shuttle back to start of trail?
- + I want to do this trail later this summer since I grew up in northern Nebraska and I'm familiar with areas. This is probably impossible or a stupid question but wondering if there was anyone that has ...
Discussion started 04/21/2010 04:05 PM by Kyle Anderson - 3 replies (last reply by Ray at 07/28/2010 02:36 PM)Kyle Anderson from Bolivar, MO...grew up in Butte, NE. on 04/21/2010 04:05 PM
I want to do this trail later this summer since I grew up in northern Nebraska and I'm familiar with areas. This is probably impossible or a stupid question but wondering if there was anyone that has contacts with someone in Valentine, NE. or Norfolk, NE. if a person started the trail from one end to the other and left your car at the beginning and could get a way to get shuttled back to your car with your bike?
Traci from Norfolk on 06/14/2010 04:44 PM
I guess you would have to know someone. There's no "official" shuttle service for the CT.
Tom Martens on 06/15/2010 04:07 PM
Contact Mary Bott in Stuart. She will pick you up and drop you off anywhere on the trail
402-924-3678
Ray on 07/28/2010 02:36 PM
Panda Transporation in Valentine provides shuttle services for the trail: 402-376-1313
Trail closure
- + The Cowboy trail is closed between O'Neil and Norfolk, due to flooding.
Does anyone know what hwy 275 is like? Hilly? Flat? Shoulder?
Is it feasable to ride this road?
Discussion started 06/30/2010 03:23 PM by Tom Martens - 1 reply (last reply by Traci at 07/06/2010 05:06 PM)Tom Martens from Kansas City on 06/30/2010 03:23 PM
The Cowboy trail is closed between O'Neil and Norfolk, due to flooding.
Does anyone know what hwy 275 is like? Hilly? Flat? Shoulder?
Is it feasable to ride this road?
Traci from Norfolk on 07/06/2010 05:06 PM
Highway 275 is, for the most part, fairly flat. The flood waters have subsided, but soft shoulder areas are slightly eroded. To be honest, a lot of people ride the highway shoulder - especially from Tilden to Neligh - because the trail is kind of soft. The shoulder is a hard shoulder through this area and safe to ride. Not very scenic though.
Nebr.Trails Council flooding pics
- + Hi there Cowboy Trail fans there are some pictures of the flooding on the Nebraska Trails Council Facebook page. Also if you would like to be in the link of any email blitzes the Nebraska Trails Coun...
Discussion started 06/28/2010 01:56 PM by Marilyn Woerth - 0 repliesMarilyn Woerth from Brownville, NE on 06/28/2010 01:56 PM
Hi there Cowboy Trail fans there are some pictures of the flooding on the Nebraska Trails Council Facebook page. Also if you would like to be in the link of any email blitzes the Nebraska Trails Council sends out send your name and email to mwoerth@gmail.com
scenic areas
- + We are planning to try the Cowboy Trail this summer. We love the Katy Trail and have gone there several times. Are there some areas along the Cowboy Trail that are more scenic than others? Is the t...
Discussion started 05/17/2010 09:17 AM by Kathy Dobb - 3 replies (last reply by Hiram at 06/08/2010 04:59 PM)Kathy Dobb from Shawnee, Kansas on 05/17/2010 09:17 AM
We are planning to try the Cowboy Trail this summer. We love the Katy Trail and have gone there several times. Are there some areas along the Cowboy Trail that are more scenic than others? Is the trail chat like the Katy? Is there a guidebook about the trail that we could order?
Ric from Omaha on 05/20/2010 11:14 AM
I have ridden the CT from Norfolk to Atkinson numerous times...kind of. Only about 10% of the trail in this section is away from Hwy 275/20 and scenic. The other 90% runs adjacent to the Hwys so I ride on the Hwy shoulder which is very nice. The trail gets to be somewhat soft west of Tilden, so it's a struggle with my 1 1/8" road tires. No guide book I am aware of. All the towns along the way have places to camp and eat, but nothing real fancy. Norfolk/Neligh/O'Neill are slightly bigger towns. Trail chat???...probably not.
