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Thread: Columbia, MO

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Default Columbia, MO

    If you guys/gals haven't been to Columbia, MO, I highly recommend you check it out. I felt I got my first real MOUNTAIN biking experience down there. The switchbacks on the Forget-Me-Not trail at Cosmo Park reminded me of some SoCal mountain trails. Rocks, roots, and steep blind drop-offs abound!

    Three Creeks Conservation Area was a big surprise. It seemed like a dud at first with the initial mile being a fire road but then a rocky trail forks off to the left and disappears in to the woods where you descend for about 1/2 mile to the first creek crossing...

    Deeper than usual due to 3 inches of rain on Saturday...




    Rock Bridge State Park is just around the corner from Three Creeks and is the hotspot for local MTBers. There are several trails within the park. The park brochure is very modest when it comes to describing the type of terrain you will experience on each of the trails. Springbrook Trail started out flat and twisty following a creek bottom. Ah how relaxing... until you turn left to cross a bridge and begin a slippery death-defying ascent to the top of a bluff 200 feet above the creek below. This section of the trail is all exposed rock and some roots. At the top of the bluff there is about a mile of flowing singletrack like this...



    But on the other end you must come back down and that section of trail looks like this...



    And this...


    And it seems to descend forever! Mmm smell them brake pads burnin'?

    The best part of the Rock Bridge trail system was the Deer Run Trail. In my opinion this is the best trail I have ever ridden anywhere. Huge rocks, roots, several small and large creek crossings, and a mile of chill singletrack along side the creek. This trail had everything I could ever want in a trail and probably more. We wanted to turn around and ride it in the other direction but we didn't have time. Deer Run Trail: 3.25 miles of pure bliss.

    Finger Lakes State Park is home to the Kelly Branch Mountain Bike Trail. This trail is fairly new, having opened just last year. This trail was very stressful to ride. There was no flow whatsoever and the ATV's and dirtbikes buzzing around nearby made it difficult to focus on this way-too-off-camber trail. There are a few fun sections, but they are quickly interrupted with WTF? sections. Oh yea I forgot to mention there is a shooting range nearby as well. KABOOM! ow. splat. I think I broke my derailler.

    On the way down we checked out Thousand Hills State Park in Kirksville, MO. I stopped at the rangers station to grab a map and had a quick chat with the ranger. She told me that Thousand Hills is an understatement. She wasn't kidding. More like Million Hills. The Thousand Hills Trail is roughly 13 miles long and it is out-and-back, meaning you will have to do 26 miles if you want to get back to your car. We made it to the 4 mile marker before we realized Kyla's back tire was flat. Did we have a spare tube or patch kit? Of course not! Fat bikes are invincible! Everyone knows that! After a good flogging from my love I raced back to the car and loaded up my backpack with a tube and pump, then raced back out to meet her at the 1 mile marker. Tire fixed, we rode and sometimes hiked-a-bike for that last mile back to the car. All told, my GPS clocked 12 miles that took us 4.5 hours to complete. Lessons learned!

    5-hour drive to Columbia, MO. If anyone is interested in making the trip down to Columbia, I would certainly do it again and love to tag along. If it's a long weekend it would be cool to throw Berryman in there too!
    Last edited by dgw2jr; 03-19-2012 at 12:24 AM.

  2. #2
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    Jun 2009
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    Default

    Awesome ride report thanks!

  3. #3
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    Great ride report!!

    Done Berryman- not interested in doing that again, but Chub was decent if you DON'T cross to the flatlands and Greensfelder was GREAT.

    Believe in yourself? Well sure, of course. But be aware that "believing in myself" has been the root cause of most of my injuries.
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    "I feel sorry for people who don't do this." -Badfish41- after bombing the Hermosa's at Levis Trow.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vibrato View Post
    Great ride report!!

    Done Berryman- not interested in doing that again, but Chub was decent if you DON'T cross to the flatlands and Greensfelder was GREAT.
    What didn't you like about Berryman? I don't want to waste the trip if it sucks, although I'm sure we could find other places to ride in the area.

  5. #5
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    Feb 2008
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    Rock Island, IL
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    Jon agrees -- Berryman sucks. I don't have an answer about why he thinks that. I have just heard him talk about it. Way too many other fun places to go. One place in MO you definitely want to hit is Landahl and Blue Ridge Parkway in KC area.
    I wanna ride!

  6. #6
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    Nov 2008
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    Way up north where the twin rivers meet
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    Solid report and flogged in the woods while you were at it...No wonder you liked this trip so much!
    Dirt Don't Hurt

  7. #7
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    Berryman- While I could take it or leave it, K-rud thought it defied the laws of physics by both sucking and blowing at the same time. We went down I think in 2010, we saw a couple peeps doing trail work and signs that some trials were newly rerouted, but the majority was in dire need of repairs. The trails are 70 year old equestrian trails and over half of the 20+ miles shows the wear and tear.

    There were numerous places where the trail runs next to small creeks and the trail is rutted so bad the water is now flowing down the trail, and you cross into the creek bed to ride because it's dryer. take a well stocked pack with you- you're out there.

    There are 2 trail heads. If you get to one that is next to a creek and the camp sites are not mowed, there is zero info in the kiosk, and a little kid is playing a banjo you need to go to the other trail head. Oh- you'll be back to this spot... tell them Manny sent you. Sqeeeeeeeeal!!!

    Believe in yourself? Well sure, of course. But be aware that "believing in myself" has been the root cause of most of my injuries.
    To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

    "I feel sorry for people who don't do this." -Badfish41- after bombing the Hermosa's at Levis Trow.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
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    Ogden, Utah
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vibrato View Post
    Berryman- While I could take it or leave it, K-rud thought it defied the laws of physics by both sucking and blowing at the same time. We went down I think in 2010, we saw a couple peeps doing trail work and signs that some trials were newly rerouted, but the majority was in dire need of repairs. The trails are 70 year old equestrian trails and over half of the 20+ miles shows the wear and tear.

    There were numerous places where the trail runs next to small creeks and the trail is rutted so bad the water is now flowing down the trail, and you cross into the creek bed to ride because it's dryer. take a well stocked pack with you- you're out there.

    There are 2 trail heads. If you get to one that is next to a creek and the camp sites are not mowed, there is zero info in the kiosk, and a little kid is playing a banjo you need to go to the other trail head. Oh- you'll be back to this spot... tell them Manny sent you. Sqeeeeeeeeal!!!
    I think I'll skip Berryman then. Thanks

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