Katy Trail Forum

How does one go about getting a dog to the trail. I plan to ride west to east on the trail late september...we were planning to take the Amtrak to get there, but they do not allow dogs on the train. Please advise!!!! if we drive we''d have to ride back as well, and we''re not going both ways

Rent a small u-haul truck one-way. It'll fit you, you dog, another person, and your bikes.

You don't have to ride both ways if you drive. There are shuttle service along the trail.



Park your vehicle at St. Charles trail head and notify St.Charles PD (it's not required but they would keep an eye on it while you're riding).



Reserve in advance and have one of the shuttle service picking you up at Saint Charles trail head for a 1-way trip to Clinton (Western end of the trail).



The sooner you book the shuttle the better chance you have more riders tagging along and share the cost. You should spend more time on this site and read up on those "Ride reports" from previous riders/runners/hikers' experience.

Didn't think of a u-haul, good idea. The shuttles don't allow dogs i believe.....and they're pretty expensive. We are traveling one way, Clinton back to St. Charles. We have a cousin in St. Charles so we can leave a car there, we're just trying to figure out the most effecient way to get the dog to Clinton......

DNR State Park Rules: Keep your pet on a leash (not longer than 10 feet) at all times.

Even the best trained pets can be unpredictable when in a different environment. Other pets, people and wildlife can be a distraction. Keeping your pet on a leash ensures its safety as well as the safety of other visitors.



Keep your pet under control at all times and quiet. Do not leave a pet unattended.



Pets are not allowed inside any state park or historic site building, or in public swimming areas and beaches.



Clean up your pet's waste.

No one wants to step in the mess left behind. Or ride in the mess.

If/when he's even on a leash it will be attached to the bike. i'm pulling him behind me most of the time, since he's only going to be 9 months at the time we go, he can't run for that long without messing with his bones. and i know about the rest, i am a responsible pet owner, i know we're few and far between. Just trying to figure out how to get him to Clinton without spending an arm and a leg....thanks!!!

If/when he's even on a leash it will be attached to the bike. i'm pulling him behind me most of the time, since he's only going to be 9 months at the time we go, he can't run for that long without messing with his bones. and i know about the rest, i am a responsible pet owner, i know we're few and far between. Just trying to figure out how to get him to Clinton without spending an arm and a leg....thanks!!!

I can't believe a one way rental would be cheaper than a shuttle and nowhere near as convenient. Some of the shuttle operators even have their dog with them at times so yours should be acceptable to at least a few of them.

I agree with Doug. Try Katy Bike Rental in Defiance(www.katytrailbikerental.com). They have shuttle service regularly and are pet owner. Their cats always roam the shop every time I stop by. I would be disappointed if they tell you "NO".

I have a very spoiled, small, well-behaved, 6lb pom that we would like to take on our trip.

She has her own little cart that we pull behind our bikes! I would like to know of any B&B's &

campgrounds that are dog-friendly. Thanks for any info.

What a beautiful place and delicious food! The service was excellent; they seated us immediately even though the place was packed with wedding guests and graduation crowds from the college. Will definitely return and hope to sit on the deck!

What a beautiful place and delicious food! The service was excellent; they seated us immediately even though the place was packed with wedding guests and graduation crowds from the college. Will definitely return and hope to sit on the deck!

Definitely worth a stop while in Rocheport! There aren't many restaurnats to choose from in

Rocheport and the trip up the big hill to the winery's restaurant is well worth it! GREAT FOOD!

Definitely worth a stop while in Rocheport! There aren't many restaurnats to choose from in

Rocheport and the trip up the big hill to the winery's restaurant is well worth it! GREAT FOOD!

I live on the East Coast and would like to bike the Katy from east to west. I'm trying to

figure out the best way to get there with a bike. Here's what I've considered:



1) Bring my bike with me on a train;

2) Pack my bike and fly with it to St. Louis; or

3) Fly solo and rent a bike on the trail.



