DK My Way: Gear And Comments

The Gen I Fargo in Americus

The gear and clothing I used for the century ride in Kansas was spot on, for the most part. I wanted to detail what I used and what was good or not so good here, in case anyone wanted a reference and ideas on what to do for a ride in the Flint Hills.

First of all, it has been my experience down there that water, specifically having enough of it, is a big challenge to riding the Flint Hills. There are some pretty remote places down there with no chances for resupply of water. Added to this is the fact that, generally speaking, the area is windy and somewhat arid. This has the effect of sucking your moisture out of you without you realizing it. Staying hydrated, in my opinion, is mission number one when setting up for a self supported ride in the Flint Hills.

The Gen I Fargo is a bicycle that has a lot of braze ons for water bottle cages. This along with the Wolf Tooth B Rad System afforded me the opportunity to carry six water bottles of water. I could have gone with seven, but the lowest, down tube mounted bottle I reserved for my tool kit. I'll talk about the B Rad System in more detail in a separate review, but (spoiler alert), it works. I was glad I got that before the trip.

The capabilities of the B Rad equipped Gen I Fargo allowed me to get by without a hydration back pack. I carried nothing at all on my back except a few odd things in jersey pockets. This allowed me to not have to suffer the beat down of 3 liters of water on my back over Kansan gravel roads. I had plenty of water, but given the conditions this time, I wasn't really tested in this.

You can see my Bike Bag Dude "Chaff" bag hanging in the front of my bike here.

The Bike Bag Dude's Chaff Bags have been a staple of my set ups over the past 5 years or so now. I would not ever do a long, extended tour or day ride without at least one of these on my bicycle.

This time I used the single Chaff Bag I took for tube and tool storage, along with the convenience of having a quick place to shove used almond butter packets and other trash. I attached this bag to my Bar Yak System.

The Bar Yak System I use is a combination of the load bars, aero carbon bar ends with a titanium cross bar, and the Pergrine Arm Rests. I also attached the Q; Pro cue sheet holder to the load bars. The cue sheet holder is awesome and probably something I should have had a long time ago. The Bar Yak arm rests and aero bar end set up allows me to relieve hand pressure and prevent numbness. Obviously it is more aero as well. The load bars are a great place to strap an under the bar roll or, as in my case, the Chaff Bag. I even mount my light off the Ti cross bar, so there is that bit of versatility to take advantage of here as well.

I did not use a frame bag or traditional "under the top tube" half bag/tank bag/triangle sort of deal this time. First, it really doesn't work to have that and all the water bottles on the bike. Secondly, I was trying to minimize my kit. I did use my Bike Bag Dude Garage top tube "fuel tank style" bag. I also used a just acquired Carousel Designs top tube bag that is most like a "Jerry Can" from Revelate, but kind of different. In the Garage Bag I stowed food, a few small tools, lip balm, and other items I wanted quick access to. In the Carousel Designs bag I stowed my Lezyne mini pump and all my maps I needed.

Luxy Bar, Gevenalle shifters, Bar Yak, Terrene Honali tires, and my Trelock Control Ion light are seen here.

I did not use a saddle/seat tube mounted bag, although I brought one by Banjo Brothers in the event I thought I might need to carry rain gear. The improved forecast ixnayed that choice from the final set up.

I also swapped out my BodyFloat seat post for my Salsa Cycles Ti Regulator post. I did that mostly so I had the option to run a saddle/seat post mounted bag, but in the end I think it worked out well in terms of comfort. It isn't as compliant as the BodyFloat, but it feels better when climbing because it isn't as compliant as the BodyFloat post. I missed the BodyFloat on the copious amounts of washboard road, but other than that, no. The saddle was changed to a WTB Pure, by the way. A Brooks Cambium will get put on at some point.

The Terrene Honali tires were really nice. See my RidingGravel.com review here. 

Clothing was my new RidingGravel.com kit with a Bontrager base layer tank underneath. Thin wool socks, 8"ers, and my Shimano three strap mtb shoes were on my feet. On my head I had a Twin Six cycling hat and my Bontrager helmet. Eyewear was from Oakley.

Nutrition was basically Epic pemmican bars and Justin's Almond Butter packets.I did have some salty chips and the Budweiser. I used Gu energy electrolyte tabs since I forgot my Elete at home. I drank 11 bottles of water throughout the ride.

