May 25, 2003 .... The Gypsum Hills of Barber county. Wow! We all had to cover a lot of asphalt miles to get there ... but as the photos show, well worth it! Making the ride this day: Greg Mitchell of Emporia rode the greatest distance on his Honda TransAlp, about 450 miles total. Don Morgan of Wichita rode his KTM 640 LC4, and Brady Allensworth rode in from Wichita on his BMW 1150GS Adventure. Riding a Suzuki DR350 was Larry McGillivary of Manhattan, and Mike Krehbiel from Pretty Prairie rode his Honda XL350. Todd Shumaker of Netawaka was riding his Suzuki DR650, Rob Lux of Holton braved 200 miles of asphalt on his Suzuku DR-Z 400, and Dennis Murray of Conway Springs rode in on his KLR650. Gary Miller of Edmond, OK rode his DR-Z 400, his better half, Janice, rode her Suzuki DR200. Tim North of Emporia rode his very nimble Yamaha TTR250, and Roger Baugh of Wichita covered the distance on his "clean" KLR650. Our rendezvous was Medicine Lodge, where the long distance riders met up with those who had trailered in. Don and Roger had traveled this region before, but for everyone else, it was an entirely new riding experience. With the recent rains, we were treated to a profusion of wildflowers and thick prairie grasses. We saw plenty of wildlife ... turkey, pheasant, raccoon, and deer. One of the best surprises of the day happened at a point where we were riding open range, and came upon two herds of buffalo ... 200-300 head strong. Having no fence between us and one of the herds wasn't in the BT Kansas handbook, so we were extra cautious (and in awe) of their presence. We had a great lunch in Hardtner at the "Just Us" ... considering the offerings, an amazing bargain for a Sunday buffet. Afterwards, some of us were ready for a nap, but there was still too much more to see, and too many miles before home! For those who made this ride .... nothing but grins the entire day! Click on a thumbnail to view a larger image. Use your browser's "back" button, or the "left" arrow in the navigation bar to return to this page.

home | safety | links | photo gallery | e-mail | bulletin board