Fifteen riders gathered in Council Grove, KS on August 9, 2003 for what turned out to be a delightful, if not dusty ride through Morris and Wabaunsee counties. Riding in from Abilene were Phillip Cosby on his KLR650, and Cathy Cosby on her BMW 650GS. Terry Fleming of Tecumseh rode his KTM RXC400. We had vintage Yamaha XT500 riders Brian Komar of Idana and Tyce Young of Clay Center joined us ... along with their riding buddy, Justin Begnoche of Clay Center, who rode his Honda XR650L. Dan Mitchell of Chanute, Suzuki DRZ400, and brother Greg Mitchell, Suzuki DR350, rode up from Emporia. Clinton Coon, also from Emporia, decided to try out his new Suzuki DR650 on the dusty backroads. Chris Allen of Altamont rode his Yamaha XT225, accompanied by Dennis Gowing of Lecompton riding a new Kawasaki 250 Super Sherpa. (The smaller, more nimble machines were perfect for the tighter, more technical sections we rode) David Hemphill of Lawrence rode his trusty DR650, and ride leader Tim Edwards came in from Topeka on his KLR650. Riding their Kawasaki KLR650s up from Wichita were Jeff Gilliland and Roger Baugh. We started the morning off at the Saddle Rock Cafe in Council Grove. After a brief route and safety briefing, we rode to the northwest of town and up into the Flint Hills. Riding in a clockwise direction, we worked our way up to Alta Vista, Volland, Alma, and eventually ended up in Eskridge. Of course, Tim introduced the "Box Turtle Road" to the uninitiated ... The entire day went well .... no mishaps or major mechanical problems. The "kickers" got to exercise frequently, as there were a number of scenic and rest stops. All told, we rode about eighty miles, not including the commute to Council Grove. However, those eighty miles of backroads and two-track took us about five hours to traverse. Another great ride out in the northern Flint Hills. Once again, many thanks to Tim Edwards for heading this one up! 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.

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