Katy Trail.D5

I haven't mentioned weather at all over the course of the trip so far. The weather has been very pleasant for a cycling tourist. Temperatures from 75-82° most days and 50-55° at night. Winds have also been reasonable at about 5-7mph.

Today's ride is from Booneville to Cooper's Landing near Easley MO.

The day started with me being patient while waiting to get my bicycle out of the storage room at the hotel. With the number of bikes the supported tour had I was trapped until they left. To use up some time I went across the street to the Main Street Diner.

The diner is a nice home cookin' kinda place. I had the best breakfast I've had in a long time, anywhere. My order was; biscuits and sausage gravy, 2-eggs over easy, 2-sausage patties, coffee, 1-extra biscuit, and homemade apple pie. The biscuits were as good as mine, but a bit smaller, the eggs cooked perfectly, the sausage a bit spicy, the coffee good by diner standards, and the pie was outstanding. A couple of standouts were the sausage gravy and the pie. The gravy was nice and creamy and not the normal library paste most places serve. The pie was in a lard made crust and the apples fresh with just a bit of tartness.

After breakfast I got my bike, loaded it up and headed across the bike path on the half-mile long highway bridge crossing the Missouri River.

After crossing the bridge the trail leads SE toward New Franklin and Rocheport. This segment was pretty mundane. A highlight for me was finding several of the original telegraph poles from the late 1800s or early 1900s. The poles carried ten lines each relaying information back and forth between train depots.

I was looking forward to getting to Rocheport. Reports from other travelers were that the segment beginning there was maybe the most interesting and pretty along the 237mi trail.

Also in Rocheport there is Merriweather's cafe and bike shop. I had heard their coffee was good and I looked forward to a good cup. I ordered an Americano and it wasn't quite Leslie/Crossroads good but I really enjoyed it. Also while there I ran into the gal I helped with securing her bike pack the first day. She is still just thrilled with having learned a couple of knots and how well they work. Always fun to help a fellow traveler.

From Rocheport my main destination was Cooper's Landing. But before getting there I needed to make a side trip off trail. A little ways from the trail is what is thought to be the oldest burr oak tree in North America. It is over 400 years old! Given it's close proximity to the Missouri River it is likely that a corps of discovery's hunting party passed it in 1804.

The old gal is a wonderful thing to behold. Spending time with her might have been the highlight of the day.

From the tree, to the trail and onto Cooper's Landing for a night of music, food truck dinner and rest.

Along the way I stopped at Boathenge and thought about my buddy Warren.

I made it to Cooper's Landing about 3pm unsure if there would be a spot for me to camp on a Friday night. Fortunately there was, for a price. They charge $35 a night for a tent and one person and the facilities are rustic. So I paid the price, set up camp and sat down to the river view to write this blog report.

When I had it nearly completed, I lost the entire post. Frustrated, I thought it might be time for a couple local IPAs, some tunes, a burrito as big as my head, and a sunset on the Missouri.

That's all for today. Come back again.

Katy Trail.04

Today Thursday, was a very short day. I wanted to set myself up for shorter mileage days after the 48 mile slog on Wednesday. The last 10 miles were not as much fun as I want to have. I was riding past things I should have checked out but pushed on to get to the end. That's past me and I have a new plan.

Thursday was only a 12 mile ride from Pilot Grove to Booneville MO.

The relaxed pace was really nice after the pressed schedule yesterday.

The extra time allowed me to talk with local country folk, absorb more of the area, and to visit a couple museums.

With as nice as the trail system is I went out of my way to stop and thank the people of Missouri for making the Katy Trail a reality. I also wanted them to know how nice it was that they weren't charging out of staters to use the trail. That approach seems to be a valid one because I met dozens of riders that were from out of state riding the trail. In fact the hotel I'm in tonight has probably 30 out of state riders here. They are wandering downtown Booneville, eating out and visiting local businesses. Overall, it seems to me that Missouri invested well. They were lucky to get the trail done before turning red in 2016.

So as for the ride, it was mostly over decreasing elevation and typically a green cathedral of trees. The trail itself is probably 4 foot wider than Wisconsin's trails and even in the trees doesn't feel closed in.

I saw dozens of turtles, and several woodpeckers on this segment.

As you enter Booneville from the south, there is the typical information kiosk with all kinds of things to ponder. History, trail features, a business directory and so on.

Just past this one is the Booneville Visitor Center including a nice museum and swag store. They also provide tours for the Mitchell Car Museum which is just around to corner from the visitor center.

Mitchell cars were manufactured in Racine WI in the early 1900s and were highly regarded for their innovation and durability. The museum is owned by the great, great, great grandson of the companies founder. Originally the company was a wooden wagon builder with numerous patents that John Deere wanted, particularly those for their smooth riding suspension. John Deere bought the wagon business to get those patents and Mitchell went on to build cars, motorcycles, and wheels (bicycles).

I especially liked this one with the "mother in law" seat in back except for the handles along side of the seat. If it really was intended for in laws a lack of handles may have led to them being catapulted off the back of the car.

I am staying at the historic Frederick Hotel in Booneville. It is a beautiful, old, and quirky place to stay with a full restaurant, bar and indoor bicycle storage.

After getting checked in I started washing clothes. An issue for bike tourists is space and weight. So doing laundry in sinks is a necessity. One of the reasons I will stay in hotels when touring is specifically the need to wash clothes.

After getting clothes washed and hung on my makeshift clothesline I needed dinner. All I had eaten today was coffee, oatmeal, and GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) on the trail. The gals at the visitor center told me that Maggie's had the best hamburgers in town and the place was only two blocks from the motel. The burger was top notch and the fries reminded my of Belgian frites. They even came with Mayo for dipping! For me the size of the sandwich and portion of fries limited me to two beers. Damn!

So, tomorrow will find me riding about 28 miles to Cooper's Landing. It is a campground on the Missouri River that usually has live music on weekends. Should be noisy and fun.

Katy Trail.03

Trail day two was a long day riding from Windsor to Pilot Grove Missouri.

Before starting the day I got packed up and most everything that was exposed to the night air was wet with a heavy dew. I hate putting kit away wet but I needed to get on my way. I made a horrible error in packing as well. Can you guess what I left in Windsor?

My 1st stop of the day was at the Sidetrack Cafe in Windsor. It is a typical small town cafe with news on a TV and a group of old fellows hashing local and national happenings. It is also incredibly clean.

For breakfast I ordered eggs, biscuits and gravy, and locally made sausage. The eggs were done perfectly. The biscuits were probably as tender as mine but quite small and the gravy was bland. The sausage was awesome enough to bring the overall impression up a bit.

Today would find me riding over the highest elevation on the trail at 955 feet above sea level.

From there the ride made a gradual 35 mile descent to Pilot Grove. It didn't feel like a nice easy downhill glide though. The trail condition wasn't nearly as nice as what I experienced the first day. It was generally much softer, and somewhat rutted. In addition there were sporadic miles of trail a bit more like roadway gravel that the typical trailway screenings.

Along the way I encountered a very bold squirrel. He wasn't about to give up his spot to a lowly biker. As I leaned my bike against his perch it became evident why he wanted it so badly. He is slowly gnawing the whole thing to bits!

Along the way there is a variety of designs for bridges. I've admired bridges since I was very young and these old girls have interesting character. Some by design.

Some from age.

I spent lunch hour in the last significant town on the trail at Sedalia Mo. It was a significant industrial, business and transportation center while railroads were the preferred method of transport. Levi Strauss even had a factory there and Scott Choplin hailed from there. The old depot there has been restored and it is a beautiful old building. I can just imagine the hum of activity there in its heyday.

My destination for today is the City Park in Pilot Grove. It is kind of a dump. The swimming pool is filled with stagnant water. The showers are closed and the bathroom doors are missing. To add to the ambience of the spot, there is a feed mill a block away and the corn harvest and drying season are here. That means 24 hours of drying fans running. The icing on the cake for this spot is that after I got set up, a group of 16 troubled teens and they're 5 counselors showed up. Thank goodness for industrial ear plugs!

OH! Did you guess what I left in Windsor?

Katy Trail.02

Tuesday is the beginning of my actual ride on the Katy Trail. Before the riding could begin though I needed to get to my planned starting point with a shuttle 4 hour ride to Clinton, MO. My shuttle provider was Bike Stop Cafe in St. Charles MO (the final destination).

The owners Jody and Tony have a splendid operation in a renovated building across the street from the Lewis & Clark memorial in Clinton's Frontier Park. An absolutely beautiful spot right on the Missouri River.

Bike Stop Cafe is a combination cafe, bike shop and shuttle service. The coffee is very good as are the sandwiches I had gotten from them, one for breakfast and one for lunch. Jody runs the cafe and shuttle while Tony operates the bike shop portion of the business.

The shuttle was scheduled to leave at 8am and the shop opens at 7am. Since I needed to get my bike out of the car and remount the front wheel, I got there plenty early and got my stuff sorted out.

Jody made me an excellent Americano and a ham with cheese sandwich. Both were fantastic.

While I was eating my breakfast a couple from Austin TX arrived to use the shuttle as well. Since I'm horrible with names I've already forgotten theirs. I can tell you that he is a retired aircraft inspector and that made for some interesting conversation.

