Katy Trail Forum

I am planning to bike the trail next week. It looks like there is water available at least every 20 miles.mhow many water bottles should I bring? Is one enough?
I

20 miles on Katy is likely to take you between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Plus it's summer. One water bottle is not enough for most people, and if you are asking here, I would assume that you don't ride a lot. If your bike can't accommodate two bottles, get a Camelbak. Also, drink and eat before you ride. I "slosh" when I take off, but it keeps me from getting dehydrated. You should also bring some food. A small bag of trail mix will do. Eat some after about an hour on the bike, or you will run out of energy (aka "bonk").

Eric, I agree with Arky, you need much more than one bottle.Note Dawn's latest update on damage from floods mentions a few bathroom facilities and running water at trailheads are not available due to flooding. When riding the trail don't assume you can get water you need, carry as much as you can. There's other threads that discuss drinking water at length. If you are still unsure use the tags filter to find them and read them

Water is to the Katy like gasoline is to a cross country car trip. You will always need it and much of your trip circles around getting it. So bring all you can reasonably take and then fill up whenever you are low. When stopping at restaurants you will drink cold ice water voluminously. Tip well those who keep the water coming. I am thinking of Dottie's in particular, who put down a pitcher of ice water last summer within literally moments of our arriving.

The Katy runs on cold water!

Eric, there was a lot of flooding on the Trail this week, and some local roads closed. Where are you planning to ride?

We will start in Saint Charles on Tuesday 6/11 heading to Clinton, and then head back to Saint Charles. Will I be running into lots of detours?

Unfortunately you will probably not have a trouble-free ride. The following website is your best source of info: http://mostateparks.com/advisories?parks=53010

The State Park staff will be working on the trail this week. Near St. Charles there were multiple tornadoes which caused tree damage over a wide section of trail. Further west there are areas of trail washed out / damaged by flooding. Over much of the trail you may encounter mud / silt / etc. left over from the high water.

The river is below flood stage now in almost all locations, but the damage as I've said has been done and now it's repair time.

I wouldn't want to discourage you, there are numerous miles of trail that are unaffected. However there are some sections that have been hit hard. You will be riding right in the middle of the repair effort.

We rode from New Franklin to Easly this past Friday. Trail was open, but some good ruts, washouts in spots and mud in spots. We never had to get off the bikes, just went very slow. From New Franklin to Clifton City was also fully open. A few washed out and rough areas, but again, if you go slow and watch it, should be OK. Can't speak for Easly and parts south and east from Jeff City though. Heard from some on the trail that those sections were affected the most with some underwater east of Jeff City. Hopefully with the river receeding quickly and sunny rain free days the DNR can be working on it. If it's at all possible, the DNR will get it done quickly...they are amazing! Keep checking the State Park site advisory page for the most recent info. http://www.mostateparks.com/advisories?parks=53010

We fill our 50 oz camel plus bring 4 water bottles. I would go through that on a 50 mile trip in the heat of the summer

I'm probably in the minority here but going through 6 pounds of water in 50 miles seems excessive to me. Even in the heat of summer I may do a water bottle every 15 - 20 miles. If you're not dehydrated before you start and just drink when you're thirsty you'll be fine.

If you are not dehydrated before you start and only drink when you're thirsty, you'll be dehydrated when you finnish your ride.

I can only go by my own experience having biked on the Katy for years including back to back century rides in August. My opinion is that unless you are really pushing it hard in extremely high temperatures you don't need 98 ounces of water to go 50 miles. Like I said, I figure going by most of the posts here that my opinion is not widely shared but I thought I would throw it out there.

I don't think you need 100oz of water to go 20 miles either. But I do think you need 16-20oz per hour, plus a little food after the first hour--so for 2O miles you need at least 2 bottles, not 1.

I also think it's better to have it and not need it, than to need it, and not have it--especially if you don't know where you are going to get water 2 hours down the trail. For me, 2 bottles plus taking off with a full stomach would be the minimum water supply I would have if I were doing a 20 mile Katy ride.

Jim, you left out the beers in that equation.

While it's possible that you may have seen me drink a beer or two on some of our rides, I doubt anyone counts that towards staying hydrated. :-)

Must. have. water. Like a car must. have. gasoline. It's just that some models can run longer than others.

