Tough day - He Caught the Katy - CycleBlaze

May 20, 2024

Tough day

Something of a slog

WE HAD SEVERE thunderstorm warnings last night, and two cells did pass overhead.  The first was more lightning and wind than rain, but the second did drop moisture on us.  As a result the trail was soft and spongy, making for slow going for the first few hours.  How slow?  We covered about 20 miles in four hours.

Things got better once we left the Rock Island Spur and got onto the Katy proper but it was still one of those rides that couldn't and wouldn't end soon enough for me.  We finally, finally made it to Pilot Grove's lovely city park around 6:15.

I'll spare you any more moaning and post a bunch of photos from the past two days instead.

Large snapping turtle near the start of Day 1.
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Scott AndersonYipes! Good thing the business end is pointed away.
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4 months ago
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A silent sentinel guards the trail.
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Bill ShaneyfeltDames rocket. An invasive, but edible and pretty good tasting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesperis_matronalis
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4 months ago
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Different surroundings for the trail.
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Bill ShaneyfeltAlways disliked those spiny thistles!

https://www.missouriplants.com/Carduus_nutans_page.html
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4 months ago
Keith AdamsTo Bill ShaneyfeltThat won't make you popular in Scotland. It's their national flower, I think.
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4 months ago
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The Chilhowee Bank, now a convenience store.
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This block, at least, hints at a better past than present for Chilhowee. We were too tired to go farther and see the rest of the town.
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Another snapping turtle in an odd position.
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Scott AndersonTwo in one day! That doubles the number of snappers I’ve seen in the wild in my whole life.
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4 months ago
Wil's bike taking a rest break.
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Kelly IniguezHe's very color coordinated!
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4 months ago
Keith AdamsTo Kelly IniguezYep, although I'm inescapbly reminded of a homeless person's mound of possessions when I contemplate the pile.
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4 months ago
In Windsor.
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I bagged the summit sign. And the summit, for that matter.
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Scott AndersonGreat, but your bike should be there for documentation.
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4 months ago
Keith AdamsTo Scott AndersonMay be but I'm not going back to do a retake.
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4 months ago
This was fun. The homeowner placed this small crossing signal next to where the Katy crosses their driveway with a motion sensor that activates it when a cyclist passes. It's got a realistic sounding recording of the bell, too.
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Kelly IniguezDid it scare you when the bell went off?!
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4 months ago
Keith AdamsTo Kelly IniguezNot really, because I heard it when Wil rode past ahead of me. I also know that real crossings activate well before the train actually arrives, so I was mostly curious.
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4 months ago
It's cicada time here. We've had intermittent contact with them, but when we're in a swarm they're LOUD.
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Scott AndersonI love this. It reminds me of my childhood in W. Va. I collected cicada husks and stuck them in the brick crevices of our home.
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4 months ago
Janice BranhamType your comment here
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3 months ago
Janice BranhamTo Janice BranhamLoud, slow and dumb. They were falling from the trees onto my back, my front, and my head, and seemed to lack the wherewithal to move anywhere purposefully. Really glad the cicadas are over for this round.
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3 months ago
For cousin Sara, who will know why.
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A turtle of a different sort.
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Bill ShaneyfeltBox turtle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_box_turtle
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4 months ago
Scott AndersonVery nice. The rare terrapin trifecta.
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4 months ago
A more elaborate bridge than we saw on the Rock Island Spur.
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The first of several truss bridges we'll end up encountering before we're through.
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Another relic of the MKT signaling system.
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Passing through a cut in the surrounding rocks.
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Wil silhouetted in a culvert.
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Today's ride: 67 miles (108 km)
Total: 124 miles (200 km)

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