Katy Trail Forum

ray
we hope to be open weekends July 13 and on
will have water available and some foods. It was a challenge to renovate the Merck but breathing life into her is another challenge. Hope you can visit or see us on themerck.com Thanks

I wrote it in another post but Loutre Market in fact is very easy to get to from McKittrick trailhead. On west side of tunnel under Highway 19 is short spur trail, from there just pedal across highway to Loutre. 3 minute pedal at most. Of course if Mercantile is open then just go there.

Besides the trailhead, there is nothing *at* the trailhead in McKittrick, and nothing visible,

either, so it's not obvious how to get to any of the services that are listed. To get to the

Loutre Grocery, follow the gravel road over south to 94, then turn right for about a mile

almost to 19. From there you can cut through the parking lot for the Amoco to get to the

grocery.



We didn't realize McKittrick was on the north side of the trail, otherwise we would have tried

there.

Just on the east side of the Katy/Highway 19 overpass, there is a short path up to the highway....then a nice coast down the hill to Loutre's Market. Much simpler than finding the gravel road east of the trailhead and riding the gravel.

there will be soon! The Merck was just behind you but is opening weekends July 13. Water,food and lodging

Trek are you overheated? WEST side of the overpass for the spur trail. I know you know which side it's on!

Yes, Loutre Market is VERY EASY to get to from McKittrick, in fact you can easily see the building from the trailhead. I agree the trail is not marked well enough though.

Loutre Market is great, I went in there once with no money and thirsty from the trail and they let me have a bottled water. Of course I repaid them later. Good ol country market.

Joeys birdhouse in mckittrick is a delightful place to stay. Joey is a fabulous hostess and goes out of her way to make sure you have everything you need. A very relaxing place after a hard days ride.

Thanks for the nice comment we enjoyed your company as well

A great place to stay. Outstanding hospitality, good selection of refreshments/food and very relaxing and peaceful. Perfect place for hot trail riders!

You should probably include the name of the place.....

Good to know - but what about us riders who are less attractive?

My wife and I rode the Clinton to JC stretch, with a side trip to Columbia, last weekend. We have been glowing about the trip ever since. I am writing a long journal-like thing that I would love to post here. In the meantime a few things we've learned.

1. The Katy is awesome. Period. First-rate, high quality, awesome. If you haven't done it, do it.
2. Ride your bike. By this I mean, don't sweat the bike choice. If your bike has got you this far, don't worry about the "right" bike. Just ride your bike. Dance with the girl that brung ya.
3. How far to ride? This of course will vary by abilities and interests. We did 156 miles over three days. For us, pretty tough. Enjoyable, but tough. If I had to do it over again (and God willing I will) I would actually slow down. Maybe 40 miles a day. We rode 78 on day one, which was glorious. But on days 2 and 3 we struggled a bit w/ mileage around 40. A 40-mile average for me is enough. (We are both 46 years old by the way, pretty physically fit though just casual cyclists.)
That's all for now. I love this site, and love the Katy. I know the eastern end very well but have never "toured" it such as we did. It was just an awesome, high quality experience. Can't wait til the next ride.

I agree Hank. My wife and I, and sometimes a kid or two, ride a different stretch of the trail periodically. We don't have a SAG so we ride to a destination,l turn around and then go back. Next weekend we are doing the Sedalia to Booneville stretch. We will stay overnight and do the ride back the next day. One thing we have learned is that the wind....and I mean wind, blows west to east so we try and do the east to west the first day and ride with the wind the second. It helps on day two. We have two more day stretches like that and on Labor day weekend hope to finish from JC to Machens. Good luck and enjoy the Trail. We love it too!

Hank and Tim,

I rode with the DNR last week. It was my first time riding the entire trail. The Katy certainly has an appeal. I plan to do the BikeMO ride and probably a ride this fall. I just wished I lived closer.

Just completed another Clinton to St. Charles on Sunday and am already missing it. Love riding the KATY. I, too, wish I lived closer.

(Also agree on the bike choice...ride what's comfortable and what you have. Just ride.)

I know what you mean about the wind Tim. I just did the Katy from Machens to Boonville, and man near the end, the wind was blowing so hard against me that I had to downshift about 4 gears. There was a very comical point when I was passing a jogger that I actually was beginning to wonder if I was going to even be able to pass. I finally did and stopped about a 1/2 mile up the trail to take some pix and catch my breath, and shortly the jogger came by. We just looked at each other and laughed a little.

Great to hear such positive comments. I'm coming in to ride about 150 miles over four days starting next wee. Aside from concerns about high temps, I am looking forward to it.

My group of three is planning to ride from Columbia to Hermann on July 5 which is 80 miles. Since it will be about 100 degrees we thought we would try to get a ride and start in Jeff City to shorten the day. Does anyone have an idea about a service that could provide a shuttle that day? I posted on the page for shuttle trips.

Careyr;
Rhine Valley Limo mile marker 100.8
Phone 573-821-3703
If you 'stay the trail' check out lodging and services in Mckittrick; Joey's. If Hermann is your party plan; check out their site. It is two plus miles from the trail.

