Welcome to Kansas

The Great Plains- A much maligned area, we have a lot of great rides and beautiful scenery. Plus- the best part- very few people!

A fellow Kansan

I discovered the Lake Wabaunsee area this fall on a day ride. A nice area and fun. It is on my list of rerides. One of our riding methods this summer was ; pick a lake within round trip distance from home in a day and ride around it. Looking for more places to ride.

Bird Man said:

I discovered the Lake Wabaunsee area this fall on a day ride. A nice area and fun. It is on my list of rerides. One of our riding methods this summer was ; pick a lake within round trip distance from home in a day and ride around it. Looking for more places to ride.

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That last part is sort what some of my buddies have accused me of: "you go riding to look for an excuse to go riding".

Bird Man said:

I discovered the Lake Wabaunsee area this fall on a day ride. A nice area and fun. It is on my list of rerides. One of our riding methods this summer was ; pick a lake within round trip distance from home in a day and ride around it. Looking for more places to ride.

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That's where I was yesterday! We rode back roads from Strong City to Eskridge, over to the lake for pie and coffee, then to Hessdale and over towards Alma, before catching Old Hwy 4 to Council Grove. Then, we meandered our way back to Strong City. A 150 miles of riding with only 15mi on pavement.

Saturday, we did about 60mi of minimal maintenance and back roads up in the Diamond Springs area. This ride included several creek crossings and a little single track riding.

Now that I have my R100GSPD, riding in Kansas is a lot more fun!

Tom

From MARS said:

Now that I have my R100GSPD, riding in Kansas is a lot more fun!

Tom

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Gee, Tom, what happened to that beautiful red K bike? Missed you in Gillette...

lensuz said:

Gee, Tom, what happened to that beautiful red K bike? Missed you in Gillette...

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Hey, Len! How the heck are ya'? I looked for you in Gillette; even took a turn at the main entrance hoping to see you, but then, I left early. BTW, I still want that cookie you owe me. Heck, you should make it two cookies; I made it home from Gillette in one day, too. And this time, I didn't get to say hi that nice patrolman in Alliance,NE.

As to that "beautiful red K-bike", she is alive, and well, in CO. After the trip to Gillette, I knew I "needed" something more suited to exploring the roads less traveled. So, the PO of the PD and I traded bikes. We are both very happy; well, at least, I know I am! The PD is so much more "practical" for around here.

If I still have the where-with-all to do some traveling, given the current economic uncertainties, I want to go back out to NM and explore the roads I had to pass up when I was there on the K last January. I'll hunt you down.

How's retirement?

Tom

Riding the Great Plains

shoeman said:

The Great Plains- A much maligned area, we have a lot of great rides and beautiful scenery. Plus- the best part- very few people!

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Now you have let the secret out!!

Having lived for many years in Southeast Kansas, I agree with you about Kansas/Great Plains!! Eastern Kansas is ONE of the ideal locations to live (personal opinion of course), close to the Ozarks, Kansas rolling hills, and open spaces!!

Radar41 said:

Now you have let the secret out!!

Having lived for many years in Southeast Kansas, I agree with you about Kansas/Great Plains!! Eastern Kansas is ONE of the ideal locations to live (personal opinion of course), close to the Ozarks, Kansas rolling hills, and open spaces!!

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I would have to agree most of the time. Although todays near blizzard put a stop to my riding, really glad I made the run to Mound City yesterday. A bit windy but a day riding is always better than a day at work. I like to have some excuse to ride have trouble just riding aimlesly. Have seen all the roads close to home to many times. The ride you spoke of ,MARS, on the back roads sounds like a lot of fun. Since the wife rides an RT we usually stick to pavement although she does ok on the gravel. I like the flint hills area. MARS, I have friends named Schierling who used to live in Elmdale a few years back.

I'm still a little confused by this organizational structure. I thought I was in the prairie AND in the Midwest. I'm about three miles due east of Lansing, Leavenworth (over the river). I love the Flint hills, but hadn't thought about "great rides". Give me a kick start, please - where would I head to from Lansing to encounter one of your great rides?

Great Ride

Any ride is a great ride some are just greater than others...........

Try taking State 4 out of Topeka west. Stop in Dover at the cafe for pie. If you have a dual sport take off on Illinois Creek Road or Skyline Drive.

Bird Man said:

I would have to agree most of the time. Although todays near blizzard put a stop to my riding, really glad I made the run to Mound City yesterday. A bit windy but a day riding is always better than a day at work. I like to have some excuse to ride have trouble just riding aimlesly. Have seen all the roads close to home to many times. The ride you spoke of ,MARS, on the back roads sounds like a lot of fun. Since the wife rides an RT we usually stick to pavement although she does ok on the gravel. I like the flint hills area. MARS, I have friends named Schierling who used to live in Elmdale a few years back.

