Monday, June 22: Well, as I sit here at 5 PM the temp is currently at 90 degrees, with a heat index of about 102. Yea, it was definitely a hot and humid one today. But that’s pretty much part and parcel of this area in the heat of the summer. Yet we avoided rain!
Got back to Hartsburg this morning for me to get rolling at 8:30 AM. And it was just muggy right from the get-go, with a kind of foggy humidity hanging over the Missouri River Valley. Looked a lot like the potential, but the weather people shamans were giving today zero change of rain in the daytime hours, but high chance this evening. Still, I made sure to put all my electronic gear and wallet in a dry back that I pack in my small Camelback pack. Off I went west towards our first support stop, in the little town of Rocheport along the Missouri. This was a good choice because Judy could drive there, then get on her mt bike and ride back to meet me.
This was one of the key areas I had been worried about for flooding over the trail, because just shy of Rocheport the Missouri just hugs this little dirt access road and the Katy Trail. And as I was nearing this section it looked like the river had indeed flooded over both the trail and the gravel access road. Matter of fact the trail is about 4 feet higher than the gravel road, and it’s sometimes used by residents and campers going to and fro when the gravel road is under water. And that road is just right ON the river.
Enjoyed some great riding and sight seeing as I rode this section, looking at the high limestone bluffs on the north side of the river, just to my right. Some of these guys go up a good 100-150 feet off of the trail. Being into rock climbing, I was pretty caught up in looking at some awesome buttresses to climb, and I wondered if this area is indeed legal for climbing. Never heard of this area as a hotbed of climbing, but it sure looks like fun!
Anyway, made it through the flood prone section, and it was dry and the river had definitely gone down over the last couple days. But as I rode right into the flood area, there were county workers using scrapers both on the gravel access road and the Katy, scraping all the mud and junk off. There were log jams to clean off the access road and the traffic was still using the Katy as access to camps and campgrounds for a good mile where the gravel road was still being worked on.
Made it to Rocheport in just over 2 hours, with Judy having joined me when I was about 7 mile outside of town. I downed 2 powerades, a coke and a couple muffins, and just kind of chilled for 15 minutes, trying to give my body a chance to cool down before I headed back into the furnace. Rocheport is a cool little place, and if we were not so far behind, with me having to now push to try to get this trip done within our designated time slot, I’d have loved to just bag it there, get a little cottage and relax here, to soak up the ambience of the place. If you’re ever coming out to do this trail, Rocheport is a great place to settle down for a day and just hang out.
We got rolling west to our next destination, Pilot Grove. Judy rode with me for a half hour, and then turned back to drive the van. So she got in a good 2+ hrs on the trail today. This section for me, was a bit hot, with many more open sections than on the first segment. And what a difference that shade makes when the temp is so high. The wind was out of the southeast, so that at least helped to cool me down a tad, and give me a push now and then as a cross-tailwind. Now once the trail gets to Boonville, there is this asphalt section that goes up and over the Missouri River. This pup I had to ride. No choice with the river still looking pretty angry, as it was just full of logs and crap flying downriver to the east - just another of many such concessions I’ve had to make as of late.
Once across the Missouri, it’s by-by to the river, as the Katy begins a long and perceptible climb out of the Missouri River Valley, and heads into the heartland of Missouri farm country. This climb out of the valley, well, it’s a good 3-4 miles, and then the trail just goes through these ups and downs. But all in all, over the near 30 miles of trail I rode today west of Boonville, it feels like you’re climbing 75% of the time. And I know from having ridden this trail through two times previous, the highest point on the trail is still to come. Luckily this section, from Boonville to Pilot Grove is very shaded without with a lot of foliage just hanging over the trail like a wonderful pair of blinds. Made Pilot Grove to meet Judy in another couple of hours. And man, as soon as I stopped the heat was just stifling. Judy would have all the doors open on the van just trying to keep it cooler. Did a couple more powerades, a sandwich and some water, and again, I just sat there for 15 minutes trying to regain energy and gumption to head back out.
We decided to do the last segment, 24 miles as two stops since the heat was so intense. And now, with no more flooding issues to worry about, Judy was pretty mellow with the driving, not having to worry about road closures. Same for me, as it was as if I was on a different trail. Everything seemed dry - the trail, the crops along the trail, even the creeks looked normal. What a huge difference it is once we got out of the river valley.
Now during the first 12-mile section to Clifton City, I swear, I was just dripping with sweat as I peddled along. But having done all the powerade over the prior 4-5 hrs really paid off in keeping me in the saddle instead in the AC in the van. Made that pup in about an hour, and again, most of the pedaling was uphill - a very distinctive false flat. Pounded another powerade, secured a motel room on the cell, rested in the van for 15 or so min to just chill, and then went for the last 12-mile section to Sedalia. Again, the false flat continued all the way, with some places where you just SEE the trail going uphill.
When the trail gets within 1.5 miles of the city, it goes on road, and I did my best to ride berm for all but the final half mile through this kind of poor neighborhood. Didn’t want to ride up through people’s front yards and make a scene of myself, so I did that on the hard asphalt. The trail resumes at a wonderful old train station in the “Old Town” section of Sedalia. Here in this old brick train depot you have a little bike shop/bike rental place, a little eatery, and a kind of knick-knack shop selling Katy souvenirs. It’s fun, in a schticky kind of way, but the old restored depot is just beautiful. It a main hub kind of place for all the trail traffic. So I bagged it here, getting in about 75 miles for the day. My legs are pretty beat, and I definitely lost some fluids. So I’ll be replacing with plenty of water….and Tinmill microbrews from MO. Tomorrow I hope to make the end of the trail in Clinton, and then make another 30 or so miles to the KS line. I do have to recon that 30 mile section between the end of the Katy and the KS line. I had never gotten to this over the past couple of years recon. I have KS all mapped out, but I just need to connect the end of the Katy to the KS line. Until tomorrow.