Ona recent ride from St Charles to Columbia my friend experienced a blowout leaving Portland about 8 am. We called Bill @ Hermann Ride Rest & Go for a new tire and tube which he rushed out ot us and then helped us get everything together and underway quickly. There was a charge for a service call but hey he was there and took care of us which we appreciate. So load his number in your phone so if you in the Hermann area on The Katy Trail and need help its just a phone call away.

Would that be the Ride, Rest and Go Bicycle Shop, 215 Schiller St., Hermann, MO 65041, Phone-573-486-9170, hermrrg@ktis.net? Just wondering. Thanks.

Are the B&B's up and running for the season? Anybody stayed at Rendleman Home in Bluffton yet this year?

The High Street Victorian B&B runs all year round. We offer beautiful gardens to relax in after a days ride on the trail, Cool beverages, and afternoon snacks. Morning brings delightful full multicourse gourmet breakfast, that will be sure to give you a full days energy for your ride! Check out our website. We will take good care of you.

Yes we have opened and started to get guests for the season. The weather is great and it feels good to be out and on the bike! Already getting the garden going so I'll have fresh veggies to serve too!

I stayed at the Rendleman house last weekend. The owner was out of town, but coordinated last minute lodging, dinner and breakfast for us. It was a first for me to stay at a B&B without the owner around, but it worked out well and the fresh local food was great. I would not consider the Rendleman house a romantic get away, it was more of a fun/social type of place perfect for a group of friends.

As far as I know the B&Bs are open all year round. Check out Joey's Birdhouse in McKittrick for a very cozy getaway with a hearty self serve breakfast of farm fresh local eggs and pastries.

My wife and I just recently camped at the Rendleman BB. Doug has mowed an area perfect for camping away fron the house and allows for privacy. There is a place to wash up and take a shower. Doug is a nice friendly guy and is very hospitable.

We stayed at the Lower Street Inn and had a wonderful time. The inn is a remodeled older home with three bedrooms to rent. The owners live next door. They provided evening snacks as well as breakfast whenever we wished to ha e it ( 5:30 am). I would certainly stay here again. It is about a block and a half off the trail. A bonus is their lovely backyard and screened porch.

great ride over this past weekend... we made the entire trail in 2 days...and an awesome experience. Thank you to Miles who had a tube that he gave me when I had my second flat for the day....what a guardian angel!

Well done. A buddy and I did it in 3 (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) as well and had a great time. Got passed by 3 guys who were doing Clinton-St. Charles in one day...Saturday. They finished in about 18 hours total time (13 hours and some change on the bike). Not everybody's idea of a good time, but still pretty cool.

Again...well done.

What kind of bikes are you riding?

My 3 day trip I rode an 87 Schwinn garage sale find that I redid with new wheels and paint, etc.. Set it up as a single speed with 28mm hard case tires. Worked like a charm. Loved the simplicity of it. No flats, no mechanicals, etc. Carried minimal stuff and stayed at B&Bs along the way.

Buddy rode his road bike with 25mm Gatorskin tires with no problems either.

The one day guys who were racing were all riding either road or cross bikes with 25-28mm "flat protection" tires with pretty smooth tread.

The trail was hard packed and in good shape the whole way and I didn't find any need for "traction".

Just responding to the question...not advocating any one way of riding the KATY.

That's just what worked for me and I fully recognize that others have other ways they like to ride the KATY. Whatever works for you.

Buddy and I had a WONDERUL stay with Rhonna and Leo over the weekend. Comfortable surroundings, wonderful breakfast and warm and generous hospitality. HIGHLY recommend! Made use of their shuttle service as well for a ride to the Metro-Link so that we could get to downtown St. Louis for an Amtrak ride back home to Kansas City.

Worked out great thanks to their help and hospitality.

Here is a vid I made of our Katy experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDIVf4HmiGo&feature=plcp

Nice video, thanks for sharing. I also added it to the Trip Report page: http://www.bikekatytrail.com/trip-report.aspx

Thanks, I didn't think of the report page :(

Hello

Any comments on the feasibilty of a Catrike recumbent on KATY?

I rode my Catrike on the crushed limestone MCT Quercus Grove Trail to St. Louis - no problems.

Last weekend I road the Rock Island Trail and I couldn't ride to the end - too rough at the northern end. It was like riding on a rutted farm lane.

Appreciate any advice/suggestions?

Thanks

Yes recumbents are good on the KT if you can see in front of you.

Be prepared to get everything coated with dust at your height (we did the trail a few weeks ago on hybrids, but I also ride a Catrike Expedition), but other than that you shouldn't have any problems. The Sedalia- Boonville stretch could get a little monotonous on a trike with all the long upgrades. The trail is pretty smooth.

I have ridden it a couple of times on my old catrike and I thought it did great. Like the other person said, you will get covered in muck! I ride it on my 2 wheeled recumbent now and I do enjoy it more. But my cat was great too

We saw your website and are planning a trip to your Katy Trail next month from Chicago. My wife is worried about animals on the trail, bathrooms with running water, and decent food. The towns don't look too big along the trail so do you have cell phone service, restaurants and any hotels along the way? What is there to do in the evenings in the small towns?

