Katy Trail Forum

My husband & I suggested we try it with our friends (2 other couples) & we were all disappointed with our dining experience. The service was very slow, food was not good and prices were too high for what you got. None of us will ever go there again when we visit Boonville

My husband & I suggested we try it with our friends (2 other couples) & we were all disappointed with our dining experience. The service was very slow, food was not good and prices were too high for what you got. None of us will ever go there again when we visit Boonville

How was your ride on the Katy though??

How was your ride on the Katy though??

Glenn's is the main reason I even ride this section of the trail, which is a little boring. I do like riding over the Missouri River bridge though. The thing I like about Glenn's is the really good seafood/fish, the veggie side choices and just the feel of the old building. My friend and I usually arrange to end our ride at the hotel, because we are wine drinkers. Meals I've tried and loved are the shrimp creole, trout, and blackened redfish.

Glenn's is the main reason I even ride this section of the trail, which is a little boring. I do like riding over the Missouri River bridge though. The thing I like about Glenn's is the really good seafood/fish, the veggie side choices and just the feel of the old building. My friend and I usually arrange to end our ride at the hotel, because we are wine drinkers. Meals I've tried and loved are the shrimp creole, trout, and blackened redfish.

There is a new asphalt paved trail connecting to the Katy about 6 miles west of the Greens Bottom Trailhead (or 4 miles east of the Weldon Springs Trailhead). It has several bridges, stone walls and iron fencing. It looks like it was rather expensive to construct. It ends at a water treatment plant. Does anyone have any details on this trail. Thanks John

Originally planned on camping at the Park. DUMP! No bathrooms - only the remains of what was, at one time, bathrooms.

Hi all. I am prepping for an October ride, and would like to be prepared. I am hoping for great weather obviously, but need to know what people typically do in the event they are caught out in the open or in the woods during a thunderstorm? If I am near a trailhead, I figure being under the trailhead shelters would be the best place. But what about in the middle of nowhere?



Also, other than a rain jacket, what do people use to stay relatively comfy in the rain?

I see from the silence so far that everyone else must have the same plan as I do...pedal like heck to get to something resembling shelter.

Greetings,



Two of us are planning a self-contained bicycle tour of the Katy Trail in early October. What I use during a downpour is my ground tarp for my tent or my tent fly. I suspend it between some trees and get out my ultra-light swing lounge chair and enjoy the rain. If there are not any trees from which to suspend my ground cover (which has gromets on the corners), I place the tarp over the bicycle and myself while sitting in my ultra-light sling lounge chair.

Missouri very seldomly has lightning in the fall. Actually I would not worry about it. In the event you do have lightening, the safest bet is to either stay on your bike and keep riding or find a good structure to take shelter in. Any building or trailhead shelter will work. Just don't run up in the woods and get under a big tree.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with the last poster on this. Being on the bike is not safe at all,

it's not like a car where you're protected but still grounded by the rubber tires. Being in the

woods surrounded by trees of similar size is actually the safest bet. NOT under a lone tree or

under the tallest tree around, mind you.

Fine point note: Rubber tires do not ground a car. Rubber is actually an excellent insulator. The realitive safety from lightning strikes inside a car is provided by the metallic body that is a excellent conductor. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, so when a car gets struck by lightning, it goes through the car's body and not you.

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/vehicle_strike.html

It's best to not be touching anything metal on the vehicle while you're inside. If the current flow finds a path to earth ground its best to not be part of that connection.

Thanks, Paul, glad to know that.

So again...if I am in the middle of miles of open fields, what should I do? Get off the bike and sit in the rain until it passes? Ride on til I get to something that offers cover?

On the Katy there is a town every 10 miles or so. So theoretically the most miles you would have to ride if there was such an event, would be 5 to 6. If you keep your eye on the weather and any pending storm you should not find yourself in a situation where you were in the middle of nowhere with lightening bolts pelting you. Usually when we are going any distance we carry a battery powered weather radio. It can be set to receive the wave from the closest station no matter where you are. Its a handy and inexpensive way to keep track of the weather in effort to avoid a lightening storm. Although we've riden in the rain, we've never tried riding through a lightening storm and have cancelled trips when the weather wasn't favorable.

Just like the workplace, driving, or anything else in life, identifying/avoiding/eliminating hazards is always superior to protective or evasive methods. But if, for whatever reason, you find yourself in an open field during a lightning storm, ASK.



AVOID: Avoid water. Avoid all metallic objects. Avoid the high ground. Avoid solitary tall trees. Avoid close contact with others - spread out 15-20 ft. apart. Avoid contact with dissimilar objects (water & land; boat & land; rock & ground; tree & ground). Avoid open spaces.



SEEK: Seek clumps of shrubs or trees of uniform height. Seek ditches, trenches or the low ground. Seek a low, crouching position with feet together with hands on ears to minimize acoujstic shock from thunder.



KEEP: Keep a high level of safety awareness for thirty minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.



http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/ploutdoor.htm

"Seek a low, crouching position with feet together with hands on ears to minimize acoujstic shock from thunder."



If there are three of you in this position, the person to the right of you should be covering their eyes and the person to the left of you should be covering their mouth.

Does anyone know how far Les Bourgoise Winery is from School House B&B? How far is School House from the trail itself?

Les Bourgeois is a mile or two by road from the B&B. Uphill by road and by trail if you walk up from the Katy. The B&B is probably 3 blocks to the trail.

Its probably one mile from the winery to the School House B & B (all down hill). The trail is 2 blocks from the B & B.

Article noted by my son in today's (10/09/08) St. Louis Post-Dispatch:



Eastern Katy Trail Extension won't be open this Fall

By Tim Bryant



ST. CHARLES COUNTY — Cyclists and hikers who had hoped to do some leaf peeping this fall on the new eastern tip of the Katy Trail will be disappointed.



State parks officials wanted to have the trail's easternmost 11 miles open this fall. But waves of summer showers softened the levee over which dump trucks loaded with gravel must operate to complete the trail project.



Quinn Kellner, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' superintendent for the trail's eastern section, was unable to say when the job will get under way but said the project will take about three months once it starts.



He said the work will begin when the levee becomes dry enough to remain undamaged while bearing heavily loaded trucks.



"We need to allow for some pretty dry conditions to set up before they haul rock," he said. (Paragraph cut out here)



About $350,000 in state funding for the work came through in July. Katy Trail State Park officials had hoped to do the work last year, but funding was not finalized.



Pushing the trail to Machens has been a department goal for years, but the floods of 1993 and 1995 delayed completion. Floods created two large areas of standing water on the trail.



One of the areas, a 600-foot expanse called a scour hole, presented too costly an obstacle for a bridge. The state then pursued the option of putting part of the trail on a levee maintained by the Consolidated North County Levee District.



(More on alternate levee path details removed here - see online Post for full content and pictures as well)

Is there a parade at the Pumpkin festival on Sat Morning? If so what time does it start?

Is there a parade at the Pumpkin festival on Sat Morning? If so what time does it start?

The parade starts at 9 a.m. Full details available at the website: http://www.hartsburgpumpkinfest.com/ Click on "2008 Festival Map" for a map and schedule of events.

The parade starts at 9 a.m. Full details available at the website: http://www.hartsburgpumpkinfest.com/ Click on "2008 Festival Map" for a map and schedule of events.

GetAbout Columbia is having a guided ride from Columbia to Hartsburg. The ride is

free....come join us!



Hartsburg Pumpkin Fest Ride

Saturday, October 11, 8:00 A.M. – Meet at Forum MKT Trailhead

Food, crafts, music and PUMPKINS! Take a trip down the KATY to enjoy one of Mid-

Missouri’s famous festivals, The Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. Bring plenty of water and a

join the fun. Be prepared for the weather and a long ride.

I going be ready for ride.I hope more people come ride.It going be fun fun;-)

Come join us.



#1. Its fun

#2. Its FREE

#3. Its fully sag supported with a van.

#4. Its FREE (seriously when is the last time you saw a free sag supported ride?



If it makes you feel better you can donate money to a good cause if you like.

How does one get to the trailhead in Columbia? Say from 70hwy?



I'm not sure I can make it by 8:00. I got a 2 hour ride there, but I'd like to give it a try.

Hmmmm.



I'll have someone else write a response on here since I dont drive much I really dont know.



Hold on.......

There are several, but an easy one to get to is the Martin Luther King park. From I-70 turn right onto Stadium Blvd and go south on it to the park. Stadium Blvd curves back toward the east and up a long hill.....as you go down the other side the park will be on your right. It's a couple of miles or so south of I-70.

Ya'll making me jealous!!! Free and sagged and cool weather with fall foliage. So wish I was in on that ride!! Tour de Fat in Columbia, MO. in '09!! Mark

I will be joining you! My plans for a longer trip fell through when the shuttle van lost its transmission, so I had to scramble to find other things to do on the trail.

from Clinton to St. Charles at once ... i.e. no overnights? What did you average and what time of the day (or night) did you start?

As a matter of fact:

http://www.bikekatytrail.com/one-day.asp

Actually, I am planning on doing it Friday, Oct. 3.



We'll see how I do given trail conditions. At least it will be dry with good weather. I am gong to try to do it in under 14 hours.

I'm planning on going through in one day next spring if you need a partner. I've got a mtn bike right now and I need to get my new crossbike before attempting it in one swipe........definitely doable though.

How'd it go on the 3rd? Anything to tell? :)

I would wait until the middle of June when the daylight hours are the longest.

Is there any place to tent camp in or near Clinton?

Thanks,

Jeffrey

I am not sure when you say close how close you are hoping. I road from Clinton to Windsor, and I didn't see anything. But I am sure there is something in Clinton.

Camping is allowed at the fairgrounds across the road from the trail head in Clinton. Just check in at the Benson Center right next door. Also, at the Benson center there are showers and facilities.

Jeffery,



Hey cousin, did you get a good answer?



Cousin,

David Trent

david.martin1@us.army.mil

I'm riding the Katy from Clinton to St. Charles on the 17th and 18th. Anyone know of a site that lists the various Oktoberfest activities for the month? Last year there was a nice website that listed all of the participating towns and their lists of events for Oktoberfest but i can't seem to find it (or one like it) for this year.



Thanks!

I want to have a short ride from Claysville to Hartsburg and back with my family for the Hartsburg Pumpkin festival. How do I get to the Claysville Trailhead? Is there a trailhead? A place to park?

Go to Google maps and type in Clasville MO. Basically, if you are coming from Columbia, you make a right turn onto the Claysville road (it's after you go past the golf course turn off but before you get to the rock quarry. There is not a trail head but you will most likely discover the Clasville store - great place for family style fried chicken and cobblers.



An alternative would be to go to the North Jefferson trail head and ride to Hartsburg from there, it's only about ten miles and you could still stop in at Claysville (about half way to Hartsburg)

As you are coming from Jeff City going North, as you start to rise out of the bottoms start looking on the West side of HWY 63 for a small road sign. The kind that marks street intersections and it marks the Claysville Road. It should be on the left as you are going up a hill. If you get up out of the bottoms there is the left turn to go to the Eagle Knoll Golf Course, you have gone too far. If you turn around at that point and head back South towards Jeff City I believe it is the next road on the right.

I just wanted to let everyone know that my organization MRCN is hosting a float trip on the Missouri River this Sunday starting in Rocheport and ending at Katfish Katy's. It is on the event site but there is an incorrect contact e-mail address. So if you are interested in going and want to register please use the following e-mail address-andrew@tourmissouri.org. I apologize to anyone who wanted to go and used that address.Thanks!



Maria

I called the number supplied for reservation. It's the Missouri Convention and Visitor's Bureau. They never heard of Andrew. In addition, Andrew doesn't answer his emails very readily (going on 3 hours now).

I received a pretty quick response from Andrew when I put in my reservation. In fact, it was much quicker than anticipated. Had a great time on the float. It was well planned and executed with hats off to Meredith Ludwig, Lesley Oswald and Brett Dufur for getting this event to work out as well as it did. The culmination with the Blues Jam at Katfish Katy's was excellent! The mosquitos were present, but with the breeze they were more than tolerable considering the rain we have had this year. The "preview" put on by Meredith and Lesley was enough to give you a taste of the upcoming production and has motivated me to go and see Gumbo Bottoms next month. Best of all, thanks to Mother Nature for such a beautiful day!

We are thinking about riding the trail in the middle of October to see the changing of the colors on the trees. We have taken the trail east from Rocheport and after the 1st couple of miles you are no longer under that beautiful canopy of trees. What is situation like west of Rocheport: is there great tree-viewing opportunities if we would take the trail to New Franklin or Boonville. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Rocheport to New Franklin, on to Boonville is pretty much open farm land, not a lot of trees. We camp in New Franklin, ride there, but then cart the bikes to Rocheport or Columbia to get more scenery.

You need to go a little farther east from Rocheport. There is excellent canopy tree cover from McBaine to Claysville.