OK mapping projects

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About a month ago there was some noise being made over the possibility that a small group of OKers would be reconnoitering the site of a future OK map. Anyone heard of recent developments on this front?

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), January 14, 2000

Answers

I heard it was a bunch of "heavy users" who never got past the 2nd Wendys along the way.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), January 14, 2000.

Last month, Mary, Dan, and I took a trip up to Weston Bend State Park to check out the area as a potential mapping project. The area was so-so. The USGS base map was not very good. It didn't seem like a very promising area for a new OK map.

The Woodridge map is not yet finished. I probably ought to try to finish that map before taking on another project. The biggest problem with Woodridge is that it is a good 60-70 minute drive from my house.

A couple of more promising map possibilities would be Perry State Park (the area with the mountain bike trails) or some of the older mapped areas at Clinton. I've thought it would be worth re-mapping the overlook area at Clinton. It would be a good area for beginner meets -- fairly interesting and very convenient to Lawrence.

Another project worth considering would be Fort Leavenworth. The old map (1981?) would make a good basemap.

Anyone have any other ideas about areas we should consider for map projects?

-- Spike (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), January 17, 2000.


I can think of a few places, but they don't really stand out as particularly better than those mentioned so far.

There is a lot of land around Clinton that is public and has never been mapped. There are roads accessing just about everywhere. For instance, along the south side between Rockhaven and the bridge over the southern arm of the lake and even along the south side of the creek that feeds that arm. There are trails in both places and conditions are comparable to Rockcrusher, not as horsed up as Rockhaven itself. In my mind the south side of clinton lake (where there are more north-facing hillsides) is nicer. The State Park area is quite thick.

There's land around Douglas Cty. State Park. Never been there myself. Heard about the marajuana farmers - not scared. There's a possibility that this area is very nice, has it ever been checked out?

Heard quite a few years ago about a group of OKers running in the spillway area below Perry dam. Some positive things said, but I don't know the area. Probably the USGS basemap there doesn't show much.

Naish is well-located, but access rights might be a mess? It would make things easy to update old maps rather than make new ones.

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), January 20, 2000.


Of course there are many places to make small maps, which is less work. I think it's fun to have things like Motalas, say, on color photocopies. Places like Rockbottom, Mud Creek, and even city parks come to mind.

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), January 20, 2000.


Uh, Mook, did you know that Rock Bottom would need a massive remapping since it is now primarily a golf course?

-- Fritz Menninger (fpmenninger@hotmail.com), January 22, 2000.


I don't understand the continued discrimination against the very fine Watkins Mill State Park. Which of course has the added advantage of being conveniently near the birthplace of Jesse. (James, not Helms or Jackson.)

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), January 23, 2000.

Watkin Mill is definetly worth a look. One drawback to Watkins Mill is that it is pretty far from the Homeland. The park is north of KC (and even north of Liberty) on I-35. It is probably a 40 minute drive (maybe more) from my house. If I'm going to drive 40 minutes to go fieldchecking, I may as well drive a bit longer and be at Clinton.

Another map possibility would be Swope Park in the middle of Kansas City. Dan has, I think, done some initial exploration of the park. There should be decent base maps available from the city.

-- Michael (mike_eglinski@kcmo.org), January 23, 2000.


It is in fact a fact that one of the abovementioned ideas for new OK maps is in the works!

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), December 18, 2000.


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