Comments: Mentally I used a couple "mantras" on this ride. One was "Shift early-shift often." I said this at the beginning of almost every hill. I have a tendency to mash, so I used this little phrase as a way to remind myself to shift and spin. The other was "Enjoy the ride". Sounds simple, but this helped when I found myself suffering, or going too hard. If I was hurting, I tried to focus on things around me that brought me joy or put a smile on my face. If I was going too hard, it was a way that I could limit my output and be more attentive to burning up too many matches.

I also allowed myself to take as many images as I wanted to. This was about enjoyment, not racing. I wanted to take in as much as I could on this ride. That said, when I got back, had showered, and had walked down to the start line, there werestill riders coming in for their DK100 Half Pint finish. So, maybe I should start "racing" the way I rode the DK My Way!

DK My Way:Tall Boy In Americus

I passed this strange looking remnant. Looked like a fire place, but I'm not sure.

Once I had assured myself that I had lost the unwelcome stranger, I turned my sights to going toward Americus. At this point, I had pretty much ascertained that I would hit 100 miles before I got back to the university in Emporia. All I had to do was to pedal the last 25 miles or so and I'd be home free. The last goal I had was to hit Americus and have a beer in the same spot I had the year before. It sounded like a piece of cake, but I didn't know that there was going to be even more drama and adventure in the last leg.

The stranger back in Council Grove said I wouldn't find much for gravel "out that way", but I certainly did. Actually, it was some of the best I had ridden all day long. There were some tough climbs, amazing views, and a minimum maintenance road that proved to be a challenge that even the DK200 riders didn't have this year.

You might notice through all of these "DK My Way" posts that I haven't mentioned much about the weather. That is because it had been a non-factor. Just when it felt like it was about to get hot, the clouds would thicken. Just when the breezes became a headwind to contend with, the wind would suddenly die down. It was uncanny. It probably was, and will forever be, the best weather I will experience riding in the Flint Hills.

Typical Flint Hills view from a hill top. This was shortly before getting to Americus.

Most structures in the Flint Hills are not made from wood, which makes the area have a very different feel from that of Iowa.

Once I came out of the higher ranch country and closer to Americus, the land got flatter. It was here that I passed the small burgh of Dunlap and carried on South and East toward my destination with Americus. On my way I came across a fairly long stretch of MMR that ended up becoming quite a trial.

The last MMR of the day started out fast and dry.

Then it got worse!

Muddy roads in Kansas mean the same thing that they do in Iowa: Hike-a-bike time!  You just do not ride into that wet dirt and mud unless you are ready to shear off a derailleur and make your bike weigh twice as much with the packed in mud you accumulate. I hiked around the first mud hole, then another. Finally, I came across a stretch of road that was sticky and led down to a low water crossing that was dry. However, the dirt leading to the approaches was total muck and mire.

I tried not to get my Terrene Honali tires too muddy, but even judicious test rolling to see how the dirt/mud mixture might be like caused a lot of mud to pack up on the tires. I didn't press the issue, but a clean up would be required once I knew I had cleared the mud and wet dirt. Fortunately, my good friend Mike Johnson had supplied me with his homemade mud scraper tool which worked really well.

This special mud scraper is made from a BBQ skewer! 

Another cemetery. This one is straight West of Americus, Kansas.

As I scraped the mud from the tires, it started to rain! It was still pretty Sunny, and the clouds didn't seem heavy, but it was coming down hard enough that I could see a grey haze up the road. I had another half mile of dirt to cover before I got to gravel, so I skipped working on my shoes and pedaled like mad in case the dirt got sticky and I would have to dismount and walk.

No need to worry too much, and of course, it stopped raining the moment I reached the gravel again. Wouldn't ya know?! So, that was fun and made for a different experience than I had been expecting. Now it was just time to grind out several flat miles to Americus and then have a beer.

Beer time in Americus

I reached the sullen, semi-deserted town with a run down Casey's convenience store. Inside I found a small, limited selection of beer. Uggh..... I realized I am pretty spoiled when it comes to beer these days. Well, a tallboy can of Bud "heavy" would have to suffice. It could be worse.....

Not many moments after I took the image of my beer I was reminded of how fortunate I had been. I received the following text at 3:44pm.

"I'm down town at the finish line."

I thought that was a curious place for Tony to be, but I had lost all sense of time as I traveled. Had I noted the time of day, I would have realized that there was no way on Earth that Tony would have finished at that time of day. Not 200 miles. I answered with the following.....

