Katy Trail Forum

Last Sunday I was riding on the trail and noticed a rather unusual looking individual...a man with a bright curly pink wig and blindingly pink shirt, and he had on a large backpack and was carrying an American flag. At the time I was around Marthasville, I believe, in the midst of riding a century in less than 6 hours so was rather preoccupied and didn't stop to talk...



Anybody see him? Is this the new Captain America?

Yep, saw him last Sunday, he is walking across America for breast cancer awareness. Pink wear for the cancer suvivors.. Interesting person. Spent sometime talking to him. Has interesting web-site.



trailjournals.com/roadtothecure. He updates almost daily

Are there shuttles avaiable that depart from St Charles and drop you off at any point desired along the trail?

St. Charles Yellow Cab will send a van to pick up bikers/gear in Defiance for roughly $30 per person between St. Charles and Defiance. Not sure what the cost is if you want them to go further out. Their number is listed somewhere on this website. The price was quoted to me a few weeks ago--not sure if it's gone up due to gas prices.

Planning a surprise trip with my husabnd. Going to keep the ride short since we are toting along our 2 year old son. Planning on Dutzow to Augusta and back. We will stay the night in Augusta if there is anywhere family-friendly.



Anyone ever stayed at one of the B and B's with the rugrats? He really is a good little boy, but we know not everyone likes kiddos.



Thanks!

If you're not against spending the night in a cabin, Klondike Park has several that anyone can rent. The park is relatively new, located right off the trail, and is in the Agusta area; you can find a link on this web site.



Oh, be sure to have a meal at the Dutzow Deli. Great food and service. My wife and I have eaten there many times.

I lost an earring on the Katy Trail somewhere between Rocheport and North Jefferson City on Sunday, April 27. Most likely between Rocheport and Hartsburg, but it could be anywhere in between. It is all silver, a cutout profile of a woman's face with her hair flowing behind her. There is a reward. Please email me if you have found it.

Thanks!

Pat

I forgot to include my email! Here it is love2hike2@hotmail.com. Please, if you have found my earring email me. A reward awaits you!

I found this web site that provides current wind and wind forecasts (a couple days out).



http://www.intellicast.com/National/Wind/WINDcast.aspx?location=USMO0787



Ray you might want to add the link as part of the weather information on this site.

That's a great resource. We all know how much the wind can change the dynamics of your bike ride. I have added this link in the "Useful Resources" section near the bottom of the Katy Trail weather page.



Thanks Gary!

Ray here's an even better site with wind speed and direction plus other weather data including humidity. Site is set-up for aviation people but can also be useful for trail riders.



http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/code.cgi?Submit=Go&sta=KJEF&state=MO



Trail riders will need to pick a city (probably most useful to pick Sedalia, Columbia, Jefferson City, or Saint Charles) for the part of the trail they plan to ride.

Great site!

Thanks Gary. Their graphical layout is the best weather web page format I've seen yet. I have added links under the "Additional Resources" section of the weather page, and bookmarked their site for my own use too.

My girlfriend and I are planning a one / two day ride probably using Augusta as center point and going both directions. Anyone have any suggestions on best places to see / do on the trail? Is there a better area to start at? We are not long distance riders but love the scenery and ride the trail. Thanks for your help.

To me, two of the most scenic stretches are from Bluffton mm110 to Steedman mm 121 and then from a little west of Treloar about mm 90 to close to Case mm 95. Along both you find benches overlooking the river and tree covered sections of the trail.

The Isle of Capri offers a FREE shuttle to the hotels along I-70! (Tips are appreciated.) All you have to do is roll in and ask. This is true even though the Isle has its own hotel. The free shuttle also goes to the other I-70 businesses, like the truck stops and fast food joints. It runs M-F from about 3 p.m. to about 2:30 a.m., and weekends from 11 a.m. to about 2:30 a.m.



They also offer a FREE bike locker so you can explore the town.

The Isle of Capri offers a FREE shuttle to the hotels along I-70! (Tips are appreciated.) All you have to do is roll in and ask. This is true even though the Isle has its own hotel. The free shuttle also goes to the other I-70 businesses, like the truck stops and fast food joints. It runs M-F from about 3 p.m. to about 2:30 a.m., and weekends from 11 a.m. to about 2:30 a.m.



They also offer a FREE bike locker so you can explore the town.

Do you pick up in St. Louis for transport to Sedalia? If so, cost for 4 with bikes?

Do you pick up in St. Louis for transport to Sedalia? If so, cost for 4 with bikes?

You can also contact Doug at the Rendleman Home. He can take up to four riders and gear.

You can also contact Doug at the Rendleman Home. He can take up to four riders and gear.

Ben Franklin Coffee House also serves sandwiches and salads for lunch. They're very good!

