I saw a guy nose wheelie all the way down this (out of control I might add) and swore to never ride it. I have been true to my word. STIL.
West hub or The Spaghetti bowl. Junctions of Rim Job, Dave's Maze, Family Trail and Will's Wanderer.
Will's is the trail everyone loves. It is super fast and groomed has only a couple rooty and rocky sections. I'm going to take the off-shoot to the left called Swedish Erotica. It got its name from the stashed penis pump and pron that was found in this area when the trail was being built.
Where we've been...
...where we're going. Pretty smooth.
East Hub. Junctions of Will's, Rim Job and Tasty Goodness.
Entrance to Tasty Goodness. Tasty pwns. This trail has the most flow in the whole park. It is teh awesome.
A ledge that I managed to fall up and OTB on once.
This is Snake Charmer. I don't know why it's called that. I always think "Red 5, I'm going in" when I drop into this trench. I had to cross a creek to get to this section. It's still considered Tasty Goodness, but is referred to as the Tasty Lollipop as that's how the trail looks on a map. A big yummy 3-4 mile lollipop.
Step up climb with some ledges. If you can make it up the first ledge the rest are easy. There's no decent way to build speed up to it though. If you fall to the right you'll land in sticker bushes and rocks about 4-5ft down. It will suck to be you. This is the entrance to the "drop zone" area.
"Little" drop. Whatever. It's too big for my wimpy butt.
"Big" drop. The transition is barely there and the runout is sketch. Needless to say I won't be attempting this one anytime soon.
The aforementioned creek. We'll now ride back up to Tasty Goodness proper, ride it to it's end and take a fireroad up to Rim Job.
Entrance to Rim Job from the fireroad. Rim Job is classic Landahl. It is a mix of all the other trails. Some flow, some quick ups and downs, embedded rock, loose rock, chutes and etc...
If you ever ride here this is the section you'll remember. This is the section that people talk about when you mention the trail to them. Mikey's Tantrum. You enter either the chute on the right side of the pic or take a more direct approach and enter from the bottom left.
Hard on the brakes and then to the left gets you here.
Back up.
Looking down, then the trail goes back up.
Down and up again. Ugh. Trust it me it's tough.
Last chute down, looking down from the rocks that were the topmost rocks in the prior pic.
Last chute up. I'm thankful that I have a King rear hub. The rocks are just over BB high and pretty close together. You have to line it up just right. The quick engagement of the King gets me up with a bunch of 1/4 pedals.
After this Rim Job twists and turns for a couple more miles and ends with an off camber embedded rock section then spits you out at the Spaghetti Bowl. Quick ride up Dave's Maze and I'm done. I would guess I put in about 17 miles today. If I ever move away from this area I will miss this trail.
BIG props to ERTA, The Earthriders, and Jackson County P&R for an awesome trail network.
Post ride refreshments. Cherry vanilla coke and Peach "pie". I rule.
