The Katy Trail

A quick note:
I apologize for the quality of photos in this entry. We decided it would be best to take the small point-and-shoot Kodak instead of the klunky SLR camera.

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After Imo's Pizza and a concrete from Ted's, we thought we should burn some of the stored calories on The Katy Trail.


What is the Katy Trail, you ask?

The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, also known as the MKT or "Katy" line, was developed between 1865 and 1915, and utilized until 1986. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (thanks to the National Trails System Act) acquired the rails and converted them into trails.


The Katy Trail is actually one long state park, and one of the longest developed rails-to-trails in the country, running 225 miles from the town of Clinton to St. Charles (almost spans across the state of Missouri). There are numerous railroad bridges (most built in the early 1900's) and 26 trailheads - each containing a thorough history of the surrounding community, effects of the railroad, and even notes from the Lewis and Clark expedition along the Missouri River. The trail is crushed limestone - perfect for mountain bikes and medium tires.

Click here if you would like to follow along on a map of the Katy Trail.

We weren't up for a 450-mile round-trip, so we purchased one-way Amtrak tickets for ourselves - and our bikes.


We parked Sally the Subaru in Kirkwood (a safe suburb of St. Louis) and hopped on Train 311. It was a smooth ride. We took our place in the comfy seats with our bikes parked in clear view (a comfort considering what has happened in the past).


Now, the Amtrak parallels the Katy Trail to Sedalia, then heads north to Kansas City (Missouri, not Kansas). So we decided to exit the train in Sedalia. This meant we couldn't start the trail in Clinton, but we weren't complaining about the 37.5 missed miles.

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And so Day 1 on The Katy Trail begins!

We arrived in Sedalia around noon, ate a sandwich from the Copper Wolfe, and couldn't resist a scoop of their homemade blackberry cobbler ice cream! The trailhead was a hilly 5-mile bike ride from the train depot, but we survived.


Not sure if you are interested in the two types of bridges used on the Katy Trail, but we passed many, and I thought it was interesting, so here it goes...

Pony Truss Bridge (notice there are no beams across the top)

Through Truss Bridge (notice the beams going across the top)

All the bridges were made of steel because it was more durable than wood or iron, and much cheaper than brick. Pretty neat, heh?


Our first break was Clifton City trailhead.


An interesting fact: The railroad tracks reached Clifton City on April 10, 1873 (the line was built east from Sedalia). And the last train passed through Clifton City in 1987.

An undetermined population.
Sounds like a book or movie title, doesn't it?

Mile marker 213.2 - one of a few complete signal lights remaining on the trail.

And our final stop for the day was Pilot Grove - named for the grove of trees in the surrounding area that "piloted" travelers between the Lamine River and Petite Saline Creek. The tracks reached Pilot Grove on May 18, 1873.


By the 1880's, Pilot Grove had 4 general stores, 2 hotels, 2 millinery stores, and more! We discovered that the last (and only) grocery store in Pilot Grove shut down for good just days before we arrived. Turns out a Wal-Mart just opened a few towns away in Boonville. The locals are happy they have a place to buy things, but they are not happy that it has swallowed their local businesses.

Earlier in the week, we planned our mileage for the week and made reservations at B&B's along the route. We had originally planned on camping each night, but voted for a shower and a real bed after a long, dusty ride. While the Katy Trail is a nice and well-maintained trail, the surrounding communities are tiny (with populations less than 100, in many cases), so food and lodging are scarce, and some pre-planning is necessary.

We were lucky to spend our first night at Point Grove Bed & Breakfast. The website said the B&B was a few blocks from the trailhead, but when I called to make reservations, Dolores said her B&B was actually 2-miles from the trailhead. I told her we had no problem biking the 2-miles, but she insisted on picking us up.

So it turned out the B&B by the trailhead is for sale. Dolores and her husband, Virgil, now run the business from their home, which we all agreed made our stay extra special. We were grateful Dolores picked us up because the 2 miles had a HUGE hill (a challenge for the most experienced cyclist).

We decided to forgo a guaranteed-greasy dinner at Deon's Bar & Grill - the ONLY restaurant in town - and eat the stash of food we always pack for situations like this.


