Katy Trail Forum

Recently, my wife and I had an unpleasant experience with horsemen as we were riding our bikes east of Calhoun. We could see them standing on the trail about 3/16 mile ahead of us, and as we approached a bridge, they rode to our end and stopped side-by-side so that we could not pass. They shouted at us saying that by park law horses have the right-of-way and that we must get off the trail while they pass by. I understand that bicycles may upset horses, but it would seem to that both could calmly walk their vehicles each other and that neither would need to get off the trail.

From the DNR website:



Safety Guidelines and Trail Etiquette



RIGHT-OF-WAY. When approaching oncoming users, always move to the right of the trail. Always pass on the left side, and make your intentions known by announcing your approach. Bicyclists should yield to pedestrians. Everyone should yield to horseback riders.



Horses have the right of way.....it doesn't say anyone has to get off the trail. It does say to move to the right of the trail and yield to them. I would interpret that as stop to let them pass.

I have to say that from experience encountering horses on the trail, I believe that yielding the right-of-way to them means stopping, not riding by slowly.



When you have a pace going, this isn't always fun to do, but always remember that your bike can't get nervous and throw you. Consider things that you have, like flags or clothing that is blowing in the wind and try to remove them before getting close to them. As the horses are passing, speak softly if you need to talk.



That being said, insisting on taking up the whole trail was rude and unnecessary. However, the riders may have done this because of previous encounters with bike riders who are not willing to yield and have started their horses in the past.

I would say in this case that "Two wrongs don't make a right of way". Additionally, to interpret yield as "stop" would not allow the cyclist to pass when approaching from behind the horse. A yield sign on the highway does not mean one must stop, only that one must allow the opposing traffic first movement in a safe and orderly fashion and follow their lead. However, ALL are responsible for safe passage. Having the right of way does not relieve one of consideration for the rights of others. Horse riders do not have the right to force others, be they pedestrian or cyclist, from the trail. My own belief and practice born out of experience on a variety of trails,is that cyclists should have more control over their mount and approach with advance notice and proceed cautiously past the horse being prepared to move aside or stop as needed. A horseback rider yelling at the cyclists seems to negate the idea that his horse may be spooked by a loud or sudden noise from the cyclist. I don't particularly favor horses on the trail but I would not behave in a manner to endanger one either. Nor do most of the equestrians I see endanger the cyclist or even treat them with belligerence. So it would seem that we are left with a few inconsiderates in either camp that make it difficult for the rest of us to coexist. I reckon we ought to just have us a hangin'.

Horses should be not be allowed on the trail surface, but rather on the grass alongside. This is the rule for many trails in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Horses tear up the trail surface. Also, if a horse reacts badly to a bike riding by, it should not be anywhere near a bike/multi-purpose path. That's not to state that cyclists should ride close to horses or intentionally aggitate them. But a horse is a large animal that can seriously injure not only to the rider, but also pedestrians and cyclists. If a rider cannot fully control his horse, the rider has no business riding that horse on a bike/multi-purpose trail where it could injure others.

Although I guess the trail is not closed it is fenced off on the south side of the bridge just south of Franklin. There is about a four foot wide gap in the trail surface that is as deep as the distance to the creek below.



As you approach from the north you can get right up to the jagged edge......no barrier here. There is a small rocky makeshift path on the east side of trail that you can carry your bike around the gap in the trail. I'm amazed that DNR has only partially blocked this off and that there is no mention of it on their website.



We rode through there over the weekend on the tandem and was warned by other through riders to be prepaired to unload and carry.

Amazing....so a few minutes later I look at the DNR site and find this that was posted today:



Trail Conditions

11/2/09 -- The trail is closed at MM 189.2 at the Sulphur Creek Bridge between New Franklin and Boonville. Trail users should follow the detour signs to pass this area until repairs have been made.



No detour signs up over the weekend....just several of us wondering why there was such a gap in the trail so poorly roped off with no warning except word of mouth on the trail. Last weeks budget cuts??

