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Reply to October on the trail - weather and lodging?
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Kahtrav from COLORADO SPRING on 8/15/2013 7:05:31 PM:
We are hoping to ride Katy the 2nd week of October with another couple. Is that getting too late into fall? What about accommodations? Do we need to reserve in advance or is it ok to show up - especially in October?
 
MidSouth from Rogersville, MO on 8/15/2013 7:31:41 PM:
October can be a great time to ride the Katy, but at the same time it could turn wet and chilly. If you know your timeline it would be best to make reservations, especially on weekends, some of the towns have limited accommodations available.
 
Donster from Ellisville on 8/15/2013 8:22:23 PM:
2nd week of October can be one of the best times, especially during the week. It's generally a drier month and the air is crisp.

The mornings can be quite chilly, so bring a light windbreaker and gloves. Those will not be needed after you warm up (10 miles or so). You may or may not see the fall colors at that time, since that changes from year-to-year. There will be leaves on the trail nonetheless, so beware of hidden walnuts and pecans.

Always make reservations because it is the courteous thing to do! The B&B owners are flexible if your plans change, but they are trying to run a buisness, and unannounced guests force them to scramble to put out fresh food. We had our plans shift by a day, and all 4 B&B's were happy to adjust their schedules.

Finally, take your time and take lots of pictures. You're from Colorado Springs, but the Katy and the Missouri River basin is an entirely different kind of beauty.
 
Trek on 8/15/2013 8:49:28 PM:
MU football can cause towns several miles away to fill available rooms quickly. Octoberfest in Hermann is every weekend of the month and books early. It could be getting difficult to find a room there now.
 
El Toro on 8/15/2013 10:11:41 PM:
I would agree with the advise given above. It is consistent with my experience. I have ridden "end-to-end" a couple times during October and love it but weekends in October can be really busy. I would not take off on the trip without reservations.
 
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 8/16/2013 12:14:58 PM:
I believe the Hartsburg's Pumkin Festival is October 12th and 13th. You can expect a huge crowd in that town that weekend.
 
Trek on 8/16/2013 2:56:09 PM:
We've ridden several times in mid to late October, trying to catch Fall color. Most of the time it is in its prime around the third week or so and usually during the week and not on a weekend when we can go. Halloween has been a good time to ride with most of the trail to yourself amongst the fallen leaves and bare trees with spider webs galore. It can be cool at the end of October, but it's still fun to ride then.

Our weather here has been pretty crazy this year. We rode in Minnesota over the 4th of July to escape the heat and it was actually cooler here than it was up north. August so far has been pretty much like Fall. Cool enough at night to keep the blooms from setting on the tomato plants and to make you think a jacket would feel good on some mornings heading to work. Not a typical August.

We had snow the first of May, and the way this month has been we could have snow by the middle of October. So, is the 2nd week of October getting too late into fall? No, probably not for Fall color. Will it be on the cool side? Maybe. It's about as unpredictable as the recent flooding near Manitou/Colorado Springs.
 
BikerBoy from Edwardsville, IL on 8/20/2013 3:41:20 PM:
Weekends in October are VERY busy in Hermann (Oktoberfest). In fact, all of the winery towns (Augusta, Rocheport, etc.) are busy those weekends. But if you ride the Katy Mon-Thu, or even on Friday, you should not have a problem with lodging.
 
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