Quivira Park Bike Group Ride 13 - July 24, 2010 LifeTrek.Eroe.com

It was a very hot and humid day today for the 13th Quivira Park Bike Group Ride on our Lake Lenexa Route.  We had three SAG stops as all of us were going through water very quickly since the heat index was close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Our first SAG was at the Black Hoof Park at Lake Lenexa in Lenexa, Kansas.  The park has 210 acres with a 35 acre deep water lake called Lake Lenexa and is located on Monticello Road between Prairie Star Parkway and 83rd Street at 9053 Monticello Road.  Besides picnic tables, water, and bathrooms there is a gem of a dam that was build to form Lake Lenexa by capturing storm water.  The dam is a real site to see if you have not done so already.

The picture of the group was taken on top of the dam which is about a mile in from the park entrance.  From left to right are Ed, Marty, Tracey, Greg, Ron, Jim, Bob, Joe, Larry, and Lisa.

This picture was taken at the bottom of the dam and you can see the unique architectural shape.  In fact the dam, designed by Black & Veatch and Gastinger Walker Harden Architects, earned the U.S. Society of Dams 2009 Excellence in the Constructed Project Award.  Additional pictures can be viewed on the Gastinger Walker Harden Architects website.

From the dam and Lake Lenexa we headed to the Charles J. Stump Park which is our usual SAG stop for this route.  Pictured at the left is Jim, Greg, Ron, and Tracey right before we headed back up the hill from the dam to get back on Monticello Road.

From Stump Park we headed up into the Shawnee Mission Park on Ogg Road or what we have named "Oh My Ogg".  This hill off of Midland Drive has about a 16% grade and seems to go on and on.  Because of this climb and again the temperature and humidity we paid a visit to the park headquarters for more water before heading down Renner Road to College Boulevard and back to Quivira Park.

A map of the ride from my house can be uploaded from my Garmin.  Total distance was just over 75K and average speed was about 23 KPH because of the hills and meandering along the trail at Lake Lenexa.