Another Day in Kansas

[91W350]

I took one of my M1009s down into the Flint Hills yesterday on a Geocaching mission. If you have never visited the Flint Hills of south central Kansas, you are missing some wonderful eye candy.

We hit 22 Geocaches yesterday, the highlight being Remote Chance, a Geocache placed by Invena of Eureka, Kansas.

GCP384 Remote Chance (Traditional Cache) in Kansas, United States created by invena

I had been close before, but my Buick LeSabre was a poor choice for this country. I ruined two tires, poked a hole in the oil pan, smashed the transmission pan and never left a county road that day. Some of their county roads can be pretty challenging.

GCP37X Heavy Lifting (Traditional Cache) in Kansas, United States created by invena

The flint cuts tires, it is not a place to go without steel belted radials. When I had an ice cream route down in that area, I would carry four spares and a couple of times I came home with single rears instead of duals and flat tires strapped to the roof of the frozen food box.

Back to yesterday, we drove 3.9 miles between fences that marked a right of way for a long forgotten road, then found Remote Chance and drove out a not so forgotten road, it was definitely high on the list of roads less traveled.

We visited several beautiful low water crossings, a few lakes, a few old cemeteries, and a few historical markers. One of my favorites is the original spring site of Eureka.... You need to read how the little city got its name...

For some reason my Bud Boy thinks the water tastes better when it is about chest deep.... Glen

 

[Scarecrow1]

Well I always heard Kansas Was flat as a rock LOl Now I see why ....It looks like you can see forever ....Thanks for the Pics It sounds like a place to put on the old bucket list .....

 

[dc3coyote]

WOW, great pics. You really make me want to visit Kansas, and check out some of those old forgotten roads.
And Bud looks like a very happy puppy.

 

[harbordr]

Next Year

Assuming we're all here next year, lets do a double, or more if we can find more. Maybe start a 'Thing' that's done every year. Might even go to BETO junction for some cinnamon rolls.

Just a thought.

 

[crasheej]

Some of those old forgotten county line roads are no place to be by ones self. I've heard people come back from Colorado say I hate to go across KS because there is nothing to see. How did you go? Went across on I 70. Man get off the blue roads and get om the black ones. You'll see mare and may be you'll see some place you'll want to stop and check out. There is more then one road to CO. I know because I have driven then . Nice eye candy if you go the slow roads. By the way outstanding pics.

 

[raiburn]

Kansas should hire you to write a Kansas brochure.

 

[crasheej]

I would do it.

 

[91W350]

Actually...... I had a huge series of web pages all about Kansas. Every county courthouse, both active and retired, if it still stood, I had photos of it. I even had jurors boxes and judicial benches for most of them. As a side curiosity, I normally tried to find the Kansas State Seal in the courtroom. They were all different, similar, but different.

I also had most of the major springs and lot of the unusual out of the way and mostly free to visit historical sites. I love the state's incredible and diverse history.

I started the pages with my line of duty shooting and had given the site "The Bullet Trap" as a candid name.

It also had several unusual and little known law enforcement shootings.

It was good enough to make the Wichita, Topeka and Kansas City papers. A free and non-commercial site. I lost two servers and two computers within two weeks. I still have most of it on a CD someplace. To be honest, it is kind of a relief to not be writing something new to keep return traffic rolling on the site.

I started reviewing Geocaches for Geocaching.com and just never got back to writing web pages.

If you really think Kansas is just a big flat, let me know and we will arrange a tour.

It is nothing like the Rockies, or even the Ozarks, but we have a lot of varied terrain. If you want flat though, the high plains of Western Kansas can give you that!

I have lots of Kansas books, but the way I like to learn is to go discover, not read what other people have written. My favorite way to go wandering around is to stop and ask locals if they know any unusual area legends, sites or history.

That is one of my favorite things about geocaching, thousands of people sharing what they consider to be interesting in their area. Glen

 

[91W350]

ome of those old forgotten county line roads are no place to be by ones self.

That is a fact, that is why I was super careful on this one. It might have been several years since the last truck came down that right of way, for well over a mile, there was no track, no rut, nothing to follow. I would have rather been in the pasture, at least the shorter grass would make hazards more readily visible. If you break or get stuck, it is walking time. Your cell phone is probably not going to work out here. It is better than it was two years ago, but we still have huge holes.

In fact there is a really good chance you will not find any signal for your FM radio to play!

 

[crasheej]

When I was stationed at Wichita twice I would here from the troops that there was nothing to do. I told them you can't stand on the corner, you have to get out and look around.after they had been there and got out and looked around they generally agreed. I was born at Fort Leavenworth, lived at Coldwater until I was 11. I love go out there and drive around and see what you can find.

 

[91W350]

It was my trip to Coldwater that I saw my first live armadillo in Kansas. Those Red Gyspum Hills just east of there are stunning, to say the least. The history in that area is awesome. I think it was Coldwater that lost their county records and original courthouse when a couple of teenagers burned down the old building. That country is so beautiful and still very wild. For those that are not familiar with the area, the famous Greensburg tornado grew north of Coldwater... the lake west of town is quite the oasis... great country, I would love to meet with you out there sometime and share a day. I am sure you know much more about that area than I do!

 

[crasheej]

I'd like that. MY Dad was a cowboy at Wilmore before WW2 . He would take use to the ranch on week ends. I knew all the back roads between Coldwater and Pratt where my grand parents lived. That drive between Coldwater and Medicen Lodge is great at different times of the year. I love the state and it's divertiest.

 

[91W350]

Sounds great, send me a PM and I will try to arrange a couple of days off. That St. Jaobs Well and Big Basin area has awesome trail history. I have not been to Mullinville to admire the newest political artwork for a long time. I would love to see his Obama renditions. Those Red Hills are just awesome. Who needs different times of the year? Just the sunrise, sunset and daily shadows make them a never ending light show. Sun and Lake City.... here we come....

 

[12vctd]

Dont forget me....as soon as I get wheels I am going to see the newfound land I have moved too.

 

[91W350]

Dont forget me....as soon as I get wheels I am going to see the newfound land I have moved too.

There are some areas just southeast of you that I would love to return to. It has been a long time since I have been to the Skiddy, Volland, Alta Vista area. It is some more Flint Hills region, but rougher than the Butler-Greenwood Counties area. Lots of old large cattle ranches and the miles and miles of rock fences. Glen

 

[TIGERFANS2]

When I was stationed at Wichita twice I would here from the troops that there was nothing to do. I told them you can't stand on the corner, you have to get out and look around.after they had been there and got out and looked around they generally agreed. I was born at Fort Leavenworth, lived at Coldwater until I was 11. I love go out there and drive around and see what you can find.

The barracks rats said the same thing at Elmendorf, ALASKA!!

 

[91W350]

Just some more photos from the day.... the last one is the "road" we took for 3.5 miles....

 

[12vctd]

Well I would def like you go visit those areas.

 

[91W350]

Your signature line is a classic! When I started over I had a 1977 2wd Blazer that had been rolled over. It was mainline transportation for 3 years of recovery....

How busy are you this weekend, right off hand, I cannot remember anything keeping me from going for a road trip. Glen

 

[12vctd]

Lol sad part is a have started over 3 times now, pretty sad to be 32 and have to do that. I actually have to work all weekend other than sun, work fri sat 3-11 and the liqour store, off sunday. Its a classic but hey I probably needed to pedal anyways