Our shuttle was loaded and ready at 7:45am so we got a bit of an early start. The driver (Jody) headed out of St. Charles on I70 west and a couple hours into our ride we made a potty, snack, stretch break at a fireworks shop in Sweet Springs. It was the cleanest, nicest fireworks shop I've ever been in! From there we rode south about an hour and a half to finally arrive in Clinton a bit before noon.

I got my bike sorted out and then ate my second sandwich. It was as good as the first and gave me the fuel I'd need for what should be the shortest ride of my trip.

Every trailhead along the Katy has really nice amenities including a covered information center with benches, water, and flush toilets. The state of Wisconsin could learn something about recreational trails from the "Show Me State".

A tradition for people riding the Katy is to ring a bell that is at the Clinton trailhead and one at the other end of the trail in Machens. Of course I had to follow the custom. Hopefully I'll remember to ring again when I get to the end.

Today after riding a bit over 17 miles, I arrived in Windsor, MO and my home for the night.

Tomorrow I have a 44 mile day in store and am looking forward to the ride. Hope you check back on my progress tomorrow.

Katy Trail.01

So, my plans are made. Today is the day before I leave home. The kit is packed. The car is ready for the journey to St.Louis and shortly I'll be on my way. This should be a nice long trip to see some new country, learn some history, and fine tune my touring routine. I'm really looking forward to it.

I left home at 9:30am Monday morning and I made it to St. Charles MO north of St. Louis about 4:30pm with a stops along the way for fuel and lunch.

I ate at a McD's for the first time in probably 6 or 7 years. I am quite sure that it will be at least that long before I do that to myself again. My gut was churning for an hour afterward. Horrid stuff.

My first night in Missouri is at the Holiday Inn Express on the north side of St. Charles. I used some of the over 1-million points I collected from Holiday Inn while I was working. The view from my room is pretty much the same as when I was working.

Monday night I had a couple beers and some meatballs for dinner at the Elm Tap House and Kitchen which is near where I'm staying the first night. Good beer selection there and the meatballs were a bit spice and incredible.

After dinner I adjusted the clothing I'm taking slightly and repacking my clothing pannier.

Tuesday morning the shuttle for Clinton MO leaves at 8am from the Bike Stop Cafe which is right on the trail I'm riding from western Missouri. Really convenient arrangements for a ride west and a place to park the car. The shop sounds like a cool place. They sell bicycles, accessories, clothing and do service work. In addition it is a coffee shop with fresh baked goods and sandwiches. I'm anxious to see how the coffee stacks up against Leslie's at Cross Roads in Cross Plains.

Katy Trail.0 The Plan

I am doing a bicycle trip on the KATY Trail this early fall. The Katy Trail is the country's longest continuous recreational rail trail. It runs roughly 240 miles, largely along the Missouri River, in the right-of-way of the former Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (KATY).

I will be riding the trail in mid-September over the coarse of about one week. I plan to begin the trail in either Kansas City or Clinton MO and ride it to the eastern terminus near St. Louis MO. Along the journey I will be enjoying the scenery and 153 miles of history along the lower Lewis and Clark riverway. The route promises to offer plenty of stops plus grand views of the river and surrounding countryside.

Daily, I plan to ride 40 miles or so and set up camp most nights along the trail. One or two nights during the trip I will probably venture into a town for a room, a sit down dinner, a shower and a soft bed. Oh, and a beer or three.

I will be riding my newest bike, a 2022 Kona Sutra SE. The Sutra SE is one of the last traditional style touring bikes available. It is highly regarded as a bike capable of round the world journeys. They are built for toughness, comfort and serviceability. The bike is set very up similar to a bike I had for touring in the 1980s, just a bit more modern. The Sutra's steel frame is a perfectly suited material for touring bikes as are leather saddles and triple gear sets. One big update over my 1983 Raleigh Touring 18 is twelve more gear ratios for a total of 30! Plenty of range for grinding up hills or cruising across open plains.

Here is the 1983 Touring 18, I called mine Ginger Bridgestone. Ginger because she was crimson in color and Bridgestone due to the fact that Bridgestone built the frames used on these bikes for Raleigh of America.

I typically give my bikes hooker names because they are likely to be treated poorly. In the case of my Kona Sutra SE, she has been christened Karmyn Sutra.

Below Karmyn is loaded for touring and in camp on a short trip to Hillsboro and Elroy WI. I'm looking forward to many trips on this bike over the next few years. She's a real touring thoroughbred.

I hope you check back on my adventure. I plan to add installments here as the trip progresses and keep anyone interested up to date with a short daily report.