Friday, August 12, 2011

Katy Trail Day 3 - Franklin, MO

61.44mi
7.3avs

Another fairly relaxed day, with decent mileage. I took a spur trail into Jefferson City, to get a look at the Capitol building. It was a bit disorienting, really. The trail is dusty, humid, and with the tree cover it always feels like I'm out in the sticks. A mile and a half into Jefferson City, and I'm sitting in a cool, shaded plaza, filled with flowers, fountains, and folks in suits. I wasn't quite the only one looking out-of-place. Before I turned off the Katy, I ran across two young men detouring off the TransAm eastbound, who had had some luck at the Boonville casino, and spend the night in Jefferson City. As I was leaving town, flying down the steep hills, I spotted a lone woman chugging her way up to the Capitol on a loaded bike.

The rest of the ride took me into places that would inspire all sorts of hillbilly jokes from my dear cousin. Wet, flooded country, ramshackle houses(but more trailers by far than houses) on sprawling, overgrown lots, boathenge... just had a feel to it. Nice ride, though.

I didn't make it to the Katy Roundhouse Campground until after dark. I ran into two young men heading east on loaded bikes, but they didn't know anything about it. It was further out of town than I'd expected, and not as ice as I'd heard. Overgrown, buggy, and full of frogs. What, I'm complaining about frogs, now? Well, the tiny entrance to the office building alone must have had 15 frogs pasted to the window. The floor was slick with frog-shit. When I closed the door, I accidentally beheaded one of them. Every surface outside of the bathhouse was covered in frog droppings. It was just a bit nasty. The bugs where bad enough that I didn't stay up to cook, just ate some pop-tarts and crawled into the hammock.


Missouri State Capitol.


Butterflies in the Governor's Garden


To anyone from Linders, you oughta appreciate this; I have no idea what this ornamental plant is.


Fountains and gardens near the Capitol.


Lewis and Clark monument.


Near the historic landing site.


Leaving Jefferson City. Back to the trail!


Going by the various historical markers and tongue-in-cheek roadside signs, one would guess that Missourians are strangely proud of their flood-prone heritage. This sign puts it rather eloquently.


A very nice rest-stop west of Jefferson City.


Playing with pokeberries...


Katy find; some good trail mix! Hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and everything. It wasn't wet, or smashed up enough to have been on the trail for long, and there was only one little red ant in the bag. Did I eat it? Yes, gratefully.


The U-haul after some rain.


More rain incoming....


That there is a flooded road, next to the river.


I think this was supposed to be a creek.


Walkway at eagle bluff.


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