Steamboat Junction Campground (Bluffton)
- + These people couldn't be nicer. Don't hesitate to stay here. Friendly people, clean campgrounds, and right off the trail. What more could you ask for?
Discussion started 09/20/2006 01:52 PM by jlm - 3 replies (last reply by Michele at 08/17/2007 12:09 PM)jlm from St. Louis on 09/20/2006 01:52 PM
These people couldn't be nicer. Don't hesitate to stay here. Friendly people, clean campgrounds, and right off the trail. What more could you ask for?
Brian from Washington, ;MO on 06/11/2007 10:35 AM
I agree, these folks couldn't be nicer. They have a refrigerator with gatorade, soda, snacks, and they use the honor system. You put your money in a slot for what you want. And they don't gouge you. The campground with showers, was excellent. I'll use this again.
hookedonbiking from MO on 08/01/2007 08:52 AM
We were riding to Herman a few weeks ago, & stopped here for "shaved ice". There were several tables with umbrellas for shade, a place that we could fill our water bottles, & friendly people all around. Definately a welcome site in the over 90 degree heat. There were also some basic snacks (candy, peanuts, sports drinks..)
Michele from Chicago on 08/17/2007 12:09 PM
The owner is very friendly and helpful. We stayed on a Tuesday night and were the only ones there. The day we arrived it was 103 degrees so we were happy to be staying in the cabin with airconditioning. It has 2 twin beds and a black and white tv with one channel. It is spotless and was heaven! Portapotty was spotless, and the shower room was very clean as well. Very good place to stay and a great value. Only $30 for two people! We ate our "dinner" out of the honor snack bar. We had chips, drinks, candy and a sandwich. It was a welcome feast because we didn't want to bike an extra 5 miles and back to the next town in the heat. We felt very safe there even though we were all alone. Great place! FYI, the two story cabin for $75 sleeps more people and has a kitchenette and indoor plumbing!
Huntsdale
- + We had a nice time here. We got firewood, hot showers and the camp ground was nice and
clean.
Discussion started 07/22/2007 10:58 PM by arlo - 6 replies (last reply by Kim at 08/16/2007 11:28 AM)arlo on 07/22/2007 10:58 PM
We had a nice time here. We got firewood, hot showers and the camp ground was nice and
clean.
gtnn2bkn from prairie home mo on 08/13/2007 12:59 PM
We stopped at Katfish Katy's. They had fresh bananas and cold V-8! The clerks were amicable and the grounds clean. We thought there'd be more of a menu, but didn't mind peddling on to Rocheport. That was a disappointment. It was not quit 2:00. The sign said open, until 6. There was a man at the register and two in the back. No one greeted us. No one looked at us. We pondered the menu, we walked back out to check the sign. Walked back in...still no recognition. One of the men came from the back: still no acknowledgment. It was 100 plus heat ~ had we melted into invisibility? I think not... there were no other patrons: several sets of people were however outside sitting and laying on the benches under the trailhead pavilion, but no one was inside the air conditioned Cafe sipping water or what have you. That should have been a clue. The place was unwelcoming and uninviting. We were ready to drop $15 - $20 for sandwiches and beverages. They completely ignored us. What's up with that???
Brian from Wichita, KS on 08/14/2007 12:13 PM
Good comments, but kinda confusing -- did you get the bad service at Huntsdale or Rocheport? Which business? specifically? Just curious.
gtnn2bkn from prairie home mo on 08/15/2007 04:33 PM
sorry ~ the dismissive, nonchalant, can't even bother to look up and greet you attitude was at the Rochport "Trailside Cafe"....and i'd read good things about the place!! That's why the dismay....
Trek Biker on 08/15/2007 04:59 PM
Seems unusual to me as I've always found them to be friendly and kind. When it's hot....everyone is hot. Did you speak to them.....acknowledge their existence??
gtnn2bkn from prairie home mo on 08/16/2007 11:04 AM
Trek Biker ~ as i said, we were pondering the menu; and yes, out loud. The older man behind the register may have been deaf, but not blind; he was shuffling some slips of paper back and forth. He was less than two or three feet from us, whatever the width of the counter top is: he refused to look up. Even when we came back in from rechecking the hours and reviewing the posted lunch special; and that being after we'd said (yes, trek: OUTLOUD) "what is the lunch special?". Like i said, we'd read good things about them...thus our dismay.
Kim from Independence, MO on 08/16/2007 11:28 AM
We've always had good experiences here, but not so good at the General Store or the Katy B&B.
The gentleman I believe you are referring to, we have always found to be on the quiet side, not overly friendly, but usually accomodating. Perhaps he was tired, concentrating on his task, and just did not notice you. I don't normally find that they say anything unless you stand right in front of the counter, because people also come in the same door to go to the bike shop.
The food here is great, generous portions, but I have always found the service to be slow, likely because everything is prepared when you place your order. And they bring everything out to the table.
Sorry you missed the great food, and I hope you give them another chance.
Road Tandem suitable?
- + Can anyone tell me if the trail is suitable for our Cannondale R3000 tandem with 700Cx32 tires? We would like to start at the Creve Coure Connector, and ride West from there.
Thanks
Discussion started 08/11/2007 08:44 PM by tandem captain - 6 replies (last reply by Scott Stinnett at 08/15/2007 11:00 PM)tandem captain from Middleville, Mi on 08/11/2007 08:44 PM
Can anyone tell me if the trail is suitable for our Cannondale R3000 tandem with 700Cx32 tires? We would like to start at the Creve Coure Connector, and ride West from there.
Thanks
TMS from Festus, MO on 08/11/2007 09:45 PM
I do not know anything about tandems, but I did ride the trail end to end this summer using those size tires and I believe they are the perfect size for the trail.
Nails on 08/12/2007 07:58 AM
I've ridden a road tandem from Sedalia to St. Charles with 700x28 tires twice. The first time, I had three flats. I learned from that experience. The next time, I had kevlar belted tires and tried to avoid running over anything.
Rick from Wichita on 08/12/2007 10:28 AM
Just rode my recumbent on 1.35 inch smooth tires, which is about 34mm, and I agree with the above posts that you will be fine with those tires...the surface is VERY compact crushed limestone, so you roll very well. Can't comment on the stickers/thorns, never had one...Good luck.
Nails on 08/12/2007 11:43 AM
I forgot to mention that on the second ride, I had no flats.
Don Elliott from Dallas on 08/13/2007 02:25 PM
We just rode the section from Sedalia to Hermann with two road bikes. We used 700 x 25 Gatorskins on one bike and 700 x 23 with Kevlar belts on the other. We had slime tubes on both bikes.
You should be fine with either solution. I never saw any serious threat to flat over the 135 miles we road on Aug 7-9, 2007.
Scott Stinnett from Siloam Springs, AR on 08/15/2007 11:00 PM
We have ridden our Cannondale tandem while pulling a trailer on extended parts of the trail with 700x25 tires with no problems and no flats. I would suggest 700x 28 or 32 for comfort on chat surface.
Slide Show of Katy Trail Bike Ride
- + Earlier this month my two older daughters and myself planned a 3-day trip from St. Charles to Sedalia and then Amtrak home. The excessive heat slowed us considerably so we revised our plans on the fl...
Discussion started 08/13/2007 09:19 AM by Dan - 2 replies (last reply by Gary at 08/15/2007 09:48 PM)Dan from High Ridge, MO on 08/13/2007 09:19 AM
Earlier this month my two older daughters and myself planned a 3-day trip from St. Charles to Sedalia and then Amtrak home. The excessive heat slowed us considerably so we revised our plans on the fly and caught the train in Jeff City instead. (I had work Monday morning and was concerned about missing the train in Sedalia on Sunday night). None-the-less it was a great time. Here's a link to a slide show on YouTube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=-dCoT0kPv6I
gtnn2bkn from prairie home mo on 08/15/2007 04:38 PM
cute! and as a "newbie" I couldn't believe all the other shows posted!
Gary from Near Tebbetts on 08/15/2007 09:48 PM
Great video and sound track. I recognised all my favorite spots along that part of the trail. The Missouri Department of Revenue should use it as a promotional video for the Katy.
status of New Franklin dogs....
- + noticed in a posting from 11/06 that a biker was bitten by a dog that lives near the trail just west of New Franklin. That prompted a string of posting, including one just this past month from a rider...
Discussion started 08/01/2007 10:33 PM by gtnn2bkn - 14 replies (last reply by Don at 08/15/2007 05:00 PM)gtnn2bkn from prairie home mo on 08/01/2007 10:33 PM
noticed in a posting from 11/06 that a biker was bitten by a dog that lives near the trail just west of New Franklin. That prompted a string of posting, including one just this past month from a rider stating he was seriously injured in 06/06 and lawsuit pending. We were planning on biking from Boonville to Hartburg (haven't seen the tunnel or Native American pictographs yet). Now we are thinking we should just put in at Rochport (skipping Boonville and bypassing New Franklin completely). Does anyone know the status of these alleged "Councilman John James'" dogs ~ or any other such "beasts"??