Ben Franklin Coffee House also serves sandwiches and salads for lunch. They're very good!

Yes, they have excellent sandwiches and salads. Plus, the service is very good, and they sell antiques, coffee, sweets, homemade baked goods, plus they have Wifi! Everyone is very nice and the cafe is very clean.

Yes, they have excellent sandwiches and salads. Plus, the service is very good, and they sell antiques, coffee, sweets, homemade baked goods, plus they have Wifi! Everyone is very nice and the cafe is very clean.

On the lighter side, I saw mucho indigo buntings near Portland the other day. Although these birds are seen along most of the trail anytime, they were swarming in places between Rhineland and Mokane that morning. It was like coming upon a school of fish during a feeding frenzy. They were on both sides of the trail and in front and back of me. I’m surprised one didn’t land on my handlebars. :):) Reckon that’s common for those parts of the trail?

They seem to like that area as well as between Boonville and Rocheport.

Enjoyed our stay. We met two other friend-couples who motored in. This is a perfect place for three couples -- each can have a room of own -- plus there is a roomy additional common room & a lovely veranda. I could imagine this space would be good also for a "girls' weekend." I'd love to stay for two nights next time.

Enjoyed our stay. We met two other friend-couples who motored in. This is a perfect place for three couples -- each can have a room of own -- plus there is a roomy additional common room & a lovely veranda. I could imagine this space would be good also for a "girls' weekend." I'd love to stay for two nights next time.

We love this place. It has grown in size substantially since about 5 years ago. So there is a much bigger crowd than there used to be. But what has remained: very friendly service, generous wine tasting, and the view is one of the best among the wineries in Missouri. We rode in a car with friends we met in Augusta. I would not cycle the road to Montelle because of lack of safety.

We love this place. It has grown in size substantially since about 5 years ago. So there is a much bigger crowd than there used to be. But what has remained: very friendly service, generous wine tasting, and the view is one of the best among the wineries in Missouri. We rode in a car with friends we met in Augusta. I would not cycle the road to Montelle because of lack of safety.

A welcome respit very near the trail: location a plus. Lunch was good enogh--we were hungry! Dinner dishes were uneven. Some were great - mussels, a wonderful soup -- but some were not so great - tenderloin appeared in fact to be a cheaper cut of beef The sevice was fine & some of the beers good. Note this place is fairly large. We were really happy to sit outside: the many asian poppies in May were beautiful! We'd go there again.

A welcome respit very near the trail: location a plus. Lunch was good enogh--we were hungry! Dinner dishes were uneven. Some were great - mussels, a wonderful soup -- but some were not so great - tenderloin appeared in fact to be a cheaper cut of beef The sevice was fine & some of the beers good. Note this place is fairly large. We were really happy to sit outside: the many asian poppies in May were beautiful! We'd go there again.

Wondering if anyone rides the stretch from North Jefferson to Hartsburg regularly, and would like to ride in a group. I ride occasionaly as my job allows me, but prefer riding with someone. Also prefer a slower pace! LOL Thanks, Ron

Wednesday May 14, 2008



JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Matt Blunt announced today that Missouri’s Katy Trail State Park has received national recognition as the newest inductee into the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s new Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.



http://www.gov.mo.gov/cgi-bin/coranto/viewnews.cgi?id=EkEpZlFAuVIpjrcECj&style=Default+News+Style&tmpl=newsitem

Actually the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy inducted the Katy Trail to the Hall Of Fame in September 2007.

www.railstotrails.org/newsandpubs/trailofthemonth/archives/0709.html

it was originally featured in September 2001

Sooo...Matt Blunt is 8 months behind.....not bad for a politician! If only Dubya was so efficient.

FYI: The actual name is "Cafe Napoli", not "Napoli". If you were looking for the phone number, that could have been tricky. (It's 660-882-0250.) They have good salads here, and I am very picky about my salad! They're really big, too.

FYI: The actual name is "Cafe Napoli", not "Napoli". If you were looking for the phone number, that could have been tricky. (It's 660-882-0250.) They have good salads here, and I am very picky about my salad! They're really big, too.

The Texaco Minimart has closed. It needs to be removed from the listing.

The Texaco Minimart has closed. It needs to be removed from the listing.

EXCELLENT CHOICE! Thanks Jeanette and Randy for sharing your B&B with us. My husband and I, along with 2 other couples, chose this B&B after viewing the website. We were bicycling the Katy Trail and wanted more than just a hotel room. As it turned out, each couple had their own suite of rooms and private baths. Very, very spacious. Jeanette even had a pan of warm brownies waiting for us when we arrived. And the breakfast the next morning was outstanding. We were served eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, juice, coffee, and more. We certainly did not leave hungry.

