I'm sure going to miss this when is gone but in the mean time I will ride along this roads while the beauty still remains.

I did try to avoid the bigger hills. Frankly, Frederick has bigger monsters than that.

That's worth considering.

You are correct - I do love a good bicycle photo! Especially one with lots of goodies, like yours.

I wonder if you could do some sort of 3D printed extension that would elevate a light right above the two water bottles? Janice Branham's uncle (?) does 3D printing and was interested in helping other cyclists.

That would be fun but I fear circumstances won't allow it this time. Never fear, though: there's no time limit or expiration date on the beer offer.

What date do you finish this trip? Come on out to Idaho and ride up to the Going to the Sun Road with us! You can buy the first round of beers and we will get the second. What a great way to celebrate the big climb.

I'm so pleased Kelly brought them to my attention. With every mile I ride it I am more and more pleased.

I'll have to buy her (and Jacinto) a beer if we ever meet in person -- and open them with the integrated bottle opener, of course.

Lovely seeing a fellow Rodriguez.

A great story and love the continued connections and interested in following. The Katy trail is a great ride, we were lucky to be on the Katy during the 2017 Eclipse.
Have a great ride!
Racpat

See the images on this page: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/crosswinds/day-11-images/
My bike has flat fenders, but the talcum powder consistency of the dust let it get everywhere. I found that I wanted to ride at least 30 to 50 yards behind anyone in front of me just because of the dust kicked up.

Regarding paper maps: I am old school and do not even have a "smart phone". A flip phone is my limit, besides which, I grew up using paper maps, road atlases and Mapsco city maps. I can handle googlemaps on a computer and make notes to myself as needed, but that is about all. Besides, I have seen googlemaps take lots of folks down cow paths and trash laden back allies, so, yeah, for quick reference, they are okay, but I personally do not trust them. Much like the Adventure Cycling maps. City names and distances between towns are about all the information you can trust. Everything else is not to be trusted, because their update system is "lacking". I am not a Luddite, just old school. Gimme a book I can hold in my hand for reading or a paper map for directions. Batteries in books and paper maps never run down and never need recharging, because they don't have any.
Cheers!

WOW- that's a lot to digest. Thanks for all the details!

We'll be getting delivered to "somewhere" along the route I've mapped out- one of the trailheads- by a KC area cousin of mine with whom we're staying the night before we set off. That should, I hope, largely mitigate point (H).

re point (D): are trail maps really needed? They certainly seem superfluous with respect to navigating the trail proper; is Google Maps plus the data in Ride With GPS enough for the rest?

re point (A) Having ridden the length of the C&O Canal towpath numerous times I'm all too familiar with the need to clean both rider and machine regularly, but I like the idea of carrying a small stiff whisk broom to help with the task.

My bike also has fenders, which I hope will help keep dust and grime away from where it isn't wanted. They're far from perfectly effective, of course, but perhaps they'll at least reduce the grime factor.

Having ridden the Katy Trail in 2019 (“Crosswinds” journal in CB), I would like to make the following observations:
A) Plan on having to clean the dust off your bikes at the end of the day (unless you happen to start your ride after the entire state has been drenched by rainstorms). It is incredible the amount of dust the front wheel on the bike kicks up during the ride. I purchased a “foxtail” hand broom in Booneville to clean off the panniers as well as my lower legs and bike frame. Used that broom every day.
B) Due to the dust, I found that using a dry, wax-based chain-lube to helps keep the chain somewhat cleaner.
C) If you need shuttle service for any reason, check the trailhead bulletin boards for contact information. The park service will not lift a finger to assist trail users in this regard. In 2019, there were several places where the trail was closed due to the flooding, and the signs they put up were a big fat no help. They just said something like: “Trail Closed” “No Alternate Options”. The local residents put the lie to that. However, given the litigious state of society, it is little wonder the trail organization went out of their way to avoid mentioning alternatives.
D) There were plenty of trail maps at the smaller trail heads, but in St. Charles and anywhere close-by, there were none to be had.
E) Expect to see a downed tree across the trail at some point (generally not much of a problem to get around), especially after a storm.
F) For the most part, trees have grown up along the trail since the railroad abandoned operations. Pay attention between Sedalia and Booneville to the right-of-way, because there were some impressive “fills” between those two cities. In some spots, if not for the new tree growth, you would think you were riding atop the Great Wall of China for short distances in a couple places.
G) There are very nice “bike lanes” that totally segregate riders from motorists on the bridges at Booneville, Jeff City and Hermann.
H) Traffic in the Kansas City area is not what I would call biker friendly. If you are allowing just 5 days to ride the trail, you might want to consider looking for shuttle options from the KC train station to Pleasant Hill. When I made my route scouting trip in the car, I came in from eastern Kansas and drove from Belton to Pleasant Hill with the thought of starting in Pleasant Hill. That road (Belton to Pleasant Hill) was not anything I would want to ride my bike on. Lots of rollers, blind curves, crazy motorists and no shoulders. Driving from Pleasant Hill NW towards KC, the road had a shoulder with noticeable trash along the way and heavy traffic.
I) Some of the multi-story hotels make storage arrangements inside for bicycles ridden in by customers. At the others, I generally had no problem getting a ground floor so I could wheel the bike into my room.

Wonderful story Keith, and an excellent ride choice. I've ridden most of the Katy in pieces over 20-odd years and have always enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. It's so cool that you have reconnected with Noe. I'll send good thoughts for perfect weather and plentiful services. Late May should be an ideal time on both scores. Enjoy!

I'm looking forward to the trip. the perks of having a retired friend and what to look forward when I retire.

Hi Mark,

I'm not much of a writer but will try my best to put something together for this trip.