Jim from St. Thomas on 08/02/2007 10:17 AM
Dogs or not I would start at Rocheport anyway. I don't know if you can call any part of the trail ugly but the Boonville to Rocheport stretch comes pretty close. The tunnel is just a couple hundred yards west of the Rocheport traihead so you could still see it. Of course, if you start at Rocheport you will the scenic junkyard just west of New Franklin.
Trek Biker on 08/02/2007 03:46 PM
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I've riden this stretch several times(early morning)and have seen many, many deer and indigo buntings. In the fall, the trees to the north are just as beautiful as those above the limestone bluffs.
Your odds of running into a dog or two along the trail are just as high in other places. If though, a dog or two will determine your course, also beware as you pass the homes east of Coopers Landing.
Jim from St. Thomas on 08/02/2007 04:44 PM
"I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder"
That is indeed true - after all my wife married me..........
DougK from Troy on 08/03/2007 08:21 AM
I walked that section of the trail in June and didn't encounter any problems
Anonymous on 08/03/2007 12:10 PM
yeah, what jim said on 8/2/07 at 4:44 p.m., that goes for me to.
as far as the dogs go, i have ridden past new franklin a couple of time, the most i seen was a dog laying in the yard under a tree, and didn't even want to take the time to get up and bark.
personally, i do not care for the stretch between rocheport and franklin / new franklin. however, that is my own personal opinion, and i know others like it. i would also kinda beware as you pass coopers landing. i have also passed there a couple of times and it gave me the ebee gebees. don't know what it was, i just didn't care for it. like i said, personal opinion only.
i have also encounterd dogs along the trail, and the most was a couple of dogs just running in their yard as i passed, barked to say hi, and barked to say bye. that was the extent of it.
don't let the dogs change your course.
ever which way, be safe/
Rick from Wichita on 08/05/2007 12:02 AM
Just rode half the trail, and saw about 7 dogs. The first two ran to the property line. The second group ran at us and the owner called it off. And the three that scared us trotted up the trail toward us...and then past us...two beagle types, and a medium sized scary looking mutt. Then I realized they all had tounges hanging down to the ground! No problem...We carried dog spray, and I had it out at that pointbut obviously didn't use it--but I would recommend it for peace of mind.
Peggy from Hutchinson, KS on 08/05/2007 05:28 PM
My son and I just got finished riding the first half of the trail. We encountered a few dogs. In my opinion, one dog is too many. The ones that scared us the most were those running in a pack together. Turns out they were hotter and thirstier than we were! I recommend a can of mace. We turned ours in to the owner of the Globe hotel in Hartsburg who was going to pass it on to other cyclists who might need it. Just be careful.
gtnn2bkn from prairie home mo on 08/06/2007 12:12 PM
Wow ~ thank you everyone for the comments, suggestions, recommendations! I appreciate very much your time and feedback. As a lifelong dog owner (shepherd, lab, mutts, and now a beagle)i don't scare easily; however, owners that do not manage their animals do!
If anyone else out there wants to comment about Coopers Landing further, please do: i'll be cking back in over the next few days before our little juant.
Now, if we can just get mother nature to ease off a little.....
Jay on 08/06/2007 12:20 PM
For the past 3 years, I have ridden the Boonville to Rocheport section of the trail nearly every week, weather permitting, and have yet to have a run in with a dog. This past weekend I was nearly hit by two deer, but no dogs!
Murf from Jeff City on 08/07/2007 10:13 PM
I have ridden by Cooper's Landing many times and never had a problem. There are some dogs around, and they may bark, but they have never been aggressive.
MAH from Blue Springs, MO on 08/08/2007 10:29 AM
I've been riding the Rocheport to Jeff city section for 4 years and never had any problems with agressive dogs. My only problem was last month a friendly dog south of Coopers who ran out to my bike and ended up cutting in front of it and causing us both to hit the ground. As far as Coopers Landing, I always stop and get something cold to drink and watch the river for awhile. Also, tried the Thai food recently at Coopers and it was very good!
arlo from st. louis on 08/14/2007 10:16 PM
We saw two dogs on our ride from Huntsdale to Weldon Springs. One was a beagle and he
was dragging a leash around and barely paid attention to us. The other was a yellow version
of Cujo and stormed down a hill and came at us very aggressively, but didn't bite.
There are some crappy, run down areas along the trail to be honest, but they are very brief.
