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Planning
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R6Elliot from Hot Springs, AR on 1/10/2010 9:02:50 AM:
My sister and I are planning on doing the Katy bike trail the first week of June. We do not
have a set milage for each day because we want the leisure to stop and explore. Will this
make it hard to find overnight lodging?/or/ should we set goals now and make reservations?
 
Chris on 1/10/2010 12:16:02 PM:
I'd say its always best to have some idea of where you'll end up by the end of the day. Even if that means setting very leisurely speed averages. June can be a busy time of yr on the trail & room availability may be a problem if you've decided to use the plan of "flying by the seat of our pants and see where it takes us". Best to be pre-booked I'd say, unless you're planning to camp out.
 
Randy from Edwardsville on 1/10/2010 1:45:57 PM:
There is plenty of time to plan before June. I checked out everything on this site and made choices/options from there. If you have not read it yet... insect repellant is vital!
 
Skyguy9999 on 1/10/2010 2:05:02 PM:
I'm a very slow cyclist compared to most and did the stop and take pictures and rest and eat and (well you know the drill), and made it from Clinton to Sedalia in 4-5 hours. So that should give you a decent idea on how long things take.

I was planning on getting the ride back before dark (this was in November), but got stopped in Windsor by darkness - the one thing I didn't realize going in was that the trees shade the trail pretty well in most spots and when the sun gets down below the trees, it's as good as dark.

Anyhow, you need to have accomodations reserved if you can help it. Otherwise, enjoy and have fun!
 
jd from gkc on 1/11/2010 6:55:48 PM:
A little study and planning doesn’t hurt anything here. Unless one studies the trail information at this website well, one almost has to do the trail once or twice to learn how to do it. :) :)

Apparently, you’re planning an end-to-end ride with enough time to explore parts of it ad hoc while leaving your vehicle parked somewhere? That’s a good plan. The trail is safe to enjoy and explore as long as the riders stay within the corridor and public places.

Riders can also get out of the on-the-trail lodging jams with a good cell-phone, credit card, and a few supplies on hand. Most of the larger towns on the map above have hotels/motels as well as the well-liked B&B’s, which are located everywhere in all shapes and sizes.

The motels generally have last-minute space unless a convention or celebration is taking place, like, the Oktoberfest in Hermann. Thus, you might want to jot down several lodging and food-outlet phone numbers and their locations from the town descriptions above via the interactive map. That might be easier than checking several yellow pages found off the trail. :)
 
Terry from Festus on 1/11/2010 10:51:40 PM:
If I were going to try and ride the trail end to end without making reservations, I would make certain I had the most recent edition of The Katy Trail Guidebook somewhere on my bike.
 
Trek on 1/12/2010 9:08:04 AM:
Not knowing every convention, wedding, etc. that might make finding lodging difficult the first week in June, it is then difficult to predict if it will be hard to find a place to stay at the spur of the moment.

I most often operate with the following in mind: "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." For my own use then the phrase translates into: "Why create my own state of chaos when I could plan a trip and let the peace of the trail dictate the course of the day."

But if you are so inclined to whing it then this become applicable....as the French say: "When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout." A viable option also, but not becoming in front of others on the trail.
 
R6Elliot on 1/12/2010 11:49:31 AM:
Thank you for all your excellent experianced advice, especially skyguy. We are making plans and reservation after plenty of reading on everything we can find on the Katy Trail. Again, thank you for all your thoughtful comments.
 
jd from gkc on 1/12/2010 12:23:04 PM:
One more small thing. Yes, the trail is busy during the spring and fall months. Any last-minute lodging is easier to find during the week (Sun-Thurs) than on the weekends (Fri-Sat) especially at the B&B’s in the wine country on the eastern half of the trail. People from the nearby cities come to those B&B’s in droves on the weekends to sample/visit the local wineries and their accompanying dinners then.

Unless you also have a support vehicle with you, be sure to carry extra tire tubes, plenty of drinking water, nonperishable energy snacks/food, and a camera! Enjoy.
 
jd from gkc on 1/17/2010 7:34:06 PM:
As you already know, Monday's are good days to carry extra snacks on the trail since some (but not all) of the nearby cafes and bar-grilles are closed then...you-know, the ones that put out the whomping cheese-burgers, tenderloins, and huge amounts of fries.

Also if you haven't done so already, you can see extra photos of the KT on the Facebook page: "Katy Trail Riders Unite."
 
Cathy from Farmington, New Mexico on 2/7/2010 10:56:47 AM:
Wow, my husband and I were going to 'wing it' in June. Maybe I should make some lodging reservations. I'm glad I found this forum!
 
Doug from Bluffton on 2/8/2010 8:05:50 AM:
One more bit of advice: Carry the phone no. of a shuttle service with you just in case. Wouldn't hurt to call and establish a rapport with them so that both sides would know in advance what might become necessary as well as possible.
 
maxine from sedalia on 2/10/2010 11:55:59 AM:
I am on the web site but not in the tour books. I usually have rooms during the week and some weekends, give me a call if you need me. Thanks Maxine's rooms for rent. Have a fun trip. Be sure to explore the Depot in Sedalia. Maxine
 
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