Rocheport to Hartsburg or Hartsburg to Rocheport

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Pato from Kansas City on 9/11/2013 8:29:17 PM:

My wife and I have just one day on the trail and will be staying in Rocheport that night. We want to see as much as possible of the trail and am considering shelling out for a shuttle so we don't have to backtrack. Would Rocheport to Hartsburg/Jeff City be better than the opposite?

El Toro on 9/11/2013 8:36:10 PM:

In my opinion....YES!

Pato from Kansas City on 9/11/2013 8:41:57 PM:

Rocheport to Hartsburg is better? Any particular reasons?

Jim from St Thomas on 9/11/2013 10:06:22 PM:

I would look at the wind forecast for the day you're riding. If it's out of the west ride Rocheport to JC. If it's out of the east ride JC to Rocheport. The scenery is the same either way.

Hank on 9/12/2013 5:36:22 AM:

Wind is a factor, but if I was staying in Rocheport I would strongly recommend shuttling to your starting point and then biking to Rocheport. The great appeal of the Katy to me is the peaceful self-sufficiency of traveling by bike, on your own power, without a specific time frame. So ending your day by rolling up on Rocheport and your stay for the night would be gorgeous. Contrast this to ending your day with an hour-long vehicle shuttle, likely partly in the dark, and hitting Rocheport by vehicle instead of bike? No way. No question for me. If wind is a factor then shuttle to the west instead of east.

Jim from St Thomas on 9/12/2013 7:37:33 PM:

You make a good point Hank. I guess for me it would depend on the wind speed. 35 miles against a 10 - 12 mph headwind can sure take the fun out of a ride.

Pato from Kansas City on 9/12/2013 7:57:03 PM:

Thanks for all the good info! Can you recommend any must sees, dos, or eats?

MidSouth from Rogersville, MO on 9/12/2013 8:17:14 PM:

Breakfast or lunch at Dotty's in Hartsburg.
Ice cream at Cooper's Landing in Easley.
Bur Oak tree in McBaine
Dinner at Abigail's in Rocheport.
Lots of photo ops along the river and bluffs.

Pato from Kansas City on 9/12/2013 8:56:17 PM:

Thanks MidSouth! Any idea on which way the wind usually blows in mid-October?

Doug from Bluffton on 9/12/2013 9:33:49 PM:

Several

MidSouth from Rogersville, MO on 9/12/2013 9:51:02 PM:

The general opinion is that is usually from the west, but looking at the forecast for the next week and a half it is blowing from every direction other than west. So your guess is as good as mine.

I believe the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival is Oct 12-13. We usually ride to the festival from North Jefferson sometime during that weekend.

MAH from Blue Springs, MO on 9/12/2013 10:35:18 PM:

Beautiful section to ride. River views, bottom land views, deeply wooded sections...a bit of everything (except no hills). Sometimes I think the wind comes in off the river and bounces against the bluffs in spots and I swear I've had a head wind and tail wind within the same few mile section. I agree with Hank, if you're going to shuttle, try for at the beginning of the day so you don't have to worry about your timing and catching your ride at the end of the day.

Trek on 9/13/2013 8:52:13 AM:

I've experienced the same thing with the wind along the bluffs as MAH. Wind direction is pretty immaterial to me when riding east of Rocheport. West of town or out in other open areas is a different story.

I know you want to shuttle and see all you can, and thats understandable. We seem to have taken a different approach and do alot of out and backs. The trail never seems to be the same riding on the return. It's viewed from an entirely different angle in different light, so it all seems like a fresh new ride to us.

Living not much farther from the trail than you, I'd rather spend my shuttle money making a return trip to the Katy for another ride. I hope that your discovery is that you'll want to return also.

MidSouth from Rogersville, MO on 9/13/2013 9:56:16 AM:

I'm with Trek on the shuttles. In five years of riding the Katy several times a year we have only used a shuttle once, during the floods of 2009. We prefer to do overnight out and backs. My wife's favorite weekend ride is to start in Hartsburg and ride to Rocheport or Booneville, spend the night in one of the many B&B's and return in the morning. We see sites we swear were not there the day before!

Anonymous on 9/13/2013 2:51:45 PM:

We have done the ride between North Jefferson City and Rocheport many times. If I were going to take a shuttle I would either start or end at North Jefferson City and ride the 35 miles. I suspect the shuttle cost would be the same. It is definitely up river going from North Jefferson City or Hartsburg to Rocheport. So a very gradual uphill that direction. A northwest wind can be a significant impediidment and if it is over 10 mph I would avoid starting at Hartsburg.
I think one of the nicer spots on the trail is about 5 miles south east of Hartsburg where the trail runs right along the river.
If you decide to ride that far the absolute best meal on the trail is the fried chicken plate at the Claysville Store on Sunday afternoon or Saturday evening.

Don from Overland Park, KS on 9/13/2013 4:03:00 PM:

What date are you talking about, my wife and I are doing about the same ride Oct the 5th and 6th. We have a suburban and would be glad to shuttle vehicles together. May also do a late October trip.

Pato from Kansas City on 9/13/2013 8:59:53 PM:

Hey Don, we appreciate your kind offer. We are going on Oct. 16th a Wednesday. If that works for you that'd be great!

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