On a bike, my fuel economy is about 20 miles per liter. If I don't refill from there I start dragging. The longer without water the more I drag. No fun. I drink every chance I get. At the end of the day you might say I 'dewater' via beer. A pitcher or so will do it. :)

The following sections of trail are closed due to flooding or storm damage. The flooded areas will be signed and barricaded. With the exception of the section of trail west of the Rocheport tunnel, there are no available detours around the flooded portions so users should avoid these areas. As flood waters recede, staff and equipment will be on the trail to make repairs and remove storm debris. Additionally, rough areas, minor debris and downed trees can occur at any time on any section of the trail due to weather variations. All users should be alert to these possible conditions and exercise caution when on the trail. Users should never go through flood waters or around fenced off closures. For information about Missouri River levels and how they may impact the Katy Trail, visit http://mostateparks.com/page/58843/potential-flood-locations.

- MM 34-35 – flooding on the trail approx. 5 miles east of St. Charles
- MM 39 – flooding at Frontier Park in St. Charles
- MM 39-55 (Frontier Park in St. Charles to Weldon Spring) – extensive storm damage resulting in many trees across the trail
- MM 56 – flooding on trail on either side of Weldon Spring Trailhead
- MM 61-63 – trail opened to local vehicular traffic because of flooding on roads
- MM 87-97 – flooding on trail starting three miles west of Treloar Trailhead
- MM 110-120 – intermittent flooding on trail from Bluffton to Steedman
- MM 125 – flooding on trail at Mokane
- MM 125-127 – trail opened to vehicular traffic because of flooding on roads
- MM 141 – flooding on trail approx. two miles east of N. Jefferson Trailhead
- MM 143 – flooding on parking lot at N. Jefferson Trailhead
- MM 147 – flooding on trail at Cedar Creek
- MM 155-158 – flooding on trail between Hartsburg and Rte. M
- MM 159 – severe washouts from flash flooding
- MM 160-166 – flooding on trail from west of Easley to the Providence boat access
- MM 168-170 – flood

All, I apologize that my previous post got cut off. Here are additions to the list:

- MM 151 - flooding between Claysville and Hartsburg
- MM 168-170 – flooding near McBaine Trailhead
- MM 179-181 – flooding west of Rocheport tunnel to Davisdale Conservation Area

Local vehicular traffic is being allowed on the following sections due to flooding of local roadways:
- MM 61-63 - west of Matson
- MM 125-127 - at and west of the Mokane Trailhead
- MM 143 - the section of Katy Trail from County Road 391 to east of the N. Jefferson Trailhead

Road closures from flooding that impact the Katy Trail include:
- Hwy. 94 west of Matson Trailhead
- Hwy. 47 near Dutzow Trailhead
- Hwy. 94 between Rt. U and Rt. N in Warren County
- Hwy. 94 west of Bluffton.
- Hwy. 94 at Mokane.
- Hwy. 94 near Rt. PP approximately 1.5 miles west of Mokane
- Oilwell Rd. and the parking lot at N. Jefferson Trailhead.
- Rt. K near McBaine.

Dawn there are 3 large trees across the trail between Clinton and Windsor. One at Edwards and 2 more between Calhoun and about the 151 mile marker.

I'll be starting at Clinton in the am (4 June). Going about 80 miles per day. Any significant detours that I should know about?

Now thats a tough one Al. You'd think someone of authority would let us know stuff like that. Go figure.

Got to thank Dawn for what she is able to provide. If it was me I would reschedule my ride until the trail clears up.

I have to agree with Billy. I hate to discourage anyone from coming to Missouri and enjoying the Katy Trail. But as you can see from Dawn's information above, posted yesterday, a lot of places along the trail and on the trail are flooded. It looks like most of them do not have detours. I'm in Jefferson City and the river is around 30 ft now, flood stage is 23, so we've got water over parking lots, and basically all over low areas. They are calling for rain in the middle of the week. If they were predicting dry weather from now until your trip, you might luck out and by the time you get started the water will have gone down, but at the moment that doen't seem likely. If you have reservations anywhere, I suggest you call those places and see what the owners can tell you about where they are. Check the weather forecast for central MO, and keep checking this forum for other updates from Dawn. And, usually, ignore people posting as anonymous. Most of them are lazy whiny trolls, like the one above.