We highly recommend this B&B to anyone travelling thru the area. It certainly ranks among the top B&B's we have stayed in.

Thanks to Jeanette and Randy for your hospitality. We really enjoyed our stay with you.

Paul and Lynne from Texas

EXCELLENT CHOICE! Thanks Jeanette and Randy for sharing your B&B with us. My husband and I, along with 2 other couples, chose this B&B after viewing the website. We were bicycling the Katy Trail and wanted more than just a hotel room. As it turned out, each couple had their own suite of rooms and private baths. Very, very spacious. Jeanette even had a pan of warm brownies waiting for us when we arrived. And the breakfast the next morning was outstanding. We were served eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, juice, coffee, and more. We certainly did not leave hungry.

We highly recommend this B&B to anyone travelling thru the area. It certainly ranks among the top B&B's we have stayed in.

Thanks to Jeanette and Randy for your hospitality. We really enjoyed our stay with you.

Paul and Lynne from Texas

I got to tour the quarters at the Briar Rose B&B recently with the local CVB Diplomats. Its a gem worth checking out on the Internet.

While in Jefferson City,be sure to visit the new Lewis & Clark Trailhead Plaza which is on the Capitol grounds. Dedication is June 4. The bronze statues will arrive on May 22. See the following link

for details on the plaza and sculptor: http://lewisandclarktrailwatch.blogspot.com/

I got to tour the quarters at the Briar Rose B&B recently with the local CVB Diplomats. Its a gem worth checking out on the Internet.

While in Jefferson City,be sure to visit the new Lewis & Clark Trailhead Plaza which is on the Capitol grounds. Dedication is June 4. The bronze statues will arrive on May 22. See the following link

for details on the plaza and sculptor: http://lewisandclarktrailwatch.blogspot.com/

I wanted to stay in Jeff City but thought it may be a hassle to get there from the trail. Don't you have to get a shuttle?

I wanted to stay in Jeff City but thought it may be a hassle to get there from the trail. Don't you have to get a shuttle?

You do not have to take a shuttle across the bridge & many folks do not.

I recommend you read the comments on Bridge at Jefferson City.



Both Bed & Breakfast's (Briar Rose Inn, and Cliff Manor) have shuttle service. I think that 1 or 2 of the Hotels may also have shuttle service available.

You do not have to take a shuttle across the bridge & many folks do not.

I recommend you read the comments on Bridge at Jefferson City.



Both Bed & Breakfast's (Briar Rose Inn, and Cliff Manor) have shuttle service. I think that 1 or 2 of the Hotels may also have shuttle service available.

Some freinds of ours would like to vacation on the Katy in june between us we have 6 kids ages 7 mo to 8yrs. We want to ride no more than twenty miles and would like to find other family freindly things to do with the kids. We have never rode the trail and are looking for suggestions on where to stay (tent or cabin) and what type of stuff we can expect to find to do.

Think about Klondike Parn near Augusta. Fairly new park on the trail and they offer tent camping as well as cabins for rent:



http://www.bikekatytrail.com/site.aspx?sid=529

Steamboat Junction campground in Bluffton also has cabins.

Has anyone stayed at the Quality Inn on S. 5th Street? On the map it appears close and easy to get to the trail, I have 3 children (we are traveling on tandems) and wanted to be sure I could get to the trail safely from there or do I need to park elsewhere (long term, 5 days) Thank you in advance for any help.

Sorry, the hotel is located in St. Charles

We stayed there last year while in St. Charles for the Tour of Missouri. Although we were driving, it appears an easy ride to the Katy.

You could try this hotel; right on the Katy Trail:



Country Inn & Suites On Historic Main Street (St Charles, Missouri)

1190 South Main Street

St Charles, MO

636-724-5555 / 800-456-4000

www.kinseth.com/charles.asp

The trail is temporarily closed east of Claysville at mile 147.2 due to a sinkhole in the culvert. Trail users will need to detour around this area by using U.S. Hwy. 63.

Thanks for the info. We were planning a Bville to JC ride this weekend (with reservations in JC already made). Is the detour well marked? Do you know how bike friendly Hwy 63 is?

Thanks so much for the heads up on this.

I called the MO Dept of Natural Resources about this, and they really didn't have much information. She said it should be well marked. No idea how long it will be closed.



Generally when they do this sort of thing, the detour runs from one trailhead to another, which in this case would be from the Claysville trailhead to the North Jefferson trailhead - but she was not certain that the detour ran between these two points.



To get a better idea of the situation, take a look at this interactive map of the trail. Double-click to zoom in on that area - you'll see that 63 actually crosses the trail between Claysville and JC. Click Hybrid at the top of the map to see a photo view. If you zoom in REAL close, you'll see that 63 is a divided hiway and appears to have shoulders. But that traffic is probably going 65+ MPH. It also looks like no trail access where 63 crosses over the trail.



