Katy Trail Forum

If you are planning a trip that is near the river, check the site below for river prediction levels. This site also lists areas that begin to flood at specific levels.

http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/index.cfm

Thanks Trek, looks like it may not get as bad as it has sounded the last couple of weeks.

As of 6-12-11 NOAA is still predicting the Missouri River will be at 27 foot thru August and if it rains it could go to 35 foot. The 1995 level was 35 foot and the 1993 level was 38 foot. The big release from Gavens Point should hit us around Thursday, June 16.

I rode the Katy in 2008 and the river was pretty high, had to divert at Rocheport and rode through a couple inches of water about 4 miles west of Hartsburg. The river was fairly high during the whole ride and came close to the katy in other spots. To put the the numbers just posted in context, will the river be much higher than in 2008 and what areas of the katy will be effected?

If the predictions of NOAA are correct the water will be the highest since 1993 which was the greatest ever. Levees around Hartsburg are generally 28 to 32 foot BUT the KATY Trail is often right next to the river and those portions will be under water. Please call ahead before starting out and stay off the levees.

Also, note that it appears that in Rocheport and maybe some other places along the way, they will be building levees on the Trail to keep the water out of the towns. I expect that DNR will do a decent job of keeping those types of notices up to date on the state parks website -- http://www.dnr.mo.gov.

Sharon

We stayed here last weekend for our anniversary and to ride the Katy Trail. This B & B is so unique and peaceful. You have the historic cabin to yourself in a pretty setting in the woods. It's filled with antiques and a jacuzzi tub for two overlooking the woods. The breakfast in the morning delivered in a picnic basket was so delicious. We sat on the porch and listened to the birds and watched the critters. We would love to see it in the fall.

Great place to stay! We were there on the 11th of June! Stayed in the Katy View Room. Real nice.... Kitchen was stocked, had a place to store the bikes, and would recommend it to anyone visiting Rocheport..

We rode from St. Charles to Sedalia from 6/8 thru 6/12. Had no mishaps, but water was far and few between. Be prepared, take extra water and also power drinks! They really make a difference. Some of the trailheads said they had water, but didn't. Trashcans were also needed at each stop. Lastly, I would think there should be some recycle containers somewhere with all the plastic bottles that riders get rid of.

Raveena met us at the trail on 6/9! We were tired and hungry after a long day's ride. Raveena cooked a great meal, and made us feel right at home. We slept great and then had a wonderful breakfast the next morning! Would recommend visiting the Lazy Brush in Steedman!

Raveena met us at the trail on 6/9! We were tired and hungry after a long day's ride. Raveena cooked a great meal, and made us feel right at home. We slept great and then had a wonderful breakfast the next morning! Would recommend visiting the Lazy Brush in Steedman!

We rode from St. Charles to just the other side of Marthasville our first day out. Had a wonderful stay at the Concord Hill! Maggie met us at the trail and took us up the hill. We had a wonderful bottle of wine in the wine cellar before retiring for the day! The next morning Maggie made us an outstanding breakfast! We had pancakes (oatmeal, yogurt, and different flours), sausage and fruit! Was great! Would recommend the Concord!

I loved it! We camped @ Klondike Park on a Saturday night and ate dinner @ the brewery. I had the salmon and my husband had the clam pasta. We were expecting to have to eat a burger but were pleasantly surprised!

I have not tried the food there, but the beer was excellent! It reminded me of being in Europe.

This is one of our favorite stops on the KATY. We love the beer and the food. It's a great spot to sit outside and relax after ride. We also take out of town friends there and everyone loves it. The beer sampler is a hit. We've had great shrimp, sandwiches, burgers, stuffed mushrooms and more.

I like this place, but you cannot depend on it. We've ridden the Katy twice now, the first time they closed early because it was slow (2pm) The second time he was getting ready to close..again early afternoon and we begged him to stay open a while longer, sign says open til 7. He did stay open for us and 9 more people came while we were there.

This B & B has it all! Great hospitality and food. The best stop for weary bike riders and golfers. We even had an evening of sitting by the fire, thanks to Lynn's ability to read our minds.

just so everyone knows the katy trail t-shirts that are sold on this website are iron on designs. meaning it is NOT screen printed. it looks cheesy and cheap. unfortunately this is the only shirt i could find (via internet, clinton, and st charles stores). if anyone knows where to find a better shirt let me know. i could have made this shirt myself using iron on designs and saved quite a bit of cash. also the sticker was all bent up when it arrived. it had no hard backing to protect it. a 3 cent piece of cardboard would have done the job.

