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Shuttle from Kirkwood Amtrak to Machens


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Jeff from Kansas City on 10/7/2023 10:56:13 PM:
Looking for shuttle from Amtrak on Kirkwood to beginning of trail at Machens. I’m riding the train from KC to Kirkwood on 10/17. Train supposed to arrive at 1:47 PM. Would like to get ride to Machens trailhead and then to ride to Klondike to camp for first night. This sound like a doable plan? Anybody know a shuttle service?

 
Doug from Bluffton on 10/8/2023 4:55:38 PM:
Unless you can outride Lance it does not sound doable to me. IF the train is on time and IF you get picked up immediately and IF there is no traffic the absolute best you could hope for is to start riding at 3:30. Sunset at 5:30. 40 miles with gear and other riders on the trail in 2 hours. I am not saying this to rain on your parade but......

 
madunibomber from Overland park on 10/9/2023 6:22:51 AM:
its doable ive made that ride before back in 2020

 
madunibomber from Overland park on 10/9/2023 6:25:34 AM:
useing googke maps with no shuttle

 
Jeff from Kansas City on 10/9/2023 7:51:59 PM:
Oh man thanks Doug. Didn’t realize it would take me that long to get on trail and forgot the sun set so early now. I’ll look for a better spot to spend my first night.

 
Jeff from Kansas City on 10/22/2023 12:13:25 PM:
So I ended up getting a shuttle from Bike Stop Cafe to machens from the Kirkwood train station. Not exactly cheap, but I understand why. I was the only person and it is quite a few miles to drive. It was very convenient, and they were easy to work with. I didn’t exactly ride as fast as Lance, but I had to go much faster than I wanted on my heavy steel bike with 2.25” tires loaded with way too much stuff. I made it into the park just before it got completely dark. Would have been much easier with a few more hours of sunlight. Had anything gone wrong with the train or the shuttle or a flat tire, I wouldn’t have made it.