Dolores doesn't normally serve her guests dinner, but when she found out we were snacking instead of eating something hearty for dinner, she insisted we join them for dinner. Richie and I didn't want to impose, so Dolores later changed her approach and said "Well, I'm cooking enough food for all four of us. You are invited to join us, if you'd like." Now how can you resist a sweet, motherly request like that?


We met Virgil at the house. He pulled into the driveway in a green John Deere tractor, of course, wearing exactly what you'd think a farmer would wear - denim coveralls, a white t-shirt, and boots.

We learned that they were high school sweethearts and have spent their entire lives in Pilot Grove. Dolores is a retired elementary school principal and she is the more reserved, orderly one. Virgil still works long hours (mostly by choice) managing the farm and he loves Mountain Dew. The man even drinks it for breakfast! His words: "If you can get your caffeine from your coffee, I can get mine from my Mountain Dew." They have three grandchildren who they don't see enough. And after years and years of farming, Virgil lost the tip of his left pointer finger back in May... not in a piece of farming equipment... but by adjusting the garage door.

These two appreciate travelers and had some wonderful stories to share with us. We could have spent all night (and all morning at breakfast!) talking with them.

One day down - Sedalia (mile marker 229) to Pilot Grove (mile marker 202.3) = 26.7 miles.

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The heavens opened up the night before, so the trail was a slushy one. We started Day 2 at the Pilot Grove trailhead (mile marker 202.3). Our goal was to get to Hartsburg (mile marker 153.6), for a total of 48.7 miles. This was the first time we've biked this distance - the longest being 40 miles on the St. Tammany Trace in Louisiana.


We crossed over I-70 and thought how wonderful it was to not be in a car in traffic on the interstate. We arrived in Boonville, a town with quite a history.


It was founded 1817, and was actually where one of the first Civil War battles took place - June 17, 1861 (even before Virginia's Battle of Bull Run). And here is a funny story about Lard Hill in Boonville (thanks to the roadside plaque):

According to local legend, the hill was named after a Katy train killed a woman's pig but refused to pay her more than $5. To receive justice, she melted down the fat of the pig into lard. Each morning for weeks afterward, she and her children covered the tracks along the grade with the lard, forcing trains to slip and skate uphill. Needless to say, the railroad gave in and made full compensation.


We crossed the Missouri River and admired from afar the fifth railroad bridge, built in 1932. It was the longest lift-span in the United States when it was built, but unfortunately is going to be removed.


We rode through this 243 foot long tunnel that the railroad built in 1893. The first half is nicely covered with stone and it seems they either ran out of money or got lazy and didn't complete the second half. Then it was time for a sandwich at the Trailside Cafe & Bike Shop in Rocheport (mile marker 138.8).


The sky was a dark gray as we left the cafe, and a plump frosty-haired lady told us "It's going to start raining any minute now!" We just looked at her with a smirk. She just jinxed us.



Although it was a slight drizzle all the way to Hartsburg, we felt as though we were pedaling an extra hard 25 miles through limestone pudding.


When we arrived at the Globe Hotel B&B, Jeanette greeted us with a warm smile and a gray cat on her shoulder. We have affectionately nicknamed her "The Cat Lady." We couldn't have asked for a nicer welcome.

Jeanette saw our filthy bikes, drenched bodies, and the "racing stripe" on our backs. She first offered the use of her garden hose (for the bikes), then her washer and dryer (for our clothes), and finally a shower.


We were hoping for a nice dinner at The Hitching Post, but learned it went out of business a few weeks before (Seeing a pattern here?). And the other two restaurants in town are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Luckily, we travel with extra food and had enough for dinner.

About Hartsburg:

• 1893 - railroad arrived and the Globe Hotel opened. It was considered one of the best hotels between New Franklin and St. Charles.
  
• 1901 - Hartsburg incorporated

Interesting Fact (thanks again to the trailside plaque):

Hartsburg residents had electricity years earlier than most Missourians because the town bought and operated a generator. From 1919 to 1929, residents were supplied with electricity in the evenings until 9 or 10pm and on Mondays and Tuesdays for washing and ironing. In 1929, an electric cooperative began providing power to the area, although some farmhouses were not connected until 1947.

