Following our relations
Less than two hundred years ago, five sovereign nations were moved against their wills, with immediate and lasting death and deprivation, to Indian Territory in future Oklahoma. As forced migration over the Trail of Tears was winding down, Americans kept moving west for gold, territory and to manifest destiny.
Railroads expanded to connect several hub towns between Kansas and St Louis from 1852 to 1860. During the Civil War, many were destroyed and rebuilt. After the war, reconstruction and further American expansion led to an 1866 treaty that opened Indian Territory for railroads.
The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas (MKT) Railroad, soon also known as the Katy, incorporated in 1870. Within 2 years, The Katy was crossing Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, and Chicksaw nations with little regard for sovereignty, laws or natural resources.
Overall, all of the railroads, and particularly the Katy, in Indian Territory set the stage for the destruction of tribal governments, the loss of Indian land and resources, and the increase in poverty among Indians. It shows that corporate interests, at least during the late nineteenth century, were greater than those of either the Indian people (most of whom could not vote) and the sovereign Indian nations for whom the United States had a fiduciary responsibility.
Through the late 1880’s, MKT leased established track of the Missouri Pacific Railway, which also ran through Indian Territory, for the stretch running south of the Missouri River. This portion is now included in Amtrak's Missouri River Runner. In the 1890’s, MKT built its own track along the north flood plain of the Missouri River.
The new route, completed in 1895, would lead to millions of dollars in losses and would prove to be an operational nightmare for many years to come. Included on this new line was a new shops complex at the new junction at New Franklin, a branchline to the city of Columbia and the only tunnel on the MKT system, located in Rocheport.
By 1986, Trains stopped running on the Katy tracks along the north bank of the Missouri River down to Sedalia. Missouri State Parks acquired the right-of-way and began construction of Katy Trail State Park in 1987, with the first stretch opening in 1990.
I first rode from Columbia to St Louis in the 90s with Swedish friend Per
Now, Katy Trail State Park is the longest developed rail-trail in the United States, the best way to walk, run or pedal across Missouri, and part of a growing network of increasingly connected opportunities to bicycle around the country.
Isn’t that cute?
Me and Busta made it to the Pedaler’s Jamboree in May, 2024, as recounted in a series of diaries posted sporadically since then.
We hear many great comments. We love meeting and talking with so many nice people along the trail.
How adorable! Riding in style! That’s the life! Get the dog to pull!
I would have Busta pull, but then we’d end up in ditches following squirrels, rabbits and deer.
Some worry about me, Busta, trail rules and etiquette. Busta does very well heeling beside my bicycle, but he has approached a few people at times with more interest and enthusiasm than they wish for. I regret my occasional failures in restraining Busta sufficiently, and will keep working to keep him line.
Our rig is built for comfort, not for speed. Others pedal by us at over double our speeds. Either way, bicycles, with or without trailers, can be useful, healthy, safe, and enjoyable, for transportation and touring.
Few trail trekkers talk about how useful our transport is. Many trips are possible under human power supplemented with renewable charged batteries smaller than those in EVs. Investing in battery power, accessibility, and infrastructure opens opportunities. Reducing fossil fuel subsidies and accounting for environmental impacts make less intensive transport more competitive.
We can travel on human power with hundreds of pounds of load, dozens of miles per day. We don’t have a sustainable replacement for all fossil fuel power, but we still have enough to build lasting communities and nations. We can build a multimodal transportation infrastructure beyond vehicles, with responsible actors paying for environmental impacts.
Getting home
Busta and I are fortunate to have a home to live in. We are always happy to return. Dog and human health suffer when car or tent shelters such as my camping rig serve as homes. Our unhoused brothers and sisters need community support for safe shelter and food security.
On the last day of the Pedaler’s Jamboree trip, after 60 miles on a fair summer day and evening, exhaustion was setting in, but we were nearly home. We had enough charge to not worry about hurrying while we had lights. It was after 10 pm, with less car traffic. It didn’t matter if we took one, two or three hours, as long as we made it home.
Then we turned onto the last stretch of Olive Boulevard between us and home. I knew that new sidewalks were being constructed, and I am aware of construction crews prioritizing vehicle access, but I was still frustrated by the obstacles to progress along the first few miles of Olive.
Image of path home taken in daylight from a car in the days following
Construction signs were placed on the road shoulder, without regard for pedestrians, scooters or cyclists. They were not placed on the margin, perhaps halfway on grass. No. The signs blocked access so that the only way to travel was in vehicle lanes.
I tried my best to keep us to the right, zig zagging around construction signs, from shoulder to traffic lane and back to shoulder, all while pulling our loaded rig, uphill at times, after 60 plus miles.
Image of path home taken in daylight. This is looking behind. I traveled on the right.
I cursed the lack of consideration by sidewalk construction crews for anybody outside of cars. On this night, car drivers were as impatient as ever. They didn’t understand our bicycle and trailer crawling in their lane.
Vehicles sped by. Some honked. A can was thrown from one car at me. They missed, and were in too much of a hurry to further punish me for risking my life to slow their journey by some precious seconds. I didn’t stop to see if the can was full or to pick up more car litter.
After an hour of unnecessary risk forced upon me for daring to travel by bicycle as possible on a road, we made it past the construction zone. The new sidewalks are improvements, but are still designed so that cars get the straightest, fastest and and most convenient paths. Those consuming the most resources to move themselves are not the most deserving of speed, safety and convenience.
Traversing another couple of miles on existing sidewalks, Busta and I arrived home. We had a great time traveling 320 miles in 9 days, seeing the beautiful Missouri River and local wildlife, meeting other travelers, and joining the Pedaler’s Jamboree. We would have loved three more days for the experience, but did what we could in the time we had.
Now, me and Busta were happy to be home.