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Hey, Birdman. I know the Schierlings. In fact, my "shop" is an old garage that used to sit on their place in Elmdale until the flood of '98. I took it away before it was torn down.

The reason I wanted my GSPD was because I had seen all the paved roads in the area and wanted to see something different. My K12RS didn't like gravel. She would act like my dog when he didn't want to do something; she would lay down. I got tired of having to pick that heavy sucker up.

One of the things I enjoy about motorcycling is the adrenaline rush that comes from being on the edge. Riding on the unpaved back roads gives me the same rush at much lower speeds, and I don't have to deal with the traffic or LEO's. While I do usually have a destination or purpose for my rides, I seldom plan how I'm going to get there. That is especially true now that I have the GSPD. I don't care if the road turns to dirt, or even disappears altogether. As long as there isn't a fence across the right-of-way, I'm good to go.

This old garage, 12'X20', skinned with embossed tin made to look like bricks and stone, now sits at our place 5 miles from Elmdale. I think it is from the 1930's. A buddy and I jacked it up, put his trailer under it, and drove off. The bike is sitting in it getting ready for a major going over.

Tom

Hi MARS The Scherilings have told us all about the flood. They now live near Melvern on top a rocky hill (no flood zone). Have shared sunday liunch with them many times ,small world huh? Do you run knobbys on your gspd or the less aggressive tourance type tire? Maybe some time we can get together and ride some of the back roads in your area. There are really none left in my area that I want to reride. Have lived here all my life ,seen'm all and they are just a grid work on every mile.

Cool old shed.

We had sunday lunch at the cafe by Wabunse lake the day we rode over there, then went on up to Alma then to Council Grove then some back roads back to Emporia and then home (an hour east )

The bike has Avon Gripsters on it. I don't foresee trying to ride in mud where I would need a more aggressive tire; at least, not intentionally. The PD is lighter than the K and has a lower center of gravity but still, trying to wrestle a 500+ pound mc in the slick, sticky stuff around here, isn't my idea of fun; that's exercise! Riding off-pavement is a new experience for me, but I'm having a ball learning.

Kansas is still fairly new to me. We came up here in '97 expecting to spend a few months. A vintage Bluebird Wanderlodge was home at the time. After seeing Chase County, we decided to spend a year volunteering out at the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve while we checked out the area. There was a house in Elmdale, close to the RV park, that was abandoned, but appeared salvageable. So, we bought it and rebuilt it. The flood came, and we had 18" of water and mud in the house. As luck would have it, there was an old, abandoned homestead out Middle Creek Rd about 5 mi that belonged to the grandson of one of the owners of the house we had redone. He sold it to us, and we prepared the site then had the house moved out here. We, too, are on a hill, but surrounded by trees. I left for a few years, well, seven to be exact, but came back about 2 years ago. Sometime we'll share a beer, and if you're interested, I'll tell you the rest of the story.

Tom

Elmdale Tom

Do you know Luke Koch down your way? My wife did some photo studies of him building walls.

shoeman said:

Elmdale Tom

Do you know Luke Koch down your way? My wife did some photo studies of him building walls.

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I met Luke when we first came to Chase County; he was fresh out of college and working as the maintenance person out at the Preserve. He is an excellent stone mason and a *really* nice guy!

Tom

Here is a bit I wrote the other evening lamenting the winter weather.
Gena is my r1200gs

Oh where has the warm summer gone
All those nice days have dissapeared
Gena and I used to ride so carefree
in the warm breeze ,what fun we had

But now only cold winds blow
and snow and ice fall from the sky
As I trudge around the farm
doing work created by the storm

Oh where have the warm summer days gone
How I long for them again
so Gena and I can go exploring
to visit friends and faraway places

We did go for a ride in the cold, days back
dark and 24 degrees on that morning
made rising from a cozy bed hard
What an enjoyable day, even riding in the cold

I guess any day in the saddle is can be fun
Whether the weather is good or bad
I have even enjoyed riding in the rain
with proper gear you feel no pain
Larry

Might it warm?

It is rumered by some of the forcasters that the weather may moderate a little the last part of this week. If this turns out to be true I plan to get Gena out and go for a ride. Got to ride it ever few weeks to prevent having to put fuel stablizer in her tank you know. Who knows if the day is long enough I may attempt to ride to MARS and back, time will tell. That way I can stop in Emporia for a Braums milk shake too! Today is the 3rd birthday for me as Gena's owner (purchased new). 27000 miles later, I like riding her as much as when new. To date my experience with BMW cycles has been very good. Hands down the best cycle I have ever owned, and I have ridden for 37 years. Lar

If you get out hit Bobby D's BBQ in Emporia.