Planning the route I’ll be taking is quite the undertaking. It’s actually just one big loop. There are many options and things to consider. Along with finding a somewhat direct course, it also has to be roads that are bike ride worthy…..good shoulders, smooth pavement, low traffic count, ample services and so on. Then I have to factor in where I’ll be laying my head for the night…..City Park, church, firehouse, hotel, grassy meadow, etc. Plus, I need to try and have a Plan B in case Plan A goes amuck.
So far, I’ve got about 75% of the route plotted I’d guess. Some of the areas you would think would be the easiest to map have ended up being the hardest. The closer to big cities I go the more difficult and time consuming it is to try and figure out how to get thru them. But, it’s all a part of the challenge of the trip.
Day one will take me from my home in Winchester, Il., elevation 546 ft., to my brother’s home in Quincy, Il., an easy 65 mile ride to get my legs warmed up. From there I’ll head into the northern part of Missouri and ride a fairly direct route due west until I cross over the Missouri River into Nebraska at Big Lake Mo. Total miles across the state will be about 265.
The Nebraska leg will be run parallel of the Kansas state line yet just a few miles north. It’s made up mostly of Routes 136 & 34. Total mileage for Nebraska will be around 387. My last night’s stay in Nebraska will, hopefully, be in the town of Benkelman. The next morning will be Sunday and I plan on crossing the state line and attending Morning Worship at a Baptist church in Wray, Co.
I’ll continue on south of Wray till I hit Route 36 then set my sights westward for Denver. I’ll stay overnight in the little town of Joes and then, the next day, attempt to ride the complete remaining miles to my Aunt and Uncles house at Lone Tree, elevation 5960 ft., in one 138 mile day. That will bring to a close eleven days on the road and a well deserved few days rest.
After some R & R with my relatives I’ll take a short ride to Bibles for the World’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, the midway point in my trip. The next morning I’ll continue south towards Canon City and the Royal Gorge area. I’ll have to cross the Wet Mountains to get to my friend Randy Bringmans new log home in Westcliffe, southwest of Canon City. I believe the highest elevation over the mountains will be at a place called McKenzie Junction at 8359 ft. After a weekend with Randy I’ll start back east towards Kansas. This is the section that I don’t have mapped out yet. I have a number of options and it may be a while until I’m clear as to what to do. I’ll run part of the Trans Am Trail and have thought about also hopping on the Santa Fe Trail. For now, let’s just say I’ll be crossing Kansas aiming for the west end trailhead of the Katy Trail in Clinton, Mo.
The Katy Trail is an old rail line that has been converted to a limestone bike path 225 miles long from Clinton to St. Charles, Mo. I’ve ridden different sections of the Katy before but have had a long time goal of riding the complete 225 miles someday. No better time than this trip. Once I’m off the Katy I’ll cross the Mississippi River back into Illinois at Grafton and proceed along the Illinois River back home to Winchester. Total elevation gain for the trip is about 7815 ft.
These route plans may change between now and the start of the trip and maybe even during the trip. I hope to average about 75-80 miles a day but I also hope to shave off at least one full day from my schedule so I have a rest day before returning to work. Once I get everything mapped out I’ll post the total miles.
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