106 miles in Kansas gravel

Pedaling the Southwind, Prairie Spirit, and Flint hills rail trails

Rail trails really shine in the Kansas summer. Often the cyclist is shielded from both prairie winds and summer sun by ample tree cover. If you want solitude and quietude you’ll find both abundant.

http://www.kansascyclist.com/news/2019/03/kansas-rails-to-trails-map-2019/

Over two days I rode my gravel bike 106 miles on the Southwind, Prairie Spirit, and Flint Hills rail trails beginning in Humboldt, reaching Osawatomie, and doubling back to Ottawa. In total I was on the trails for about twelve hours. Unfortunately, I forgot my GPS at home but accounting for maybe three hours of meal and rest breaks I’d say I averaged just under 12 miles per hour while moving which was mighty satisfactory.

Most, though certainly not all, of the trail looks like this.

The Eastern Kansas towns around these trails are quite beautiful and for people who love old train depots and limestone buildings there is much to discover.

I couldn’t find a place to stay in Humboldt the first night so we chose Chanute. Here is a picture of the stunning train depot turned library in that town.

Have you ever been at the helm of an old steamie from the turn of the 20th century? Step up these stairs and you can be.

Where does your mind go when the only noise is the wind rustling in the trees? You know the weather you can just drink from a glass? The kind where you can close your eyes and the splendor is not diminished?

Yep, I had a good time.

Talk about repurposing a rail trestle; It’s a bridge within a bridge!

I was low on sleep and my energy was maintained in the morning with pemmican (prepared by my wife) and drinking water. According to my Whoop device I burned an extra 3,700 calories over those 106 miles. Temps ranged from the low 70s to the low 90s. I tried not to hurry but at times I sped up, especially when thinking about food. The Dutch Country cafe in Garnett was especially good. Was this the best pie I had ever tasted? At the time it seemed so.

On day one I did sixty miles and on day two the remaining forty six. I could tell when finishing my last twenty my legs were starting to fatigue. Similar to hiking, it probably takes weeks to really build up riding legs for continual long days.

I’d say every ten miles or so on the prairie spirit there was a stop like this one. On the flint hills trail there wasn’t much in the way of rest stops on the 19 miles between Ottawa and Osawatomie.

Visit the train depot museum in Ottawa, it’s world class.

There’s a lot more to write about this trail system but the photos speak for themselves. Get out there!