Animals, don't worry. Running water in bathrooms, not on the trail. IN the towns, yes of course. Decent food? Define "decent." In some towns bar food is the best you can get. But I've always found it decent. Cell service? No problem. Hotels, yes, but you have to stay in the bigger towns (the small cities). B and B's are all over. The small towns during the week are quiet. You will find music on the weekends in many places, but you will likely have to stumble into it.

The Katy is mostly a rural experience. It is a wonderful experience but if you are not accustomed to "rural" it may take some adjustment. Just relax and enjoy it. People are nice as can be.

I agree with Hank. The worse animals I've encountered have been a couple of dogs on very rare occasions. I have a pepper spray thing that fits on my wrist for that purpose. I have found them in sporting goods stores in the joggers section. Carry individually packaged wipes or small hand sanitizer to compensate for the bathroom situation. Most of the traihead bathrooms are not flushing toilets but like portapotties. You'll do fine, it's not that bad. Some of the food is uprisingly good. Some is very good burgers at bars, etc. Like Hank said you'll come across cool entertainment in some places. Bring a paper back to read just in case there is no local events where you are staying. Really, you'll be worn out enough that some nights you'll be happy to get in bed and go to sleep at a decent hour. Use this website to plan your trip. You'll find great planning tools and able to locate desireable b & bs and motels. Have a great time.

I'm Not trying to be mean so don' take it that way. If "decent food", cell phone service and hotels are requirements I would look somewhere else. That being said, if you're willing to roll with the punches and suffer the occasional bad meal and dropped cell service the KATY is made to order. Riding the KATY is kind of like going back to when you were a kid and you had to make your own entertainment.

I stongly agree with Jim: If you want fine dining, nightlife, pampering, and other such accomodations, the Katy is probably not the place for you. Some of those things are available, but they are not the main attaction of the Katy Trail.

If you want the great outdoors, a chance to ride your bike in a unique place and not worry about getting hit by a car, good places to stay (or camp), a chance to see critters, and a good excuse to eat and drink without regard for your diet, then the Katy might be a great trip for you.

I choose to not take my wife with me on trips to the Katy. Some guys go hunting: My friends and I go bike riding. You may consider taking such a trip with the boys as well if your wife does not see the beauty of roughing it.

My wife and I ride together and have not encountered any problems. If your wife likes the outdoors and is in fairly good shape to ride, the Trail is a great experience to share. Plan your destinations and you can have hotels and decent eateries. Like mentioned, B&B's are all along the trail and check out the caboose in Hartsburg as a place to stay. We plan to ride the entire Trail this summer in sections. Stop at the Trail Heads that have museums and stores and you can learn a lot about the section you are exploring. There is also a Katy Trail Guidebook that is more than informative and will give you a guide to every location on the Trail. Just plan ahead and be prepared and it will be an enjoyable experience for you. Good luck and enjoy!

The Katy Trail is a wonderful place to ride and discover Missouri! I'm not sure which part of the trail you are considering to ride, or if you want to ride the whole thing. The eastern half of the trail is more scenic and will take you along the Missouri River and you will be close to several wineries. Good overnight spots for B&B's, hotels, and restaurants and activities are St. Charles, Hermann and Washington. At the mid-trail area you can ride into Jefferson City (Missouri's capital) and find several nice restuarants and places to stay. You can take the connecting trail (MKT) into Columbia (home of the MU Tigers) and find many options for entertainment and lodging. Its a fun college town with a lot to offer. I guess my point is that you can find something for everyone along the trail. It just takes a little planning! This website has alot of information, and you can check out the websites for each of the bigger towns along the route. Have fun! We're glad you're considering visiting Missouri and the Katy Trail!

Thinking about biking the entire trail next summer. Is it preferable to start at the east end or the west end?

The wind direction is generally from the south west to the north east. If you'd prefere the possibility of a tailwind, go west to east.

Saint Charles is a great place to celebrate your trail victory, nice restaurants for a beer and good food near the trail. Love Clinton, but not much there.

Having have ridden parts of the trail both of the last two weekends and last year, my experience is to ride west to east as the wind always comes out of the soutwest to the northeast.

Thanks for the input!

My husband and I stayed here one night after a hot day of riding the trail. It was perfect! The cheese and sausage tray was a wonderful sight and the fruit tray was delicious also. It was so relaxing sitting on the front porch. I would definitely stay here again if the opportunity arises.

Weinstraus Cabin is the perfect place to stay in Augusta. So peaceful and relaxing. It was everything we needed after riding all day.

They have lost my service, because they fired someone for leaving work for a family emergency. Coldhearted, and selfish

I'd like to fire you from this forum.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Dormitory and hospitality. Three of us were in the room, and we were very comfortable. Everything was clean, and we really appreciated the complimentary laundry service and a safe place to keep our bikes. The breakfast was more than adequate for a long ride ahead. I definitely would stay here again!