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Eric Anderson from Williamsport PA on 6/8/2013 2:24:27 PM:

I am planning to bike the trail next week. It looks like there is water available at least every 20 miles.mhow many water bottles should I bring? Is one enough?
I

ArkyKenny on 6/8/2013 5:27:16 PM:

20 miles on Katy is likely to take you between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Plus it's summer. One water bottle is not enough for most people, and if you are asking here, I would assume that you don't ride a lot. If your bike can't accommodate two bottles, get a Camelbak. Also, drink and eat before you ride. I "slosh" when I take off, but it keeps me from getting dehydrated. You should also bring some food. A small bag of trail mix will do. Eat some after about an hour on the bike, or you will run out of energy (aka "bonk").

Cathy from Jefferson City on 6/8/2013 7:01:52 PM:

Eric, I agree with Arky, you need much more than one bottle.Note Dawn's latest update on damage from floods mentions a few bathroom facilities and running water at trailheads are not available due to flooding. When riding the trail don't assume you can get water you need, carry as much as you can. There's other threads that discuss drinking water at length. If you are still unsure use the tags filter to find them and read them

Hank on 6/9/2013 7:48:35 AM:

Water is to the Katy like gasoline is to a cross country car trip. You will always need it and much of your trip circles around getting it. So bring all you can reasonably take and then fill up whenever you are low. When stopping at restaurants you will drink cold ice water voluminously. Tip well those who keep the water coming. I am thinking of Dottie's in particular, who put down a pitcher of ice water last summer within literally moments of our arriving.

The Katy runs on cold water!

Joe R from O Fallon MO on 6/9/2013 11:14:35 AM:

Eric, there was a lot of flooding on the Trail this week, and some local roads closed. Where are you planning to ride?

Eric Anderson from Williamsport PA on 6/9/2013 7:25:57 PM:

We will start in Saint Charles on Tuesday 6/11 heading to Clinton, and then head back to Saint Charles. Will I be running into lots of detours?

Hank on 6/9/2013 7:40:04 PM:

Unfortunately you will probably not have a trouble-free ride. The following website is your best source of info: http://mostateparks.com/advisories?parks=53010

The State Park staff will be working on the trail this week. Near St. Charles there were multiple tornadoes which caused tree damage over a wide section of trail. Further west there are areas of trail washed out / damaged by flooding. Over much of the trail you may encounter mud / silt / etc. left over from the high water.

The river is below flood stage now in almost all locations, but the damage as I've said has been done and now it's repair time.

I wouldn't want to discourage you, there are numerous miles of trail that are unaffected. However there are some sections that have been hit hard. You will be riding right in the middle of the repair effort.

MAH from Blue Springs, MO on 6/9/2013 7:58:02 PM:

We rode from New Franklin to Easly this past Friday. Trail was open, but some good ruts, washouts in spots and mud in spots. We never had to get off the bikes, just went very slow. From New Franklin to Clifton City was also fully open. A few washed out and rough areas, but again, if you go slow and watch it, should be OK. Can't speak for Easly and parts south and east from Jeff City though. Heard from some on the trail that those sections were affected the most with some underwater east of Jeff City. Hopefully with the river receeding quickly and sunny rain free days the DNR can be working on it. If it's at all possible, the DNR will get it done quickly...they are amazing! Keep checking the State Park site advisory page for the most recent info. http://www.mostateparks.com/advisories?parks=53010

denise wallace from fulton on 6/10/2013 9:39:47 PM:

We fill our 50 oz camel plus bring 4 water bottles. I would go through that on a 50 mile trip in the heat of the summer

Jim from St Thomas on 6/12/2013 9:25:10 PM:

I'm probably in the minority here but going through 6 pounds of water in 50 miles seems excessive to me. Even in the heat of summer I may do a water bottle every 15 - 20 miles. If you're not dehydrated before you start and just drink when you're thirsty you'll be fine.

Anonymous on 6/13/2013 6:49:11 AM:

If you are not dehydrated before you start and only drink when you're thirsty, you'll be dehydrated when you finnish your ride.

Jim from St Thomas on 6/13/2013 12:24:36 PM:

I can only go by my own experience having biked on the Katy for years including back to back century rides in August. My opinion is that unless you are really pushing it hard in extremely high temperatures you don't need 98 ounces of water to go 50 miles. Like I said, I figure going by most of the posts here that my opinion is not widely shared but I thought I would throw it out there.

ArkyKenny on 6/13/2013 1:58:18 PM:

I don't think you need 100oz of water to go 20 miles either. But I do think you need 16-20oz per hour, plus a little food after the first hour--so for 2O miles you need at least 2 bottles, not 1.

I also think it's better to have it and not need it, than to need it, and not have it--especially if you don't know where you are going to get water 2 hours down the trail. For me, 2 bottles plus taking off with a full stomach would be the minimum water supply I would have if I were doing a 20 mile Katy ride.

Gary from Near Tebbetts on 6/13/2013 4:40:49 PM:

Jim, you left out the beers in that equation.

Jim from St Thomas on 6/13/2013 5:25:05 PM:

While it's possible that you may have seen me drink a beer or two on some of our rides, I doubt anyone counts that towards staying hydrated. :-)

Hank on 6/13/2013 8:50:15 PM:

Must. have. water. Like a car must. have. gasoline. It's just that some models can run longer than others.

On a bike, my fuel economy is about 20 miles per liter. If I don't refill from there I start dragging. The longer without water the more I drag. No fun. I drink every chance I get. At the end of the day you might say I 'dewater' via beer. A pitcher or so will do it. :)

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