"Okay, I am in Americus. I've got about 7.5 miles to go. Having a Bud heavy at Casey's"

So, Tony fired back that his bike was trashed and his helmet was toast. It was only then that I realized something was amiss. I then snapped to. Oh no! Was Tony wandering around with a concussion? How badly was he hurt? Now I was worried and wanted to get back to town, clean up, and find him. All I could think of was that Tony was wandering around aimlessly and no one was looking after him.

The total for the day.

So, I pressed onward toward Emporia on mostly flat gravel. There were a lot of cars going to and fro. Many with out of state plates. I assumed that perhaps these were support folks looking out for their riders coming in. Hard to say, but there wasn't any other reason for all those cars going outbound, and the course came in just to the East of town, not far from where I was.

Just about 200 yards before I hit the first pavement coming back to town my computer ticked over to 100 miles. I was happy, but no time to celebrate. I headed back through town from the West on 15th and then on to Emporia State's campus and to the residence halls. The ride was over. A quick image of the computer and then I was off to get a shower and go find Tony.

I went down town and found Tony and he was banged up for sure, but he was definitely okay. We ate some food and then hung out until about 11:30pm to greet finishers and chat with those who we knew down there. Then we cashed it in for the night to get up the next day early for the awards ceremonies.

I'll do a postscript on the ride, but at the end of the day, I was tired, ready to get off the bike, but I was super happy with my century. I felt great for the most part, I had a lot of fun, and I met all my goals. The weather was perfect. I kind of wish it hadn't been then I would have had a bit harder test. But as it stood, I had nothing to be upset about.

Next: Gear And Comments

DK My Way:Tall Boy In Americus

I passed this strange looking remnant. Looked like a fire place, but I'm not sure.

Once I had assured myself that I had lost the unwelcome stranger, I turned my sights to going toward Americus. At this point, I had pretty much ascertained that I would hit 100 miles before I got back to the university in Emporia. All I had to do was to pedal the last 25 miles or so and I'd be home free. The last goal I had was to hit Americus and have a beer in the same spot I had the year before. It sounded like a piece of cake, but I didn't know that there was going to be even more drama and adventure in the last leg.

The stranger back in Council Grove said I wouldn't find much for gravel "out that way", but I certainly did. Actually, it was some of the best I had ridden all day long. There were some tough climbs, amazing views, and a minimum maintenance road that proved to be a challenge that even the DK200 riders didn't have this year.

You might notice through all of these "DK My Way" posts that I haven't mentioned much about the weather. That is because it had been a non-factor. Just when it felt like it was about to get hot, the clouds would thicken. Just when the breezes became a headwind to contend with, the wind would suddenly die down. It was uncanny. It probably was, and will forever be, the best weather I will experience riding in the Flint Hills.

Typical Flint Hills view from a hill top. This was shortly before getting to Americus.

Most structures in the Flint Hills are not made from wood, which makes the area have a very different feel from that of Iowa.

Once I came out of the higher ranch country and closer to Americus, the land got flatter. It was here that I passed the small burgh of Dunlap and carried on South and East toward my destination with Americus. On my way I came across a fairly long stretch of MMR that ended up becoming quite a trial.

The last MMR of the day started out fast and dry.

Then it got worse!

Muddy roads in Kansas mean the same thing that they do in Iowa: Hike-a-bike time!  You just do not ride into that wet dirt and mud unless you are ready to shear off a derailleur and make your bike weigh twice as much with the packed in mud you accumulate. I hiked around the first mud hole, then another. Finally, I came across a stretch of road that was sticky and led down to a low water crossing that was dry. However, the dirt leading to the approaches was total muck and mire.

I tried not to get my Terrene Honali tires too muddy, but even judicious test rolling to see how the dirt/mud mixture might be like caused a lot of mud to pack up on the tires. I didn't press the issue, but a clean up would be required once I knew I had cleared the mud and wet dirt. Fortunately, my good friend Mike Johnson had supplied me with his homemade mud scraper tool which worked really well.

This special mud scraper is made from a BBQ skewer! 

Another cemetery. This one is straight West of Americus, Kansas.

As I scraped the mud from the tires, it started to rain! It was still pretty Sunny, and the clouds didn't seem heavy, but it was coming down hard enough that I could see a grey haze up the road. I had another half mile of dirt to cover before I got to gravel, so I skipped working on my shoes and pedaled like mad in case the dirt got sticky and I would have to dismount and walk.

No need to worry too much, and of course, it stopped raining the moment I reached the gravel again. Wouldn't ya know?! So, that was fun and made for a different experience than I had been expecting. Now it was just time to grind out several flat miles to Americus and then have a beer.