Don't let it get you worked up. Few dogs actually attack people, but I'd carry some dog spray
just in case. A good bike shop will have the kind that sprays 10 or 12 feet. We got some and
when the dog charged us, we thought about how nice it would be if the spray wasn't buried
in our back pack.
gtnn2bkn from prairie home mo on 08/15/2007 04:40 PM
okay folks: we made it ~ had a great time overall, despite the crazy heat. We did put in at Rochport and turned around at Huntsdale...will leave longer legs for the fall. And thanks for the tip on where to find the long shooting dog spray ~ doesn't hurt to have it "handy", i.e. front basket1 = )
Don from Dallas on 08/15/2007 05:00 PM
I don't remember any dogs from our Aug 07 trip in that area. You can usually take your water bottle out and the threat of squirting them or an actual squirt will work. We usually have a lot more problems with dogs on country roads with a home every 100 yards.
Maiden Trip
- + I am making my first extended trip on the Trail to "get away from it all" (all of a sudden I'm in my mid-thirties:) I am planning on taking the Amtrak from Kirkwood down to Sedalia then biking on down...
Discussion started 08/08/2007 06:14 PM by shawn - 8 replies (last reply by arlo at 08/14/2007 09:58 PM)shawn from warrenton on 08/08/2007 06:14 PM
I am making my first extended trip on the Trail to "get away from it all" (all of a sudden I'm in my mid-thirties:) I am planning on taking the Amtrak from Kirkwood down to Sedalia then biking on down to Clinton to start from there....I am going to be doing the camping thing the whole way to St. Charles. I am leaving Tuesday August 21, from Kirwood on the a.m train, and will get to St. Charles Saturday or Sunday...Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated...If you are going the same week, I'll see you on the trail...... onebaker@hotmail.com
Anonymous on 08/08/2007 09:16 PM
lots of hydration and call ahead to see if the business are open. other wise, have fun, be safe
trinjboro from Jonesboro, AR on 08/09/2007 12:05 PM
I did almost the same type of trip you are doing 3 years ago. The portion you will be riding both ways (from Sedalia to Clinton and back) allows horses on the trail. Cyclists have to yield to the horses, and I found out the hard way this means stopping a good ways before the horses get up to you and staying still until they pass. It's a real pain, and it's not explained very well on the MO Parks website. Also, this is, in my opinion, the least scenic portion of the trail, and, unless you just want to say you rode the entire trail, I would skip this portion and just start from Sedalia. I also echo the hydration advice. You will love the KATY !!!!!
shawn from warrenton on 08/09/2007 01:38 PM
thanks for the advice....I really would have no reason to go down to Clinton other than just to say I've rode the whole trail...plus since the train doesn't get down to Sedalia until early afternoon it puts a crimp in my overnight plans....I have a camelpack so hopefully that will do for hydration...(also hope the heat breaks by then) thanks a bunch..
paul from west plains, mo on 08/09/2007 08:38 PM
(1.) We just did it the "hard" (uphill) way from McKittric to Sedalia; 139 miles in 3 days. We took AMTRAK from Sedalia to Hermann. Lowest high temp in 3 days was 102. THERE IS NO WATER BETWEEN SEDALIA AND PILOT GROVE - 25+ MILES. We're 57 y/o. We drank a complete 2 qt camel + 2 pints gatorade every 20 miles and were still slightly dehydrated in the heat. (2.) Take a spare tube and tools- we had a flat and the trail is basically remote. (3.) We used A&D ointment to lube those sensitive personal areas - an entire tube between us. (4.) Avoid Katy Trail B&B - absentee owners and NOT as advertised on their web. (5.) Have a fun, fantastic time!
DougK from Troy on 08/10/2007 01:52 AM
Water Water Water. I know water gets heavy @ 8lbs. per gallon. I was lucky enough to have someone cache a gallon of water at Clifton City. I carry a small Katadyn water purifier. It adds about a pound to my backpack but you can at least use a local water source with piece of mind.
Don Elliott from Dallas on 08/13/2007 02:36 PM
Camping is going to be tough in this heat unless you enjoy hot sleeping. The campers we talked to could not sleep well as the temps were so hot at night. If you're economizing, try to break it up with one night at a motel.
Paul from St. Louis on 08/14/2007 02:37 PM
You may want to take a shuttle from Sedalia to Clinton. We did that in June and it worked out great. Stayed in Clinton for the night and got an early start in the cool of the morning. We had a camelback and two water bottles each. Fill up with water any chance you get.
arlo from st. louis on 08/14/2007 09:58 PM
I'd recommend Katfish Katy's in Huntsdale and Steamboat Junction in Bluffton. That puts you
on about a 60 mile/day rate. All you need to do is find something halfway between Clinton
and Huntsdale. Both places are nice, clean and have hot showers.