Reply to Pilot Grove Closure

My husband and I are getting ready to bike the Katy and just learned the trail will be closed around Pilot Grove. Any suggestions regarding a detour? I'd like to stay off the street as much as possible. Any suggestest would be great.

Any suggestions would be great!

I noticed that too. I didn't see anyway not on roads to get around it. I am starting the trail east from Clinton on the 17th of October. I am planning to try: Turn off trail to left on Walker Road to a right on Georgetown Road to a left on Harrison Station Road and back to the trail. It totals 4 miles on roads. I haven't been there before so I don't know what this will be like but it is my plan.

Important information regarding the trail closure! read below:

Tom,

This is a follow-up on our phone conversation. Although the trail is technically closed, per a discussion with the contractor it sounds like the trail will be passable except for a couple of days when they have their cement trucks on the trail to pour concrete. Except during those days, Katy users should be able to walk their bikes through this section. For your upcoming trip, you will see signs warning of the closure and you may also see vehicles on the trail, but as long as they aren't pouring concrete, you should be able to get through. The concrete pour hasn't been scheduled yet but Keith Petersen, who is the section manager for this area, has provided his cell number for Katy users to call for updates: 660-422-2360. Good luck on your trip!

Thanks,

Dawn Fredrickson, Field Operations & Katy Trail Coordinator
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Div. of State Parks, Northern Parks District
(573) 449-7402, dawn.fredrickson@dnr.mo.gov

That's great news!

A far cry from the previous post by Dawn:
The Katy Trail will be closed west of Pilot Grove, from Harriston Station Rd. (mile marker 206.5) to Ewing Rd. (mile marker 209), for repairs to the Taylor Branch culvert. The trail is estimated to be closed for a month, from Oct. 4 to Nov. 5. There are no safe detour options, so Katy users will need to avoid the area. Signs will be placed at Pilot Grove and Clifton City trailheads announcing the closed section. Signs and barricades will be placed at Harriston Station and Ewing roads to prevent users from accessing this section. For a status update, check our website: http://www.mostateparks.com/katytrail/index.html. Or, email me at dawn.fredrickson@dnr.mo.gov. Thanks.
- posted 9/29/2010 9:10:50 PM by Dawn Fredrickson, Katy Trail Coordinator

When the rubber hits the road there is considerable difference between "so Katy users will need to avoid the area." and "Except during those days, Katy users should be able to walk their bikes through this section."

You dropped the ball DNR (Dawn)!

Sounds to me more like she just had the conversation and relayed new info as soon as she received it. You big whiner! I hope you realize I am smiling as I send this.

I know....I'm a whiner. But why post on here 9/29/2010 9:10:50 PM to avoid the area as there are no safe detour options and then near a week later leave it to someone else to post a private email telling one person that you should be able to walk your bike through the area?

I would have thought DNR Dawn would have posted here telling everyone that the trail was passable. Especially when there have been posters here trying to figure out how to get through.

I'll contend that it is poor timing on Dawns part as well as the MO DNR. October is a busy month for the Katy. Otherwise, someone would not be posting on here about overflow places to stay in October!

I guess because she's a busy girl! Maybe more busy than me even!

Regarding the comments about Dawn. I usually do not inject any comments but had to speak up this time. I know Dawn and she takes the Katy Trail very seriously and the riders safety is a major concern for her. Remember she has a boss too and we do not know the whole story maybe she was told to do the work at this time because of weather conditions and a hope that the trail would be opened back up quickly. Again we do not know the whole story, I feel she and the workers will be working hard to get that trail opened up again as quickly as possible. So give her a break and pass along this last info from her along to other bikers if you see them. We can't change it so we just need to adapt and improvise.

Through Tom's inquiry things did change though Linda. The trail went from no safe detour options with the need to avoid the area to being passable. Sometimes situations are best handled when we lean into them, instead of laying back. I personally think it is in the best interest of the Katy merchants and the state of Missouri that the trail is passable during such a popular riding time. My thanks to Tom.

Yes, thanks to Tom for sharing the information with us. I am inclined to go to that section of the trail and see if we can walk our bikes through the area being worked on and report on what I find here so everyone will know,,, but I won’t. It is good to know that those that have come long distances to ride the trail can get through. I suspect that some trail users walking through may not be a problem but the usual traffic would be a hindrance to the work being done. My speculatory two cents.

I do sincerely apologize for the inconvenience of having a construction project scheduled for October since it is one of the busiest months on the trail. However, this project is weather-dependent; the contractor is trying to take advantage of a short window of opportunity to complete. Additionally, the Mo Dept of Natural Resources did not set the construction schedule, so was unable to avoid having the construction occur during October. The dept takes user safety very seriously, thus the earlier post about avoiding the Pilot Grove area. This is the same message that we've posted on our Katy Trail website. Please note, however, that I included my phone number and email address for status updates in the earlier post. I encourage Katy users to contact me if they have questions about this area. Several Katy users did contact me after the post and I was able to relay information to them that the department had just received from the contractor, indicating that users planning to travel the area this week or weekend could get through the area. However, it is still best to avoid the area, particularly since there aren't any safe detour options. Heavy equipment and other vehicles will be driving on the trail while the project is underway. The steep slopes and drop-offs along both sides of the trail in this section prevent vehicles and heavy equipment from pulling to one side of the trail, so they will be taking up most of the trail surface. Additionally, we don't know when the contractor will be pouring concrete so are unable to anticipate when the concrete trucks will be on the trail. Because of the unknowns, we thought it best just to tell Katy users the trail was closed and to avoid the area. We are trying to accommodate Katy users as much as possible, however, which is why Keith Petersen, the Katy superintendent on the west end of the trail, posted signs in the area with his cell number so that Katy users could call him for immediate updates (660-422-2360). Thanks.

All, sorry, I forgot to include my phone number in either of my two early posts: 573-449-7402. Thanks.

I don't know Trek - no matter how much you lean into a cement truck on the trail - you lose. ;-)

I am not a religious person but all I can say is God Bless the DNR! They are the people that are entrusted to create and maintain our fabulous Missouri state park system and given their limited financial resources and I for one think they do a marvelous job.

Whenever I hop aboard my bicycle I can be sure of one thing. Not everything will go as planned. I have had bunnies, deer, snakes, humans and large vehicles pass unannounced in from of me at all hours of the day and night. To quote Forest Gump "It Happens!"

When I leave Clinton heading for St. Charles if there is a "situation" near Pilot Grove I will have to find a way around it. There will likely be other "situations" along the way.

Keep up the good work Dawn! However I be VERY disappointed if you don't provide perfect weather conditions during the week of Oct. 11-15 and your boss WILL hear all about it!!

Biker Dude

I do enjoy levity. Thanks Dude.

Nate from Maryland:

I rode that section of the trail a couple days ago. Those roads you are talking about are not on the same plane as the trail. The road is about 15' - 18' above the trail where it crosses it. You would have to carry your bike up about a 70 degree embankment through brush, lift it across a 4' fence to get to the road.

My guess is the trail will still be open when you ride it. The work is being done about two or so miles north of where you cross Hwy E/Hwy 135, and the actual work is about 30' below the trail bed. If the trucks are not running you will be fine. If they are running, you could double back to E/135, head NE. Then you have the option of getting on Walker Lane (a gravel country road) there and going to Georgetown until it parallels the trail where you can get back on the trail. If you did not want to do that you could follow 135 (paved highway) into Pilot Grove, then catch the trail again. Google bike map shows 135 heading into Pilot Grove as "A Road".

Enjoy the ride.

Although the Taylor Branch culvert construction project is still underway west of Pilot Grove, the trail is no longer closed from MM 206.5 to 209. Users will still need to exercise caution in this area, as they may encounter parked vehicles on the trail. Signs will be posted at Harriston Station Rd. (mile marker 206.5) and Ewing Rd. (mile marker 209) cautioning users that they are entering a construction zone. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions, at dawn.fredrickson@dnr.mo.gov or 573-449-7402.

That was a short month.

I just completed the ride from Clinton to St. Charles and what a joy it was! Even though Dawn allowed me to get wet a few times the trail was wonderful. In my opinion it is nicer west of Booneville. Better maintained and more scenic although the Hermann area is nice as well. We need to cough up a few more tax dollars so the DNR can smooth it up a bit on the eastern half. Lots of rough spots but nothing life threatening that hasn't been roped off with snow fencing.

If you would like to see photos of my trip cut and paste the link below into your browser. Enjoy!

http://www.pbase.com/jimslug98/katy

I just rode from Sedalia to N jefferson and back, looks like they doing some work but was able to ride by with no problems. Wasnt close and dint see any detours

The Taylor Branch culvert project near Pilot Grove is complete. Trail users no longer need to be on the alert for construction equipment or vehicles on the trail. Thanks for your patience.