So I decided to bike to Columbia, and here is a run down of how it went! Not every detail, but close:P
Sunday 5/24: 35 Mile to Tebbetts
Sunday I started from Hermann at around 1Pm. It only took about 3 hours of riding to arrive at tebbetts. Luckily I arrived about 15 minutes before a downpour started. Not even ten minutes after I had been their I heard some brakes squeaking outside and it was Ben and his four buddies. They were cycling the Katy Trail as one last hoorah before one of them moved out of state. We all enjoyed the ammenities provided by the Hostel (Turner Katy Trail Shelter) which included a Toaster Oven, Microwave, Dishes, A Table, Bunks, a Bike workshop with tools, and hot showers!
Monday 5/25 (Memorial Day!): 44 Miles to Huntsdale
Monday I started out with what I thought was going to be a rainy day of riding; it was overcast and chilly. Both Ben's crew & I left around 10am. They were headed to Hermann and I was heading west onto Huntsdale, 8 miles SouthWest of Columbia. After about 4 1/2 hours of riding I was their and stayed at Katfish Katy's. It was a very nice campground on the banks of the Missouri with a very helpful staff. I arrived and set up my tent about 25 minutes before the downpour began... I took a nap, went to the lodge and talked with them for awhile and as I was about to head back two ladies came in soaking wet by bicycle and were planning on staying the night. We chatted a while about where we were headed and a few other things but I decided to head back, take a shower, cook dinner, then sleep! The rain did not end that night...
Tuesday 5/26: 75 Miles into Columbia and back to Portland
Tuesday was another wet day, it rained until noon. I had debated staying at the campground another night so I didn't have to pack up my gear wet but I decided to move on. I went into Columbia that morning, had lunch, and putted around the city for a while. After I'd seen what I wanted to see I headed back out the MKT Trail (The spur trail to the Katy). I then made the decision that I would ride back home tonight instead of taking another day. I was making very good time and stopped back in Tebbets at the Hostel to cook dinner and two gentlemen were in their. They had rode from Columbia to Tebbets and did not train or have much bicycling experience. Needless to say the 48 miles had about killed them:P. I then hurried out of Tebbetts after having a nice talk with them and started hauling ass home. I was averaging almost 13mph when the sun was setting and I realized with all of the trees leaned over the trail I was not going to be able to see much even with my lights. In Portland, I saw a group of bicycle campers off at The River's Edge and just figured I will join them and call it a day. Sure enough, it was the two ladies I had seen the night before. They invited me to hang out and chat with them and we did so for about 3 hours. They were both "Computer Nerds" (one of them had her Phd in Computer Sciences and was a professor, the other managed an IT department). They were riding the whole Katy as their once a year bicycle tour. They told me about the places they had been biking and I was pretty jealous. It was very fun to get to talk to them.
Wednesday 5/27 : 16 Miles
Home! Not much to say about that:P
PIX OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN
