Backroads Touring - Apr. 29, 2007

April 29, 2007 ... We rode the Central Flint Hills, primarily in Chase County ... little to no traffic, lots of wildlife ... what more could one want? Three riders rendezvoused in Cassoday. Chris Owens - Wichita, KS - KLR650, Gordon Polston - Herington, KS - KLR650, and Roger Baugh - Wichita, KS - KLX250S. The day started out cool, but would reach near summertime temperatures by afternoon. It was pleasant to ride this route as a small group, as there was very little waiting for the tail-end rider at course direction changes.

We rode to the west and north out of Cassoday. Early on, we started seeing numerous wild turkeys near creeks and wooded areas. However, they weren't too thrilled to see us!

Riding into Chase county, we worked our way over to Coyne Creek road. This short road offers nice overlooks, riparian forest, and numerous stream crossings. On the western beginning of the road, a rider is only about two or three miles south of the Clements area. After taking some shots of the Clements bridge, we rode east along the Cottonwood River valley to the town of Elmdale. We had considered riding north up into the Diamond Springs area, but deferred that area to another day. Continuing on, we then rode to Cottonwoods Falls and the Emma Chase Cafe' for their famous lunch fare. We met other dualsport riders in Cottonwood Falls, who said they came out to Chase County because of the stories and pictures they'd seen on the Backroads Touring web site. Well .... the circle of adventure tourers continues to grow!

After lunch, we turned south and rode Buck Creek Road and then on the Den Creek Road ... two very scenic routes. After entering Bazaar, we road along the Sharps Creek Road to the Madison Road ... and lots of open range and cattle. We skipped Teterville this ride, opting to ride south along Road D into the wild mustang range. We were not disappointed, and saw several herds at close range. It was thrilling to see them on the run with such a beautiful backdrop.

Eventually, we arrived back in Cassoday by late afternoon, and bid one another adieu. As you can see from the last thumbnail, we also had a couple of feathered friends visit with us at the gas station in Cassoday before departure!

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