Day 4: Columbia to Hermann

May 30, 2025

Things Are Looking Up

I woke up today in Katherine’s loft and the smell of victory was in the air. Last night, I met Armand, a French cyclist in the middle of his trip from San Francisco to New York. He is clearly a step above me when it comes to his knowledge, skills, and gear. It was fascinating to speak with him, and I even got the opportunity to ride with him today, as we were both headed to Hermann. We said goodbye to Katherine and we were on our way!

We got breakfast at Schnuks (It was the first time I’ve ever been in one, it was huge). Armand’s bike has road-only tires so he can’t ride the Katy Trail. It had rained a bit overnight, so on the assumption that it was wet, I opted to start the day on the road with him. We took the same path, but he was much faster than me. Arman likes to go 40 miles and stop for an hour. I like to go 5 miles and stop for 3 minutes. It worked out though, as we met up and got a quick lunch in Fulton. After Fulton, he was much faster than me again and stayed on the road. I veered towards the Katy Trail since it was sunny all day giving it time to dry out.

On my way to the Katy, I traversed some beautiful back country.

Once I reached the Katy, I noticed it was much dryer today. It was very nice to finally experience the trail at its best. The weather was absolutely beautiful today.

In the 20 miles I spent on the trail, I only saw two people!

There were bluffs on the North side and the Missouri River on the South at many parts. It was very pretty. I took the trail all the way to Hermann and met back up with Armand. We got groceries for dinner and set up camp.

Take a guess on who has the jumbo tent and who has the mini…

Ultimately, we ended up at a very nice campground. It had water and electricity and plenty of open space. The only problem is there’s a lot of RV camping, and a lot of noise.

Somebody’s truck illuminating the volleyball court for the kids to keep playing

This is still happening at the time of my posting (10PM) but I guess that’s why you bring ear plugs! Here’s to a good nights sleep and a long journey tomorrow!

Today's ride: 60 miles (97 km)
Total: 140 miles (225 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	8
Comment on this entry	Comment	0