We were not aware of the undercut at the Sulphur Creek bridge until Monday morning, Nov. 2. This section was inspected on Thursday, Oct. 29 and, at that point, the damaged portion of the trail had not extended beyond the existing fenced-off section. The heavy rains and flashflooding that occurred last week worked quickly to scour out the rest of the trail so that, by Saturday, the damaged area was much more extensive. A big thank you to the Katy users who called our toll free number (1-800-334-6946)to let us know about the damage! We really rely on our users to let us know of problems and appreciate the phone calls and emails (moparks@dnr.mo.gov). Expect to see crews and heavy equipment at Franklin, as we work to fix the area. Thanks!

When we came through Saturday afternoon it was pretty extensive. Did the DNR maintenance crew get cut any on the resent budget cuts?

Trek, the short answer to your question is, yes, there were Katy maintenance positions directly impacted by the recent layoffs. Additionally, there were other layoffs and staff reductions that will have an indirect impact on the Katy Trail. Implementing the layoffs was a difficult decision made more heart-wrenching by the fact that just about everyone who works for the state park system is passionate about state parks and dedicated to their preservation and availability to the public. However, with the declining sales tax and other revenues, the decision had to be made in order to continue the system's viability. The final impact of these on Katy operations is still uncertain and probably won't be fully realized for a couple of years, but the Department of Natural Resources is committed to operating the trail as efficiently as possible with as little disruption in services as possible.

Rented some really nice comfort bikes from the guys here and filled our tires. Nice shop and good people.

Rented some really nice comfort bikes from the guys here and filled our tires. Nice shop and good people.

We stayed at the Globe Hotel with Jeanette On Oct. 25th. In our group we had people from Hawaii, Colorado, Minnesota and California, everyone loved the Globe. It was one of the many highlights of our trip. Jeanette even joined us for dinner at the Tavern next door, which was has good food. We are looking forward to staying here again next year and would recommend the Globe as a must on the Katy Trail. Just watch out for Frank...Thanks for everything Jeanette. Mary

We stayed at the Globe Hotel with Jeanette On Oct. 25th. In our group we had people from Hawaii, Colorado, Minnesota and California, everyone loved the Globe. It was one of the many highlights of our trip. Jeanette even joined us for dinner at the Tavern next door, which was has good food. We are looking forward to staying here again next year and would recommend the Globe as a must on the Katy Trail. Just watch out for Frank...Thanks for everything Jeanette. Mary

My husband and I were riding the trail last week (18-21 Nov). A black glove fell out of my pocket sometime Thursday morning (19th) after leaving Hermann and heading west. I think we were near the Rhineland area. If you know anything, please drop me an email at t2retired@yahoo.com. Thanks so much!!!

I rode the Kati from Hermann to Jefferson City on 10/12/09. When I stopped for water in Tebbetts another rider loading her bike in the parking lot warned me that she had been attacked by a pack of dogs west of town and that another rider in her group had been bitten. As I was riding past the grain elevator out of town, I too was attacked by 3 dogs. They were definitely NOT PLAYING. I was able to kick them away as I kept riding and they gave up at first. But as I got away from them and slowed my pace they started their pursuit once again. It was all I could do to outrun them long enough for them to lose interest. I highly recommend carrying pepper spray when biking. This is one of the few times I didn't and won't ride again without it.

I too was chased today, but I was chased by 3 dogs just west of Gore. The owner was right there and did nothing to restrain his dogs. After they stopped chasing I met a gentleman coming the other direction who saw me peddling thru the dogs. He told me has been chased several times by the same dogs and they would bite his tires and try to get him as well. It was great day for a ride until that happened.

My husband and I were also chased by dogs just outside of Gore (next

to a mobile home) on October 23rd. They ran after us and worked

together to box us in as we rode down the trail. They tried repeatedly

to bite our legs and tires. Doug (of Rendleman's B&B) had advised us

just a day earlier that if we encountered them to shout "Sit" in a commanding voice. This worked enough to slow them down so that we

could get away. (Thanks Doug!!). My husband did have the pepper

spray out and he was going to use it if he needed to. I sure wish

these dog's owners would do something before a biker or a dog gets

hurt.

That's why hikers should keep a few firecrackers and a lighter in their waistpack.

Can anyone give an idea of what kind of cell phone coverage the respective companies have along the Katy Trail?



For what I noticed on a cell phone I took along with me on a ride from Clinton to Sedalia (Verizon), the only coverage I got was Clinton and Sedalia.



I'm wondering, too, if it might be good to have a page with this general information, if it can be found?

I have At&t and had coverage the entire time we were on the trail. We rode from Rochport to St. Charles.

My understanding is that you can text in places where you may not have the coverage to make calls. This might be important in case of emergency or just a sense of security. Call coverage is best, but texting could get help in case of a breakdown, injury, etc.

I'm not sure about all phones, but with AT&T one bar generally will send a small text message. It can be sent when a voice message can't because of the lower volume of data being sent. If you have no bars or the phone message says that you have No Service....no data can be sent.

Another option for cell phone coverage is a cheap tracfone. You can get one for under $20.00 and they pretty much have unlimited coverage. I have a cell phone with another company but it didn't offer coverage along the Katy so when I took my trip in June I got a Tracfone and it worked perfectly the whole way.

i have at&t. never ever had a problem with coverage. the only part of the trail i have not covered is sedialia to boonville and north jeff to augusta, so i can't speak for that part. otherwise, no problem at all.

A group of us have done the KATY east to west twice and west to east once and the tracfone has always worked all along the trail. We have contacted our support vehicle and each other along the trail. Some of the bluffs may block the signal some if between you and the person you are calling but usually a second try will get through once the obstacle is cleared.We have never totally encountered any completely dead zones.

Rode the complete trail twice, never had a problem with my sprint service from any location.

Your best bet is to go on-line to your service provider and look up their service coverage map. That will give you an idea of where your coverage my drop out along the trail. As a general rule imagine lines on their coverage map from Clinton to Sedalia to Boonville and then follow the river down to St. Charles.



I doubt anybody has actually rode the entire trail while talking on their cell phone with uninterrupted service, although I have worked with a few people that I imagine would be capable of doing that.

Maybe we could get all the cell companies who provide service in Missouri to sponsor a group ride end to end. All the riders could be on the phone talking and texting while riding to map out the coverage. Someone will need a mobile generator to supply recharge power in the remote areas. Any of you out there work for a phone or portable power company who would like to make a name for themselves along the MKT?

I will be coming from AZ and would like a route from Joplin to the beginning of the Katy Trail. Would appreciate any help. Thanks in advance.



downeybike@aol.com

Bike route or car route?



For a car route, I would say I-44 East to MO13 north until you reach Clinton.



But a bike route will be much harder. It looks like the only good approaches into Clinton from that direction are MO18 and MO13, so you'll have to start from there, depending on how far you are willing to ride, and what you are comfortable with.



I know it's not much help, but hopefully it'll be a start. The best thing to do would probably be to just play around on Google maps (or something like mapmyride), find a route, and research to see what you would be comfortable with riding.

Also suggest the following vehicle route. Go east from Joplin to Hwy-71, then north to Route-H-or-52 (at Butler). Go east on H/52 to Hwy-13 (also called 7, 13, 52 combined). From there go north to Clinton. Stay on 7/52 north until Route-52 splits off at the big curve where Hwy-7 starts to go northwest. Exit there on 52. Route-52 borders the trail to Winston. Turn southward on 52. On the map above, click on ‘Clinton’ to see the trailhead map, just south of Hwy-7.



One can also go north on Hwy-71 from Joplin to Route-18 (at Adrain), then cut east to Clinton (about 33-miles), and do the same thing.

Cafe Napoli is closed! fyi...tried to call and check with Chamber and they confirmed...it is closed :(

Cafe Napoli is closed! fyi...tried to call and check with Chamber and they confirmed...it is closed :(

Try Maggie's down the street or Riverside Diner. Both excellent places to eat. The folks who owned Cafe Napoli now own Riverside Diner!

Try Maggie's down the street or Riverside Diner. Both excellent places to eat. The folks who owned Cafe Napoli now own Riverside Diner!

