Katy Trail ride

[AllezGirl]

Loved it! Thanks for posting Susan!

I was born and raised in MO, but didn't ride when I lived there. I've always wanted to go back and do the Katy. Your pictures inspired me sooner than later, I think that'll be a good 40th trip!

Beth

[uforgot]

I loved your blog. Recognized almost all of it. I do need to remember what a beautiful state Missouri is sometimes. Also, you are so right about how QUIET the Katy trail is. And could you believe those hills in Augusta? Did you ride up them or walk?

Glad you had such a great trip, and you didn't mention any snakes. Did you see any?

[TrekTheKaty]

That's the Mo Research Park extension trailhead, right before the St. Charles trailhead pic--my "home" trailhead! We regularly ride the area from St. Charles to Defiance (ice cream stop!) Glad you enjoyed my home state of Missouri. We're still trying to do the west end from Jeff City. Maybe this year. I'll do it end to end at least once :-)

I always wonder how far people have ridden when we see them on our end. We passed the Bike & Build team last year. The trail is also mentioned in Kurmaskie's book, "Momentum."

[SLash]

That's the Mo Research Park extension trailhead, right before the St. Charles trailhead pic--my "home" trailhead! We regularly ride the area from St. Charles to Defiance (ice cream stop!) Glad you enjoyed my home state of Missouri. We're still trying to do the west end from Jeff City. Maybe this year. I'll do it end to end at least once :-)

I always wonder how far people have ridden when we see them on our end. We passed the Bike & Build team last year. The trail is also mentioned in Kurmaskie's book, "Momentum."

Lucky you!! We liked that leg of the trail. I need to post a picture on the blog of that huge tree nearer to St. Charles - know the one I mean?

We definitely enjoyed Missouri, it is a beautiful state. The Trail is an unbelievable resource - the longest state park I've ever seen. Glad we are so close to it too.

We saw a couple of stages of the Tour of Missouri in 2008 and have wanted to bike there ever since. Glad we did, now that we know how great it is we'll be back!

[Deborajen]

What an awesome trip - I'm so jealous! I've been trying to convince my husband that we should ride the Katy, but he's convinced that since it's not an all blacktop trail, it wouldn't be any good. We rode a small stretch of the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota several years back and never got a chance to coast on the unpaved surface - and he's completely set on riding road bikes with the skinny road tires. So how was the ride? (Besides the hilly section!)

[SLash]

What an awesome trip - I'm so jealous! I've been trying to convince my husband that we should ride the Katy, but he's convinced that since it's not an all blacktop trail, it wouldn't be any good. We rode a small stretch of the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota several years back and never got a chance to coast on the unpaved surface - and he's completely set on riding road bikes with the skinny road tires. So how was the ride? (Besides the hilly section!)

I've always been a skinny road tire girl myself, but got the Jamis Aurora elite so we could do these types of rides. It's different than riding on the road - no coasting as you pointed out - but no cars too. For me at this stage in my life no cars trumps about everything else.

Besides, it's beautiful, quiet and relaxing. On the road you can never relax because you always have to be aware of what is going on around you but on a trail with no traffic, in the middle of nothing, yet everything, complete escape happens.

Except for Mother's Day, I bet we didn't see 30 people on the entire trail the whole time we rode. 227 miles. I love that, but then I like solitude.

The surface was in great shape. Hard packed, only a few spots that the back wheel would dig in a bit and slide but never to the point that I fell. And they have had an unusual amount of rain. A tree fell one morning and later that morning they were already clearing it.

We met a guy on the trail that has ridden quite a few of the rails to trails and he said the Katy was his favorite.

I highly recommend you give it a try, especially since you're so close to it. If you can't convince your husband to go take a friend that rides. You won't regret it!

Susan

[indysteel]

What fun! Thanks for posting that. I'd love to so something like that someday. I'll have to share you blog with my DH.

[Dannielle]

That's the Mo Research Park extension trailhead, right before the St. Charles trailhead pic--my "home" trailhead! We regularly ride the area from St. Charles to Defiance (ice cream stop!) Glad you enjoyed my home state of Missouri. We're still trying to do the west end from Jeff City. Maybe this year. I'll do it end to end at least once :-)

I always wonder how far people have ridden when we see them on our end. We passed the Bike & Build team last year. The trail is also mentioned in Kurmaskie's book, "Momentum."

Hey I ride there too!

I usually start at Greensbottom and ride to Weldon Spring or Defiance. Sometimes I start in St. Charles but I usually stop when I hit Jungerman since the treatment plant down there stinks too bad to ride past and I prefer riding under some tree cover.

[SLash]

I loved your blog. Recognized almost all of it. I do need to remember what a beautiful state Missouri is sometimes. Also, you are so right about how QUIET the Katy trail is. And could you believe those hills in Augusta? Did you ride up them or walk?

Glad you had such a great trip, and you didn't mention any snakes. Did you see any?

Those hills!!

We rode up some, stopped at Augusta winery for *refreshments* and ended up doing the full wine tasting, then rode up the rest to get to the B & B

Saw one snake. By the time I saw him I was right at him. I *eeked* which scared the snake and he made a move - I'm sure to get away - but at the time it seemed like he was lunging at my foot. I scared him, he scared me. My husband had to reassure me the snake wasn't following me!