SWOPE TRAILS

NOTICE: Managed Archery Deer Hunt Nov 7-Dec 31st

2011-11-15T11:14:00.000-06:00

"Designated areas in Swope Park, including the Camp Lake of the Woods area, will be open for a managed archery deer hunt November 7th through December 31st. This managed hunt, like others conducted on KC Parks property since 2006, is conducted to promote ecological diversity on the lands entrusted to KC Parks, and to control an ever-expanding deer herd.

Rather than close this area to the public, as most other municipalities do during managed hunts, Kansas City Parks and Recreation has elected to continue public access to managed hunt areas. We feel certain that the many different groups that use this area can operate in a mutually respectful manner."

Swope Trails. PH4 opens this Saturday. 9am.

2011-06-03T00:19:00.000-05:00

Join us this Saturday, June 4th for National Trails Day.

Earthriders Trails Association [ERTA] in partnership with Kansas City Parks And Recreation are thrilled to announce the opening of the latest addition to the ever growing Swope Trails system. Your local trail hermits and over 125 volunteers have been working hard the past 6 months to bring you another fun filled addition to Camp Lake of the Woods.

This Saturday morning for National Trails Day, at 9am sharp, we will be opening the new 1.75 mile section up to the masses. The trail is the extension of the ever popular Rancho D-Lux loop. Highlights of this intermediate to beginner trail, include Marci’s Playground, Faceplant and Nate’s Woooops.

Extra Special thanks to Nathan Ross and the Youth Volunteers Corps for helping make this happen.

DETAILS:

When:
Saturday, June 4th 9am: Ribbon Cutting.

Meeting Place:
Swope Park. Camp Lake of the Woods.

We will be meeting at the Hogan at Camp Lake of the Woods which is just up the hill on Oakwood Drive from the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 100 yards. See the map on the right hand side of www.swopetrails.com for more detailed directions.

All day: Get out and enjoy the new trail the in jewel that is Swope Park.

It's That Time of Year + New Trail Hermit + Fundraiser News

2011-03-10T11:19:00.009-06:00

The weather is turning nice, the ground is thawing, and we're cranking out some sweet trail work. Been doing some trail hardening projects and fixing some draining issues on phase 3. Today the old fence on phase 4 is coming out.

Look for some trail building announcements soon.

We've updated our volunteer hrs for the Swope Project. Thanks to various groups and individual volunteers we've now logged 3920 hrs building trail at Swope. A HUGE thank you to everyone who has ever lifted a tool on these trails!

We've recently added Travis Stephens to the list of Trail Hermits. His history runs deep in the KC cycling community and has spent time volunteering at nearly every park in KC. Travis is one of those guys who builds trail simply because he loves riding good trail. He has spent the last 3 yrs quietly building sweet singletrack gnar while others are posting pics of their dinner plate on Facebook. He is a big reason you see some of the crazy rock work we do at Swope. He's brought our rock techniques to a new level. Thanks, Travis!

Also, thanks to a fundraiser by Specialized Bicycles and BikeSource the people of KC generously donated over $4000 for the trail building efforts at Swope. We plan to spend a good chunk of this money to improve drying times for the trails. The trails dry pretty darn quick, but we know it can be better...we have a plan.

Race Across the Sky....a benefit for Swope Trails. Feb 17th.

2011-02-10T07:01:00.000-06:00

It’s been a rough winter for all of us and what a better way to get in the spring mood than watching one of the premier movies about Mountain Biking right here in Kansas City. BikeSource will be hosting an open house for their new store and a benefit for the Swope Park Trail System with a special movie presentation of Race Across the Sky – 2010 Leadville Trail 100. ------> http://www.raceacrossthesky.com/

All proceeds go to support the construction, design and maintenance of Swope Trails. The trail system is a 50 mile planned network of single-track mountain biking and hiking facilities in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri. Designed, constructed and managed by professional volunteers in partnership with Kansas City Parks and Recreation, Jackson County Parks and Recreation, Earth Riders Trails Association [ERTA] and Heartland Sports Promotions [HSP].

Download the all the the details HERE . See you on February 17^th.

Spread the Dirt and a HUGE thank you to the crew at BikeSource. http://www.bikesourcekansascity.com/

Phase 4 Update

2010-12-31T18:56:00.001-06:00

Since we've had such great weather for riding this fall, we haven't made a lot of building progress, but we'll be starting up full tilt in the next couple weeks.

Due to safety concerns on unfinished trail, we've closed the entrances to the new phase 4 trail and posted "closed" signs. We have also closed the race loop used for the KC Cup race. It was legacy trail that was not sustainable long-term but left open for the fall so we could enjoy it. However, we've made enough progress on the phase 4 trail that it was time for the temporary trail to go.

Once completed, the additional 3 miles of Phase 4 will make Rancho-D-Lux into a complete loop of fast-flowy trail.

Stay tuned for work days in the near future.

Managed Burn, Dec. 3rd + other notes

2010-12-02T16:15:00.000-06:00

FYI...just so everyone knows weather permitting a managed burn will take place Friday, December 3rd in the Camp Lake of the Woods area. Some sections of trail will not be accessible during this time. Everything should be good to go by Saturday, the 4th.

Also, thanks to everyone for coming out last month for the workday, between our group and KC Wildlands we had approx 130 volunteers working in top of the hill that day! We will have a couple smaller workdays in the days ahead to continue working on Rancho D-Lux...stay tuned for details.

Swope Trails Work Day, November 6

2010-11-02T12:03:00.002-05:00

Rancho D-Lux (easier/faster trail) has been growing steadily for the last couple years...here's your chance to pitch in for the final push to complete the Ranch D-Lux loop. We hope to have the full loop done sometime this winter and already have a good chunk of corridor and bench work started.

This Saturday we will be doing corridor clearing, destaubing, and dirt/rock work. If it's your 1st time or you're a master trailbuilder come out...we have lots of work to do and will have something for everyone.

Meeting Place:
Hogan/swimming pool at Camp Lake of the Woods on top of the hill. From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 300 yards. See map on the right hand side of the page for directions to the Swope Park trails.

Tools:
The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Recommended Clothing:
Long pants
Boots/Shoes with protection
Work Gloves
Safety Glasses
Bug Spray

Trail Tasting Afterwards:
If the trails are rideable and/or hikeable, we'll do a trail tasting of the new stuff. Workdays are the only time you'll get a chance to check out the new trail before it's open, so come work then get your ride on!

Schedule of Events:
9am-12pm Trailbuilding

12pm-1pm: Lunch...Johnnies Tavern and Sysco will be providing burgers and chips after the workday. EarthRiders will be grilling them up, so plan to stick around for a while even if you can't ride.

1pm-4pm: Ride come and go as you please

Some of us are having a campout at the Hogan Saturday night if you want to join us.

Kansas City Cup...almost here.

2010-09-03T14:16:00.004-05:00

Is just around the the corner....September 18th and September 19th.

It's time to show off the place we call home to the rest of the region.

