Katy Trail Forum

My husband and I are contemplating riding the Katy Trail in 2010. We are unsure of what is the best time of year (weather) for us. We live in a very dry climate and the heat and humidity in the summer might be a problem. Spring is beautiful but frought with tornados and thunderstorms. Fall is beautiful most everywhere in the U.S. but what about Missorui. Is there a lot of rain (muddy limestone trails) in the fall and what kind of temperatures could we expect.

You just have to pick a time and deal with what comes, more or less. As I've written recently, winter is probably not the best time, because of the temperatures, the park facilities are closed and the possibility of snow and ice are too variable.



For the rest of the year, you'll generally have rideable temperatures (there are a few days where heat stroke can become a risk). But you have to be aware and careful, as for any longer distance ride. That means making sure you get enough water and food each hour.



For the risk of rain/thunderstorms/tornados, all you need to do is just be aware. Carry a radio or whatever that can tell you what the pending weather is going to be - if there's talk of storm or tornado watches for the county you are riding in, be careful. If there is talk of warnings, seek some suitable shelter.



As with any endeavor, if you're careful about handling the risks properly, it will go well.

In my opinion, you just can't beat the fall. Mid-September to mid-October is really nice. Absent any unseasonable rainfall, the trail is firm, the trees pretty, the mornings crisp and the sunshine pleasant.

My wife and I rode the Katy this past September. It was a great time to on the trail. Temps in the high 70's to low 80's. Only had one day of rain. We stayed in motels and had no problem getting a room for the night.

I agree with the others - FALL is lovely on the KATY Trail. In my experience, if you are planning to B&B on the weekends, making housing reservations early is a good idea.

Fall and Spring would both get our vote. Yes we have tornados, but I guess being native it is not something that we often worry about.....very, very small percent of time that we are under threat. We do though carry a small Midland weather radio on most trips to get local weather when we travel. The TV Weather Channel isn't always available, but weather radio is pretty reliable. The spring wild flowers can be very pretty along the trail as well as a multitude of birds.

Fall is a good time to ride too. Many folks try to hit the "best" or "perfect" fall color days which can be difficult to do sometimes. Fall color is fantastic along the bluffs. Check the Missouri Department of Conservation website for peak fall color information as it progresses through Missouri. It is also nice to ride when the leaves have fallen to see the landscape without all of the leaf cover.

Did the trail in late April last Spring, plan to do the same this coming Spring. Had excellent weather, cool nights (one night cold), warm days. It was a bit windy a couple of days, a cross wind one day and at my back the next, made for a quick trip from New Franklin to Hartsburg though. Got lucky, no thunderstorms not even rain. Tornados! We aint afraid of no tornados, well maybe a little bit, but they don't come around very often.



What ever time of year you choose will be the right time. Just get out there! You'll be glad you did.



Boy Scout Motto: BE PREPARED

Whether you are coming or going, the wind is always at your back in Hartsburg. PLease come back and stay awhile as we value your time spent in town.

You been hittin that fermented pumkin again?

The best time to ride the Katy Trail is when you plan your trip. I planned in early October

and the whole Midwest had unseasonable cool weather during October. My trip was two days

until I got the 2-4 inches of rain forecast plus lows in the mid 30's for three days. People I

met from the area said late Sept or early October was usually decent weather in the 60s &

70s. Since I was camping, that was a little much. If you're camping, the campsite in Clinton,

MO is behind the Community Center on the Fairgrounds property. Great site.

This appeared in today's St. Louis Post Dispatch:



ST. CHARLES COUNTY — A new target date of next fall has been set for the completion of long-delayed work on the eastern tip of the Katy Trail.



The project will complete the 11-mile segment connecting St. Charles and the Machens area to the northeast, between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.



Judd Slivka, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources, said the agency now hopes to begin the project in April and that it's expected to take about six months.



For years, state officials have wanted to take the trail to Machens, but the floods of 1993 and 1995 left two large areas of standing water on the trail.



After the state decided that building a bridge over one 600-foot gap would be too costly, other options were looked into. Putting part of the trail atop an existing levee was chosen.



The state first planned to do that work in 2007, but the completion date and others since then haven't been met because of budget and weather problems.