Beer time in Americus

I reached the sullen, semi-deserted town with a run down Casey's convenience store. Inside I found a small, limited selection of beer. Uggh..... I realized I am pretty spoiled when it comes to beer these days. Well, a tallboy can of Bud "heavy" would have to suffice. It could be worse.....

Not many moments after I took the image of my beer I was reminded of how fortunate I had been. I received the following text at 3:44pm.

"I'm down town at the finish line."

I thought that was a curious place for Tony to be, but I had lost all sense of time as I traveled. Had I noted the time of day, I would have realized that there was no way on Earth that Tony would have finished at that time of day. Not 200 miles. I answered with the following.....

"Okay, I am in Americus. I've got about 7.5 miles to go. Having a Bud heavy at Casey's"

So, Tony fired back that his bike was trashed and his helmet was toast. It was only then that I realized something was amiss. I then snapped to. Oh no! Was Tony wandering around with a concussion? How badly was he hurt? Now I was worried and wanted to get back to town, clean up, and find him. All I could think of was that Tony was wandering around aimlessly and no one was looking after him.

The total for the day.

So, I pressed onward toward Emporia on mostly flat gravel. There were a lot of cars going to and fro. Many with out of state plates. I assumed that perhaps these were support folks looking out for their riders coming in. Hard to say, but there wasn't any other reason for all those cars going outbound, and the course came in just to the East of town, not far from where I was.

Just about 200 yards before I hit the first pavement coming back to town my computer ticked over to 100 miles. I was happy, but no time to celebrate. I headed back through town from the West on 15th and then on to Emporia State's campus and to the residence halls. The ride was over. A quick image of the computer and then I was off to get a shower and go find Tony.

I went down town and found Tony and he was banged up for sure, but he was definitely okay. We ate some food and then hung out until about 11:30pm to greet finishers and chat with those who we knew down there. Then we cashed it in for the night to get up the next day early for the awards ceremonies.

I'll do a postscript on the ride, but at the end of the day, I was tired, ready to get off the bike, but I was super happy with my century. I felt great for the most part, I had a lot of fun, and I met all my goals. The weather was perfect. I kind of wish it hadn't been then I would have had a bit harder test. But as it stood, I had nothing to be upset about.

Next: Gear And Comments

DK My Way: Unwelcome Stranger

Downtown Council Grove

Second Goal Achieved:

Breaking up the route in to three segments helped me to keep my focus on shorter mileage accomplishments. The second segment ended in Council Grove and was the segment that contained all the old DK200 roads I could remember. Plus the one or two I accidentally ended up on. However; the third and final segment was going to be on roads that I (mostly) had never been on before. I just didn't know which ones they might be.

So, I had to take some time to consult a map that I had printed out which showed the roads of Lyon County and a DK Promotions route,which was highlighted in red on the map. I had originally thought that I might only be around 50-ish miles when I reached Council Grove, but much to my surprise, I reached the town showing 68 and with my surveying the town for the best convenience store option, I ended up with very close to 70 by the time I was looking at the maps.

This was only about 5 miles shy of what I had ridden down there last year and my goal was to bump up to the century mark. So, the original hopes of getting back to Waubaunsee County were scrapped and a more direct route, roughly following the DK Promotions line, was considered instead. By my calculations, I should have about 100 miles on the dot with the route I was working out there on the picnic table outside the convenience store.

While I was sitting there a Harley Davidson rider pulled up in his motorcycle gear and he complimented my "ride" and I his. When he returned to his bike, he gave off a rather staged "Have a good ride!", swung his leg over the white machine, hit the start button and the engine sputtered once then the machine died. The rider looked confused, muttered something unintelligible, and he seemed a bit embarrassed after putting on the airs that he did when he came out to triumphantly mount his mighty machine. I spared him further embarrassment and stayed quiet. He tried the key and starter button several times with zero response, not even a noise, from the stubborn white bike. Then, after fumbling around in three different bags for, what it was I never could tell, he stabbed the key and button in desperation and......bam! It started.

A throwback to days gone by. Taken from my perch on the picnic table in Council Grove

The relieved rider looked at me finally and said, "Your machine is probably a lot more reliable than mine is!"

I told him that depended upon how the "motor was doing", and he smiled and roared off.