CX race on Saturday, Sept 18th
XC race on Sunday, Sept 19th (UFD Federation Championship)

All the details are here, including course maps---->
www.heartlandrace.com
and
www.unitedindirt.com

And lastly...we have updated the Swope Trail map. Check out the link on the right.

Get Dirt!

SWOPE 101

2010-09-03T14:12:00.002-05:00

Details here:
http://forums.earthriders.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12183

We'll going to lead a little ride for those who want to join. It'll be a nice easy, no drop pace.

We'll be going throught the alternate line opportunities, riding connections between to loops to become oriented to the system (figure out where you are!), discussing "best ways" and/or which direction to ride different areas, and I'll try to answer your questions about the trails the best as I can. Time permitting, we can do a hike on the newest section in progress (the finale of rancho deluxe!)

Sunday September 12.
2 pm
Main Trailhead

Anyone is welcome...newbies to people who ride there 4x a week.

Dirty Thursdays at Swope Park!!!

2010-07-09T11:14:00.001-05:00

MTB-KC Presents:
Dirty Thursdays at Swope Park!!!

Who: Cyclocross and mountian bikers alike!
What: Dirt crits, short track MtB, cyclocross, call it what you will!
When: 6:00 pm, Thursday evenings, July 15—October 28
Where: Swope Park, Camp Lake of the Woods
Why: Why not?
Cost: $0

Format: Show and go, Format/course direction will change weekly

PLEASE MEET AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AT CAMP LAKE OF THE WOODS BY 6 PM THURSDAY EVENINGS IF WANTING TO RACE (near the Hogan)!!! YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO PARK AT THE MAIN TRAILHEAD AND RIDE THE HILL UP. ALL RACES ARE SUBJECT TO THE WEATHER/COURSE CONDITIONS.

Questions: Brett Shoffner, 785-nine79-too706, bscm8 (at) umkc.edu
mtbkc.blogspot.com for more.

Quick Update

2010-06-23T15:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true...we've opened part of phase 3 for your pleasure/pain. We will continue to work on the remainder of the loop over the next couple weeks. Also, the part we've opened isn't entirely 100% finalized, so bear with us as you'll notice some slight changes to lines over the next couple weeks...we're not dumbing down the trail...just doing planned work to aid sustainable trails.

The line marked "technical offshoot" is just that...there are technical lines with sally option lines around them. If you aren't confindent in your abilities go for the XC Racer Geek line.

Also, we'll be hosting 150 volunteers from Skills USA this Friday. They'll be helping get as jump on the next section of singletrack we'll be building, so we should have a great jump on trailbuilding this fall/winter.

Swope/ERTA...Front Page news

2010-06-19T14:55:00.003-05:00

Our "little" project received some great publicity today, with a Front Page article in the Kansas City Star.

Go here to check it out: http://bit.ly/9JTa54

Thank you VOLUNTEERS. Earn your dirt.

Trailbuilding this Saturday, June 12th.

2010-06-10T13:28:00.000-05:00

National Trails Day was a huge success! We had 25+ workers who knocked out another good chunk of phase 3. If things go well, we'll have a short loop of phase 3 done and connected to phase 1 & 2. We're shooting for the end of the month/first of July to open the remainder of phase 3.

Beginner trailworkers all the way to advanced trailbuilders are encouraged to come out. We'll have plenty to do no matter your level of experience.

DETAILS:
Saturday, June 12th, 8a-12p Weather should be about perfect. Come and go as your schedule allows. If you arrive late we'll be just across Oakwood Drive from the main trailhead, so we should be easy to find.

Meeting Place: Hogan/swimming pool at Camp Lake of the Woods on top of the hill. From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 300 yards.

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Recommended Clothing:
Long pants
Boots/Shoes with protection
Work Gloves
Safety Glasses
Bug Spray

Trail Tasting Afterwards:
If the trails are rideable and/or hikeable, we'll do a trail tasting of the new stuff. Workdays are the only time you'll get a chance to check out the new trail before it's open, so come work then get your ride on!

Trailbuilding at Swope....National Trails Day, June 5th

2010-06-02T13:59:00.000-05:00

Earthriders Trails Association in association with American Hiking Society will host a trailbuilding day this Saturday, June 5th. With a good turnout we should be VERY CLOSE to opening phase 3. Also, we have some big news to announce!

For more information about National Trails Day go to:
http://www.americanhiking.org/NTD.aspx

DETAILS:
When: Saturday, June 5th...8am-12pm. Come and go as your schedule allows. If you arrive late we'll be just across and up the hill on Oakwood Drive from the main trailhead, so we should be easy to find.

8am-12pm: Trailbuilding
12pm-1pm: Lunch and Drinks provided by Earthriders Trails Association and Heartland Sports Promotions
1p-?: Ride/Hike

If you are planning to eat lunch with us, please email us at swopetrails@gmail.com

Meeting Place: We will be meeting at the Lakewood Shelter House at Camp Lake of the Woods which is just up the hill on Oakwood Drive from the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 50 yards. See the map on the right hand side of this page for a map to Swope.

Tools: Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Sledge Hammers, Rock Hammers, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Recommended Clothing:
Long pants
Boots/Shoes with protection
Work Gloves
Safety Glasses
Bug Spray

For questions email: swopetrails@gmail.com

More Pics From Last Weekend + Work this weekend (Sat, Sun, Mon)

2010-05-26T12:50:00.000-05:00

Lawrence Weigel (right) and Sean Cedillo (back/left) last Sunday gettin' their dirt on.

TRAILWORK THIS COMING WEEKEND...SAT, SUN, MON

DETAILS:

Saturday, May 29...9am-12pm
Sunday, May 30...9am-12pm
Monday, May 31...9am-11am
Weather should be about perfect. Come and go as your schedule allows. If you arrive late we'll be just across Oakwood Drive from the main trailhead, so we should be easy to find.

Meeting Place: Hogan/swimming pool at Camp Lake of the Woods on top of the hill. From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 300 yards.

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Recommended Clothing:
Long pants
Boots/Shoes with protection
Work Gloves
Safety Glasses
Bug Spray

Trail Tasting Afterwards:
If the trails are rideable and/or hikeable, we'll do a trail tasting of the new stuff. Workdays are the only time you'll get a chance to check out the new trail before it's open, so come work then get your ride on!

Good Work, Boys!

2010-05-24T08:35:00.000-05:00

Sunday, May 23rd Trailwork

2010-05-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

Awesome Day Today! We had a crew of 10+ knockin' out some sweet rock work. We built and rode a new alternate line feature that really screws with your brain, but really isn't that hard. SOOO, let's do it again tomorrow! Hope to see you there...

Beginner trailworkers all the way to advanced trailbuilders are encouraged to come out. We'll have plenty to do no matter your level of experience.

DETAILS:
Sunday, May 23rd, 9a-12p Weather should be about perfect. Come and go as your schedule allows. If you arrive late we'll be just across Oakwood Drive from the main trailhead, so we should be easy to find.