Try the Blind Ref Tavern that opened in the old Cafe Napoli building! Open on Sundays too! Great wings!

Try the Blind Ref Tavern that opened in the old Cafe Napoli building! Open on Sundays too! Great wings!

The Lindenhof was lovely – great place to arrive after a day of riding. Wonderful hospitality

and beautiful rooms. Augusta is one of my favorite towns along the Katy Trail.

Scenic Cycles is no longer open for business. If you call their number you call will be forwarded to Revolution Cycles in Washington. They offer great service and will even meet you at Marthasville or Dutzow trailheads. Need to get to Washington? They can pick up as many as four cyclists and eqipment and will take you there for $25 or $30.

Scenic Cycles is no longer open for business. If you call their number you call will be forwarded to Revolution Cycles in Washington. They offer great service and will even meet you at Marthasville or Dutzow trailheads. Need to get to Washington? They can pick up as many as four cyclists and eqipment and will take you there for $25 or $30.

My daughter and I biked the trail in July, with my husband as support in the car. My daughter's bike broke and we ended up at Revolution Cycles. They were great. The problem was hard to fix. The guy wasn't sure he could get it repaired. But he did, and it only took about an hour. We were very happy with the results.

My daughter and I biked the trail in July, with my husband as support in the car. My daughter's bike broke and we ended up at Revolution Cycles. They were great. The problem was hard to fix. The guy wasn't sure he could get it repaired. But he did, and it only took about an hour. We were very happy with the results.

Hi, In an earlier blog I mentioned a great place to stay in Hermann was the Hermann

Haus....the correct name is the Harbour Haus and the people who run it are super. They

recommend a good place to eat just a couple blocks south......Trapper's and it was terrific!

Highly recommend both places.

I think it is time to fire everyone, get a new manager, and start over with this KFC!

I think it is time to fire everyone, get a new manager, and start over with this KFC!

Well alright - you bring the rope and we'll all bring the torches and we'll get them gall darned mother cluckers at KFC!!!!



Geeeeeze what are they putting in fast food these days? ;-)

Well alright - you bring the rope and we'll all bring the torches and we'll get them gall darned mother cluckers at KFC!!!!



Geeeeeze what are they putting in fast food these days? ;-)

I know that when I'm riding the trail nothing sounds better than a big bucket of greasy chicken......mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I know that when I'm riding the trail nothing sounds better than a big bucket of greasy chicken......mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Is there a particular place or person that is known that would be good to comment on specific things to the DNR regarding the Katy Trail? Or is the contact info on the main DNR Katy Trail page what you would want to use?



Specifically I found the "High Point" display to be in pretty bad shape and wanted to indicate such, along with adding my voice about their horse dung problem.

From a prior post a week or two ago:



A big thank you to the Katy users who called our toll free number (1-800-334-6946)to let us know about the damage! We really rely on our users to let us know of problems and appreciate the phone calls and emails (moparks@dnr.mo.gov).



- posted 11/3/2009 10:16:39 AM by Dawn Fredrickson, Katy Trail Coordinator

There are a number of comments about the need for water at all trail heads. I agree! We are still enjoying the bennifits of labor from the CCC and WPA programs. It seems logical that if some of the stimulus $$ were sent to this problem that ALL would be helped for generations to come. That is change I could belive in (but won't hold my breath.)

Speaking of water, I noticed that all the water-based facilities (toilets & water fountains) were "closed for the winter". Is there a rule specified somewhere as to when exactly is "the winter" and what specific dates these facilities are slated to close and open? Thanks.

Yes, they all close Nov. 1 and re-open April 1. I believe the DNR has this posted on their site.

We stopped at Ivory Grille for lunch on our first day of riding. Located a couple blocks away from the trail at the Hotel Bothwell, the place is worth the very small distance. A very historical place, great food, and decent prices......I would highly recommend stopping there. The menu is mostly sandwiches for lunch, but everything on the menu is good.



It's also located nearby the ProVelo bike shop which was helpful to us for our trip.