The first option takes two days each way. The second option gives me the benefit of

riding my own familiar bicycle along the trail. The third leaves me not needing to

transport any bike at all, making it the easiest choice but perhaps the most expensive,

with a Momentum Cycles rental costing $30/day, including the time it takes to get it back

to them (via either mail or shuttle) once I reach the end of the trail.



Thoughts, suggestions, recommendations?



-Ken

Hands down the best option is renting, but I would bring my own seat. And it might limit your number of miles each day if the bike is a lot diffrent than yours. At the end of the trip, you just turn in your dirty bike and fly home, minimal headaches. I have rented before on the Pacific Coast Hwy on a Treck 1000 road bike. I forgot to bring the saddle my butt was used to, and it let know it at about mile 300. I brought an oversized seat-post bag for tools, tubes and pump.

As I rode into Hermann on the new bridge, which was very biker friendly, my rear tire went

bad with distorted ply cords. It was 7 at night and we planned an early morning departure

as we wanted to get to St Charles fairly early the next day. I checked into Harbor Haus and

asked the receptionist about bike shops. She called the Hermann Bike shop and he said

bring it over. He was closed, but he came down in stocking feet and changed my tire.

Everybody along the Katy trail proved to be genuinely wonderful. The food wasn't always

great as we were out there on Monday and some of the best places were closed. But the

people were friendly and our experience was great. We aren't young and strong but we

survived the ride and proved we could do it with the help of the locals. We appreciate

Missouri and the Katy trail people.

Went by here on a Tuesday at 3 o'clock. Ghost town. place does not open until 4 and there is nothing else in town. Will never go back.

Well Buddy, you just missed the best cheeseburger ans coldest beer of your life!

Ditto to JTT's comments.

Both my trips, the place was closed. Weekends both times.

I've learned this lesson on the Katy the hard way. Many of the small, family-owned

businesses that make the Katy unique, close sporatically. I've learned to call ahead. I even

carry the phone numbers on my mileage chart. Last time we went to Dutzow/Blumenhof

winery--they said they almost didn't open the grill that day, "but someone had called."

That was me :-) and I had brats and german potato salad!

We were having a lot of trouble with thorns poking holes in our tubes. Eight flats in two days.

We were sitting at the North Jefferson trailhead bemoaning our fate. Should we fix our tires

and ride over the bridge to jefferson City and try to find a bike shop or should we try and

push on. Our daughter struck up a conversation with Dan and his friend. Dan turned out to

be a gentleman of the highest rank. He drove us over the bridge and to J and D Bike shop.

They put heavy duty tubes and liners in my daughters bike. It was all done in an hour. Dan

came back to pick us up and drove us back to the trail head. Sometimes life can get a guy

down, but it isn't going to happen in Jeff City as the locals called it.

I recommend Slime to avoid that type of flat or at least Kevlar tires. I use Slime in my MTB tires all the time and never, ever get a flat. Haven't had a MTB tire flat in 30 years and I've had tons of thorns in my tires and have ridden on some seriously nasty terrain in various parts of the USA. So, for rides like the KT, the stuff is great. I once rode the Katy with a guy who had no Slime and he got so many flats, he ran out of patches. I gave him my spare pre-Slimed 2.5" tube and he went the rest of the trail w/o flats. I knew I wouldn't need it anyway. Peace of mind.

Im riding the trail in under 24 hrs this summer. Im trying to choose my tire width. I have a road bike. What tires should i use?

The largest tire I can get on my road bike is a 700x32, which is a great size for the Katy.

We regularly ride on 700x32's. I haven't had any problems YET...........but my husband has

gotten flats off the trail (ie, Hamburg Trail)

My friends and I stopped at the Mokane Bar and Grill for lunch on 5/30/09 on our way from Jeff City to Hermann. The food was great--the double cheeseburgers some of my group ordered were enormous. The beer was very cold and the service was great. They couldn't have been nicer or more accomodating. I would definately stop here again.

