Reply to Making way for Rock Island Trail

The St Louis Post Dispatch had a good-sized article today about current work to clear the section of the old Rock Island Line around Gerald and Henley (central MO, near Lake of the Ozarks):

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-clears-the-path-for-a-companion-to-the-katy/article_2f9a9edf-c7f1-57e9-945a-840db9f2d6d9.html

That section is still a few years away from being usable, but at least some work is being done.

Will you be creating a similar website for the Rock Island?

Yes as a matter of fact, I already have a Rock Island website in the works. Check it out:
http://www.bikerockisland.com/default.aspx

Of course I'll be adding all the usual features and tools like business listings, mileage charts, a forum, etc.

Happy trails!

I'm glad to see the start of another fantastic resource for our biking community. And I'm very anxious to watch it grow as the trail develops.

Thank you Ray.

So some sections of Windsor to Pleasant Hill will be completed in 2016?

Does anyone know where the two trails will intersect in Windsor? I saw a rough map possibly a little north out of town?

If you look at Ray's new site for the Rock Island Trail in posts above and click on Windsor, you can zoom in on the google map and see where the two trails cross a little NE of the town.

Looks like the two trails will cross just east of the high school.

Midsouth you beat me to it - I was just typing this up (in my usual wordy fashion) when you posted....

The info on the BikeRockIsland.com website is rough and tentative, but accurate to the best of my knowledge.

If you go to the Rock Island Map page:
http://www.bikerockisland.com/rock-island-trail-map.aspx

Then pick Windsor from the drop-down list of cities above the map (Windsor is toward the bottom of the list). Then check the “include Katy Trail” checkbox, and you’ll see where they intersect. They do not intersect at the Katy trailhead, but rather a bit northeast up the trail from the trailhead.

Now some disclaimers: I mapped out the Rock Island Trail along the old railroad route. If the actual trail will stray off of the rail bed, as the Katy does in Sedalia or Rhineland, then that is not reflected in this map. I don’t know whether that’s planned or not – probably not even an issue.

Also, I have not finished adding the whole length of the trail to the map. Right now the map only goes as far east as Gerald, but I hope to have the rest added within a week or so.

I’m also not sure where the planned trail goes once it gets to the outskirts of Lee’s Summit.

And to partially answer Anonoh’s earlier question about the trail opening: I marked the Windsor to Pleasant Hill section as completed trail, when really it’s still being developed. I did this because on November 11-12, MORIT posted on their Facebook page, in regards to the Windsor to Pleasant Hill section:

To be clear, State Parks has said they are unconcerned about hikers and riders using the trail as intended as it is being constructed as long as users do not interfere with the workers. You need to realize it is "as is" and be grateful to enjoy it early in the process. You might think of it as a restaurant having a "soft opening" where customers are served before they do their highly promoted official Grand O

[got cut off there due to length - continuing from the start of the last paragraph, quoting MORIT]

"To be clear, State Parks has said they are unconcerned about hikers and riders using the trail as intended as it is being constructed as long as users do not interfere with the workers. You need to realize it is "as is" and be grateful to enjoy it early in the process. You might think of it as a restaurant having a "soft opening" where customers are served before they do their highly promoted official Grand Opening when everything is expected to be tiptop. People using the trail as it is intended when it is officially open are fine. Those driving cars, trucks, or four-wheel ATVs are not."

So I take that as permission to use the new trail, cautiously and with the highest level of courtesy to trail workers and landowners.

So with a decent bike you can ride from Windsor to Pleasant Hill in the spring? All the tracks are pulled up? I would think they would need bridge work and road crossing work too?

You might want to check the MORIT facebook pages, they are more in tune with the work going on and progress in that area. I think they are still taking up rails and ties, but not sure.

When riding east from Windsor you may remember crossing a small bridge. Below that bridge is the Rock Island rail line. I suppose they will run ramps up to connect to the Katy but that is just my guess.