So, I decided it was high time for me to do similar, only much more quietly. I packed up everything and headed up the road Eastward looking for the exit I should take out of town. Now, that road on the DK Promotions map wasn't identified by a name and the resolution on the map was too coarse to see street names. I was guessing by where the route left Council Grove and the map's city limits outline. I turned where my best guess led me in to a gravel parking lot. Ahead of me there looked to be what was an abandoned railway. There was no signage at all. Not that I noticed, at any rate.

At this point a voice came up from behind me. By the volume, I determined that it was approaching at a very high rate of speed. I turned to see a white Trek 29"er with what appeared to me to be a middle aged man onboard. He was asking me where I was going in a very excited tone. Catching me at unawares, I blurted out, "I don't know.", to which the man, now ahead of me and heading toward the abandoned railway says, "Why don't you follow me on the trail?". He didn't stop, but beckoned me with a vigorous wave. I asked, "Where does it go?", to which he replied, "It's the trail to Bushong! C'mon!".

Okay, number one- I was not ready for such an enthusiastic stranger and two- I did not want to go to Bushong. I'd been through there the year previous and it was out of my way anyway. I politely asked how many miles the trail was, out of curiosity, as I trailed the guy. He didn't get what I was asking about until the fourth time I asked because he wouldn't stop. I was a bit frustrated with this fellow at this point and when he finally said "17 miles", I waved him off and said I was going off to another route. Then the guy turns around and starts following me! He wanted to know "What do you want?" By this time, I had a creepy feeling about this fellow, and I wasn't about to tell him anything about my course or desires for it. I said I would figure it out, thank you, and goodbye. He didn't listen.

"You won't find much for gravel roads out that way!" Yeah..........right.

He was hot on my tail and asking me where I was going, and why I didn't want to go with him (!!), to which I replied something to the effect that I didn't want to ride a rail trail. He shouted at me, Well, what are you looking for then?!!" Clearly, he was getting frustrated with my stonewalling him. I wasn't in a frame of mind to make friends with this fellow by this point, and I bade him farewell in a sterner voice, and I pedaled off. As I did I said that I was going off to find some gravel roads. I was wearing my Riding Gravel jersey, so you'd think he might have gotten a clue.  He swung around, said I wouldn't find much for gravel roads the way I was going and that I should follow him, and he pedaled off.  I assumed he took his planned bike path route to Bushong. There was no way I was going anywhere near this guy at this point.

Of course, I was on a spectacular gravel road within five minutes of leaving the persistent stranger and I was on my way. I had a map of all the gravel roads in Lyon County, so I knew the guy was fishing to get me to believe his story for other purposes. Maybe he was a lonely cyclist and saw an opportunity to ride with another guy. Maybe he was something else..... I don't know, and it doesn't matter now. However; I can say that the guy has a strange way of making new acquaintances. My suggestion would be to be a bit less amped up and aggressive next time.

I figured out that the red DK Promotions line was actually on that rail bed for about seven miles. (!) I wasn't wanting anything to do with a rail trail now and I took the gravel which zig-zagged across the diagonal line the rail bed took. This meant that I would cross the rail trail at least five times before the trail took a Northeastward bent and headed off to Bushong. I saw the guy once more from a distance as the rail trail came near to my route, but I don't think he ever noticed me. That was the end of that!

Next: Tall Boy In Americus

DK My Way: Unwelcome Stranger

Downtown Council Grove

Second Goal Achieved:

Breaking up the route in to three segments helped me to keep my focus on shorter mileage accomplishments. The second segment ended in Council Grove and was the segment that contained all the old DK200 roads I could remember. Plus the one or two I accidentally ended up on. However; the third and final segment was going to be on roads that I (mostly) had never been on before. I just didn't know which ones they might be.

So, I had to take some time to consult a map that I had printed out which showed the roads of Lyon County and a DK Promotions route,which was highlighted in red on the map. I had originally thought that I might only be around 50-ish miles when I reached Council Grove, but much to my surprise, I reached the town showing 68 and with my surveying the town for the best convenience store option, I ended up with very close to 70 by the time I was looking at the maps.

This was only about 5 miles shy of what I had ridden down there last year and my goal was to bump up to the century mark. So, the original hopes of getting back to Waubaunsee County were scrapped and a more direct route, roughly following the DK Promotions line, was considered instead. By my calculations, I should have about 100 miles on the dot with the route I was working out there on the picnic table outside the convenience store.