Thanks for the heads up. Was rolling around the

the idea of ordering a couple. probably won't now, thanks.

I got the t-shirt from this site a couple years ago -- I just looked at the site & it looks like the exact same shirt -- and I have been very satisfied with it. The art seems high-quality, it's not "slick" like iron-ons, and the shirt has survived many washings & still looks pretty new. Maybe there's a new supplier now, but I just wanted to say I've been very happy with my shirt.

Check out katydepotsedalia.com for items

Years ago we were on a week long bike ride and the shirts they issued for the riders were the iron on type. Wearing these on the trail was brief. As the sun comes out, the iron on becomes a solar panel pulling in the heat. Surprised this is still done anywhere.

Enjoyed our stay at Lindenhof. The beds are the best on the Katy and Debbie serves a fantastic breakfast!

Had a great stay at the Dollhouse Bed and Breakfast. Very comfortable, and Amanda is a most welcoming hostess.

The sign says Murph's now, and the service is just as friendly. Will stop here again.

The Sunday Brunch at the Ivory Grille is great!

This was our first trip to the Katy Trail. The first leg of our trip ended with Jenette at the Globe Hotel B&B. It was right on the trail and it was a great stay. Jennette was very welcoming and helpful on things to do. Breakfast was great and she sent goodies on the trail with us. We hated to leave and we are already planning our trip back.

Jeanette is one of our true gems in Hartsburg. She really goes out of her way to make your stay a memorable experience. We're glad when we see a note like yours. Please come again.

My friend, Wes, and I spent 5 days on the Katy Trail this past week and we also stayed at the Globe. We enjoyed meeting Janette and staying at the Globe Hotel. She does a great job of making you feel welcome. She gave us some of the history of the house built in 1893 for the railroad as a hotel. Still in great shape with all the improvements she has made. Loved all her cats! Great breakfast and she packed us lots of goodies to snack on later. We would be glad to visit again!

We also enjoyed our visit with Jeanette at the Globe Hotel. She met us with cold lemonade and sent us off with warm muffins!

Love Dotty's, and wanted chicken fried steak special with cobbler, but her hours vary from this website posting. We were just there, 6/11/11, hours are 7-2, no dinner, Bummer. Eating dinner at Muddy's is just not the same.

Planning on biking the trail in mid July. We are starting near Sedalia and biking to St.
Charles or Machens. Not sure how long it will take us to complete, Wondering if it is possible to get on the Amtrak back to Sedalia without a reservation or should we reserve a head of time.

Reservation are required with an extra fee per bike. They only allow 4 bikes per train.

Please be aware that the Missouri River basin is flooding... we are coming down next weekend (June 17) to try to beat the waters, which are now hitting us in the Iowa/Missouri area. Boonville, I think, is five days behind us on the flood, and I hope to beat the river for a Thursday/Friday ride. I will write back next Monday about the western river area, Boonville to Huntsdale. Our Steamboat Trace up here in Nebraska is shut down. The water is projected to stay for through the end of August at least. If the river shuts out the trail in MO, we will ride south from Boonville to Clinton, and I will post the shuttle prices. But, anyway, we were going to ride from Sedalia to Hermann and take the Amtrak train back, with advice to reserve with the bike (but the water up here is scary crazy so we know it is going down there). Just google and call Amtrak to make sure about the bike space, and check here for flood updates.

Instead of starting in Sedalia and returning via Amtrak could you take the train first then ride back to Sedalia? Because of the uncertainty of how long it will take you to ride, you have more control of when you're departing than finishing, then you don't have to worry about getting to Sedalia at a certain time to catch the train or taking a chance that there won't be space on it for your bike.

We rode from Sedalia to Hermann this week (6/8 to 6/10) and rode the amtrak back to Sedalia on 6/11. We had 4 bikes with reservations. They allowed another biker to board the train in Hermann without reservations including this bike, so I think it is possible, but I would recommend reservations.

I lost a black handle bar pack with binoculars and camera with great Katy Trail pictures on it. Lost in St Charles on S, Main near the Country Inn. If anyone finds them, please contact me by email at : lars@realtec.com.Thanks

Condolences and prayers for those involved in the Sedalia tornado that occurred today.

As related to the business of the site, I understand some locations on south 65 highway close to the Katy Trail were affected. Does anyone have a report on how this tornado and the resulting clean-up will affect those that will be riding through Sedalia?

Kansas City news reported that the Katy Trail was not affected. No telling if cleanup efforts could impact the trail.

Lodging may be hard to find, as well as meals in restaurants. If you can just ride through, and carry enough water and food to get you to the next stop, you may be fine.

Looks like the tornado came up close to the fairgrounds, moved south of town around S. Limit/Rt. 65 and jumped east to the Brentwood Trailer Park at 32nd. and S. Grand. I believe there may have been 15 hurt in that area. The Governor will be there Fri. May 27.

Sedalia is back on its feet again and the restaurants, grocery stores and deli's are running and open for business. The damage was limited to the southern portion of Sedalia and will not effect Katy Trail riders. We welcome all riders, anytime.

WE were going to be riding through Sedalia in the next day or two. Given the tornado - and the damage - is it permissible to ride through? We don't want to add to any issues they are dealing with and we are not looking to "site see."

As was said in other threads, the storm damage shouldn't have affected the Katy Trail itself. The issues you might have involve finding lodging and restaurant food since there will be an increased number of people due to the cleanup volunteers.

The tornado did not impact the Trail. The storm damage was limited to an area in South Sedalia. There still are rooms available and you will not effect the clean up. Sedalia is open for business and we would love to see all the Katy Trail riders.

I still haven't figured out how to bring more than one water bottle and some fruit with me, and to keep it cold. I don't have any racks on my back and for now am thinking of a backpack, but how uncomfortable will this be and will it slow me down? I'm planning a 40-60 mile ride in the next few days, and would like to have enough on me to not have to buy food or worry about water from point A to B.

I normally use a camelback for my longer rides. If you're at a trailhead with water and yours has gotten warm you can dump it and refill if needed. If you keep your fruit in close to the bladder it'll help keep your fruit cool as long as the water is cool.

Another trick: put ice in your Camelbak. It will eventually melt, and it stays cold.

I apologize if this comment is posted more than once. I tried to post to the original thread but am not sure that it was received.

Trek, in answer to your question, the $47.5 million in improvements includes bridge/culvert repair and replacement, repairing sloughs, and recrowning/resurfacing the trail.

Specifically, in regards to bridges and culverts, there are over 1,000 on the trail, many of which date to the original MKT railroad and are either in need of repair or replacement. We've begun repairing or replacing the most critical onces, such as the Moniteau Creek bridge in Rocheport, which was re-opened this May. Another example is the Taylor Branch culvert project near Pilot Grove, that was repaired last year. The Little Femme Osage bridge near Weldon Spring is slated to be replaced this year, as well. There are myriad other culverts that are too small that need to be replaced with larger culverts. The recent washouts in the Rhineland area provide an example of what happens when culverts are too small to accommodate the influx of storm water and are bypassed or overtopped by the water, causing the trail surface to be washed away.

In addition to bridges and culverts, there are areas of trail along the Missouri River or other rivers/streams that are experiencing major sloughing from the force of water scouring away the edges of the trail. Some of these areas will require engineered fixes that will be pretty costly.

Lastly, much of the 240-mile trail corridor is in need of resurfacing and recrowning. There are several sections of the trail that haven't been resurfaced since they were constructed 20 years ago. Recrowning the trail is critical to ensuring that water sheets off the trail to minimize washouts. Resurfacing the trail will assist in preventing vegetation from growing in the trail surface. Both will require several thousand tons of base rock and surface material which, as you can imagine, can be costly

I really appreciate the question and interest in state park funding. I hope the above explanation helps. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have other questions or comments: dawn.fredrickson@dnr.mo.gov. Thanks!

Thanks Dawn. How many of these projects are critical to the existence of the trail though? And what is the cost of those?

It appears that some of the work that you mentioned may lead to major expense if it is not corrected. Is it all in this category or is some of it in the category of want and not really need?