There were 9 floods in Missouri between 1903 and 1995; most remembered was the 1993 flood. What else would you expect in bottom lands?


Jeanette and her then-husband purchased the Globe Hotel in 1984 with hopes to operate a B&B once the children left home. The relationship didn't survive, but Jeanette successfully transitioned. She shared her memories of the 1993 flood. She had to move her belongings upstairs - in the same corner room we slept in - and lived there for a few years while the water-logged downstairs dried out. Water had reached 8 feet high and about a foot of mud covered the floor. I can imagine it looked much like homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Jeanette has been repairing the house every since.

She is originally from busy-body southern California, so she appreciates and is content with small town life.

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After a restful night sleep in our warm and cozy bed, Jeanette fixed us a delicious breakfast, and sent us on the trail with a genuine hug and the BEST zucchini muffins we've had in a long time. Quite a treat! The sky was clear and the trail was drying. Today was going to be a good one.

The Goal: Hartsburg (mile marker 153.6) to Rhineland (mile marker 105) = 48.6 miles


We made a pit-stop at the North Jefferson trailhead which is across the Missouri River from Jefferson City (Missouri's state capital). Jefferson City was named after President Thomas Jefferson whose vision led to the purchase of the Missouri Territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase. State lawmakers insisted that the new state capital be on the banks of Missouri River near the center of the state and within 40 miles of the mouth of the Osage River. And Jefferson City is where it stays despite many attempts at moving the capital.

Missouri has seen 3 state capital buildings:

• The first statehouse was built in the 1830's and was quickly out grown at a size of 60x40 feet. It was eventually destroyed by fire.
• The second statehouse was built and remodeled by 1889 - adding a new dome structure. Ironically, lightning struck the dome and the statehouse burned.
• And the third statehouse was completed in 1917 and at 262 feet tall, continues to serve as the Missouri state capital building.

The North Jefferson trailhead has an extensive display of Missouri's flood history.
The most devastating, as mentioned earlier, was the Great Flood of 1993.

The river at Jefferson City crested more than 15 feet above flood stage. Throughout the Midwest that year, two to four times the average amount of rain fell during late spring and early summer, and the land became saturated. In the end, the raging water claimed 52 lives (27 in Missouri) and caused $15 billion of destruction from Minnesota to Missouri. Fifteen thousand Missouri homes were damaged.

The plaque also mentions that the Missouri River will inevitably flood again - they just don't know when. "When the next flood does come, we will marvel at its force, mourn over the destruction and then rebuild. It is a story that has no end."


On a lighter note, the North Jefferson trailhead is also the spot where the east and west sections of the Katy Trail were joined on September 29, 1996.


On our way to Rhineland, we passed a huge block of sandstone called Standing Rock (mile marker 120.4). What makes this rock so unique is that it has withstood erosion AND it has marked flood levels from over a century ago.


Seven floods are marked on the rock:

• 1903
• 1923
• 1935
• 1943
• 1944
• 1947
• 1993

You might be asking yourself "Why did they build a railroad in a floodplain?" Simple - there were no significant road grades and few curves. It was an ideal location - except for the flooding.


The trail side plaque said the 1935 flood took place during a drought (aka - The Dust Bowl), but that didn't reduce flooding. The Katy Trail was covered from 6 inches to 6 feet. Turns out the floods were the ultimate factor in closing the rails. The good news... people still mark Standing Rock with record flood years!


There were signs along the trail warning cyclists of the wash-outs on the trail, but none to prepare us for the significant trail damage between Mokane and Portland.


We arrived in Rhineland for a night at the Dollhouse B&B. As we approached town, we noticed that the B&B was the ONLY house still along the highway - a very strange and eerie feeling - I must say. It seems that the entire town of Rhineland was moved "up hill" after the 1993 flood.


Unfortunately, the owners of the Trailside Bar & Grill (across the highway from the Doll House B&B) were on vacation the day we arrived in Rhineland. We were just thankful they were on vacation and hadn't shut down for good! Amanda knew we were hungry after a 50-mile day and offered two options:

1. She could pick-up a pizza from the local store a few miles away and we could stay in and watch movies, or (with a giggle)...
2. We could go with her to the county fair - where her 17-year old son was auctioning his hog.

