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Landon Nature Trail out of Topeka KS

42K views 417 replies 9 participants last post by  slakjak 
#1 ·
Anyone ride this lately? I lost track of where the trail ended and the pasture started around 89th, around mile 12 or so.
 
#77 ·
Good to see so many other riders in the area. I moved to Manhattan in March and rode at Perry quite a bit this summer. I will most likely be offering up my services for trail maintenance starting this spring. I think I will have to check out Dornwood and the mansion trails sometime. Looks like they're about the same driving distance for me. I've been riding for two years now so I'm no expert but I can hold my own. Would love to meet up with someone sometime and hit the trails. I will definitely be going either tomorrow or Sunday, maybe once more after that this year and then hitting it again in the spring once it warms up.
 
#79 ·
Welcome IDkid. I certainly want to get onto Perry. I'm at the Governors Residence Sunday mornings but the times are always uncertain as they depend on when the Amtrak train clears out of Topeka. So if you see a Toyota Tacoma (silver or gray?) with the pictures of two grandsons on the front license plate parked on 6th by the entrance to the State Park by it, I'm out there somewheres.
 
#81 ·
If you guys ride today, I suggest that you put on your knobbiest tires, and lower the pressure. The rocks and roots at most places will be guh-reazy. Parts of D'wood will be frustrating, and the rocky technical parts at the Gov's will be dangerous if you aren't confident/experienced. Be careful out there. That said, this is a perfect day for the dirt at LRT, and you won't have to change tires or worry. If the sun comes out for awhile disregard the suggestions above.

If it rains tonight, PM me, as I will likely ride the Landon to the South.
 
#85 ·
I got "last second"ed into riding the Gov's today. I went late enough that stuff wasn't really slick anymore, so only pay attention to the caution if it rains and/or if you are riding early-ish tomorrow.

The Ti bike rode quite nicely even if the headtube angle is a bit slack for me. I'll get used to it.

Maybe I'm talking Sunday AND Monday. I wouldn't be able to ride on Monday until around 4, but maybe a bit earlier.
 
#87 ·
Trains willing, will be out at the Gov early. Don't think I would be worth a darn after being up all night and then heading south. If you find something after 89th, let me know. I may try it Monday early. Need to put some miles on the crossover. But if I can't get out to the Gov tomorrow, then will do the Gov or Dornwood Monday because I need my dirt fix.
 
#89 ·
Howdy Topeka folks! Slakjak, hope your cool with us using your thread here to just kinda chat. I saw that you originally started this one with a question and didn't mean to just start hijacking it.

Isn't this weather something else? Winter was my favorite season when I was a youngster, but don't really care if it doesn't get any colder than this the rest of the season. We really need some moisture, though. Most winters, once it is extremely cold and snowy, I hang up the bike and grab the backpack. I like to go hiking at a pretty fast pace. Although,it feels like your just not getting anywhere, when you don't have any knobby tires under ya' !
 
#90 ·
No problems FireCop, certainly enjoy your input. I've forgotten what snow looks like. A couple more winters like the past few, we are going to be knee deep in armadillos and fire ants.

Foggy ride at the Gov today, but a beautiful sunrise. East end in great shape. I was so very proud of my technical riding today that I was going to give myself an A+ when I got so busy patting myself on the back for getting over a particular log that I clipped a tree with one of my handgrips and had to put a foot down to save myself. Dropped it to an A-.

The west end was a slippery mess. No traction on the hills whatsoever and the leaves and roots were treacherous like expost was telling us about yesterday. I felt bad for being on the trail there but was past the point of no return. Hopefully didn't tear it up too much. Now I got one messy bike to clean when I wake up and I know there is some knobby tires under those slicks somewhere.

ryno, you are certainly welcome any Sunday morning if you want to get up. If the train is on time I am heading out that way about 6:30 - 6:45am. Otherwise, will try to set up a time later in the week and go out there.

Don't know what I am going to do tomorrow yet. Hopefully a dream will guide my way.

Good night
 
#91 · (Edited)
sunday ride

I bet the west end was hard that early after all the fog. It was foggy, right? All I know is my car looked like it just came out of the carwash earlier. You didn't hurt the trail on the West side of the road. It was damp and greasy, not muddy. Or was it a bit muddy? I can't imagine you damaged it. I have a map of my ride yesterday. I just need to figure out how to get it to you guys. After some of the dampness burns off, the trail ought to be nice. I hadn't been out there for 2 or 3 weeks I think, so there was lots of new 'kitty litter' stone they've graded out. It helped to not have that big unstable gravel in places. It also looks like Widowmaker would be an easy ride anymore since they've cleaned it up so much. There's a section above it that's not ridden by many people, and I have to clean that to the top. I've only ridden it once, and had to bail once, but I was able to get back on and get up it.

I'm coordinating with my riding buddy to see where he wants to go. I'm really wanting to take a nice, easy ride out South. If I do, and I find the passage, I will let you know. Of course, if I can figure how to share my maps, I'll send it.

edit: We are going Landon. I don't know how far, I can convince him to ride, but my goal is 89th+.

