Fall Ride

It is such a beautiful day today with light wind, blue skies and warm temperatures. I went for a walk this morning then decided to go for a motorcycle ride. I left about 11AM and went north east to Perry Lake. The trees and grasses look so pretty.

From Fall ride 2011

From Fall ride 2011

The water was smooth and some sail boats were catching what wind there was.

From Fall ride 2011

From Fall ride 2011

From Fall ride 2011

A Red Tail Hawk was cruising the airways overhead.

From Fall ride 2011

From Fall ride 2011

It was a great day for a ride and I rode about 100 miles. The prettiest tree was in our yard surrounded by ghosts.

From Fall ride 2011

Rock Hunting Along the Smoky River

I headed west Thursday morning on I-70 to go rock hunting. As I entered I-70 at Auburn road the fall colors were worthy of a picture.

From

It was a beautiful fall morning but the weather forecast was for strong winds from the north. I hadn't gone far and the winds began to increase and by the time I arrived at Salina for fuel they were really blowing. At Salina I went west on old 40 highway which is K-140. I came to Brookville and I believe this is the old hotel made famous with the great fried chicken they used to serve. The Brookville Hotel is now in Abilene.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I came across this old farmstead and you wonder about the people that used to live there.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I found my first rocks at Mushroom Rock Park.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

There was a windmill just over the hill.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Actually there were two!

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

More of the scenes and rocks.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

This park is located south of a town that used to be Carneiro which means "sheep fold" and was founded in 1882.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I came to Kanopolis which is home to Ft Harker.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

They also have a Drive-in theater, something you don't see much of anymore.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

The Ft Harker museum was not open.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

For more information about Ft Harker go here:
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ks-fortharker.html
I ate lunch in Ellsworth home of Ft Ellworth.
http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/research/fort-ellsworth.html
I headed west out of Ellworth to near Wilson then came south to Holyrood. Some scenes along the way.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I came to Cheyenne Bottoms and rode around in there on the rough wash boarded roads.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

There were quite a few birds but since the wind was so strong it was not a great day for viewing.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

There was lots of dust in the air.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

This dry wet land was where most of the dust was coming from.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

There were some wildflowers growing.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I went to the Cheyenne Bottoms visitor center and spent a little time then headed into Great Bend as I a had a motel reservation there. After I got checked in I decided to look up a niece that lives in Great Bend. Their place was easy to find and Holly had just arrived home from work and her husband Bryan Gilliam was also there so I had a nice visit with them.
On Friday morning I awoke to a cool crisp fall day and no wind! I headed northwest on K-96 to Rush Center, then north to LaCrosse. I went west on K-4 through McCracken and turned north on K-147 towards Cedar Bluff State Park. The water was deep blue and not many trees around. The Smoky River flows into the lake.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I then came to my second "Rock" along the Smoky.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

This is a BOD marker that marks the Butterfield Overland Dispatch a stage coach line that ran from Atchison to Denver.
http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/research/bod-dispatch.html
There are many markers along this trail and most are close to the Smoky River on the north side.
I went a few miles north on K-147 and found a good gravel road heading west. By looking at the map it should be 9 miles west to 283 hwy. Just before I get to the highway I see this church.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

A closer view.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Now Castle rock is west and by looking at the map and some information I had I should go a couple miles north and find a sign pointing west. I didn't find it so I went south and came to the Smoky so I knew it had to be north. I went back to that church and there was a good road on the north side of it so I headed west. Now here's where things get a little sketchy. By looking at the map Castle Rock is half way between Collyer and Quinter, only about 15 miles south. So I am coming in from the east and start to see some rock formations.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

They don't get close real fast and I wonder if I can get to them. This is the Badlands of Kansas!

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I go as far west as I think I should then went south a mile or so then west again the first chance I get and come to this sign. Now this is the sign I thought I was going to find by the church.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

So this is the road going in from the south.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I stopped here to check out the the trail ahead and decided to walk to the top. Good choice!

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Deep ruts a steep incline. Four wheelers had been going up.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

My third rock, Castle Rock from above.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

View looking up.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I pushed the bike back down the hill a ways then took the trail to the left. It is not for the faint of heart. Had I walked down it a ways I probably wouldn't had ridden down but once you start you are committed. There were deep ruts and wash outs. One trail would end and you had to turn on the other to avoid complete wash outs. My bike sits high off the ground but I bottomed out several times. I made it down though.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

And so did the bike!

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

The first pictures were taken from up there.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Castle Rock up close.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Prairie and Kansas Bad Lands.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Castle Rock is on private property but people are allowed to come in. It is not very accessible except with off road vehicles. It was pretty steep getting back out of there. You sure wouldn't want to try this if the roads were wet. When I got to the sign where I came in I turned right and went about 6 or 7 miles west on a gravel road thinking I would come to pavement. Wrong! I came to a sign that said Quinter 15 miles north and guess what. Yep gravel. This was the view and if you look close you will see an elevator in the upper right of the picture 15 miles away.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I had one scary moment when I tried crossing from one vehicle track to another. There was about 6 inches of gravel and I had a firm grip on the handle bars but when I hit it at 35mph it was all I could do to keep it upright. Oh and did I say I was about out of gas? The light had been on a while and when I filled at Quinter I had about a half gallon left. The last three miles were paved. Yippee!
I went to a grocery and bought a banana and a Snickers and had lunch at 1:30. Then it was 35 miles west to Oakley and 25 miles south to the turn off to my 4th rock, Monument Rocks.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Castle and Monument are two of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. So here is my first view of Monument Rocks.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Me at Monument.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

The "Eye of the Needle".

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Other rock formations. "Charlie the Dog"

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I am not sure what caused these? Maybe swallows nesting?

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

More rocks.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From highway 83.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I recommend Monument because you can get there with a car and only 7 miles of gravel. They are much more interesting too!
After getting back to the highway I had one more place I wanted to investigate so headed south towards Scott City. My 5th "rock" is a pueblo ruins. At Lake Scott there are the El Cuartelejo Pueblo Ruins and they are a National Historic Landmark. They date back to 1696.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Scott Lake

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

And finally my 6th rock is another BOD maker along US-83 just north of the Smoky River.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Smoky river in background. It is a small river.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

Looks like I have a seal that needs replaced.

From Mushroom, Castle, Monument Rocks

I stayed at Oakley Friday night and headed for home on Saturday arriving at noon. I was an interesting trip that I had contemplated for a couple of years. It was not easy with all the gravel roads but I am glad I completed it.