Touring Tuesday - Out on the Katy Trail

Riding on Missouri's Katy Trail

Doesn't it look like wonderful cycling in the photo? There is greenery all around, a packed limestone trail on an old railway line, and nobody around. This is Missouri's Katy Trail, which now runs from Clinton in the west to Machens in the east. The trail is 382 miles long, and much of it follows the Missouri River. Since it follows an old railbed, the grade is pretty gentle. I had the pleasure of riding much of the trail a number of years ago. At that time the western terminus was Sedalia, and it ended at St. Charles in the east. There are a number of small towns along the trail, usually about ten miles or so apart. When the railroad was first built, locomotives could only go about ten miles before needing  re-supply of wood and water. You can read about the adventures of Darren Alff and Josh Miller on the Katy Trail at Bicycle Touring Pro.