The Pedalshift Project 114: Katy trail bike tour + camp cooking ideas

Recorded live before a studio audience across the country and around the world… on this episode, the big reveal of my next tour of the Show Me State, plus a bike tour camp cooking ideas.

The Pedalshift Project 114: Katy trail bike tour + camp cooking ideas

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Image credit:  Katy Trail at Hwy 364 (cc) Gvolic

Live Baby Live

Hey watch the video, with extras that got edited out of the pod (for a damn good reason in some instances…) 

The Journal – the Katy Trail bike tour

I’ll be bicycling across Missouri on the Katy Trail this May!

  • Amtrak from DC to Kansas City via Chicago
  • Overnight in KC
  • Train to Sedalia
  • Backtracking to the western end of the trail in Clinton
  • overnighting there (camping the whole time on the trail)
  • Then working my way east across the state!
  • Highlights:
  • Jefferson City
  • Breweries
  • Winerys
  • A short day to get some of those in
  • Not completing the trail fully to the east, but ending in St. Charles so I can bike to Kirkwood
  • Grabbing the train back to KC (Amtrak in STL is NOT roll-on likable!)
  • Overnight in KC
  • Return to DC

Things I’m excited about

  • Katy Trail!
  • Mostly crossing a state by bike again
  • Found low cost or free camping, which isn’t a total given on the Katy
  • Found a way to make this relaxing and no day over 66 miles
  • Using Amtrak and bicycling, with maybe a little transit FF in at the end… no car rentals planned
  • Getting in another big tour in this early in the season!

Challenges

  • Nothing overwhelming… I haven’t done this route before so I’m going mostly on the website info out there.
  • Train schedules
  • Late arrivals in KC means no time to enjoy that city

Gear

  • Since all trains have roll aboard, I’m bringing the Safari
  • Full pannier and dry sack setup… not going heavy, but not ultralight either
  • Plan on cooking mostly to keep costs down

Total mileage

  • 282 miles, not counting KC and any “off route” work to get to some wine and beer.
  • Probably an even 300 would be the best guess.

Weather

  • Likely warm, not hot (advantage, May)
  • May run into some spring showers (not uncommon)

Trail

  • Crushed limestone, not unlike the GAP and parts of the Erie Canal
  • Reports are its a good surface but can get soft in spots

Pod plans

  • Haven’t sussed it out completely but the 10th edition of Tour Journals will be Missouri!

Random stuff

  • The brewpubs that used to be jails…
  • Seaside Brewing Co in Seaside, OR (not on this trip) 
  • The, perhaps, more aptly named Prison Brews in Jefferson City, MO (definitely on this trip)

The Lab – bike tour camp cooking ideas

  • Cooking demo – saving fuel and cleanup with freezer bag cooking
  • Fancy mac!
  • Boxed mac
  • Fancy sauce or powder?
  • Butter keeps fine
  • Add ons
    • Sun dried tomato
    • Canned whatever (I use tuna with olive oil)
    • Peas (to pretend we’re doing veggies)
 

Making a cozy

  • Use a dollar store windshield shade
  • Use a neoprene computer case!
  • use a bit of blanket… ANYTHING to hold heat in
  • Cut it the size of a 1Q freezer bag
  • Mac plus boiling water plus TIME
 
 

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