While I was sitting there a Harley Davidson rider pulled up in his motorcycle gear and he complimented my "ride" and I his. When he returned to his bike, he gave off a rather staged "Have a good ride!", swung his leg over the white machine, hit the start button and the engine sputtered once then the machine died. The rider looked confused, muttered something unintelligible, and he seemed a bit embarrassed after putting on the airs that he did when he came out to triumphantly mount his mighty machine. I spared him further embarrassment and stayed quiet. He tried the key and starter button several times with zero response, not even a noise, from the stubborn white bike. Then, after fumbling around in three different bags for, what it was I never could tell, he stabbed the key and button in desperation and......bam! It started.

A throwback to days gone by. Taken from my perch on the picnic table in Council Grove

The relieved rider looked at me finally and said, "Your machine is probably a lot more reliable than mine is!"

I told him that depended upon how the "motor was doing", and he smiled and roared off.

So, I decided it was high time for me to do similar, only much more quietly. I packed up everything and headed up the road Eastward looking for the exit I should take out of town. Now, that road on the DK Promotions map wasn't identified by a name and the resolution on the map was too coarse to see street names. I was guessing by where the route left Council Grove and the map's city limits outline. I turned where my best guess led me in to a gravel parking lot. Ahead of me there looked to be what was an abandoned railway. There was no signage at all. Not that I noticed, at any rate.

At this point a voice came up from behind me. By the volume, I determined that it was approaching at a very high rate of speed. I turned to see a white Trek 29"er with what appeared to me to be a middle aged man onboard. He was asking me where I was going in a very excited tone. Catching me at unawares, I blurted out, "I don't know.", to which the man, now ahead of me and heading toward the abandoned railway says, "Why don't you follow me on the trail?". He didn't stop, but beckoned me with a vigorous wave. I asked, "Where does it go?", to which he replied, "It's the trail to Bushong! C'mon!".

Okay, number one- I was not ready for such an enthusiastic stranger and two- I did not want to go to Bushong. I'd been through there the year previous and it was out of my way anyway. I politely asked how many miles the trail was, out of curiosity, as I trailed the guy. He didn't get what I was asking about until the fourth time I asked because he wouldn't stop. I was a bit frustrated with this fellow at this point and when he finally said "17 miles", I waved him off and said I was going off to another route. Then the guy turns around and starts following me! He wanted to know "What do you want?" By this time, I had a creepy feeling about this fellow, and I wasn't about to tell him anything about my course or desires for it. I said I would figure it out, thank you, and goodbye. He didn't listen.

"You won't find much for gravel roads out that way!" Yeah..........right.

He was hot on my tail and asking me where I was going, and why I didn't want to go with him (!!), to which I replied something to the effect that I didn't want to ride a rail trail. He shouted at me, Well, what are you looking for then?!!" Clearly, he was getting frustrated with my stonewalling him. I wasn't in a frame of mind to make friends with this fellow by this point, and I bade him farewell in a sterner voice, and I pedaled off. As I did I said that I was going off to find some gravel roads. I was wearing my Riding Gravel jersey, so you'd think he might have gotten a clue.  He swung around, said I wouldn't find much for gravel roads the way I was going and that I should follow him, and he pedaled off.  I assumed he took his planned bike path route to Bushong. There was no way I was going anywhere near this guy at this point.

Of course, I was on a spectacular gravel road within five minutes of leaving the persistent stranger and I was on my way. I had a map of all the gravel roads in Lyon County, so I knew the guy was fishing to get me to believe his story for other purposes. Maybe he was a lonely cyclist and saw an opportunity to ride with another guy. Maybe he was something else..... I don't know, and it doesn't matter now. However; I can say that the guy has a strange way of making new acquaintances. My suggestion would be to be a bit less amped up and aggressive next time.

I figured out that the red DK Promotions line was actually on that rail bed for about seven miles. (!) I wasn't wanting anything to do with a rail trail now and I took the gravel which zig-zagged across the diagonal line the rail bed took. This meant that I would cross the rail trail at least five times before the trail took a Northeastward bent and headed off to Bushong. I saw the guy once more from a distance as the rail trail came near to my route, but I don't think he ever noticed me. That was the end of that!

Next: Tall Boy In Americus

DK My Way: Route Modification

The historic courthouse in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas

The route goal for leg one was completed when I reached Cottonwood Falls. I used a portion of a DK Promotions route to get over there and devised the last 10 or so miles on my own on the fly. However; the route from Cottonwood Falls to Council Grove was mostly done ahead of time when I was back in Waterloo using a mapping program. I tried, using my best recollections, to recreate as much of the first DK200 route that I could, only I would be going backward on it. The mapping program generated cue sheets for me, so I printed those out and took them to Emporia with me.