Meeting Place: Hogan/swimming pool at Camp Lake of the Woods on top of the hill. From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 300 yards.

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Recommended Clothing:
Long pants
Boots/Shoes with protection
Work Gloves
Safety Glasses
Bug Spray

Trail Tasting Afterwards:
If the trails are rideable and/or hikeable, we'll do a trail tasting of the new stuff. Workdays are the only time you'll get a chance to check out the new trail before it's open, so come work then get your ride on!

Trailbuilding this Saturday, May 22.

2010-05-20T12:53:00.002-05:00

We've put in 99 man hours in the last 9 days, and with nice weather coming we'll be riding phase 3 before you know it.

Beginner trailworkers all the way to advanced trailbuilders are encouraged to come out. We'll have plenty to do no matter your level of experience.

DETAILS:
Saturday, May 22nd, 8a-12p We'll be working rain or shine. Come and go as your schedule allows. If you arrive late we'll be just across Oakwood Drive from the main trailhead, so we should be easy to find.

Meeting Place: Hogan/swimming pool at Camp Lake of the Woods on top of the hill. From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 300 yards.

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Recommended Clothing:
Long pants
Boots/Shoes with protection
Work Gloves
Safety Glasses
Bug Spray

Trail Tasting Afterwards:
If the trails are rideable and/or hikeable, we'll do a trail tasting of the new stuff. Workdays are the only time you'll get a chance to check out the new trail before it's open, so come work then get your ride on!

Phase 3 Teaser Pics

2010-05-19T11:50:00.000-05:00

Epic Trailbuilding, AND you guess it, more trail work this next Saturday.

2010-05-17T12:01:00.001-05:00

Saturday was best summed up by Brett Shoffner when he asked, "Can Trail building be called Epic?" Yes, Saturday proved to be epic. Thirteen brave souls took part in 3.5 hrs of of hard-core trailwork in the rain.

One group knocked out the corridor on the short-track/beginner trail.
Andy Lucas
Greg Rupp
Joel Hammontree
Doug Obershaw
Travis Donn
Scott Capstack

The other group cut in the bench cuts on the intermediate line of phase 3.
Brett Shoffner
Scott Cotter
Deron Graham
Colin Weigel
John ?
Travis Stephens
Craig Stoeltzing

We're making great progress on phase 3. We still on track for a June opening, but we need lots of help to make this happen. We'll be working again this Saturday.

DETAILS:
Saturday, May 22th, 8a-12p (come and go as your schedule allows.)
Meeting Place: Hogan/swimming pool at Camp Lake of the Woods on top of the hill. From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 300 yards. See map on the right hand side of the page for directions to the Swope Park trails.

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

RIDE AFTERWARDS:
If the trails are rideable, we'll do a trail tasting of the new stuff. Workdays are the only time you'll get a chance to ride phase 3 before it's open, so come work then get your ride on!

Swope Trailwork this Saturday, May 15th

2010-05-10T09:27:00.004-05:00

Things are progressing nicely on Phase 3, so we're going to hit it again this Saturday, May 15th.

This week we had: Brent Gowin, Alejandro Schlegill, Steve Dowell, Drew VanBiber, Joe Shost, Scott Capstack, Travis Stephens, and Craig Stoeltzing. We were able to get a nice bench put in...we're really cookin' now. Phase 3 has been coming along nicely the last month, and with some luck we're looking at a late June opening.

This Saturday we'll have a couple options on where to work.
1) We'll be working at the top of the hill on the beginner trail. This work will mainly consist of clearing trail and removing stumps.
2) We'll also be working more on the intermediate (yellow flagging) line focusing on bench cut and tread work.

Beginner trailworkers all the way to advanced trailbuilders are encouraged to come out. We'll have plenty to do no matter your level of experience.

DETAILS:
Saturday, May 15th, 8a-12p (come and go as your schedule allows.)
Meeting Place: Hogan/swimming pool at Camp Lake of the Woods on top of the hill. From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 300 yards. See map on the right hand side of the page for directions to the Swope Park trails.

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

RIDE AFTERWARDS:
If the trails are rideable, we'll do a trail tasting of the new stuff. Workdays are the only time you'll get a chance to ride phase 3 before it's open, so come work then get your ride on!

SAVE THE DATE:
June 5th, National Trails Day Work Day...more details to follow.

Hope to see you there!

REMINDER: Swope Trail Work Tomorrow (Saturday, May 8th)

2010-05-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

We had such a great workday last Saturday, we're going to do it again this coming Saturday.

Phase 3 has been coming along nicely the last month, and with some luck we're looking at a late June opening. This Saturday we're going to work on the intermediate (yellow flagging) line. We'll be focusing on bench cut and tread work. Beginner trailworkers all the way to advanced trailbuilders are encouraged to come out. We'll have plenty to do no matter your level of experience.

DETAILS:
Saturday, May 8th, 9a-12p (come and go as your schedule allows.)

Meeting Place: Hogan/swimming pool at Camp Lake of the Woods on top of the hill. From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 1/8 mile.)

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Hope to see you there!

Phase 3 Workday Results + Trailwork this Saturday, May 8th

2010-05-02T17:18:00.001-05:00

What a great day!

Brett Shoffner has been working knocking out some great solo work over the last couple months on the intermediate line, and on Saturday we were able to build another 300 yards. We should have some pics shortly.

Workers:
Brett Shoffner
Zach ?
Drew ?
Derron Graham
Greg Rupp
Scott Capstack
Travis Stephens
Craig Stoeltzing

TRAILWORK THIS SATURDAY, MAY 8TH.

9am-11am
Bring tools if you have them. Don't worry if you don't have any, we should have plenty.
Meet/Park at the Hogan/swimming pool.

NOTES:
Phase 3 is still not open for riding. Please attend a workday if' you'd like to see the new trail. We are getting a lot of reports of people riding where they shouldn't be. We understand that everyone is excited about the new trail, but riding on unauthorized trail reflects poorly on our user group and could result in us losing access to certain areas of the park.

Also, currently parking is restricted to the bottom of the hill...if you go past the red gate at the bottom of the hill, you've gone too far. We are working with the City on a better parking solution but nothing has been approved yet. Parking is only allowed on the top of the hill for trailwork.

A lot of people are asking when we'll be opening phase 3. The short answer is..we don't know..we're hoping for sometime in June. We'll be posting a bunch of work days over the next month. Definitely mark your calendar for June 5th....we'll be participating in National Trails Day and hosting a blow-out trail building party!

Workday this Saturday, May 1st.

2010-04-30T13:50:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time coming...a work day at Swope in 2010.

We'll be working on the section we laid out for the IMBA Trail Care Crew Workday. We will mainly be doing benchcut and rock work.

Details:
May 1st, 9a-11a
Meet at the Dining Hall at Camp Lake of the Woods. (Map is on the right side of the page.)
Bring your own tools if you have them. We'll have extras if you don't have your own.

Hope to see you there!

