St. Charles County Parks Guided Rides - 2008

Once again, the great partnership between GORC and St. Charles County Parks leads to some great biking opportunities. There are now over 30 miles of trails open to mountain bikes, many of which GORC helped to build, spread throughout 6 different SCCP Parks. Everyone has to learn how to ride somewhere, so GORC will lead beginner rides to help introduce new people to the sport. Hot off the press:

For the third straight year, Saint Charles County Parks (SCCP) and GORC are teaming up to offer Guided Mountain Bike Rides. It's a low key way to introduce someone to off-road riding, and GORC will have experienced riders on hand to offer advice and riding tips.

The Guided Rides are conducted at a casual, exploratory pace, with the slowest rider setting the speed. We will try to use trails that are within the skill level of everyone who shows up, so some days may be more challenging than others. Plan on 1 to 1.5 hours riding, with available daylight and the group's enthusiasm being the deciding factors. Trails this year include Quail Ridge and the new trail at Bangert Island near I-70 and 5th St.

Ozark Trail Trip Planner and Shuttle

There has been some mention on the GORC message board of the new Ozark Trail Shuttle operated by the OTA, and how convenient and useful it is for doing point-to-point rides which had previously required you to go through the hassle of arranging vehicles for drop-offs and pickups.

What hasn't been talked about much is a new way for you to explore the Ozark Trail, and perhaps ride some sections that you may have never thought about riding, or even heard about before, for that matter. This is the trip planner. Here are a few screenshots which show how you can choose the type and length of ride you wish to do from a particular trailhead. It then gives you the options available which meet your criteria and gives you links to the relevant topographic and GORC-style area maps, as well as very detailed directions which will make it very difficult to get lost. You can then see if a shuttle is available for the date you wish to go, and if not, perhaps arrange for a custom shuttle.

This is a fantastic service that is the result of the settlement by AmerenUE over the Taum Sauk Reservoir incident. It's also a great way to find out more about the gem of a trail that we've got in our own backyard.