Fred drove me from Baldwin City to Pleasant Hill, MO to avoid that KS City metro area. My gosh, I could never live there. Too many cars and people. He dropped me off at the beginning of the Rock Island Spur of the Katy Trail which goes almost all the way across MO and mostly follows the MO River. It is a rails to trails path that I’ve always wanted to do. I will be foregoing the first 20 miles from Clinton, where it starts, to Windsor. Instead I rode 49 miles on the spur.
This trail is in much better shape than that Steamboat Trail I did a few days ago. This one was even enjoyable at times. Lots of cool wildflowers.
The top photo is Dames Rocket and the second one is Tradescantia. Both very prolific and in full bloom. And I saw purple verbena, which back home is an annual. I was surprised to see it along the path.
The thing that really surprised me was the size of the musk thistle plants that are here and there. Some were 3-4 feet tall and starting to form a head. I hope ours aren’t doing that back home. It’s too early to be dealing with those mothers.
The sky looked threatening most of
the day but it waited til I got to camp and showered before it let lose. Didn’t make it back into town to eat so raided my emergency stash. It hasn’t stopped since it started and I’m hungry. Looks like it could set in for the nite.
49.2 miles today. 855 total
BikerAl Across America 2018 
We need that rain in eastern Kansas. Come back!
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