If there is one thing I've learned over the years it is that you cannot trust on-line generated maps. They are rife with mistakes and misnamed roads. I should have dug deeper and checked in to a State DOT map or a County government map, (more reliable, but still not 100%), but I was pressed for time. Well, that bit me. Sort of......

The road I was looking for was a right turn near a lake off of, you guessed it.... Lake Road. I misjudged the geographic features on my map, (I use those as clues), and when I realized I had gone too far, I decided to finish out climbing a high hill and I stopped and took in the lay of the land against the maps that I had with me. It was apparent the road I had passed was the one I should have taken, but it was mismarked on my cues. I saw that I could come around the block, as it were, from the other direction and end up where I wanted to go anyway. It just was going to be all on pavement. Bummer......

At least there was little traffic to deal with!

I headed out and went down a long, steep downhill into a little hamlet called Elmdale. As I rode through the town I realized that something was familiar about it. In fact, I have to wonder if Elmdale was actually on the original route. I recall now that we went through a small hamlet on pavement and that the run in to Cottonwood Falls was on a fairly long stretch of pavement with a bugger of a climb. Yep..... I accidentally hit the same road. 

The bank building in Elmdale, Kansas,

 I still needed to hit Highway 50 to link up to Diamond Creek Road, which I recalled was also used on the first DK200 route. Fortunately, Highway 50 has a paved shoulder just about as wide as one of its lanes. It was great to be able to put a lot of room between me and semi-tractor trailers that were zooming by at 65 miles per hour.

A nice, wide paved shoulder for getting away from speeding traffic. It ain't gravel, but it sufficed.

Once I reached Diamond Creek Road, I was back on track with my cues, but I relied on my printed route map I also made instead. That way I could gauge the route against geographical features, like creeks and rivers which were plentiful. Plus the route plot had mileage markers, so that also helped me gauge my progress. It takes a lot of mental gymnastics for me to do it this way, but that keeps my mind off the work. It's weird, but it works well for me.

Big chunks of flint and cattle. Exactly how I remembered Diamond Creek Road 12 years ago.

Eventually Diamond Creek Road gains height and gets back into ranch land.

Diamond Creek Road brought back a lot of memories for me. I remembered so much of it, and I was amazed by that. I had not been here in a dozen years, but I remembered where the gravel turned to moon dust and where I found a jug of water on a table with a sign that said, "Free" and that water made it so I got to Cottonwood Falls without failing. The big, stony blocks of flint in the hills like old broken teeth in green gums were instantly familiar.

But then it all was behind me as I climbed up and Eastward to finally join Road Z and my way over toward Council Grove. I probably wasn't on any roads we used back twelve years ago, but I found some cool roads and MMR.

The road eventually ran straight East and I had about five miles until I was to turn Northward and up to the Flint Hills Nature Trail West of Council Grove. The road was rolling and the gravel was chunky. I promised myself I would stop only when I got to my left turn so I could turn cues and get the correct map out for the last push into Council Grove. I also planned on grabbing a bite to eat. What I did not plan on was another miscue on the maps I had consulted.

What showed as a public through road on every map I had seen.

My turn North turned out to be a private ranch road. Not going that way! So, I consulted the maps and ate some food. Meanwhile the herd of cattle there congregated around the gate and watched me with great interest. Cattle are a curious lot.....

With food ingested, I decided to carry on Eastward till Road Z ran out to Four Mile Road and then going North on that I would eventually come in to Council Grove from the South. No bike trail today!

Probably one of the most rustic cemeteries I've come across.

Just like last year, I saved another turtle from getting squished......for a while, anyway!

Almost there.....

I eventually gained my second goal. Shortly after 12 noon I rolled in to Council Grove, found a public bench, and plopped myself down after 68 miles of travel. Mostly gravel travel, but not all of it. Still, the roads I had found and retraced after 12 years away were spectacular and I had already had quite the adventure.

Now I needed to consult my map of Lyon County and decide what I wanted to try and knock off to get to my overall goal of 100 miles of Flint Hills goodness. First there would be a resupply and some eating, and a bit more resting. Then, finish this thing off!

