Day 28 East of Edwardsville IL to StCharles MO

June 8, 2023

After a good night’s sleep in a king size bed and a complete breakfast, we packed up and Peter dropped me off where I left off yesterday. The rear tire was slightly flat which I thought might be due to the CO2 cartridges. We pumped it up and it seemed ok so after a while I took off. When I got to Edwardsville, I found a bike shop off route to replace my pump. Alec MacDonald of the Bike Factory was very helpful, showed me how to use the new pump, and confirmed with his magnifying glasses where my old new pump failed. This store is very easy to get to on this route where you leave the Nickel Plate trail on Schwartz.

Great bike shop. The address has changed from what is listed in Frank Moritz’s TransAm Eastern Express maps.

I retraced my path to the route and after a short jaunt, I was on the Watershed Trail. A little less scenic than the Nickel Plate but still a very well maintained paved trail. This area has a huge network of bike trails. It’s very impressive.

The Watershed trail merged into the Goshen trail and near its end I took a pit stop at the trailhead. As I was leaving, I noticed my tire was flat. A very kind man leant me his floor pump and initially I was just going to pump it up but then thought the better of it and decided to change the tube again. This is where Jim came along and helped me. I’ve had so few flats in my life (3 in 30 years prior to yesterday) so I guess I’m making up for it now. The man with the floor pump was leaving on his ride and said “just put it in the back seat of my car. I left it unlocked”.

I forgot his name but this man saved me a lot of grief.

Jim, my other trail angel. Thank you Jim!

Jim and I replaced the tube with one of the new ones I had just bought. Doing unpleasant tasks is always so much more enjoyable when you can share the misery, especially with a person as nice as Jim. He was just returning from a 2 day shakedown camping trip in preparation for RAGBRAI.

I rode west on city streets that luckily were not too busy and got on the Confluence Trail. Initially I was somewhat shocked by the condition of the trail compared to the prior Madison County trails. It looked like someone tried to hold it together with thick ribbons of tar producing ridges and gullies just waiting to grab a tire. The trail ran along the levee on the Mississippi River with no reprieve from the sun or heat. Eventually the surface improved somewhat where you could pick a route through the tar ribbons less perilously.

The best part of the Confluence trail before the trail closed sign

After ignoring the Trail Closed sign, the best part of the trail, not yet open but very useable for me.

I got my first glimpses of the Big Miss.

When I was nine we lived on Rock Island Arsenal in the middle of the Mississippi. I loved watching the barges.

Looking across the Mississippi at what I think is the mouth of the Missouri River

Eventually I reached Alton IL and the Clark bridge over the Mississippi. The bridge has a nice bike lane except for the residual of many broken beer bottles and it’s disappearance at the western end where two traffic lanes funnel into one lane with cement barriers on the sides and traffic going 70 mph.

So I scrambled down the rocks to a side road that took me just where I needed to go.

I noticed these odd plants that remind me of horsetail at home and lo and behold, they’re a form of horsetail!

Eventually I made it to Machins Road which leads to the eastern terminus of the KATY trail and it was CLOSED! So of course I went around the blockade and found they were working on the railroad tracks which were easily passable. I found the eastern terminus of the trail and it was blocked by a huge pile of gravel. Over and around and finally on the trail.

KATY Trail: rough crushed limestone surface

Wheat looks like it’s getting ready for harvest

Many towns have little stations like this wit shaded benches and local and historical information. This one had a greeter.

A little further down the trail I got my first good glimpse of the Missouri River

I was glad to get to St Charles as I have been having major seat issues the last few days. I have an old bike seat in the truck and will switch it out tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Henry howled when he saw me coming down the trail. He’s always happy when his pack is together.

Today's ride: 46 miles (74 km)
Total: 1,058 miles (1,703 km)

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Julie O’Neill1017 miles! whoo hoo!
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