NOTICE: Rocky Point Glade Trail Off Limits to Bikes

2010-04-01T12:07:00.003-05:00

Be advised that the Rocky Point Glade Trail at Camp Lake of the Woods is off limits to bikes. We have now placed signs at the entrance points to this trail. Our ability to have mtb trail in this general vicinity hinges on our respect for this trail...please don't be the person that screws it up for everyone else.

Also, we are hard at work on phase 3 but mother nature put the hurt on us this winter, so we're way behind schedule. We'll have some trail building days in the near future and hopefully get a good chunk knocked out soon. With that said, phase 3 is not open to riding.

honey-SUCK-le work

2010-02-22T12:31:00.003-06:00

Scott, Travis, and I were chompin' at the bit to do some work, so we rounded up a couple others and headed down to see what damage we could do.

Travis and Joe Silver had done a lot prep work a couple weeks ago cutting the tops out honeysuckle and getting it off to the side, so we could start destaubing. This was one of the thickest nastiest sections of honeysuckle we've seen in Swope so far. It was so thick that when we marked it we were crawling on our hands and knees.

SATURDAY BEFORE:

SATURDAY AFTER:

With about 20 man hrs we were able to destaub 100 yards of this honeysuckle patch, so we can start dirt work once the soil thaws. Thanks to Amber Chambers, Cam Chambers, and Travis Donn for pitching in and helping out (also for the above pics).

This was the 1st time since the middle of December that we able to get in and do any reasonable amount of work. Before the Winter sank in we were on track for a spring opening. Hopefully, the weather will start to cooperate and we can post some trails work days soon...March 13th maybe.

Swope Trails Trailbuilding this Sunday, December 6th.

2009-12-03T12:19:00.002-06:00

Phase 3 is coming along nicely, and we're right on target for a spring opening if nature continues to cooperate. This Sunday we're going to work on the middle/beginner (yellow flagging) line. We'll be focusing on bench cut and tread work. Beginner trailworkers all the way to advanced trailbuilders are encouraged to come out. We'll have plenty to do no matter your level of experience.

DETAILS:
Sunday, December 6th. 12:30p-3:30p (Come and go as your schedule allows.)

Meeting Place: Meet at the Dining Hall at the top of the hill. (From the main Swope trailhead, drive up Oakwood Drive, take a left at the "Y" and continue on about 1/2 mile.)

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

REMINDER: Trailbuilding Work Day Tomorrow

2009-11-06T11:25:00.005-06:00

Just a reminder....tomorrow is the 1st workday for phase 3. We've done a crazy amount of scouting for phase 3 and think this section will turn out exactly as we had hoped. The plan is for a beginner friendly trail with lots of flow, minimal turns, and lots of smiles. Once finished, there will be a beginner loop approx. 2 miles long with a .75 mile alternate technical line along the rock face similar to the existing Wudchuk Run.

Check out the updated trail map on the right hand side of the page.

Saturday, November 7th. 8a -12p (Come and go as your schedule allows.)

Meeting Place: Meet at the main regular trailhead at the bottom of the hill. Once we have everyone, we'll drive to the work zone. Map of the trailhead is on the right hand side of the page.

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Agenda: We've started some preliminary corridor clearing to get room to breath and have benchcut and rock work ready to start for the more experienced trail builders. However, the main thrust of the work day will be corridor clearing. There is a decent amount of honeysuckle that we'll be blazing through. This is very important work and great for volunteers who've never done trail work before. We need anyone and everyone for this work day! The ability to get this phase done quickly will be a direct result of the turnout for this workday. We're beggin' here. Please, Help!

Sponsored by 180 Energy Drink http://www.180.com/ Our good friends have supplied us with plenty of 180 goodness to keep us going for the entire weekend!

Benchcut Results

2009-11-05T16:43:00.003-06:00

If you're looking for motivation to come to the workday this Saturday, maybe these photos will help...

High Stakes Bowling at Swope

2009-10-24T13:59:00.008-05:00

We had a huge hole that needed to be filled. Travis spied THE perfect rock. He had one chance to get it right.

Let the next phase begin! Workday on Saturday, November 7

2009-10-22T13:17:00.012-05:00

We've done a crazy amount of scouting for phase 3 and think this section will turn out exactly as we had hoped. The plan is for a beginner friendly trail with lots of flow, minimal turns, and lots of smiles. Once finished, there will be a beginner loop approx. 2 miles long with a .75 mile alternate technical line along the rock face similar to the existing Wudchuk Run. Check out the updated trail map on the right hand side of the page.

Get your dirt on!

Saturday, November 7th. 8a -1p (Come and go as your schedule allows.)

Meeting Place: Meet at the regular trailhead at the bottom of the hill. Once we have everyone, we'll drive to the work zone. Map of the trailhead is on the right hand side of the page.

Tools: The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc.

If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Agenda: We've started some preliminary corridor clearing to get room to breath and have benchcut and rock work ready to start for the more experienced trail builders. However, the main thrust of the work day will be corridor clearing. There is a decent amount of honeysuckle that we'll be blazing through.

This is very important work and great for volunteers who've never done trail work before. We need anyone and everyone for this work day! The ability to get this phase done quickly will be a direct result of the turnout for this workday. We're beggin' here. Please, Help!

Sponsored by 180 Energy Drink http://www.180.com/ Our good friends have supplied us with plenty of 180 goodness to keep us going for the entire weekend!

KC Cup notes

2009-09-08T12:54:00.002-05:00

-The KC Cup weekend is coming up. Please, if you enjoy these trails, plan on coming out and supporting the event. The proceeds from this race will go directly into building more trail. Event website: www.heartlandrace.com

-The race course is 4.4 miles long with expert riders turning 22 minute laps.

-We spent 25 man hours over the weekend doing finish work that we had been meaning to do but hadn't got around to yet. We tweaked lines on 8 Pin and well as Wudchuk Run. We think they flow better without taking away from the spirit of these sections.

-We'll be out over the next couple weeks trimming/grooming the trails for your riding pleasure.

See you out there!

Swope Notes

2009-08-06T16:06:00.004-05:00

A couple things in the works and general info.

1. We've scouted and had some corridor clearing help from Skills USA volunteers on phase 3. We will start knocking out new trail in November. The guess is that phase 3 will be around 2 miles. The trail will be similar to the orange rock face trail but will also have a more beginner friendly loop as well. Remember, we have at least 16 miles on tap for Swope as well as the connector to BRP to build in the next few years. Can you say 50 miles of mtb trail in the middle of KC?!?!

2. We've had several questions on how much trail we currently have. According to our measurements we get 3.4 miles (but I swear it feels like more). You results may vary.

3. Heads Up...there have been some break-ins at the main trailhead. Use your street smarts and keep valuables hidden, cars locked, think about checking on your vehicle after finishing laps, etc . If you see suspicious activity make sure to get a make/model and license plate number. There have been reports of a red Ford SUV with large chrome rims in the area around the time of the break-ins. KC Parks has been alerted to the situation and is working on solutions. They are very concerned about this and are doing things behind the scenes to make the area more secure.