The gate in the Missouri River Bridge crossing is closed on the north side of the river (the capitol is on the south side of the river). Check with the City of Jefferson to see if it is open.
-Three

I hope the water will recede and repairs are made before the DNR hosted trail ride later this month. Especially with all the effort Dawn has put in to this event...

Cathy, generally I would agree about anonymous postings, however in this case I believe he/she was concerned that Al had missed Dawn's rather extensive coverage of the flood water's effect on the trail. Al might also have been making a joke as Dawn clearly let us all know where the problem areas are, and she did this over the weekend which I would have thought was a day off for her. Thanks Dawn.

Does anyone know if the National Weather service geological prediction service is helpful for predicting trail conditions? The following is a link to river conditions at Jeff city, with a forecast for this weekend.
http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=lsx&gage=jffm7
My wife and I were planning on biking the east half of the trail this weekend. The website's predictions bode well, but I do not know whether they are trustworthy or if they are indicative of usable trail conditions.

I think the DNR advisories are more accurate and were just updated today: http://mostateparks.com/advisory/60601/flood-and-storm-damage-closures-katy-trail-state-park

We were also planning a trip this weekend and it appears that the river is down but to he trail appears to still be closed various places east of Rocheport which is where we were planning to ride. If anyone has has info that the trails are back open please advise.

Although the Missouri River is going down rapidly, there are several places from McBaine to Hartsburg that are covered with mud or debris. Crews will be working this week and next to make repairs, but expect these sections to remain closed over the weekend. Please don't hesitate to call the Katy Trail State Park office at 573-449-7402, for last-minute updates before your trip.

Dawn, you and Ray (webmaster) are great.

Dawn,

Does this mean that the trail is open from Huntsdale West to Sedalia?

Davis,the trail is indeed open from Huntsdale west to Sedalia. There may be a few rough or squishy spots just west of the Rocheport tunnel, but bikes can get through. Enjoy your trip!

just spoke with Trail office and they indicated that trail will remain closed around Hartsburg and Portland area's due to heavy mud on trail. Need heavy equipment brought in to remove. does anyone have anything more details as we were going to ride from Sedalia East to St Charles starting Sat.

Dawn,
I just got home from a two day ride I camped at New Frankiln and rode west to Clifton City on Thursday and then rode to Easley today. The trail was a little rough between Salt Creek and Rocheport but passable. Some debris on the trail at Macbaine but nothing major. Went to the road just west of Easley and turned around.

Flooding from the Missouri River has rapidly receded and several sections of the Katy Trail that were flooded are now open. Trail users will still need to exercise caution because many of the flooded sections may have mud or debris across the trail. Cyclists, in particular, may need to walk their bikes in these areas. Additionally, crews and heavy equipment will be the trail all next week making repairs.

The following sections remain closed due to damage on the trail:
MM 34-35 – approx. 5 miles east of St. Charles.
MM 87-97 – starting three miles west of Treloar Trailhead
MM 115-117 – damage to trail at and west of Portland
MM 122 - severe washout at Auxvasse Creek Bridge west of Steedman
MM 125 - restroom closed at Mokane Trailhead due to flood damage
MM 143 – restroom closed at N. Jefferson Trailhead due to a leak
MM 155-157 – between Hartsburg and Rt. M
MM 169.5 – restroom closed at McBaine Trailhead due to flood damage

Local vehicular traffic is being allowed on the following sections due to flooding of local roadways:
MM 61-63 -- west of Matson
MM 162-163 -- at and west of Easley

I have plsns to start riding the trail on the 17th. Where can I get up-to-date trail conditions? Is this posting the best place? Also are there any sources that may be able to provide suggested detours in rough areas? Thanks!

Jeff, Dawn from MO DNR had done a great job of keeping this thread up to date, but still I would suggest checking DNR's advisories web page for the absolute latest info on flooding and other : http://mostateparks.com/advisories?parks=53010

Dawn is one of the best resources in the Dept of Natural Resources! She works her tail off to keep the Katy pleasant and safe. I got to meet her a couple of years ago when she was coordinating a tram of senior citizens to see the fall colors, many of whom were seeing the Kary for the first time. Thanks for all you do, Dawn.

Two of us rode through from Sedalia to the MKT Trail (229-170) without issue yesterday afternoon. There were a couple of spots requiring us to pass slowly due to washout dips, but the problems on this stretch seem to have been addressed, and there was nothing I would deem as troublesome.

Posted yesterday about the clear section from Sedallia to Rocheport. Today, we took the Katy Trail from Rocheport to Jefferson City (with a side trip to Columbia on the MKT). There were a few bumpy patches between McBaine and Wilton, but the trail was blocked by a plastic mesh barricade from Wilton to Hartsburg (miles 157.4-155.9). We ignored the blockade and attempted to ride through, observing deep tracks from another cyclist in the only-sometimes-dry mud. This section definitely needs to dry and be cleared to be reasonably passable. We rode some sections in narrow truck tracks, but had to push through mud in others. For these two 45-year-old women carrying 25-pound loads on hybrid bikes with front suspension, it was a dirty and fun adventure, but those two mile took about an hour by the time we scraped enoug mud off the bikes to ride safely. Another couple of dry days ought to give officials the opportunity to open it up, but I'd advise against riding it for now.

Has anyone traveled west from St. Charles to Jeff City today, 11th? I have read the DNR report. Wondering the latest conditions because we are hoping to ride this section June 14-16. Thanks

Met some folks who reported a pretty decent passage from St. Charles to Tebbetts, so it sounds like the eastern section of the trail is good! otherwise, we rode today from Jefferson City to Hermann. Again encountered a few rutted and washed-out (but very passable) areas, most of which were well-marked. One bridge threatened to be closed but the plastic mesh barricade was removed long before us. I wouldn't ride this section on a road bike at this time due to the debris that still needs to be cleared in a few spots, but so many of the problem sections have already been addressed that one can safely cycle if paying attention.

We just completed Rocheport to Jeff City today and the trail is completely open! No barricades, no issues, a few minor rough spots. You can see how high the mud was, but the crews have it totally clear now!! No problems from Clinton to Jeff City! Hopefully we can get all the way to St. Charles now...

Thank you for the update! I also heard from locals that east of Hermann it was passable. See you on the trail!

Things are looking up! Thanks for all the updates on the eastern part of the trail.

My husband and I are planning to ride Rocheport to Hartsburg Monday, June 17...what are the recommended shuttle services from Hartsburg back to Rocheport? Good to hear the trail is open now.

Not a lot of shuttle options in that area that I am aware of. Try Marvin Cotten, Boonville 660-537-0164

Great news! The majority of the trail is open except in a few locations. Staff has worked diligently to remove the mud and storm debris from the trail, and to repair washouts on the trail surface. Trail users will still need to be alert for rough surface in a few areas and the following areas remain closed until repairs are made:

MM 34-35 – mud and storm debris on the trail approx. 5 miles east of St. Charles
MM 87 – severe washouts on trail starting three miles west of Treloar Trailhead
MM 125 – restroom closed Mokane Trailhead, anticipated re-opening by Friday, June 14
MM 169.5 – restroom closed at McBaine Trailhead, anticipated re-opening by Monday, June 17

Race across America started at noon today. Super stuff to follow on line. Solo rider's are trying this year to break the 8 day mark.

So far Strasser, Schoch and Baloh have kept the top 3. Super race to follow, like none other! Can't wait for the teams to start on Saturday.

Noticed that the riders will be coming up HI way 54. Camdenton, Jefferson City and Washington. Time stations or check in points at each of those locations. Estimated time of arrival on web site.

Might get a glimpse of the solo riders in a couple of days and even on the DNR Katy ride next week, along Hwy 94 between JC and Hermann where they take Hwy 19 across. Next week the teams will be hitting those time stations around midweek give or take for the 2 man teams, and likely earlier for the 4 and 8 man teams, even some slower solo riders could be still on that section next week! Those riders are so amazing...and mixed with a bit crazy for the solo and 2 man teams!

A buddy of mine and I are riding the trail from Clinton to Machens Friday the 14 - Monday the 17 and plan to take the train back. My question to you veterans is; Do most people head from Machens to the Kirkwood Amtrak Station? Just need to reserve my ticket and not sure which station is closer to Machens, Kirkwood or Union Station. Thanks guys.