Slivka said state officials want to use federal economic stimulus funds sought by the state Department of Transportation for the project, which now has a price tag of about $655,000. A year ago, the state estimated the cost at $350,000. Get the latest St. Charles crime news in our Crime Beat blog



Slivka said the earlier estimate was for state employees to do the work. He said current plans call for hiring private contractors and deploying state workers for other projects.

Had so much fun here. Once again we were tired and hungry, good food and a nice cold bottle of beer and we were good to go. The people here are really nice friendly and helpful and loved the girls halloween costumes.

Had so much fun here. Once again we were tired and hungry, good food and a nice cold bottle of beer and we were good to go. The people here are really nice friendly and helpful and loved the girls halloween costumes.

The last day on the trail we stayed here, it was a nice warm welcome. It was very cold and rainy, we were soaked and had a washer and dryer to use and nice hot showers. We went in to town and got chinese take out. Big group and had a wonderful dining table to sit around and eat and than ended by playing board games. Nice place and nice people. I really like Windsor.

The last day on the trail we stayed here, it was a nice warm welcome. It was very cold and rainy, we were soaked and had a washer and dryer to use and nice hot showers. We went in to town and got chinese take out. Big group and had a wonderful dining table to sit around and eat and than ended by playing board games. Nice place and nice people. I really like Windsor.

Had a big group after a long day on the trail. Food was good especially liked the little baked potatoes. Fun and friendly.

Had a big group after a long day on the trail. Food was good especially liked the little baked potatoes. Fun and friendly.

We had a very pleasant stay at the W-S guest house. The house had a lot of character, and in a great location in Hermann. The beds were comfortable, the house was clean, and we had a kitchen, washer and dryer, and a good place to stash our bikes. We enjoyed the privacy. Nice place!

My family and I stayed at the Doll House B&B in August. We will stay there again. The accommodations were perfect and there is plenty of room to spread out. The porches are relaxing, the peaches from the tree were perfect :'), the ice cold water and lemonade that were ready for us upon arrival, breakfast...everything was perfect!

My family and I stayed at the Doll House B&B in August. We will stay there again. The accommodations were perfect and there is plenty of room to spread out. The porches are relaxing, the peaches from the tree were perfect :'), the ice cold water and lemonade that were ready for us upon arrival, breakfast...everything was perfect!

My son and I stayed at Polly's in October on a through trip. Polly's B&B is great! The accommodations are right next to the trail head, the house and rooms are clean and well appointed,the shower was hot, breakfast was delicious and bountiful - there were only two other guests staying at the B&B with us and I think Polly must have cooked for 10 - but most importantly, Polly was a pleasure to visit with. Thank you for making our stay great Polly!

My son and I stayed at Polly's in October on a through trip. Polly's B&B is great! The accommodations are right next to the trail head, the house and rooms are clean and well appointed,the shower was hot, breakfast was delicious and bountiful - there were only two other guests staying at the B&B with us and I think Polly must have cooked for 10 - but most importantly, Polly was a pleasure to visit with. Thank you for making our stay great Polly!

It has taken me a while to write, but I feel it is important to do this. My 19 year old son and I stayed at the Edelweiss Guest House in October. We were doing a through trip, the weather was somewhat problematic and we didn't make it as far as we had planned. We were biking in the dark and fortunately, made it as far as Augusta. After calling around town to the various guest houses in no particular order as we hadn't planned on staying in Augusta, these accommodations were recommended by one of the other proprietors in town. We were very fortunate; the ladies took us in with a smile, served us homemade bar-b-que sandwiches, a cheese plate and drinks, and provided us great accommodations! We stayed in the "Miss Heather" room. Breakfast was great and I can't speak highly enough of the owner, the fine lady covering the desk, and their hospitality. Thank you for making our unplanned, late arrival perfect!

It has taken me a while to write, but I feel it is important to do this. My 19 year old son and I stayed at the Edelweiss Guest House in October. We were doing a through trip, the weather was somewhat problematic and we didn't make it as far as we had planned. We were biking in the dark and fortunately, made it as far as Augusta. After calling around town to the various guest houses in no particular order as we hadn't planned on staying in Augusta, these accommodations were recommended by one of the other proprietors in town. We were very fortunate; the ladies took us in with a smile, served us homemade bar-b-que sandwiches, a cheese plate and drinks, and provided us great accommodations! We stayed in the "Miss Heather" room. Breakfast was great and I can't speak highly enough of the owner, the fine lady covering the desk, and their hospitality. Thank you for making our unplanned, late arrival perfect!

Stayed at Hotel Frederick back in October while doing the portion of the Katy trail from Clinton to New Jefferson. The Hotel was great! The people were great! Don't forget to ask for the Katy Trail discount.

Stayed at Hotel Frederick back in October while doing the portion of the Katy trail from Clinton to New Jefferson. The Hotel was great! The people were great! Don't forget to ask for the Katy Trail discount.

The service & selection could be a whole lot better!

The service & selection could be a whole lot better!

I live in Sedalia and have for 51 years Cecil is a Icn here back in my high school days the mid 70`s he was considerd the oldest bike shop in town. he is retired now most people around here call him at home if they need a bike a part or service he then sets a convient time for the customer to meet him at the bike shop thats probaslly the reason he doesnt have the selection some of you new guys would have loved his shop in his pre retirment and working years and as for selection well trust me you wouldnt belive what he had he was the best still is he just dont do it full time anymore and just for the record he also used to sell Zenith Television sales service and repair and was the best at that. Gearld Cecil started here selling magazine subscripitions in high school a true icon and buisness man here and if you can get alng in this town Sedalia which is dam near impossible and to run a buisness that good for over 50 years got to be a ICON ... !!!

I live in Sedalia and have for 51 years Cecil is a Icn here back in my high school days the mid 70`s he was considerd the oldest bike shop in town. he is retired now most people around here call him at home if they need a bike a part or service he then sets a convient time for the customer to meet him at the bike shop thats probaslly the reason he doesnt have the selection some of you new guys would have loved his shop in his pre retirment and working years and as for selection well trust me you wouldnt belive what he had he was the best still is he just dont do it full time anymore and just for the record he also used to sell Zenith Television sales service and repair and was the best at that. Gearld Cecil started here selling magazine subscripitions in high school a true icon and buisness man here and if you can get alng in this town Sedalia which is dam near impossible and to run a buisness that good for over 50 years got to be a ICON ... !!!

Thinking of heading over to do some riding Saturday and Sunday (November 14-15) in the Boonville-Hartsburg area. Tried calling Dotty's, Katfish Katy's, Trailside Cafe, etc. today and nobody answered.



Did I just call at the wrong time or is everything shut down for the season? Any insight will be appreciated. THANKS!

Your note reminded me that I still needed to turn on the feature in the website that identifies places that are closed for the season. So now if you browse through the website, you'll see "Closed for the Season" under the listings that I know to be seasonally closed.



Having said that, I know that Trailside does close for the winter, but am not aware of Dotty's or Katfish Katy's being seasonal. I'd give them another try.



Sorry that I did not have the "Closed" signs up earlier. It should be a nice weekend for the trail - enjoy!

We stopped at Katfish Katy's on November 1 and they indicated that they would be open for just a few more weeks.

Just talked to Katfish Katy's and their definitely there this weekend. Thanks for the help!

Had a great time riding the KATY yesterday even though Katfish Katy's wasn't opened by the time we got there at 3pm. Oh well...bought something to drink from the vending machines and was glad we were carrying some granola/energy bars. Great day anyway. 41 miles with my 75 year old dad and 21 year old son. What could be better?

Dotty is open when she wants to be during the winter.

I have a question regarding horses on trail. My friend and I ride almost every Sat. from Calhoun to Windsor. Yesterday there were quite a few horses on the trail. Each time we encountered them we were heading towards them and pulled off to the side and waited for them to pass. Now my question is what to do if you come up behind them going the same direction. We even asked one of the riders what to do and he was stumped too. Any suggestions? We sure would hate to cause a wreck.

If you are riding faster than they are walking why not announce that you are passing on their left and proceed with caution? I know.....yield to them, but I doubt that means that you have to travel at a snails pace behind them all day. If they are riding a trail worthy animal that is not spooked at the blowing wind, you should be able to pass them as you would anyone else on the trail.

The Hermann Brewing Company's website has been hacked. When I try to get to it I get a phishing site instead. You should contact your webmaster to get the phishing site removed.

The Hermann Brewing Company's website has been hacked. When I try to get to it I get a phishing site instead. You should contact your webmaster to get the phishing site removed.

I removed the link from the Katy Trail website to HBC''s "website" - if/when they get their site back, I''ll re-add the link. Looks like they might have let their website domain expire, and some spammy operation came along and bought it (or maybe a hack job as the previous writer suggested).