We stopped at Ivory Grille for lunch on our first day of riding. Located a couple blocks away from the trail at the Hotel Bothwell, the place is worth the very small distance. A very historical place, great food, and decent prices......I would highly recommend stopping there. The menu is mostly sandwiches for lunch, but everything on the menu is good.



It's also located nearby the ProVelo bike shop which was helpful to us for our trip.

Me and a buddy recently finished the entire Katy Trail from Clinton to St Charles. Our first day covered the distance from Clinton to Boonville, and we made arrangements to stay at the Hotel Frederick. This place was great, and the service was excellent. They had all the amenities of a major hotel, but the customer service of a small bed and breakfast. The staff eagerly served us from bike storage, getting us ice, and just making sure we were comfortable. A very historical hotel, I would recommend this place to anyone.

Me and a buddy recently finished the entire Katy Trail from Clinton to St Charles. Our first day covered the distance from Clinton to Boonville, and we made arrangements to stay at the Hotel Frederick. This place was great, and the service was excellent. They had all the amenities of a major hotel, but the customer service of a small bed and breakfast. The staff eagerly served us from bike storage, getting us ice, and just making sure we were comfortable. A very historical hotel, I would recommend this place to anyone.

Arrived midday on Sunday November 8 (HOT DAY-Yeah!)only to find store had closed. While peeking in to view condition, store owner opened up the door and asked if we wanted to come in. I marveled at the old-timey look and feel of the place and we were overjoyed to get COLD ice cream and soda. Store owner said the place had been a store for MANY years. She was also well-informed of trail's amenities and interesting stops. Many thanks to her for her kindness and advice. Please stop and give her your business when you come through the area.

Never ever eat here! We went through the drive thru - the guy taking the order was surly and abrupt, the food waaaay too expensive - and we endedgetting the tiniest "steakburgers" imaginable, I've had $1 burgers at McDonalds that a bigger and taste better.

Never ever eat here! We went through the drive thru - the guy taking the order was surly and abrupt, the food waaaay too expensive - and we endedgetting the tiniest "steakburgers" imaginable, I've had $1 burgers at McDonalds that a bigger and taste better.

Del, read Kim

Del, read Kim

Goody's steakburgers in sedalia was the most greasy and bland food i have ever had i had better and bigger burgers from mcdonlads $1 menu and the fries tasted old not to mention they were cold and didnt have any salt the lady ant the drive thru who said her name was sara was texting on her cell phone while serving me what kind of service is that?? NEVER EAT THERE EVER IN YOUR LIFE!!!! its expensive ^ bucks for a small burger WHAT A RIP OFF

Goody's steakburgers in sedalia was the most greasy and bland food i have ever had i had better and bigger burgers from mcdonlads $1 menu and the fries tasted old not to mention they were cold and didnt have any salt the lady ant the drive thru who said her name was sara was texting on her cell phone while serving me what kind of service is that?? NEVER EAT THERE EVER IN YOUR LIFE!!!! its expensive ^ bucks for a small burger WHAT A RIP OFF

Sorry to hear about your experience. When I've eaten there, they've always had a hot girl taking orders instead of a cranky guy.



I agree that the burgers are small for what they cost -- I think they're good though so I eat there sometimes when I pass through Sedalia.

Sorry to hear about your experience. When I've eaten there, they've always had a hot girl taking orders instead of a cranky guy.



I agree that the burgers are small for what they cost -- I think they're good though so I eat there sometimes when I pass through Sedalia.

Has anyone stayed at the Parsons House B&B?

Has anyone stayed at the Parsons House B&B?

My bike riding buddy and I stayed at Parson's House in Oct. on our ride from Jeff City to St. Charles. The owner, Norm, is a great guy. He shared history of the house, took us to Chandler Hill Winery in his limo, then to dinner and met several of the locals. Great time. Thanks, Norm.

My bike riding buddy and I stayed at Parson's House in Oct. on our ride from Jeff City to St. Charles. The owner, Norm, is a great guy. He shared history of the house, took us to Chandler Hill Winery in his limo, then to dinner and met several of the locals. Great time. Thanks, Norm.