Adjacent to the Katy Trail

The Rumble on the River group has been paddling adjacent to the Katy Trail State Park today.  Portions of the Katy Trail are easily visible on the satellite pictures when you view the Spot Check site following Jim's progress.  It isn't visible to the paddlers though because the water level in the river is so low that all they can see are the deadfalls and mudbanks.  Too bad!  The Katy Trail is the nation's longest rails-to-trails project.  It was built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, better known as the Katy.  The trail provides a long-distance hiking and bicycling path of almost 200-mile length, going through some of Missouri's most scenic areas.  The group Jim's with just missed a "Berries and BBQ Wine Trail" bash, held last week-end.  They'll be spending tonight in a river-side park in  Hermann, which styles itself as a German-like burg with lots of wineries in the area.  With Jim's luck  the group will end up with schnitzel for dinner tonight  :>( , another "piggy" meal.  Hopefully there'll be lots of cold brewskies of one sort or another for this group of hard-working paddlers!......Hours later..... Jim called home soon after arriving safely at Hermann.  He said the town lives up to its' reputation with lots of friendly people, and lots to do and see.  No "piggy" meal for him tonight either.  The entire group was on their own for dinner on this one night and Jim found a deli offering a full menu from which to choose.  He also greatly appreciated lots of  his favorite drink - ice-cold root beer.  The group isn't camping under the airport approaches this evening, but are just about 10 yards from busy railroad tracks.  Our afternoon phone conversation was cut short by the noise of a train carrying coal.  When Jim finally got to call back he said most of the group he's paddling with are in canoes, unlike the Florida Keys Challenge that he participated in, where most were paddling kayaks.   Most of the canoes on this trip are tandem canoes, being manned by more than one paddler and Jim has to work hard to keep up with the group.  ...Again, later..... He just called to say "good" night.  Since we last talked about 16 more trains have gone by and then- GEEEZE - his fan quit. My heart goes out to him in this heat!!!