I removed the link from the Katy Trail website to HBC''s "website" - if/when they get their site back, I''ll re-add the link. Looks like they might have let their website domain expire, and some spammy operation came along and bought it (or maybe a hack job as the previous writer suggested).

If you are thinking of taking a trip on the Katy Trail, check out the Boonville Tourism Website for the lastest special events and offers:

http://www.goboonville.com/



Enter to Win

WIN a Weekend Getaway for two to

Boonville, Missouri!

http://www.goboonville.com/entertowin.html



Upcoming Events

Christmas in Historic Boonville Festival

December 4th & 5th, 2009

Visit our Events Calendar for times and locations

http://www.goboonville.com/events.html

If you are thinking of taking a trip on the Katy Trail, check out the Boonville Tourism Website for the lastest special events and offers:

http://www.goboonville.com/



Enter to Win

WIN a Weekend Getaway for two to

Boonville, Missouri!

http://www.goboonville.com/entertowin.html



Upcoming Events

Christmas in Historic Boonville Festival

December 4th & 5th, 2009

Visit our Events Calendar for times and locations

http://www.goboonville.com/events.html

We had a wonderful time in Jeff City with Randy and Jeanette! Randy

picked us, our bikes and gear, up at the trail head in North Jefferson

and shuttled us over the bridge and into the city. Since we had

planned to spend the day there sight seeing, he graciously took the

long way back showing us where everything we wanted to see was

located. Our room was incredible, beautiful,spotlessly clean,

comfortable and wonderfully private! We were greeted with homemade

brownies and a breakfast made to order the next day!. Randy and

Jeanette are so warm and friendly! We just loved staying with them and

plan on staying two nights with them next time!!!

We had a wonderful time in Jeff City with Randy and Jeanette! Randy

picked us, our bikes and gear, up at the trail head in North Jefferson

and shuttled us over the bridge and into the city. Since we had

planned to spend the day there sight seeing, he graciously took the

long way back showing us where everything we wanted to see was

located. Our room was incredible, beautiful,spotlessly clean,

comfortable and wonderfully private! We were greeted with homemade

brownies and a breakfast made to order the next day!. Randy and

Jeanette are so warm and friendly! We just loved staying with them and

plan on staying two nights with them next time!!!

We agree that Randy and Jeanette were great and very helpful!

We agree that Randy and Jeanette were great and very helpful!

Polly's is fantastic such a nice person and the place is comfortable and very clean. Best breaakfast on the whole trail. Polly really makes you feel at home.

Polly's is fantastic such a nice person and the place is comfortable and very clean. Best breaakfast on the whole trail. Polly really makes you feel at home.

Thanks Polly.

Thanks Polly.

A couple decided to ride the Katy Trail from west to east in October on their two seat tandem bike. Their bike is a Davinci tandem originally with 26 X 1.25" road tires. A trip to a local REI store found a pair of Wilderness Trail Bike (WTB) All Terrain Asaurus tires sized 26 X 1.95" (47mm)that had a good combination road and trail tread pattern. The tires mounted fine on the original 22mm width rims and had adequate fork and brake pad mounting clearance. Also, a pair of Mr. Tuffy/STOP Flats2 tire liners were installed along with a dusting of tire talc on the inside tire casing and new inner tubes. The tires performed excellently at 60 psi pressure with no flats. Gravel roads crossing the packed trail would have been obstacles without the wider tires.



http://www.wtb.com/products/tires/hybrid/allterrainasaurus/

Ok Buck here goes.. I am PM ( pre mountain bike).back in the oldiegoldie days there was only 10 speeds with skinny tires and in Europe people rode these suckers everywhere...cobblestone roads...dirt paths and everything inbetween. I had an old junk peoguet and hammered that beast everywhere. So this tire bigger is better thing is hard to understand. FACT Bigger is slower On the trail in Kansas near Ottowa they use boulders not crushed lime. there ya need a tractor tire . I have ridden that KT limedust monster on 700x 25 c and go real fast. On 26x 2.125 knobbys and go real slow. So it really depends on how fast ya want to go and how far. Trying to do 40 or 50 miles in a few hours ya might want to go with some skinny tires roadiy like unless your friends call ya Lance----out for a slowbe ride grab your old mountain bike and labor along...hey its all good on the heavenly lime dream road. Dale Cannon

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 :(

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!