A few weeks ago, I got it into my head that I wanted to hike a portion of the Katy Trail, a biking path that runs from one side of Missouri to the other. Over the course of time, my plans have fluctuated back and forth before settling on a simple plan: hike from Dutzow to St. Charles in three days.
This is entirely doable— about 10 miles the first day, 18 the second, and 9 the third— but I ran into several roadblocks. First, there is no place to camp between Augusta and St. Charles, which is 27 miles. Second, I didn’t have any backpacking gear or shoes that didn’t give me blisters, and no money to buy them. Third, I’ve had a slew of little health problems, such as a disjointed hip, shin splints, and (today) a mild flu, a really sore neck, and the knowledge that there’s an extreme heat advisory out until Saturday evening. One by one, I found a way around these obstacles. My brother and his wife just happen to be moving in beside the Katy Trail, near the halfway point between Augusta and St. Charles. I borrowed my parents’ backpack and tent from their backpacking trip on the Pacific Crest Trail nearly thirty years ago, and bought a pair of my sister’s shoes for a reduced rate. And as for health and the weather? Well, I’m just going to go and hope everything turns out okay. After all, that’s the way I always travel!
I have a blog that will post automatically tomorrow, but otherwise you won’t hear from me until Monday. Until then, blog readers!
~Lisa Shafter
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