Hopefully somebody out there can chime in with more info. If not, your best bet may be to call some of the bike shops in Jeff City, or businesses in Hartsburg, to see if anyone knows anything. I wish I had more info, but it seems we're all in the dark here - even the DNR folks.

Thanks for the reply. I also called today and the person I spoke to said the detour instructions are posted at Hartsburg and at the JC trailhead. She stated that 63 is a busy 4 lane highway. Also stated she wouldn't recommend it herself due to it being a busy 4 lane highway.

She stated it should be fixed by Monday. I asked if there was anyway to "cut" through the edge of the trail/in the woods for a bit but she said the trail is closed at the Cedar Creek (I think that was the name) bridge because the bridge was also damaged and needed some repair. So.....no way around it at all except for the detour.

Looks like we'll be staying more on the Western end of the trail for this weekend!

63 has a wide shoulder and uphill grades between North Jefferson Trailhead and Claysville Road. You are right Ray, traffic does travel at 65+, that is 65 + 15 MPH. Not very feasable to get on 63 where it crosses Katy Trail. Claysville Road is hilly and winding, about 2 miles from 63 to Katy Trail.

I got the following information from Hartsburg Cycle Depot (they are located in Jeff City but still maintain very close ties to Hartsburg):



"I have a friend/rider out on the trail everyday who updates me from Jeff to Tebbets or from Jeff to Hartsburg. It was not blocked off on Monday but by Tuesday it was, he says it looks pretty bad. It seem that with all the rain that the land has sunk or washed away from a concrete culvert revealing a big hole and loose surroundings.



"The 63 route is unfavorable, from the trail you will need to take the Katy spur to the pavilion that is on 4th street and just a jog down to Cedar City Dr.(Mo-AF)make a right, follow the road to the highway. From the trail head to the highway entrance (at the mobile home sales lot) is about 3 miles, it is then about 5miles up and down hills to Claysville road. Like any highway the shoulders are filled with debris that can cause flats. Claysville road does not have a shoulder and winds a bit up and down hills. I think even the most experienced road rider would shutter at the thought of riding 63 especially with drivers that know bound to the speed limit. This is the easiest way I think to go."



Thanks again to Pam at Hartsburg Cycle Depot for this update. Sounds pretty bad - I hope they fix it quickly!

I didn't think to check the website before I biked from Columbia to Jeff City today, so I didn't know about the closing until I was on it. I think there was a notice I overlooked back at Hartsburg. Anyway, I didn't want to backtrack to Claysville, and go all the way out to 63 and back, and I didn't want to bike on 63 either. So I walked my bike on the ~2 feet of bridge that extend beyond the rail. I'm sure that's terribly unsafe; do it at your own risk.

My buddy and I crossed the area as did Rachel and I found this not to be a problem at all! Ron

Is this fixed? I checked the DNR website, and they report no closures or hazards.

A person can walk a bike across the edge of the bridge. It's no problem if a person is careful. From the way the path was worn, many, many people were doing it. But like one person said, do it at your own risk. Sunday evening was beautiful on the trail!!

This bridge is now open, As stated by Rachel and Ron you were able to bypass the bridge by walking around but according to my calculations this could be done with minimal risk but do not attempt it on a Electra townie!

Good news! We'll be there in a couple weeks and I've been squinting at Google Earth trying to figure out the detour. Now I can just relax and enjoy looking forward to our trip.

Is this section of the trail fixed and ridable? We will be traveling on tandems with children in 2 weeks, just wanna be sure.

I live fairly close to St. Charles. I'll be driving in and registering Monday morning instead of Sunday night. Will I be able to leave my vehicle at St. Charles for 5 days? Do I need to make special arrangements?

Thanks

Yes, week-long parking arrangements have been made in St. Charles. Detailed information will be included in your confirmation packet which should go out next week. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail if you have any additional questions. connie.schmidt@dnr.mo.gov

I have enjoyed my stay at this charming bed and breakfast!The hostess is a warm and wonderfully friendly woman who is a delicious cook. Our breakfast was phenomenal and plentiful. This was our second visit to this B & B and I we look forward to being there in the future. Wll worth every penny.

I have enjoyed my stay at this charming bed and breakfast!The hostess is a warm and wonderfully friendly woman who is a delicious cook. Our breakfast was phenomenal and plentiful. This was our second visit to this B & B and I we look forward to being there in the future. Wll worth every penny.

Some freinds of ours would like to vacation on the Katy in june between us we have 6 kids ages 7 mo to 8yrs. We want to ride no more than twenty miles and would like to find other family freindly things to do with the kids. We have never rode the trail and are looking for suggestions on where to stay (tent or cabin) and what type of stuff we can expect to find to do.