Like a Restaurant with No Food

Tuesday, July 18. McKittrick, MO, to Hartsburg, MO. The heat is on, that's for sure. Today, the heat index was supposed to be 111, so we knew we would need to get an early start; with blueberry muffins and banana bread to fuel us, we headed out at around 7.

Being the first humans out on the trail for the day is a dubious honor; mother nature hasn't really cleaned up, and the trail, sheltered by trees on both sides, is strewn with spider webs. As we rode, we broke them in great numbers, and by the time we made our first stop at about 18 miles, we were both covered with the fine strands. Of course, you can't collect spider webs without collecting the odd spider, and I found a few. It was another 45 minutes before we saw anyone else on the trail - headed in the opposite direction, which meant no more spider webs. Joy!

As we pedaled, we saw more turtles, a few snakes, several rabbits, many more indigo buntings, some cardinals, and two mastodons. Nancy says they were tractors with tree trimmers. Pfft. I know what I saw.

In the late morning, the bugs really emerged; there were flying insects of all shapes and sizes and possessing wingspans measuring in the inches, many of which remained perched on the ground until they sensed the approach of our tires. Only then did they choose to launch themselves into the air, careening into erratic and unpredictable flightpaths that invariably led to impact somewhere on me. They bounced off my arms, my legs, my chest, my face and neck; the only upside is that their wings are typically large enough to prevent them from being ingested like their smaller brethren to the east.

Many miles separate the designated trailheads, and the services available at each are sparse. We are using a trail guide we obtained yesterday that indicate what services are available at each trailhead, but not what establishments offer each service. So, relying on the indication that food and water were available at North Jefferson (across the river from Jefferson City, the capitol of Missouri), we headed there for lunch. Little else was available in between there and our rest stop at Mokane, and being close to a major city like Jefferson City made the prospects seem bright; but it was not to be. Although the "restaurant" column is checked on the map, no restaurant exists in North Jefferson. Further, it is nearly impossible to cross the river to the capitol, unless you call for a taxi. That runs about $10, unless you have trailers like we have, which would incur an additional charge - so instead we snacked on what we had and decided to continue the 10 miles to Hartsburg, which also indicated restaurants. The water fountain at the trailhead, too, did not function, so we were left to rely on the little water we had left for the rest of the way. As it turned out, we both ran out before we reached Hartsburg.

Which brings me to the name of this entry: Like a restaurant with no food. The Katy trail is a 225-mile trail, ostensibly intended for walkers, joggers and cyclists. However, the trailheads and burgs located along the trail are so few and offer so little, that riding between them could be a real strain unless you happen to carry a couple gallons of water with you. Despite that fact, the Katy trail is touted in travel and cycling periodicals as a good touring option. We decided, under the circumstances, that the trail is a lot like a restaurant that requires guests to bring their own food. There were times when we really would have liked to stop for some water, but nothing was open. We just happen to be on the trail on Monday and Tuesday, when virtually everything on the trail is closed. Tomorrow should be better, but the fact remains that there is a structural defect in the design of the trail in that the services are so sparse that it makes recreational use a serious difficulty (except near St. Charles), and touring a struggle. One simple improvement would be to put running water at the trailheads.

We managed to finish today's ride before 2, and got to our lodging for the night to find two cold bottles of water and some homemade chocolate chip cookies. However, our lunch options were nil; Dotty's cafe is closed on Tuesdays, and the Hitchin' Post, a bar across the street from the Post Office, didn't open until 4. We took the opportunity to wash our bikes and lube the chains, and then take showers before heading there shortly after they opened.

The fare is typical bar food, but an idea struck me (since our lodging does not include breakfast) - we ordered a pizza and will put it in the fridge in our room for breakfast. That and some oatmeal should get us far enough for lunch in Boonville, along with some snacks.

Tomorrow night's destination is the decidedly larger Pilot Grove, some 50 miles from the end of the trail in Clinton. We are on target to finish the entire trail on Thursday, and enter Kansas by the weekend. Reports from locals seem to suggest that the heat will break by then, so perhaps the beginning of our ride into Kansas will not be so sweltering. Two Wheeler warns us that trees are sparse as we head across the plains, so we will have to continue our early starts and early finishes so we don't bake. More tomorrow!