T Martens from Lees Summit, MO on 06/08/2010 03:17 PM
Nebraska Cowboy Trail A users guide
by Keith Terry
Hiram from Knoxville on 06/08/2010 04:59 PM
We rode last summer from newport to Neligh in two days. We found the trail to be very soft almost the whole way. We easily ride 10-12 mph on the katy, but struggled to go much above 6-8 mph on the Cowboy. With two panniers my mountain bike sunk into the ground about an inch on average. The locals we tlaked to said that most riders they saw wee using the highway shoulder rather than riding the trail itself. It seemed to us that the contractor that the state was using for trail construction had not done any compaction work after laying down the trail bed.
I'd get the trail guide to pick your route, its pretty clear about which sections are next to the highway and which are away from it.
The section jut east of newport was the prettiest we rode thru. We stayed at the Golden Hotel and loved it.
July ride
- + Hi, I am an avid Katy rider and I am looking to try ride the Cowboy this summer. How is the grade of this trail? Lot's of hills or is it more gradual like the Katy?
Also, is water pretty abunda...
Discussion started 03/29/2010 08:01 PM by Tom - 2 replies (last reply by Ric at 05/20/2010 11:29 AM)Tom from Kansas City on 03/29/2010 08:01 PM
Hi, I am an avid Katy rider and I am looking to try ride the Cowboy this summer. How is the grade of this trail? Lot's of hills or is it more gradual like the Katy?
Also, is water pretty abundant?
Ray (webmaster) on 04/05/2010 10:08 PM
It's fairly flat, since it was originally a railroad route. There is a slow staedy climb as you head west. Check out the
elevation chart.
Ric from Omaha on 05/20/2010 11:29 AM
Grade is pretty much flat...no coasting ever, at least on the Norfolk to Atkinson stretch. Abundant water? Drinking...in each town. (about every 10 miles), otherwise it crosses the Elkhorn river a few times.
wind
- + is it better to from Valentine to norfolk? I see it is downhill, and the winds are usually from the west are they not?? will you answer this using MY email address so I can see the answer??
Discussion started 04/29/2010 06:53 PM by dave - 1 reply (last reply by Ric at 05/20/2010 11:21 AM)dave from murphys ca on 04/29/2010 06:53 PM
is it better to from Valentine to norfolk? I see it is downhill, and the winds are usually from the west are they not?? will you answer this using MY email address so I can see the answer??
Ric from Omaha on 05/20/2010 11:21 AM
Have only run Norfolk to Atkinson.
Downhill west to east, but it is so gradual, you would not notice it on the CT. Winds can be an issue and can be from several directions...North in the winter, South/Southwest, and even Southeast in the summer. They quite often are 20-30mph and above, so if you're lucky, they will be at your back. Good luck there.
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or share this link to just this thread:
wind
https://bikecowboytrail.com/talk.aspx?tid=10&tonly=1
expanding Eastward?
- + I know the Chicago North Western ran from Omaha (at Least) and was wondering if they were planning on extending it further east from Norfolk? Coming From Missouri I would like to get the easiest and ...
Discussion started 05/08/2010 02:36 AM by John Mead - 0 repliesJohn Mead from Originally AInsworth Nebraska on 05/08/2010 02:36 AM
I know the Chicago North Western ran from Omaha (at Least) and was wondering if they were planning on extending it further east from Norfolk? Coming From Missouri I would like to get the easiest and safest route to Ainsworth.
Spring time
- + Quick, get out and enjoy the trail!
Discussion started 04/05/2010 10:00 PM - 1 reply (last reply by anonymous at 04/05/2010 10:05 PM)Anonymous on 04/05/2010 10:00 PM
Quick, get out and enjoy the trail!
Anonymous on 04/05/2010 10:05 PM
Absolutely....
Beyond Valentine
- + When will the trail be expanded past Valentine?
Discussion started 03/12/2010 10:26 PM by TK - 1 reply (last reply by Ray (webmaster) at 03/13/2010 09:56 AM)TK on 03/12/2010 10:26 PM
When will the trail be expanded past Valentine?
Ray (webmaster) on 03/13/2010 09:56 AM
According to the folks at Nebraska Game and Parks, it's a funding issue. The state legislature needs to approve funding for ongoing maintenance of any newly-added sections, before those sections can be built.
So it may be a while before any further expansions happen - don't expect to see anything until the economy improves and the state's budget is flush with cash again.