Next: Unwelcome Stranger

DK My Way: Route Modification

The historic courthouse in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas

The route goal for leg one was completed when I reached Cottonwood Falls. I used a portion of a DK Promotions route to get over there and devised the last 10 or so miles on my own on the fly. However; the route from Cottonwood Falls to Council Grove was mostly done ahead of time when I was back in Waterloo using a mapping program. I tried, using my best recollections, to recreate as much of the first DK200 route that I could, only I would be going backward on it. The mapping program generated cue sheets for me, so I printed those out and took them to Emporia with me.

If there is one thing I've learned over the years it is that you cannot trust on-line generated maps. They are rife with mistakes and misnamed roads. I should have dug deeper and checked in to a State DOT map or a County government map, (more reliable, but still not 100%), but I was pressed for time. Well, that bit me. Sort of......

The road I was looking for was a right turn near a lake off of, you guessed it.... Lake Road. I misjudged the geographic features on my map, (I use those as clues), and when I realized I had gone too far, I decided to finish out climbing a high hill and I stopped and took in the lay of the land against the maps that I had with me. It was apparent the road I had passed was the one I should have taken, but it was mismarked on my cues. I saw that I could come around the block, as it were, from the other direction and end up where I wanted to go anyway. It just was going to be all on pavement. Bummer......

At least there was little traffic to deal with!

I headed out and went down a long, steep downhill into a little hamlet called Elmdale. As I rode through the town I realized that something was familiar about it. In fact, I have to wonder if Elmdale was actually on the original route. I recall now that we went through a small hamlet on pavement and that the run in to Cottonwood Falls was on a fairly long stretch of pavement with a bugger of a climb. Yep..... I accidentally hit the same road. 

The bank building in Elmdale, Kansas,

 I still needed to hit Highway 50 to link up to Diamond Creek Road, which I recalled was also used on the first DK200 route. Fortunately, Highway 50 has a paved shoulder just about as wide as one of its lanes. It was great to be able to put a lot of room between me and semi-tractor trailers that were zooming by at 65 miles per hour.

A nice, wide paved shoulder for getting away from speeding traffic. It ain't gravel, but it sufficed.

Once I reached Diamond Creek Road, I was back on track with my cues, but I relied on my printed route map I also made instead. That way I could gauge the route against geographical features, like creeks and rivers which were plentiful. Plus the route plot had mileage markers, so that also helped me gauge my progress. It takes a lot of mental gymnastics for me to do it this way, but that keeps my mind off the work. It's weird, but it works well for me.

Big chunks of flint and cattle. Exactly how I remembered Diamond Creek Road 12 years ago.

Eventually Diamond Creek Road gains height and gets back into ranch land.

Diamond Creek Road brought back a lot of memories for me. I remembered so much of it, and I was amazed by that. I had not been here in a dozen years, but I remembered where the gravel turned to moon dust and where I found a jug of water on a table with a sign that said, "Free" and that water made it so I got to Cottonwood Falls without failing. The big, stony blocks of flint in the hills like old broken teeth in green gums were instantly familiar.

But then it all was behind me as I climbed up and Eastward to finally join Road Z and my way over toward Council Grove. I probably wasn't on any roads we used back twelve years ago, but I found some cool roads and MMR.

The road eventually ran straight East and I had about five miles until I was to turn Northward and up to the Flint Hills Nature Trail West of Council Grove. The road was rolling and the gravel was chunky. I promised myself I would stop only when I got to my left turn so I could turn cues and get the correct map out for the last push into Council Grove. I also planned on grabbing a bite to eat. What I did not plan on was another miscue on the maps I had consulted.

What showed as a public through road on every map I had seen.

My turn North turned out to be a private ranch road. Not going that way! So, I consulted the maps and ate some food. Meanwhile the herd of cattle there congregated around the gate and watched me with great interest. Cattle are a curious lot.....

With food ingested, I decided to carry on Eastward till Road Z ran out to Four Mile Road and then going North on that I would eventually come in to Council Grove from the South. No bike trail today!

Probably one of the most rustic cemeteries I've come across.

Just like last year, I saved another turtle from getting squished......for a while, anyway!

Almost there.....

I eventually gained my second goal. Shortly after 12 noon I rolled in to Council Grove, found a public bench, and plopped myself down after 68 miles of travel. Mostly gravel travel, but not all of it. Still, the roads I had found and retraced after 12 years away were spectacular and I had already had quite the adventure.

Now I needed to consult my map of Lyon County and decide what I wanted to try and knock off to get to my overall goal of 100 miles of Flint Hills goodness. First there would be a resupply and some eating, and a bit more resting. Then, finish this thing off!

Next: Unwelcome Stranger