4. Shoffner is leading a ride every Thursday night at Swope weather permitting. And on certain Thursdays, he's hosting the "Thursday Night Throwdown". More Info----> http://forums.earthriders.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9461

5. We will be hosting a MTB, CX, and Trail Run on the Swope trails in September. This will be a fund raiser for equipment, fuel, and supplies for building trail at Swope. If you like riding, running, and/or hiking Swope, please try to make it out for this good cause. More Info---->
http://www.heartlandrace.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=34

6. Trail Names...orange is going to be "Wudchuk Run" after the KC Wudchuks who've been exploring the Blue/435 corridor for years. If you don't know the KC Wudchuks, you should. The super-rocky technical section on blue will be named "8Pins" after the 8 pins that now reside in someone's hand. Otherwise, we're open for suggestions. We're looking for original names, something with some meaning, etc. Email us, and we'll consider it. If you have a story to go along with the name, even better.

Phase 2 OPEN and Party in the Park

2009-07-05T21:20:00.003-05:00

Phase 2 is now open and ready for business. The trails are in great shape and ready to rip. We have a few little projects to finish before it's 100% done, but it's ready for summer riding.

Also, this next Saturday is the KCMO Parks "Party in the Park"...come join us for some fun from 8a-11a for rides of all levels. More details to follow.

http://www.kcmo.org/parks.nsf/web/swopeparkday

ENJOY!

Quick Update

2009-07-01T13:58:00.002-05:00

We've been quitely working on phase 2 while also doing some 24hr racing in WV. We had a huge workday with volunteers from Skills USA (http://www.skillsusa.org/) last Friday. Huge thanks to everyone who helped out...great folks and hard workers.

Once we finish 2 big sections, we'll get the trail opened. After that we'll just have a lot of little things to refine over the next couple months.

Work Weekend Recap

2009-05-25T15:09:00.008-05:00

We had a great weekend of work! Absolutely amazing.

Saturday's Work Crew:
Andrew ?
Ron Acklin
Scott Capstack
Frank Ferguson
Jesse Gross
Greg Rupp
Travis Stephens
Craig Stoeltzing
Charley Viehland

Saturday we had a great crew that destaubed, built 2 creek crossings and did some major bench work. It rides butter smooth now.

Sunday's Work Crew:
Greg ??
Aaron Alderson
Ron Acklin
Scott Capstack
Scott Cotter
Steve D.
Nate D.
Deron Graham
Jesse Gross
Travis Stephens
Craig Stoeltzing
Ben Story
Charley Viehland
Kirby Viehland

Sunday's crew did some work on "the swamp", moved lots of big rock, reworked a couple turns, and built one hardcore monster turn.

Huge thanks to Charley Viehland for repairing our broken tools Saturday night, so we could have them to use on Sunday. Also, thanks to 180 Energy Drink for keeping us hydrated all weekend long.

Trailbuilding weekend this Saturday and Sunday (May 23 & 24)

2009-05-20T12:44:00.001-05:00

Get your dirt on!

As previously posted on the swopetrails website, phase 2 is not open for riding due to some safety concerns while we're doing the build out. However, we're making great progress and with a good turnout this weekend we may be able to get the trails to the point where we feel they're safe for public consumption.

Saturday:
9a -1p...Trailbuilding

Sunday:
1p - 4p...Trailbuilding

Meeting Place:
Meet at the regular trailhead at the bottom of the hill. Once we have everyone, we'll drive to the top of the hill. Map of the trailhead is on the right hand side of the page.

Tools:
The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Agenda:
We will be working on getting the Blue trail finished. This will include some corridor work, rock work, and benchcutting.

Sponsored by 180 Energy Drink http://www.180.com/ Our good friends have supplied us with plenty of 180 goodness to keep us going for the entire weekend!

Phase 2 Update...upcoming workdays and PHASE 2 TEMPORARILY CLOSED

2009-05-13T12:39:00.005-05:00

We keep knocking out a few hundred yards every few days with a decent amount still to go. We'll keep plugging away until it's done. On that note, we're looking at May 23 and 24 as work days, so pencil it in if you get the chance.

We have real concerns about people riding phase 2 until it is finished...they are many staubs, off-camber sections, and areas that may change drastically from one day to the next. So, we've posted signs stating that phase 2 is not finished and not open. Once we get to the point where we feel the trail is safe for all users, we'll take the signs down. But until then please heed the signs. We hate to do this but feel that it in the long run it is for the good of the park.

Work Weekend Recap

2009-05-05T11:07:00.002-05:00

Wow! I'm still sore from one hard-core trailbuilding weekend. Thanks to everyone who came out. It was an epic weekend. We did some crazy rock work...but we stink at remembering to take pics of before and after, so you'll have to go see for yourself.

The facilities at Camp Lake of the Woods are sweet. There's running water, toilets, showers, etc. We may have to make it a monthly tradition to camp once a month up there. Work and/or ride, eat some food, camp, get up the next day do more of the same.

Work Weekend May 2 & 3 (this Sat & Sun)

2009-04-28T14:18:00.002-05:00

Get your dirt on!

The legendary Possum Willie will be hosting a trail work weekend this Saturday and Sunday, May 2 & 3 at latest midwest trail destination....Swope Park.

Here's the scoop.....

If you've never been to the actual Camp Lake of the Woods (on top of the hill) you're missing out. There are some really sweet shelter houses, camping spots, the KC Police Mounted Patrol, a swimming pool, etc. We have permission to use a shelter house and camp this weekend. So, we're going to have some building, riding (maybe), eating, and hanging out with friends.

Saturday:
3pm - 7pm...Trailbuilding (come and go as you please)
8pm - 10ish...Eating, Riding, Telling stories and tall tales....maybe we can coax Pappy to come out of hibernation.
10ish...Camp

Sunday:
9am - 12pm...Trailbuilding
12pm...Riding

Meeting Place:
Meet at the regular trailhead at the bottom of the hill. Once we have everyone, we'll drive to the top of the hill for the weekend. Map on right hand side of the page.

Food/Camp RSVP:
If you plan to eat and/or camp Saturday night please RSVP by Friday at noon. Email swopetrails@gmail.com

Tools:
The usual trail tools...Rakes, Shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, Weedeaters, Blowers, Handsaws, Chainsaws, etc. If you don't have tools, come anyway...we should have plenty.

Agenda:
We will be working on getting the Blue trail finished. This will include some corridor work, rock work, and benchcutting.

Sponsored by 180 Energy Drink http://www.180.com Our good friends have supplied us with plenty of 180 goodness to keep us going for the entire weekend!

The latest dirt...

2009-04-21T12:50:00.002-05:00

I got the chance to get out to Swope this morning to check on the trails. Phase 1 was 98% dry and in great shape. There are two wet spots that we will address in the next couple days. I'm optimistic that these will be some of the quickest drying trails in the region!

We've reconnected the phase 2 loop, so it makes sense again if you do want to check out the progress.

