Katy Trail

First thank you for everyone contributing on comments on this site..though I am a little concerned. My husband and I plan to ride the Katy Trail from Sedalia to St. Charles beginning 9/14/19 - 9/20/19. We already have hotels and campsites reserved, but now worried we may not get the mileage in per day as we've figured due to all the detours. We will be on recumbent bikes, carrying panniers - I'm wondering if we need to cancel this trip and wait another year. Do we dare take the chance? Thoughts anyone?

I just did Clinton to St.Charles over 5 days over labor day weekend. I wouldn't cancel your plans. There are some minor washouts and rough spots along the trail, but it didn't stop us from enjoying it. It probably took us a little more time to bike it because we were on Mountain Bikes and the soft and silty/sandy spots were harder for us to get through, but i wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

The only major issues that I found were these:
1) Detour on Hwy 40 between Boonville and Rocheport - for approx 2-3miles. Our plan was to attempt it, but that plan changed when it was pouring rain that day. We don't have much experience on road, so we opted for a shuttle around the road because it is a busy highway, cars are speeding through at 60mph+ and with the rain, we felt it wasn't safe at all for us. We used a family member for the shuttle, but I think cbamshuttle could help if you wanted to arrange something. 660-621-3488

2) 10 Miles of closure between Easley and Hartsburg. Based on information found on this site, we didn't even attempt it. Sounded like it would have taken us a long time due to the damage. We had family shuttle us to Hartsburg and we continued on from there.

3) MM117-118 closure due to Logan Creek Bridge being out under Hwy 94 near Portland. Hwy 94 was down to one lane due to flooding on the road - not sure if this was because the Mo River was coming up again or if it has been one lane since the rains this Spring. Either way, we opted to get shuttled by family around this road detour as well. Hwy 94 isn't awful, but the one-lane section is around a corner and we just felt safer to get transported around it. We met another group that did the Hwy 94 detour and they didn't have any issues with it, but they are road bikers as well.

Ultimately, I think it just depends on how comfortable you are with roads. I'm not, so I got shuttled around them. It's definitely doable, but I just chose not to. The trail condition varied - there were washouts, there were ruts, soft spots, silty spots. But it wasn't anything that we couldn't handle. I say go for it. Don't cancel your plans. I know nothing of recumbent bikes and what types of challenges that might present, but I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck!