OP
- Thread Starter
- #151
Actually, this was on the Kanza Prairie in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Those pictures were taken about 15 miles into the middle of nowhere just south of Emporia Kansas. And the solitude and peace that you experience can actually make flat prairie rather beautiful.
Emporia is a huge bicycling destination, Every June they have a race called the "Dirty Kanza". It's a 200 mile race thru the flint hills - on gravel. There is no overnight - you start at 6 a.m. on a Saturday and you have to be finished by 3 a.m. Sunday to be counted as a finisher. There were 554 riders who finished it last year. The winner did it in just over 11 hours. The guys bringing up the rear did it in 20 hours and 55 minutes. If they had been 5 minutes slower - no credit. There are riders from every continent who ride it. Between cyclists, support people and spectators, they say the popularion of Emporia grows by 7,000 during that week. They also have a 100 mile race - that one have 470 people who finished. More than that signed up, but you only get credit if you finish. They also have a 25 mile and a 50 mile "fun ride". I may do the 50 mile ride next year.
Emporia is also a college town and one of the rest stops was "manned" by a group called "babes on bikes". They offered refreshments like the one shown below. Life is great on two wheels.