As for hijacking the thread, we are talking about area riding. I think it would be more gauche if we started a different thread for each place we're yammering about above. There'd be a D'wood thread, a Landon thread, a Shung thread, a Gov's thread. I still see the point, and I apologize. Maybe we can just put together a wiki that we could all use instead of cluttering this place up? I will look into it when I get back.
 
#93 ·
I would have to say muddy about at the widowmaker level. Should have known though because I was looking at the Menninger tower rising above the fog thinking that it looked like a Scooby Doo cartoon haunted house. Oh well, bike is cleaned off and oiled, clothes are in the washer.

Widowmaker is safe from me for the time being. I keep hitting the wrong places on it and stopping or going off the trail. I'm going to conquer everything else there and then work on that. I come up from the southeast side of it and cross the middle part of widowmaker and go up the hill on the northwest side. Very technical, tight and rocky. It's no picnic, but it's not widowmaker either. That new pea gravel will be nice once it's packed down. Right now, it is like slogging through muskeg in places. I picked so much of it up in the mud on my tires coming down that when I hit the street, sounded like I had tire chains on.

Noticed next weekend looks wet and/or snowy so if it's not foggy tonight or in the morning, will probably hit the dirt tomorrow because don't look like will be able to next weekend. If it's foggy, will probably head out south. Maybe I will see something from the bike I didn't see from the truck. Looks like it will be a nice day to get out. Probably last one for shorts until next year.

See everyone around.
 
#95 ·
I didn't go out South. I was convinced to go to Brownbuck's place. It was better than yesterday, and all the stuff that you're talking about SlakJak, was dry by the time I got there. It was drier than it was yesterday. I'm guessing the sun had a bit to do w/ that. I rode almost the exact same route I rode yesterday. I was telling my buddy that the trail that crosses the middle of Widowmaker going East is one of my favorite parts of that trail I love that little section. That kitty litter didn't even stick to my tires, so it was pretty dry when I was there.

Found a wiki, but haven't had a chance to check it out. I will be doing so in the next day or so. Ryno should know what we're looking for, he's the techspert. Maybe we can put heads together about the format when the bad weather comes? Give us something to do. As long as it's not windy, and as long as it only rains for a couple of hours at a time, non-techy stuff will still be very rideable. Technical stuff will still be very tryable.
 
#99 ·
Went out and put 21miles on the GT today. Damn that thing rides nice, it's a shame i'm too short. I threw the chain 3 times within the first 2 miles. Then I got the hang of making that derailleur stay in the small chain-ring After that it was gravy. That bike is pretty fast for a 1x7! I met up with slackjak by accident. We rode for a few miles until I had to turn around and head back home to get ready for work.

I rode with him past 53rd and a few more streets. He was going to see how far Landon could take him and report back. He had his Garmin watch and a personal GPS on him so we'll see what he finds out.

slakjak:

I was super nice to meet up with you! I had a blast riding with ya! We'll have to meet up again!

PS: Your new bike is pretty nice lookin' there Mr! I love that color scheme!
 
#102 ·
Last thing I expected to do today was to have a 52 mile bike ride. And, Eureka, I did find the trail. Now I am confused about a different location. But first:

ryno - it was a pleasure to meet and ride with you. Hope to do a lot more.
MajorMavrick - welcome, looks like quite the group assembling.

At 89th, go left (east) to Ratner Rd. Take a right (south) At the bottom of the hill, the entrance will be to your left. There is a large tree that has fallen across the trail. I passed by there in the pickup at least twice and didn't see it.

From there it is pretty rough going. Lots of places with deep ballast that riding is impossible. The concrete on the bridges looks pretty fresh so I know that they are working on it. You ride in the middle of nowhere for quite some time with no place to bail and then you finally get to Shawnee Heights Road and everything ends. I couldn't find rail bed on the other side of the road so I don't know if I missed something or that is where it ends. I was too tired at that point to do any investigating.

At Shawnee Heights, take a left (south) end up in Overbrook. Take a right (north), easy way back to civilization, or at least the more established trails. I goofed, I went left, was introduced to Puke Hill. It is appropriately named and even is painted on the road showing you where to puke. Went to Overbrook with the intention of heading west to old 75 and riding the wind back to Topeka. Ryno can tell you that we fought a hard southerly wind while we were riding. I also told him that I thought I would get caught in the wind shift and have to ride against it on the way back. That's what happened. It started shifting in Overbrook so after a diet Dr Pepper and small bag of peanut M&M's, headed back north on Shawnee Heights that turned into Shadden that ran into 89. West on 89th back to the trail. Missed the trail, ran into some thorn bushes. Legs and fingers where the half gloves didn't cover were pretty scratched up. Got back to Topeka and to my Grandson's school with 5 minutes to spare.

Lessons learned.

Take the GSC10 bike sensor off. Useless when it gets rough and it gets moved around and out of sync. Shouldn't be concerned with pace on the trails anyway.

Love my new bike. I couldn't have made that ride with anything else, even with the StumpJumper, although it would have been nice in a couple of places.

I bit off more that I could chew. I'm beat. I'm glad I did it and I'm glad that I made it, but I wished I would have heading north at Shawnee Heights and skipped the M&M's. I did bring some dried apples with me too and finished them off on the way back.

Here's the data. Note the 1600 calories burned and the elevation changes

Landon Trail Ride by mjanway at Garmin Connect - Details
 
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