Backroads Touring - August 25, 2007

August 25, 2007 - Finally .... a ride into the Chauatauqua Hills! We had hoped to ride this area earlier in the year, but massive spring flooding had delayed our exploration until now.

Ten riders rendezvoused at our two points in Mulvane and Cedar Vale ... Jeff Ecker - Canton - KLR650, Jared Friesen - Wichita - DR-Z400, Jeff Jelinek - Danville - Triumph Tiger, Britt Lolley - Wichita - DL650, Ken Clifford - Wichita - KLR650, Jim Krone - Wichita - XR650L, Mark Cole - Wichita - KLR650, Thurman Brittingham - Rose Hill - KLX250, Jeff Gilliland - Wichita - KLR650, and Roger Baugh - Wichita - KLR650.

The Mulvane rendezvous crew enjoyed meeting one another at Laurie's Kitchen in Mulvane, and partaking of the cafe's $5 breakfast buffet. Gotta love small town Kansas restaurants! We saddled up, and were off-tarmac in no time, destination Cedar Vale, where Jeff J. would be awaiting our arrival.

The early morning pea soup fog had lifted as we rode to the southeast along dozens of miles of dirt/gravel roads. A substantial rain the evening before had rendered the roads a little muddy in places, but it only meant we couldn't maintain a faster pace had the roads been drier. We had one KLR that was under-fueled at the start ... and without a siphon tube, the refuelings were slow and time consuming along the way. The errant rider caught a lot of good natured flak the rest of the ride!

Arriving in Cedar Vale, we refueled ... then headed south into the Caney River valley. Because of the rain the night before, this was the first time we'd ever ridden the area where we had no dust conditions to contend with. Normally, we would leave plumes of dust hanging in the air for mile after mile when riding the lowlands of southern Chautauqua county. We first tried to reach Lookout Mountain just outside of Cedar Vale, but the landowner had gated the mildly technical two track road leading up to the prominent landmark. The previous owner had allowed public access for decades, and our group has enjoyed the panoramic view from the top of the hill on a number of occasions in past seasons.

Approaching the ghost town of Hewins, we rode through mile after mile of dense canopied riparian forest. After riding through the nearly treeless highlands of the Flint Hills in order to reach Cedar Vale, the contrast was stunning. We stopped at the Hewins bridge and noted where the Caney river had risen nearly forty feet above the river bed during the Spring flood. That sight must have been something! A local rancher stopped to chat awhile, and told us of a town near the present-day bridge that had been entirely swept away in a massive flood in the late 1880s.

We then rode on into the ghost town of Elgin and enjoyed a rest stop and photo opportunity. The town had once been an important rail head for cattle drives coming up from Texas. When rail lines were later established further south, many towns such as this one simply withered away. The group departed Elgin without a head count, leaving one rider to his own devices. Thankfully, he recalled the plan to rendezvous in Sedan for lunch, and was able to hookup with us there. Several miles north out of Elgin, we encountered three horses that had escaped their pasture and were enjoying a day of unfettered strolling. In no time at all, they were nuzzling the ride leader, hoping for some treats.

We had lunch in Sedan, refueled, then rode to the northwest. Riding through the Red Bison ranch, then on to the ghost towns of Leeds and Cloverdale, it was one scenic view after another at every turn or hill crest. Once we arrived in Cambridge, the decision was made to continue back home using secondary paved roads, as it was becoming late in the day. The roads we chose were still scenic and with little to no traffic, and afforded us a chance to cruise at a relaxed pace and enjoy the remains of the day.

No real issues or mishaps today, and a lot of good camaraderie. It was a near perfect day of riding in the Chautauqua and Flint Hills! ..... rb

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