3 days 104 miles

[Fovea]

not too bad for a stroke/heart attack survivor and diabetic.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/cameraobscura/sets/72057594141130678/

[Kolesar]

1. Wonderful!

I rode the Katy Trail near Marthasville and I rode another segment at Rocheport. There were huge floods in 2001, so I left the trail and just rode around on farm roads that smelled like peanuts. That is a beautiful trail and it really captivated me. I shared the trail near Marthasville with innumerable indigo buntings and cardinals flying everywhere. The bluffs near Rocheport were truly cool. Did you use Amtrak for a shuttle or were you just using the location as a backdrop? Congratulations on doing it!

[Fovea]

2. We took Amtrak from KC

to Sedalia, rode from Sedalia to Jeff City and took Amtrak back to KC.

I do this a couple times a year, this trip was special to me, as it was a personal celebration of my fifth year of survival of a stroke and two heart attacks on the same day.

Yes, the indigo buntings are spectacular, if foolhearty birds who will chase your front tire down the trail. I refer to them as the bluebirds of unremitting depression, as they seem suicidal at times.

This was also snake week on the KATY. I never saw so many different species in one ride. All, I might add, non venomous. The lizards were in abundance as well.

[wtmusic]

3. fantastic

Did you manage to stay out of the weather? Looks like a storm's coming up in your photos.

[Fovea]

4. From Pilot Grove to Boonville

we were rained on, sometimes heavily.
The first night camping in Sedalia was bitter cold.

The last day was wonderful though. We were expecting cool weather when we got off the train in KC Thurs night, but actually had to drop a layer because it was too warm...

Ahhhh.

[Kolesar]

5. Would you pedal it with 28mm or 32mm tires?

I am considering riding most of the trail on a camping or hotel tour. I would rather use my road bike than my mountain bike. My road bike has drop handle bars and is lighter, which would make it faster. I have found a few unpaved rail trails that are rideable with "narrow" tires (such as Pine Creek trail in Pennsylvania). Some trails with larger gravel or occasional washouts are "just too rough". I have these Panaracer 700x28 tires on my bicycle that, curiously, measure to be the same width as their 700x32 tires. What do you think?

[Fovea]

6. A mountain bike would be overkill

but a lot of hybrids ride the trail, like giant cypress bikes, etc. and they get down the trail just fine on 32-38mm 559 ISO's.
Perhaps your 700c.x32 tires will be fine, though I would warn that they may still
get y0u involved with washouts (which occur with some freqency in the center part (from Rocheport to Tebbits)

The gravel is not large, but there are places where it is regularly re lain, so softness with narrow tires
is a bit intense in these spots.

realp

PS HAVE BIG FUN!

[Kolesar]

7. Where did you camp?

I was thinking of Marthasville to Booneville or Marthasville to Sedalia with stops in Hartsburg and Portland or Steedman.

[Fovea]

8. I thought I had answered this.. sorry fo r the delay.

Tebbets has a great shelter that you may have to enter via the first window on the right.
It is right across from the store, but the store is not always open very late.

Wilton or Hartsburg are wonderful towns. Steedman has been nice to be in, Portland, McBaine, not so much.
Actually, consider Hermann city park camping, though make sure you cross the bridge at a non peak, daylight, good weather interval.

Rocheport is a wonder, plan on giving it some time--go look up the mayor. Boonville is also nice, camping in New Franklin at the KATY roundhouse. Nice showers.

Cafe Napoli in Boonville to eat. It is about 2 blocks south of the bridge. Just catty corner to that is a great
massage therapist named Joe...something... in the old hotel building. I usually mail my tent and gear home from Boonville, since I catch Amtrak in Sedalia. It is bit of a climb out of town from Bvil to I-70.

If you are going on Sedalia, there is a nice new deli in Pilot Grove that serves local cured ham.
Between Pilot Grove and Sedalia, nothing. So get road snackage in Pilot Grove.

In Sedalia, my favorite italian restaurant just closed, and I am crestfallen. In consolation, I found a great italian place literally across from the capitol bldg, very close to the train station.

Great bike shops in -- Sedalia, Rocheport, Hartsburg, Jefferson, and near Marthasvile(IIRC).

[Kolesar]

9. Thanks a lot

I am going to note this. My summer and fall are looking busy. I would sure like to go in September.