Katy Trail Take 1
When:
SEPTEMBER 28 – 29, 2018
What better way to get into bike packing then to ride? This post is about our very first multi-day ride. It was a simple out and back on the Katy Trail from Columbia, Missouri to Boonville, Missouri (about 32 miles each way).
Andrew’s mom, Sally had come to town specifically to ride across the Katy Trail (for the 2nd time!) . Because Andrew and I have limited PTO, and are still new to the long distance riding thing, we decided it would be fun to join her on her last day. The plan being for Andew and I to ride to meet up with her Friday, then to turn around and all three of us ride back to the car Saturday.
The ride
We started off with a 2 hour drive to Columbia. After parking, putting the bike together (the woes of a folding bike) and a quick bathroom break at a gas station we were ready to ride! To get from Columbia to the Katy trail we took the MKT spur trail. This trail was really cute and had lots of fun bridges! (on the way back we realized they were numbered, but I don’t remember the final count).
After about 9 miles of easy riding we made it to the actual Katy Trail. We took a short break at the trail head – you know for snacks and photo ops. Oh, and to take our jackets off because for a late September ride, the weather was perfect once we got our blood pumping (52 degrees F).
We rode on for another 7 miles of easy riding with the Missouri River to our left, and the picturesque bluffs to our right before making it to our halfway point: Rocheport. The portion of the town along the trail was really cute, there was the usual trail head info stop and some bathrooms as well as a bike shop with a restaurant, a few B&B’s and an alpaca enclosure. A little ways past the Rocheport trail head is the only tunnel you will find on the Katy Trail. (Being from a non mountainous area, I am always excited to find tunnels, and this one was no different!)
The hardest part of our ride was the last mile. Just before Boonville, you have to cross the Missouri River, and sadly this is where we had to share a bridge with cars. The original MKT Boonville bridge that was used by the trains can still be seen and accessed from one side, so maybe one day the Katy Trail will have the funds to use it, but for now highway 40 will just have to do.
We met up with Sally in Boonville around 2 o’clock. After chitchatting and catching our breath we stopped at the Boonslick Guesthouse Bed and Breakfast to drop our stuff off and then went out for coffee at Taylor’s Bake Shop. The Guesthouse was enormous and had this awkward hallway/stairs right at the entrance since it was up on the 2nd floor. (If you are bringing your bike go to the back door; you’ll thank me later!) The place itself was perfect for what we needed and located right in the city center. We filled our evening with some simple sightseeing (the town isn’t that big, but there were still a few interesting sites we were able to checkout! (like the original bridge I mentioned before).
Saturday morning we were all ready to get back to the car and then home. Unluckily for Andrew and I, we hadn’t really been riding often enough, so we both had very sore butts on day two of our ride. (We need to remember to condition our butts better next time haha). The ride back was very different from our ride out the day prior. (For one, it was much colder!) It was nice to ride with the extra company. We stopped at several different spots that we hadn’t noticed on the way up. And some sites that just looked so different from the other direction. For lunch we ate at the Meriwether Cafe in Rocheport – which had become a favorite of Sally’s. We were not disappointed!
Overall it was a wonderful trip, and I’m glad we got to share in the experience. Riding this small portion of the trail has gotten us greedy for more, and so Andrew and I have decided we’re going to ride the whole thing (or at least most of it) next spring! Only when we do it then, we’ll be camping! Now to make sure we have enough gear…
Katy Trail - general information
The Katy Trail is the longest rails to trail project in the U.S. stretching across the state of Missouri for 237 miles (386 km). Rails to Trails just means they converted an old train track into a trail for walkers, joggers, bikers, and the like. The Katy trail is perfect for newbie riders like us because of its wide gravel path, and lack of vehicular traffic (no cars allowed!). A large portion of the trail follows along the Missouri River, so while riding you’ll be sure to see several scenic views. The trail is mostly flat (which could be a blessing or a nuisance depending on how you look at it.) Most of the trail is shaded by the tree canopies, but there are a few stretches that take you across wheat fields – and in the summer that could be really miserable. Riding along the bluffs however is a site to see!
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