15+ mi on Katy Trail

The weather continues to be amazing here in central MO.  Wow!  Coolish mornings and sunny days.  I could live like this!  And this time, life actually HELPED me git'r done.  I was tasked with taxi mom duty tonight.  I had to take 3 boys to football practice and then approximately 90-105 min later, take 4 boys back to their respective parents.  The good news?  The field is spitting distance from the Jefferson City trailhead of the Katy Trail.  I tossed the bike in the back of the husband's truck, stacked football pads all around and headed out. 

Once the boys were suited up, I strapped on my helmet (plus fannie pack with key, phone and ID since I still don't have the cool bracelet) and jumped on my bike riding out of the gravel parking lot, down the road a bit, across the JC Parks Greenway spur and onto the Katy Trail.  For those not familiar, this is a fantastic rails to trails project that now stretches essentially across the entire state of Missouri.  I rode from the trailhead to MM 149 and back.  I tried to map it best I could guess and with the to/from the football field, I think it was about 15.25 miles.  Unfortunately, the mile markers aren't available on Map My Ride so I just went off what I remembered seeing as geographical references (creek crossings, river bend, levee wetlands). 

Some ladies I saw leaving as I was heading to the trailhead said to go "to the left" (NW) as there was more shade (not that it was that hot).  I took their suggestion though and did enjoy a lot of pretty tree cover.  You also pass over some beautiful old RR bridges and two sizable tributaries right before they confluence with the Missouri River.  You also go by a gorgeous bend in the Missouri that come right up to the foot of the trail.  This is a historic area where Lewis and Clark traveled and there were some markers I didn't stop to read.  But I did take a couple pics of the views with my phone (will try to figure out how to post those after I figure out how to get them off the phone).  [EDIT: added them above]

Did experience some trail snobs though.  I said "hi" to everyone I passed - or at a minimum smiled if they appeared to be Ipod zoned.  Most of the bikers appeared to be "cruisers" - not folks hammering out miles.  Most of the runners also fit this category (though a couple looked more hard core).  And hardly any gave me the time of day!  What's up with that?  Missourians tend to be more friendly than this so I hope if you ever grace my state and enjoy some trail riding you are treated more kindly.

I got back with time to spare (plus practice ran a little long) to do some light stretching.  I am feeling the workout though.  Think I'll pop a few ibuprofen before bed.