My friends and I stopped at the Mokane Bar and Grill for lunch on 5/30/09 on our way from Jeff City to Hermann. The food was great--the double cheeseburgers some of my group ordered were enormous. The beer was very cold and the service was great. They couldn't have been nicer or more accomodating. I would definately stop here again.

I've eaten here several times also. Great food and very nice people.

I've eaten here several times also. Great food and very nice people.

I sent my form in approximately two weeks ago and have not heard anything nor has my check cleared the bank. When should I be expecting an email etc. concerning my entry?

Confirmations should start going out later this week.

Connie, I just dropped my registration in the mail yesterday (3/23.) Is there still room?

Thank you for the prompt reply and confirmation of our applications for the ride. We look forward to the event.

I will be riding with a friend from GA. I sent my registration along with a check for $300 on March 1st but have not received confirmation, nor have I received any other information regarding the ride except what I have printed from the web site. Have the confirmatiion/packets been mailed?



Would appreciate knowing if there has been a "disconnect" or if there's nothing to worry about.....



Thanks,



Relic

You will have a better chance of getting the information you want if you email DNR directly at: moparks@dnr.mo.gov They will then be able to respond to you directly.

I received my email confirmation and rider number on March 26. And I received an email with the information packet that I could download yesterday, May 27. (I'm hoping I will also receive a "hard copy" in the mail so I don't have to run off 17 pages.) Also, my check cleared two months ago. If you have not received anything yet, I would advise you to call or email immediately. You may have not made the cut at 300.

I just got my confirmation also. If I'm not number 300 then I must be pretty close.

Hi Katy trail riders! We are celebrating our First year Anniversary, here at the High Street Victorian Bed & Breakfast in Boonville. Saturday 10AM - 2PM, If you are on the trail, come by for free cookies, lemonade, ice tea and help us celebrate! Also if you decide to book a room for a future stay, special discounts are available in the Katy Trail coupon book.

What is the "Katy Trail coupon book" and where do riders get one of those? Is the book/discount only available during your open house?

In addition to the printed coupons, you can find the coupons online and print your own at http://katytrailmac.com/KATY%20TRAIL%20COUPONS.html

Do you mean Brett Dufur's Katy Trail Guidebook?

The Katy Trail Merchants and Communities is an organization that is supporting businesses and communities along the trail. One of the first things that we did was create a 2009 Katy Trail Merchant Coupon book. Columbia Convention and Visitor Bureaus printed 1,000 copies that were sent to CVB's along the trail. You can also go to this website home page or the katytrailmac.com website to print off your own coupon. Hope the information helps!

the discounts are for several different merchants and business's. available throughout the year.

We 4 Fat Guys just rode the Katy Trail earlier this week and I put up a blog post with pictures along the way I thought people might want to check out at the link below. Not SPAM, Not an Ad.

http://thehoughs.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/fatboy-katy-trail-ride/#more-795

Here are some pics from our time there

http://thehoughs.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/fatboy-katy-trail-ride/#more-795

Stopped in Peers just before a hail storm began. Four of us on the trip, only two made it to Peers grocery in time. We ate some great pizza while talking with the girl running the place while our friends were held up under a boat club house during the storm. Store is great, one of those unique visits on the Katy Trail. I'd stop whether you need something or not.

4 or us stopped for the night with Virgil and Deloris in Pilot Grove. They are listed under the Pilot Grove B&B. three rooms, great rate, great people to talk with and learn about. I highly recommend staying the night with them if you are riding the trail.

Any news on whether the trail goes to Machens or not?

No

Actually, yes.



From stltoday.com:



Katy Trail segment near St. Charles delayed again

By Mark Schlinkmann

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

05/13/2009



ST. CHARLES COUNTY — The long-delayed completion of the eastern tip of the Katy Trail has been held up again, forcing hikers and cyclists to wait until at least next fall to sample it.



Sue Holst, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said wet weather last year and this spring had kept trucks loaded with gravel for the trail off a levee over which part of the 11-mile stretch will run.



