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Reply to East to West or West to East?
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bikerLaura from Round Lake, IL on 7/3/2005 10:52:57 AM:
I rode the Katy in 2001 from Sedalia to St Charles. I am planning another trip this year, but not sure if it makes a difference riding west from St Charles to Sedalia/Clinton or riding east from Clinton/Sedalia to St Charles. I had read somewhere once that the eastbound was more downhill, especially along the river.

 
John K from Webster Groves, MO on 7/3/2005 11:59:55 AM:
A 3 to 5% grade doesn't really make much of a difference but if you go east to west you stand a greater chance of going into a head wind.

 
Nails on 7/5/2005 1:00:54 PM:
It may not seem like it, but a 3 to 5% grade is HUGE. A 4% grade over the length of the trail from Boonville to St. Charles (152.3 miles) would be a change in elevation of over 32,000 feet. This is taller than Mt. Everest! In reality, the KATY trail only loses a net 150 feet over this distance. This is an imperceptible average grade of less than 0.02%. Indeed, the prevailing west-to-east winds make the downstream journey generally the easier one.