Katy Trail Home  The Katy Trail and Rock Island Trail Rock Island Trail Home

Reply to Inexperienced Hike


Cancel and Return to Forum
Scroll down to see the discussion
All submissions are reviewed for appropriateness. We reserve the right to remove or edit any comment that we consider incorrect, misleading, or inappropriate, at our sole discretion. Please remember that this is a family-friendly website.
Subject:
Reply to Inexperienced Hike
Your Name:

This does not have to be your real name. It could be a "screen name", your initials, or just leave blank.
Your Hometown:

Optional - it's just interesting to know where people are from
Email Address
Comment:
So we know you are a human, please answer this easy math quiz:
4 + 1 =
MikeA from DeSoto on 3/22/2008 11:43:46 AM:
To make along story short. My wife and I are wanting to try something new. Neither of us have experients in hiking. We're both a little overweight. We would like to try a hike on katy trail. We're wanting to make a day or two of it. Is This trail o.k. for hiking? Where would a good starting and finishing point be? What kind of stuff will we need? When is a good time to do this hike? What do we need to do to be ready for a hike lik this? We want to camp. As you can see, We have no ideal of what we're doing. Please snd some help.

 
Jamain from Blue Springs on 3/22/2008 11:23:56 PM:
Read my comment from above. We saw more hikers than bikers for the two days we were on the trail. Many were older and maybe not in great shape, but all looked like they were having fun. It's a flat wide trail perfect for hiking for all ages and degrees of fitness levels. We stayed in a B & B right on the trail and that was great and I would stay there again. There are many benches along the way for resting and beautiful views--take a picnic and lots of water--especially as it gets warmer. Dress in layers--best for any weather and wear comfortable shoes and make sure to use the restroom before you head out--oh and don't forget the camera! There is a trail that goes over the tunnel in Rocheport--we didn't climb it, but I heard from another hiker that it was a nice hike with great views. Walking and hiking is one of the best ways to get into shape. Gook luck!!!

 
CaroleH from Kirkwood on 3/23/2008 7:15:08 PM:
I have ridden on several parts of the trail and have seen many hikers of all sizes and shapes. Since it is flat, I am sure you will not have a problem. I don't recall good camping places, though. The area I am talking about is St Charles to Hermann. Perhaps a B & B or hotel? Have fun and go for it!

 
gc from Columbia, Mo. on 3/23/2008 8:26:09 PM:
Well, I have hiked the trail from end to end, and I know a few others have, too. The trail is a great place to hike, especially since there are no really steep grades to contend with and the surface is easy on the legs.

I agree with the above statements and will add a couple of thoughts: 1., Start walking NOW before you go out on a long trip on the trail. Try walking for an hour or two on the trail or even around your neighborhood and see how you do. This will help you to get your stamina up. 2., Good shoes and socks are a must, and get backpacks that you can comfortably carry your equipment, food, water, etc. 3., In terms of camping, Klondike Park in St. Charles county near Augusta can't be beat. 4., Keep an eye on temperatures. I have done long walks in September that were beautiful and in July that was awfully hot, but also great.

Beyond that, look on this website for other places to camp or stay over night. The Peers Store will rent you the room above the store at very reasonable rates. Of course, be sure to get checked out by a doctor to make sure you don't have any medical issues. I am sure your doc will love that you want to start walking, but safety first. As I said before there are a few of us who have hiked the whole trail, and we have blogs about our experiences that are linked to this site. They might be of some help to you. (Which reminds me, I never updated the last day's walk from last July... Something for me to do tomorrow on my day off) Ray, do you want to link our blogs to this?

I say go for it and have a great time... Who knows, we might run into each other.

 
DougK from Troy on 4/7/2008 9:12:02 AM:
I did it, so can you. GC covered most, I'll add that you take a nice wide brimmed hat with ventilation holes so heat can escape. I almost considered an umbrella (as stupid as it sounds) for the sections with little to no shade. Bryson was tough during a really hot day. The best part of hiking the katy: you get a great tan on only the right side of your body since the sun is always to your right. It's a great attention getter while swimming. E-mail me at LMS346.com if you want me to send you more info from my trip. Remember- Hikers rule and bikers drool (sorry Mary).

 
jp from St. Louis on 4/7/2008 11:44:16 AM:
The only thing this biker is drooling over is a full carbon frame and fork.

 
Trek Biker on 4/7/2008 12:58:46 PM:
Good point jp.....I'been droolin over the Santana longbike.

 
jp from st. louis on 4/7/2008 4:31:40 PM:
After logging onto Santana's website, I am now drooling over a Santana "beyond" carbon fiber tandem with titanium lugs. I'm sure the misses would love one of these beautiful machines sitting in the garage calling for an adventure. Very sweet machines Trek. Very worthy of some long term drooling.

 
MEMObiker from West Bath ME on 4/8/2008 3:48:50 PM:
In 2002 my husband and I introduced ourselves to the KATY when I was 70lbs overweight and a mile walk was dificult. By 2007 we had switched to bikes and had ridden the KATY round trip twice. My weight was back to normal. I wish you both the joy of the trail.

 
Cindy from Cleveland, Oh on 4/15/2008 8:07:45 AM:
You may want to get a boy scout book. Go to an official scout shop in the nearest city (they're all over the place) and you'll find a wealth of reliable information on how to hike safely. From what to pack to plant and animal dangers. From how to choose the right backpack to the right shoes. I've been working with scouts for many years now and I think they show the best examples of outdoor skills. (By the way, the book will also guide you on how not to get lost in the woods and how to survive if it does happen.) Good luck to you, both.