Reply to Trail Conditions After Hurricane Helene

I’m leaving 10/5 to ride the Katy from Clinton to St. Charles. Given the forecast for rain from Hurricane Helene into, at least, eastern Missouri, what kind trail conditions might I expect. I’m still undecided as to which of my bikes to bring. I know that’s a week away but I need to start firming up my bike plans. I understand wider wheels may be better but they are, of course, heavier.

It will dry up over the next few days and the forecast for the next week is mostly sunny and highs in the 70s, so the trail conditions should be great. The trail on the Kansas City side of the state is already dry and pretty dusty again. You mainly have to look out for small washouts by entrances and driveways where you can get some loose gravel spots. The leaves will start falling soon and those will start covering things like walnuts and some of the loose gravel spots. The wider tires are really not needed.

No rain in Columbia, either. Cloudy and breezy.

Thanks for that insight. I appreciate the responses and will plan accordingly.

We need a trip report from you, Riv. :)

Bill:

The trip across the Katy went well. The weather was dry with no rain in sight. Mornings were chilly but it warmed up nicely during the day. Some notables for me were:

Many long, straight sections with little change in scenery other than the rocky bluffs
Other than squirrels, saw little other wildlife
Surprised with the miles and miles of soybeans being harvested along the river’s floodplain
The size/breadth of the Missouri River. It reminded me of the Potomac along the C&O
Loved Herman, it’s coffee house, restaurants and shops but not the trains at night :-)
Liked the Lewis & Clark histories along the way

If I were doing it solo, I’d have to spend a lot of time planning for overnight stays, food stops and contingency plans for mechanical malfunctions, i.e. the same info I’ve assembled during my many trips on the GAP and C&O.

In summary, I enjoyed the trip and can now check it off of my bucket list.

Best Wishes,
Rivnuts

PS: The breakfasts at the Main Street Diner in Booneville were outstanding and very reasonably priced. Highly recommended.

All of that sounds exactly right. Glad that it went well for you!

So happy to see your report on your Katy Trail Ride. Did you get to see Cooper's Landing, do they still have Boathenge? Did you see the Big Burr Oak?

What did you think about the little towns? I used to ride mostly around Jefferson City, and loved Tebbetts, Mokane, and Portland east of Jefferson City, and Hartsburg and Rocheport west of Jefferson City.

Did you see any snakes? I think most times I rode the Katy Trail I saw a snake. October may have been late for them. I learned to breath deeply, relax and remember we share the trail, with walkers, other riders and wildlife, including snakes.

Were there many others on the trail during your trip? Did you meet people from other states, countries?

Again thanks for letting us know how your trip went.

Cathy from Churchill:

Indeed, I saw boat henge and had lunch at Cooper's Landing. I also saw the painted silos among other sights. That said, I missed the big burr oak. I wasn't paying attention when I crossed the intersection at which you must leave the trail to see that big, old oak. It was a few miles down the trail when I realized I had missed that opportunity. My bad.

As for the "small" towns I already mentioned my admiration of Hermann. I also found Sedalia, Rocheport, Booneville, and Augusta interesting. I'd need to go back to take in all those small towns to appreciate all they have to offer. I loved all the restored train stations similar to those along the GAP Trail. The state has done a very good job in building the depots and providing lots of signage as well as maintaining the surface albeit with a few washouts.

I didn't see any snakes, turtles or other aquatic life. I did hear some Canadian geese which are, of course, the state bird of Pennsylvania. :-)

Since I was participating in the Big BAM tour of the Katy, I was riding amongst 300 other riders headed for St. Charles from Clinton. I didn't see very may other riders going west until we got west of Augusta to St. Charles especially since most of the trip was on weekdays. As expected most of the riders on this tour were from Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas. I met a few from California, Oregon, Connecticut, DC, Florida among others. My informal visual and conversational survey suggests the average age of the participants was between 65 and 75 which is not unusual for these kid of tours.

Hope your fall riding is safe and often.

Rivnuts