Day 30
St. Louis MO, 0 miles (Rest Day 2)
Rest Day 2 is literally that, a rest day. I went to a local grocery to get some fresh fruit. I’m not getting the nutrition I need to keep my legs strong, hopefully this will give them a boost. I’ve been cleaning the bike and getting my gear organized for the next leg of my journey, the Katy Trail. I’m very excited to be incorporating that into my itinerary. I hadn’t planned to do the Katy when I started out, but it became a viable option when I decided to divert to St. Louis for a Cardinals-Reds game.
Unless something unforeseen arises, I’ll be starting the Katy Trail on Saturday. I plan to take it leisurely, an average 38 miles per day. I’m planning 6 days of riding over about 225 miles. The surface is what is called “chat.” Chat is crushed limestone (not a virtual room for conversation). It’s a very smooth hard surface when it’s not wet. When it’s wet, progress can be slow. The biggest hazard on the trail are thorns that can find their way into your tires causing flats (reminds me of the Southern Tier). I’ll try to miss them whenever possible… Speaking of that, I haven’t had a single flat since I started the ride. I’m pleasantly surprised about that. I’ll see if my streak continues on the Katy Trail. Luck favors the prepared and the unconscious…
The Katy is a rails-to-trails project built on the now abandoned M-K-T Railroad Line. M-K-T stands for Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, “Katy” for short. The Katy branch connected western rail lines to the east via St. Louis. It became a vital link in opening the west. The Katy began operation in 1892, and was in use for almost 100 years.
My first stop in St. Louis. The Gateway Arch. The Arch is modeled after what is know in math circles as a Catenary Curve. That is the natural shape a suspended chain takes when fixed at both ends. The Catenary Curve points down and the Catenary Arch points up. The Gateway Arch was built to commemorate the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and the opening of the west. St. Louis was considered the point of departure for settlers and explorers migrating westward.