West End vs. East End

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Ken from St. Charles on 4/18/2006 8:22:56 PM:

Someone commented on another thread that the west end of the trail is significantly rougher than the east end. They even mentioned gravel 2 inches deep in places. I've ridden from St. Charles to Augusta and Rocheport to Hartsburg. How does the far western portions of the trail compare with these stretches, especially the surface condition?

Anonymous on 4/19/2006 2:40:57 PM:

I do think the east end is probably a little smoother than the west end. The reason for this is the east end gets more traffic and the west end has the equestrian section. St. Charles to Augusta is the most used section of the entire trail and the traffic really smoothes out the trail. I know the maintenance staff works real hard on all the sections, but it seems like the staff on the east end is out on the trail daily and is always doing something to keep the trail hard and smooth. I always try to say thank you when I pass them on the trail, I hope everyone else does the same.

TRinJboro from troyratliff@hotmail.com on 4/19/2006 3:24:33 PM:

I've ridden the entire trail, and I didn't find too much difference in the east v west condition of the surface. However, the portion from Clinton to Sedalia, in my opinion, is not worth doing, as the scenery is boring and the horse traffic can be, at times, a problem. I would suggest you start or end at Sedalia.

MLH from Overland Park on 4/19/2006 6:05:38 PM:

Ditto on last comment regarding trail condition and scenery. The gravel that the other writer may have been referring to is seen at the gravel road crossings and yes some areas seem like they are 2 inches deep as it gets pushed by the cars and plows to the sides of the road, or on the trail in this case. I haven't made it all of the way to St. Charles but there does seem to be more gravel crossings on the west side. These are not enough in number to be a major factor though. I personally enjoy the Clinton to Sedalia stretch and a surprising amount of it is shaded. Windsor is a great halfway point stop.

sbikes from Kansas City on 4/19/2006 10:05:36 PM:

Each part of the Trail represents a different type of geography. I find beauty in all of it. The
stretch between Clinton and Sedalia shows the wide open spaces of Misssouri before you get
into the bluffs and the river. The trail between Clinton and Sedalia doesn't get as much traffic
and so it is not as hard and compacted as the portion of the trail nearer to St. Louis.

Mark of the Dalton Boys from Austin, TX/Columbia, MO. on 4/20/2006 8:01:25 AM:

...what sbikes said....Regards.....Mark of The Dalton Boys

Ken from St. Charles on 4/20/2006 10:08:48 PM:

Thanks for all the information. I'm planning a 3-day west to east trip the first week of October with a buddy of mine. I ride the St. Charles-Defiance-Augusta stretch on a regular basis. I'm comfortable with doing 75 miles per day if the western portion of the trail is anything like the trail in my area.

MLH from Overland Park KS on 4/23/2006 8:55:54 AM:

I stand corrected from my post below. I rode the stretch from Clinton to a point about 4 miles north of Windsor and back yesterday. The trail is wonderful west of Windsor. The stretch east of Windsor does have some areas of softness due to thick gravel. Not quite 2 inches deep, but more than I remember from last year and I almost slid out going in a straight line. That's on 700 x 37 tires with knobby lateral treads. I just happened to meet a DNR guy on the trail and he acknowledged the problem, stating that the source of the crushed limestone in that section is different than the other areas. To me, it just seemed like there was too much of it. Whatever the reason, I would be careful on the Windsor to Sedalia stretch and would be very concerned about using a road bike there. I hope the DNR is able to sort this out as I would think there would be liability concerns.

hooked on biking from around KC on 4/23/2006 9:13:33 PM:

We rode from Jefferson City to Mokane last fall & the trail was terrible. There were ruts that ran across the entire trail, anywhere from 2-6 inches deep in several places There were no rough road signs anywhere on the trail so you had no warning they were there. We broke several spokes on that stretch because we couldn't avoid them We haven't ridden that stretch this year so don't know if the problems were fixed over the winter or not. Suggest using caution when riding that area.

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