Tentatively, we are planning a work day for May 2/3. Details to follow.

Enjoy the nice spring weather!

Phase 2 changes and upcoming work

2009-04-14T17:23:00.002-05:00

For those of you who have walked, run, ridden, worked on phase 2 don't be alarmed the next time you are on the trail. After careful consideration and generally not feeling the love for what we layed out on phase 2, we've done a major overhaul to the "blue trail" design.

You will be seeing major changes over the next 2 weeks and what you see may not make any sense for the short term, but we believe the new layout will flow better and dry out quicker.

Depending on the amount of work that we get done over the next week, we will be announcing a work day soon. Hopefully we won't get any April snow showers!

Trailwork this weekend canceled.

2009-03-27T23:04:00.001-05:00

The trailwork scheduled for March 28 & 29 have been canceled due to the weather.

Trailwork this Sat., March 28 & Sun., March 29

2009-03-24T13:37:00.004-05:00

The weather has been generally very nice for riding, so we haven't done much trail work in the last month...shame on us. We still have a short section of corridor to clear, so this weekend we will make a push to clear the last 10% along with some beloved destaub (remove trees by their roots) work.

Depending on the turnout we will also be doing some hard core bench/rock work. You should see some of the work that's already been done...it's over the top!

If you are an experienced trail builder and feel comfortable leading a crew please email me to let me know you are coming, so we can plan accordingly.

DETAILS:
Saturday, March 28th: 8a-1p

Sunday, March 29th: 1p-4p

Tools: Chainsaws, handsaws, loppers, rakes, shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, etc . If you don't have tools, come anyway. We should have plenty.

Meet at the main trailhead location...see map link on the right hand side of this page.

Weather permitting we will ride afterwards.

Work Day Canceled

2009-02-28T06:56:00.001-06:00

Go play in the snow! We'll figure out a make up date soon.

Trailwork day tomorrow...update concerning weather conditions.

2009-02-27T16:29:00.001-06:00

At this point we are on for tomorrow. However, if we get much snow we will cancel. We will email to the Swope Distribution List and update the website by 7am with a decision.

Workday this Saturday, February 28th

2009-02-25T17:09:00.000-06:00

We've made a lot of progress over the last month. 90% of the corridor is cleared and is ready for fine tuning. We will make a push to finish clearing the last 10% of the corridor along with some beloved destaub (remove trees by their roots) work. We will also be doing some hard core bench/rock work. You should see some of the work that's already been done...it's over the top!

If you are an experienced trail builder and feel confortable leading a crew please email me to let me know you are coming, so we can plan accordingly.

DETAILS:
Saturday, February 28
8a-12p
Tools: Chainsaws, handsaws, loppers, rakes, shovels, McLeods, Pulaskis, Rogue Hoes, etc . If you don't have tools, come anyway. We should have plenty.

Meet at the main trailhead location...see link on the right hand side of page.

Weather permitting we will ride afterwards.

Phase 2 workday this Sunday, Feb. 08 1p-4pm

2009-02-04T13:57:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who made it out a couple weeks ago. There's still plenty to do, so we are planning another work day this Sunday afternoon.

DETAILS:
Sunday, Feb 08
1-4p
Main Ojective: Clear the main path and tread work.
Tools: Chainsaws, handsaws, loppers, teeth. If you don't have tools, come anyway. We should have plenty.
Meet at the main trailhead location...see link on the right hand side of page.

If you are an experience builder bring Pulaskis, McLeods, Rogue hoes, etc. We have enough corridor cleared that experienced builders can get started on tread work.

www.swopetrails.com

Phase 2 Approved-You Know What That Means!

2009-01-20T11:25:00.004-06:00

WORK!!!

Everything is a go for phase 2. We've done some clear cutting work but could use LOTS of help, so we are planning a work day for this upcoming Sunday afternoon.

DETAILS:
Sunday, January 25.
1-4p
Main Ojective: Clear the main path for this phase.
Tools: Chainsaws, handsaws, loppers, teeth. If you don't have tools, come anyway. We should have plenty.
Meet at the main trailhead location...see link on the right hand side of page.

If you are an experienced builder bring Pulaskis, McLeods, Rogue hoes, etc. We have enough corridor cleared that experienced builders can get started on tread work.

Phase 2 Progress

2008-12-15T12:28:00.004-06:00

We just finished up marking phase 2 this last Sunday. We're amped about this phase...plus it shouldn't require near the amount of labor intensive bench cuts that really eat time like phase 1.

We are going to try to meet with park personnel sometime in the next couple weeks, so we can get started clearing corridor.

We'll keep the site up to date about our next work day once we have something approved. Also, if you want to help out, make sure to sign up for email updates (on the right hand side of the page).

Trail Pics from Adrenaline Images

2008-11-26T13:35:00.006-06:00

Our buddy, Shawn, stopped by with some Swope Pics. adrenalineimages.net

Now get out there and enjoy!

Opening Day....This Saturday, November 15th

2008-11-10T14:52:00.005-06:00

It has finally arrived...opening day for the first of many phases to the Swope Park trail system. A huge thank you to the 16 people that joined us this past weekend with putting the 'front door' on.

Please check out the official opening day press release HERE.

We have also added trail maps for your use. Check out the links on the right.

See ya this weekend.

Getting Started

Almost Done

Work Crew

November 8th Work Day

2008-11-05T16:17:00.002-06:00

With a good push this Saturday we should be done with phase 1. We will be hanging the front door on the mansion and polishing the brass for company.

We have a nice little benchcut and rock wall to build along with some small fixes.

DATES/TIMES:
Sat Nov 8 8a-11a

We'll be less than 100 yards from the cars, so if you can't make it out when we start we'll be easy to find.

TOOLS (if you have them):
Pulaskis
McLeods
ShovelsRakes
Loppers
Handsaws
anything else you think might be helpful.

If you don't have tools, don't worry. We should have plenty.

We will be working rain or shine.

Bring your bike, running shoes, or hiking boots to sample the trails after we work if weather permits.

SPECIAL NOTE: The trails are not yet open to the public. Right now, the only way you are able to sample the trails will be at workdays. Please respect the land and the land owners.

Last 2 weekends Progress

2008-10-28T13:03:00.002-05:00

Quick post before heading out of town for the weekend for some Arkinsaw lovin...5 days of riding. We had a great last 2 weekends and did almost 70 man hours of work!!! Phase 1 is essentially done. We have 20 yards of the entrance to do which will be some serious work requiring landscape rock and motorized help.

Basically, we just have to hang the door on the front of the mansion. We don't want to hang a metal door on this beauty, so we may go a little over the top.

Our next work day will be November 8th...more details to follow.

We will have a grand opening with KC Parks on November 15th...more details to follow.