"We have to match a time that's dry with a time when our staff was available," Holst said.



The project will complete the segment connecting St. Charles and the Machens area to the northeast, between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The state has wanted to take the trail to Machens for years, but the floods of 1993 and 1995 caused a major problem — two large areas of standing water on the trail.



After the state decided it would be too costly to build a bridge over one 600-foot gap, other options were considered. Putting part of the trail atop an existing levee was chosen. A plan to complete the work in 2007 fell through when funding wasn't worked out.



The $350,000 needed came through last summer, but wet weather on and off since then has kept the state from finishing the project.



"I'm sorry to sound like a broken record," Holst said. "We do hope to get to it this summer and would like to have it open by late fall."

Machens and beyond:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/7A430230420209B9862575C9007B02D3?OpenDocument

Portage des Sioux studies Katy Trail offshoot

By Mark Schlinkmann

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

06/03/2009



PORTAGE DES SIOUX — A bicycle and walking trail linking the eastern end of the Katy Trail to the Portage des Sioux Nature Area is under study by local officials.



In addition to offering a new trail in northeast St. Charles County, the plan could bring new visitors to shop and eat in the community of about 350 people.



"The city thinks it would be good for business since it would attract recreational cyclists into town," said Ralph Rollins, a Greenway Network official who is working with city leaders on the study.

. . .

The folks at the Harbor Haus know how to treat their guests! We stayed in the River Loft on 5/30/09 and loved it. First of all, the location is great for bicyclists. Its just at the foot of the bridge and is a welcome site after pedaling up the grade of the bridge. (By the way biking over from the Katy Trail was pretty easy)After a long ride and dinner, sitting by their outdoor fire--complete with marshmellows and sticks for roasting--was the perfect ending to the evening. Sunday after check-out they allowed us to store our bags and even loaned us towels to use at the City pool. Can't wait to revisit them.

The folks at the Harbor Haus know how to treat their guests! We stayed in the River Loft on 5/30/09 and loved it. First of all, the location is great for bicyclists. Its just at the foot of the bridge and is a welcome site after pedaling up the grade of the bridge. (By the way biking over from the Katy Trail was pretty easy)After a long ride and dinner, sitting by their outdoor fire--complete with marshmellows and sticks for roasting--was the perfect ending to the evening. Sunday after check-out they allowed us to store our bags and even loaned us towels to use at the City pool. Can't wait to revisit them.

My husband "discovered" this tree this weekend on our ride. He was amazed! He returned to take my sister and I to look at it. We are so glad this tree is being preserved for others to see and enjoy.

My husband "discovered" this tree this weekend on our ride. He was amazed! He returned to take my sister and I to look at it. We are so glad this tree is being preserved for others to see and enjoy.

Wow, what a small world.....I just read this and saw you were from Bolivar also. I was standing in front of that tree on May 23rd riding from Sedalia to Herman. Incredible history along the trail including this estimated 350 year old tree. Send me an e-mail some time at husker1@windstream.net and I'll send you the picture of the tree with my bike in front of it that I took. Besides, I'd like to know if your a Kim in Bolivar that I know.

Wow, what a small world.....I just read this and saw you were from Bolivar also. I was standing in front of that tree on May 23rd riding from Sedalia to Herman. Incredible history along the trail including this estimated 350 year old tree. Send me an e-mail some time at husker1@windstream.net and I'll send you the picture of the tree with my bike in front of it that I took. Besides, I'd like to know if your a Kim in Bolivar that I know.

Maybe she is your wife.....go figure!

Maybe she is your wife.....go figure!

Maybe she is your wife.....go figure!

- posted 6/2/2009 2:03:07 PM



What is this supposed to mean?? My wifes name isn't Kim.

Maybe she is your wife.....go figure!

- posted 6/2/2009 2:03:07 PM



What is this supposed to mean?? My wifes name isn't Kim.

I believe it was semi-clever attempt at humor. I got it.

I believe it was semi-clever attempt at humor. I got it.