Day 6 - Friday May 26; Marthasville,MO to Tebbets, MO (57 miles)

The ball games were over around 10:45 PM last night and I showered right after. A large group stayed around the concession area with the ball field lights on until 12:15 AM this morning when the last lights were turned off. I had ear plugs so the talking didn’t bother me but it bothered Joe and Nick. It never rained. I was up and on the Katy Trail at last by 7:45 AM this morning. It was nice riding weather for much of the day with cloud cover until about 1:00 PM when the sun came out then it got pretty hot.  There was very little wind today. The trail had had a tree canopy with occasional breaks into the open. Some was next to the Missouri River and some along 100+ foot high limestone cliffs. Today’s ride, other than being dusty all day and hot this afternoon, was very nice. The crushed limestone was really not bad to ride on, though I’ll need to perform some serious drive train cleaning when I get to the trail's end in Clinton. I’m staying at the Turner Katy Trail Shelter in Tebbetts. It is a hostel that charges $5 a night and has showers and bunk beds. I got cleaned up and was sitting outside in the shade waiting for my clothes to dry when two different local people stop to let me know that this is the Friday night of the month when they serve an all-you-can-eat dinner at the community center for $7.50. I took them up on the offer. It beat the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had planned on eating. Tomorrow I’m hoping for an early dawn start to beat the heat. It’s supposed to get to 99. I’m headed for the Katy Roundhouse Restaurant in New Franklin. They allow camping and charge $6 for a shower. The annual "Peddler's Jamboree" joins the trail tomorrow where the Columbia spur intersects. During this two-day festival, riders from all over, including Columbia, MO ride to Booneville for the evening on Saturday then back to Columbia on Sunday. There are reportedly food and bands in the towns along the route. I called ahead to the Katy Roundhouse to make sure I could get a camping spot and was told that it should not be an issue. I was also told there is one band starting at 2:00 PM and another at 4:00 PM. The heat aside, it should be a fun day tomorrow. Sunday, Susi is meeting me in Sedalia, MO for an overnight in a motel. It is only 35 miles from Sedalia to Clinton and the end of the Katy Trail – all of which I’m told is not very scenic, just open grassland, so I may clean up my bike and have Susi drop me off Monday morning in Clinton where I’ll get back on the road towards the TransAmerica route that takes me most of the way to Ft. Collins. Some photos from the day follow.


One of many old railroad bridges across creeks and rivers

Much of the trail is shaded by a canopy of trees - very nice riding



Limestone bluffs to the north

Missouri River to the south



My stop for the night in Tebbetts, MO