The hard workin' dogs who made it out over the last 2 weekends:

Wade Frerichs
Deron Graham
Brett Huber
Charley Viehland
Kirby Viehland
Tom Jester
Greg Rupp
Ron Acklin
Jason Hatley
Phil Schrerer
Travis Stephens
Aaron Alderson
Craig Stoeltzing
Scott Capstack

Upcoming Workdays...Sat 18, Sun 19, Sat 25, Sun 26

2008-10-14T12:41:00.001-05:00

We had our walk-thru with the parks department a couple weeks ago and everything went great. We are presently shooting for a grand opening of phase 1 on November 15...more details to follow once it's finalized.

Our last big project is to construct the connector from the parking area to the trail loop...a couple hundred yards.

DATES/TIMES:
Sat 18 8a-11a
Sun 19 1p-3p

Sat 25 8a-11a
Sun 26 1p-3p

We'll be less than 100 yards from the cars, so if you can't make it out when we start we'll be easy to find.

TOOLS (if you have them):
Pulaskis
McLeods
ShovelsRakes
Loppers
Handsaws
anything else you think might be helpful.

If you don't have tools, don't worry. We should have plenty.

Bring your bike, running shoes, or hiking boots to sample the trails after we work.

SPECIAL NOTE: The trails are not yet open to the public. Right now, the only way you are able to sample the trails will be at workdays. Please respect the land and the land owners.

Another great workday

2008-09-30T12:10:00.004-05:00

After the workday Sunday we just have a couple hundred yards to go. And the corner we worked on is butter.

Thanks to:

Clay Lozier (yep, he took the afternoon off from Stocksdale to lend a hand)
Deron Graham
Travis Stephens
Craig Stoeltzing
Scott Capstack

Check out what Clay and the Liberty crew have going on at: http://stocksdalewalnutwoods.blogspot.com/

Trail building this Sunday, Sept. 28th

2008-09-25T10:09:00.003-05:00

We're close to finishing this short loop and could use some help.

WORK DAY:
Sunday (Sept 28) 1p-4p

TOOLS (if you have them):
Pulaskis
McLeods
Shovels
Rakes
Loppers
Handsaws
anything else you think might be helpful.

If you don't have tools, don't worry. We should have plenty.

SPECIAL NOTE: The trails are not yet open to the public. Right now, the only way you are able to sample the trails will be at workdays. Please respect the land and the land owners.

happy happy joy joy

2008-09-23T13:41:00.001-05:00

before...during...after.

2008-09-23T13:16:00.003-05:00

A great weekend

2008-09-22T10:30:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all who came out. We got an insane amount of beautiful work done. We got about 50 hrs of work done in 2 days.

If you see these people give them a bear hug for their hard work:

Cam Chambers
Amber Chambers
Matt Dutcher
Wade Frerichs
Jason (Wade's fixie newbie)
Devin Martin
Greg Rupp
Travis Stephens
Scott Capstack
Craig Stoeltzing

Swope Update and Workdays this Saturday and Sunday

2008-09-17T16:04:00.002-05:00

UPDATE:
A couple of us have been working over the last month on the Swope trails and things are coming along nicely. We wanted to get things far enough along that you'll immediately see our vision and be able to see the possibilities for the future.

We are to the point of having the first short loop rideable although we have a ton of work to still do. Plan to bring your bike or running shoes. With a good volunteer turnout this weekend, we should be fairly close to having the trails ready to open.

WORK WEEKEND:
Saturday (Sept 20) morning 8a-12p

Sunday (Sept 21) morning 8a-12p
Sunday (Sept 21) afternoon 1p-4p

Obviously, most of you won't be able to make all 3 sessions, but if you can make 1, the trails will love you for it. Something else to consider, you'll never be more than 5 minutes from your car, so you can come and go as needed.

TOOLS to bring (if you have them):
Pulaskis
McLeods
Shovels
Rakes
Loppers
Handsaws
anything else you think might be helpful.

If you don't have tools, don't worry. We should have plenty.

SPECIAL NOTE: The trails are not yet open to the public. Right now, the only way you are able to sample the trails will be at workdays. Please respect the land and the land owners.

Our 3 month plan

2008-04-24T07:39:00.002-05:00

It's been a little while since we've posted anything, and we wanted to give a quick update.

As many of you know Scott and I run the Heartland Sports Promotions events, and our schedule is very full for the next 3 months running those events, so we will be taking a short hiatus for the next 3 months.

Since we have the corridor cleared we should still be able to work this summer once things slow down with our event schedule, and we will post some work days.

I love good people!

2008-03-12T12:46:00.003-05:00

I received an email with this photo. I knew exactly what it meant.

The deed is done.

Another good week

2008-03-09T20:22:00.002-05:00

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it out sometime in the last week.

Travis Stephens
Aaron Browning
Mike Coons
Ron Acklin
The Trail Hermits

We've now started the many bench cuts that will be required on this 1st phase. They are looking good. We'll have some pics soon.

Trail Building on 03.09.08

2008-03-06T09:45:00.003-06:00

We will be building on Sunday (03.09.08) this week from 1:30p-4p. There is a nice variety of stuff to be working on right now...bench cuts, rock work, building a skinny, etc.

Tools:
Pulaskis
McLeods
Rakes
Shovels
Saws
Loppers

If you don't have any tools, don't worry, we should have extras.

See the link on the upper right hand side of the page for our meeting spot.

See you there!

Thank You

2008-03-02T18:28:00.002-06:00

A huge thanks to the following folks who showed up this weekend to help:

Ron Acklin (both days)
Greg Rupp (both days)
Jim Cummins
Deron Graham
Kyle Bush
Sean Burns
Brett Huber
Travis Stephens
Dave Burnett

A total of 40 man hours were worked this weekend.

Because of everyone's hard work we were able to accomplish our goal of clearing the corridor for phase 1. Plus, a good amount of de-staubing work got knocked out to boot.

I can't speak for everyone, but I sure had a good time. Sure is fun knockin' out a bunch of work with other folks who put their head down and bust it out.

Workdays...03.01.08 and 03.02.08

2008-02-29T11:46:00.003-06:00

Since we had to cancel our Heartland races for the weekend, we are going to work at Swope instead.

Our main objective right now is to clear corridor...meaning clearing a 6 ft swath thru the woods, so we can start bench cutting and tweaking lines. This is a great way for inexperienced trail workers to get dirty. It's a lot of cutting branches/logs and moving them out of the way. We hope to have most of the corridor cleared for this 1st phase done by the end of the weekend.

The Plan:

Saturday
9am-noon
Meet at Swope Camp Lake of the Woods area. See map.

Sunday
1:30p-4:00p
Meet at Swope Camp Lake of the Woods area. See map.

Tools, Etc:
Bring yourself and and chainsaws, handsaws, loppers, and clippers. If you don't have such tools, we should have extras. Also, bring water and snacks...Scott gets hungry when he's workin' and might steal yours given the chance...so bring extra.

Phase 1 trail layout:

It's a GO!

2008-02-22T21:42:00.002-06:00

We had our walk thru today.

Scott and I, like 2 little nervous school girls, arrived 45 minutes early so we could have on more once-over on the trails before the walk-thru. We tweaked, we primped, we prayed. We had a quiet assurance that we nailed the layout.

The many hours staring at our blank slate, walking, hiking, running lines for flow, flagging, yelling at each other, whining, negotiating, re-flagging, talking flow, talking philosophy, falling on our butts, screaming, yelling for joy, "running out of adjectives", re-flagging more, and generally having a great time was all about to be tested.

President of ERTA, Dave Smith showed up a few minutes early. We gave him the scoop. Shortly thereafter, park personnel arrived. We gave a quick overview of the plan and started hiking. Everything went exceptionally well. Scott did an excellent job explaining our layout process and addressing potential issues. Everyone in the group had a perma-grin about halfway thru the hike. Towards the end of the hike we were asked when we'd be starting. I replied, "Scott, see you at 7:30am tomorrow morning."

So with that...IT'S A GO! Scott and I will be doing some rough corridor work this weekend. We will look at our schedule this weekend and post upcoming workdays. With the Heartland Sports Promotions schedule starting next weekend, we will need to work around our promotion schedule. But, basically, if we aren't putting a race on, we will be at Swope Park building trail.

This first phase is short. But we should be able to have the loop done in a couple months to get traffic flowing on the trails. The beauty of this area of the park is all the mature growth trees with very little scrub brush undergrowth. We should be able to build through out the year.

We are truly blessed with some great topography and great park personnel to work with. It is a breath of fresh air to work with park people who "get it".

Update and teaser pics

2008-02-18T17:19:00.005-06:00

We finished up marking Sunday afternoon. This week, I'll be pin-flagging the line. After that, our next step is a walk-thru this Friday.

Here's for hoping it goes well.

Some teaser pics...

02.14.08 Update

2008-02-14T16:34:00.003-06:00

Scott and I are hoping that by the end of the weekend we will have enough trail laid out to get approval and start building.

If everything goes as we plan, we could be building in just a couple weeks.

We hope to have an update with preliminary maps and pics after the weekend.

Trail Day Cancelled

2008-02-01T10:18:00.000-06:00

With the new plan for Swope, and just starting laying out the new trails, we are cancelling the work day for this weekend. Go work or play at one of the other great trails in the city.

We'll post information when we have something ready to go.

Was 1,2,3 Now 3,2,1

2008-01-18T11:36:00.000-06:00

We had our meeting with KC Parks personnel yesterday, and we've all decided that the best plan of action is for them to continue working to get the ATV users out of Phase 1, and for us to start building trail in what was going to be Phase 3.

So now, instead of working North to South on this project, we will be working South to North. Basically, we'll be starting in the Camp Lake of the Woods area between Oldham and Gregory.

Scott and I will begin scouting, marking, and working on approval under this new plan shortly. Possibly, this weekend weather permitting. We are very excited about the support that KC Parks has shown this project and for their willingness to address issues head-on and allow us flexibility in the project. The topography of Camp Lake of the Woods is excellent.

One of the neat things we learned yesterday, is that one of the guys in charge of the Camp Lake of the Woods area is also a mountain biker. In the meeting yesterday when he found out we were the guys that headed up the building of Landahl, he about to jumped out of his skin he was so excited.

Things are coming together. Good things are happening.

Turf Wars

2008-01-07T12:24:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since we've posted anything. Just a quick update to let you know we are still working behind the scenes to get everything rolling.

The trails that we closed on our big work day were partially reopened short after we closed them. We are working with the Parks department to develop a plan to take care of things long-term. The good news is that no further vandalism has occured for approx. 3 weeks, so we are hoping the measures taken, at least in part, are working.

We will keep you up-to-date on our progress. We want to get started as quickly as possible. But we also don't want to jump the gun and end up having to rebuild a bunch of trail either.

Thanks for your patience and willingness to help.

Swope Park preview/trail closure adventure: Saturday, November 24th.

2007-11-20T15:55:00.000-06:00

[ Spread the Dirt ]

Swope Park…wanna come and see the terrain that’s a little bit the Ouachita Trail, the Womble, Landahl, Crowder, Perry and BuRP? Yea, that’s not an exaggeration…but before the tour begins, the park needs you to earn a little dirt first.

Call this a preview and earn your dirt day all rolled into one. For years, ATV’s have been playing (trespassing) in the Phase One portion of Swope Park and have created quite an extensive trail thru the property. In fact, they are still very active. We need your help with a little trail closure before any tool can be put into the ground. We’ll be closing several access points and a bulk of the trail they have laid.

the dirt specifics:
When: This Saturday, November 24th at 8:30am – 11:30amish
Where: Swope Park. Soccer fields off of 63rd Street. See map below for where to park/meet.
What to bring: Work gloves, pulaski’s, chain and/or hand saws and a friend.

Earn Your Dirt

Mmm...good

2007-11-04T22:07:00.001-06:00

A 3d view of phase 1 looking to the east.

A quick tease...from the north end looking south. Large rocks like these are littered through out the park.

Scouting v.3

2007-11-04T06:57:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, one focus was the lower trail that will be the beginner/kid friendly section. Once we were sure that we'd be able to get a nice sized loop with good flow, we headed towards the two known pinch points. Overall, I felt better after scouting these two sections.

We actually started putting up marking tape. If you've ever ridden Blowout Mtn on the Ouachita trail down in good 'ole AR, we'll have our own LITTLE section of Blowout...big rock that we'll dance our way thru...without the monster climb.

I'm such a loser. I brought my camera to take some pics. Problem was, I got so excited and engaged in the trail, I forgot to take any shots. I promise, I'll get some soon.

Phase 1 area

2007-10-29T20:01:00.000-05:00

View Larger Map

This is the general area of phase 1
South of 63rd Street.
North of Wild Cat Hollow
East of Lewis Road
West of Railroad tracks and I-435.

Our guess is that we will get between 3-4 miles of trail in this first phase. The trails will have a mix of trail difficulty and should give everyone something to enjoy. We will also be implementing a kid friendly section to get our up-a-coming mtn bikers a place to develop skills and get accustomed to riding dirt.

Overall, we're still exploring our options and boundaries, but we believe we will end up with between 10-18 miles of trail in the entire Swope project.

Beginning this weekend we will be scouting/flagging on a weekly basis. We are beginning to compile a list of volunteers who might want to help in this project. Please email swopetrails@gmail.com if you'd like to be added to our distribution list.

We highly encourage anyone who is already involved with other trail systems to keep helping with your current trail systems. We are really hoping to recruite a new group of volunteers at Swope.

Over the next couple weeks, we will be adding a lot of information. Including workdays, history of how this project came about, and pics of the incredible topography we have to deal with.

Here we go...

2007-10-29T16:32:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday with humble beginnings, the scouting of Swope began. Scott and I spent 5 hrs scouting what will, mostly likely be, all 3 phases of Swope.

Basically, we wanted to get a good feel of what we have to look forward to. We were both completely blown away with the potential and are honored that we get the opportunity to develop these trails. We will begin flagging phase 1 this next weekend and will be posting updates often.