We picked option one. I know, I know - Party Poopers! With only our bike shorts to wear - we would have stood out in the crowd of cowboy hats, Wranglers, boots, and big a$$ belt buckles.

So, with the house to ourselves we ate pizza, watched a movie downstairs, then retreated to The Bunny Room for a restful night's sleep.


At breakfast, which was D-lish!, we asked Amanda how her son did at the auction. They tend to go for about $800, but because this was a 4-H type auction, the hog went for a little more. $975, to be exact. Can you believe a hog costs that much?!?!?

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By Day 4, we were in the hang of this cycling thing. In fact, we were ready to bike the farthest we've ever gone... Rhineland (mile marker 105) to St. Charles (mile marker 39.5) for a whopping total of 65.5 miles - - eek!

We had already planned on pacing ourselves - and stopping on a regular basis. Our first stop was the Teloar trailhead where we met 3 mature women sipping from their water bottles - eager to head back to Marthasville (a town 7-miles east from the Teloar trailhead - and where we'd be stopping next).

And I couldn't help but capture this note of encouragement on the pit toilet wall at the trailhead.

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Hops anyone?

At mile marker 66.4, we stopped at the Augusta Brewing Company for a sandwich. We decided to pass on the beer for the afternoon, but did purchase a half-gallon of their Hyde Park Stout. The 64 ounces of beer is known as "The Growler." After shifting a few items between our panniers, we managed to fit the very full glass bottle of goodness.


While we had been riding amongst corn fields all week, today was the mother-load (or should I say overload) of corn day.


We saw acres and acres of corn and kept saying "Does the world really need all of this corn?"
Well, there are many, many, many, many, many uses for corn. Here are just a few:

• Beer and soda
• Cereal
• Candy
• Cosmetics
• Paint and varnish
• Paper products
• Pharmaceuticals
• Rubber
• Spark plugs
• Toothpaste

By the time we reached St. Charles, we had completed almost 70 miles (because we passed the road to the next B&B).




I'm a little disappointed in myself.
We had so much fun with Sandi at the The Bittersweet Inn that we didn't even remember to take pictures!

But I have no doubt we will meet this vivacious woman again. She is a spunky lady and we instantly fell in love with her "momness."

For example...
We had originally reserved an upstairs room with a shared bathroom. When we arrived, Sandi told us that a family of six was staying upstairs for the night and that she wouldn't want us sharing a bathroom with complete strangers, so she upgraded us to a downstairs room with our own bath.

And when we asked about a good restaurant in town, she suggested Tony's on Main and even gave us a $10 gift card. Now, we figure this is how businesses work together in this town, but it was still a thoughtful treat!

Besides an incredible breakfast of quiche, homemade scones, fresh juice, potatoes, cinnamon french toast... and more, the best part of our Bittersweet Inn experience was Sandi's enthusiasm and positive energy. She really loves what she is doing. One of the first things I recall her saying is "This is my life." And she said it with a smile. She is eager to share her stories - and tells them well! From hookers in light-up shoes to tagging along to the country to participate in one of her husbands' dreams of farm life.

With a smirk, she says she has been successful at everything in her life - except love - but I suppose you can't be the best at everything! She is writing a book about her innkeeping experiences... and we can't wait to read it!

We highly recommend staying with Sandi. She truly loves her B&B, and is a great host. Plus, you can't beat her breakfast! We miss her already.

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While Day 5 was the second shortest in mileage (about 29 miles), it was the most stressful day of our journey. We had just spent 4 days on a calm, automobile free trail. And today, we jumped from street to street and crossed major intersections surrounded by people who didn't necessarily know how to drive with cyclists on the road.


But despite the stress of Day 5, we had a great time. For us, the Katy Trail was not only an opportunity to see how far our bodies could travel, but it was a glimpse at the past - a glimpse of how important the railroad was to Missouri (and to the rest of the country). We were able to gain a bit of insight of life in REALLY small towns - and how they are able to (or not able to) survive without the railroad.


And an unexpected joy for us was meeting the Innkeepers/owners of the B&Bs. Each was unique and had wonderful, touching stories to share.