Again, good questions, but hard to answer. Recrowning/resurfacing the trail is probably not critical in all sections right at the moment but will eventually reach the stage where it does become critical. Those areas that still have the original surface from 20 years ago definitely are in need of recrowning/resurfacing. Recrowning/resurfacing would probably account for about 25% of the total estimated cost. Bridge/culvert repair and replacement is a little more problematic. Some areas need to be addressed soon and, as I mentioned, we've begun addressing those that are most critical. Others can probably wait. But, as you mentioned, sometimes deferring repairs leads to greater expense in the long run. This would account for the bulk of the cost esimate. Additionally, there are several major sloughs that are going to require substantial retention structures, which account for about 15% of the cost estimate. This doesn't account for the cost of any flood repairs we may have if Mo. River reaches predicted flood stages this summer. But, I don't want to make it sound like all doom and gloom. We're able to keep plugging away at all the needed improvements because of the outstanding support we receive from Missouri citizens and Katy users!

What is the reason for the trail being closed from MM103 to MM107 as noted on the park website? If so when will it be re-opened?

This section of trail is now open. The advisory was removed from the Katy Trail website on 6/6/11. The area was closed while crews repaired some fairly significant damage from flash flooding that happened the latter part of May. The surface in this section may still be rough in places, so use caution if you're going to be in the area. Thanks.

what is the trial like from sedalia to boonville

Sedalia to Boonville- There seems to be more shade on this section of the trail, and there is just a little up hill and down hill unlike the rest of the trail, no big deal though. I enjoy this section for it's "out in the wilds" feel, as I have said before, meaning that it is more wooded with fewer homes and farms, that are noticable.

You want to be sure to carry plenty of water, no water at Clifton City. There is a store to the left and up the hill from the trail in Beaman, last chance for water and snacks until Pilot Grove. Several bridges, creeks, ditches and river, a few cuts through the hills and a tunnel, nice scenery. My favorite section of the trail for it's diversity. It's a nice ride.

The Air Force base is just west of Sedalia.....I've seen the Stealth bomber while riding this section. Several Amish north of Clifton City also. As Darrel said, it is quite diverse and worth the trip to ride this section.

OK, I'm going to risk my pride here. Go to www.bethehistory.com click on the 100 years from now page and at the bottom of that page you will see a video of the new pedestrian/bicycle path over the Missouri River. This was my first attempt at making a video. It is a bit goofy. I created the website to learn how to create a website. If you can find the typo on the video you will win a prize.

Will our community have a greater appreiation for this great river now that we can safely cross it, and look down at the currents below?

appreciation not appreiation., lol! what do I win?

ooooohhhhhh nooooooo!!!! There's more than one typo!

David from Kansas you have won the right to say you can spell better than I. can. Now get your Kansas butt on your bike, cross that bridge to Jefferson City and spend some of your green Kansas dollars in one of the most beautiful capital cities in the country.

That bridge is about the most wonderful thing I've seen in a long time. A million thanks to those who wanted make it a reality.

Thanks for going to my web site.

OK - pedestrian not pedtrian - been there, did that. And you please do not say "butt." And what makes you think my Kansas dollars sre green? You have not heard Gov. Brownback lately? He wants us private citizens to spend them here in Kansas making tourist sites rather than making any state supported bike trails. Go figure?

There is another pedestrian/bike bridge over the Missouri on the Page Extension entering St. Charles. It is a nice ride connecting the Katy and Creve Couer Lake

Thanks so much for the video! We are planning a trip and I didn't know anything about the new bridge...it's been a few years since we've been east of Columbia, MO, and plan to this year. It's great to see a video of it. How is it with all the flooding of the Missouri?

Thanks for the video. I haven't been to Jefferson City for a while and haven't seen this "bridge". Very interesting. Although I wouldn't want my brakes to fail going down that thing.

Has anyone camped recently at Portland or Steedman? Are there shower facilities at either location?

Portland is a small town (pop-87) and the campground is above the trailhead. The bathroom/shower is a square small building at the campground and fairly decent. Fee for camping is $10. The restaurant has new owners is open until 9 PM, I think. May I suggest you have snacks with your gear for the morning because nothing is open.
I stayed there in Oct 09 and Sept 10. Would camp again.