The Sounds of the Santa Fe Trail

I managed to drag myself into Baldwin City at 5:40 pm. after a full day of riding that covered about 90 miles. To make matters more interesting, we had a headwind almost the entire way. It was one of the most taxing days of cycling I've experienced.


On the hill you might be able to see Osage scouts checking out our bike expedition.

We began immediately with the Flint Hills, but once those were surmounted continued to run into little hills. At times the road looked like a roller coaster. We lunched at the pleasant Santa Fe Café in Burlingame, which boosts one of the widest main streets I've ever seen. In the old days when the trail ran right through town, the 200-feet wide main street was constructed so that mule trains could turn around. It was bricked over in 1922.



Downtown Burlingame and its 200 feet wide Main Street once was used to park mule trains.

The final part of the day was a big slog, most of it on US 56 which had no shoulder and a lot of truck traffic. Besides cycling up and down over hills (who said Kansas was flat!) and getting bashed by the wind, we really needed to concentrate on staying to the side of the road. Then there was the constant shifting of gears to try and get the best ride possible under poor conditions. I continued my amazing ability to snag weird insects while riding. A cicada got stuck in the air vent of my helmet, causing quite a ruckus. My head is still buzzing from the sound.

What I really want to talk about are some other sounds. Last night in Council Grove our camp was at the edge of a wood. As soon as it got dark, the cicadas and crickets began their screeching. I'm used to this by now. Next comes hooting, gawking, and snorting of various creatures, then barking dogs. It's a cacophony that is almost deafening, particularly for someone used to our relatively quiet northwest forests. It is also somewhat intimidating. No wonder people have a fear of the deep dark forest. I think I would too if I had grown up here.

During today's ride there was the constant roar of traffic. I can pretty much tell what kind of vehicle (truck or car) and how fast it is approaching by the sound it makes.

We are currently lodged at Baker University in Baldwin City. Apparently, Baker was the first university established in Kansas, established 1n 1858 when the Santa Fe Trail was in use. Enrollment today is about 700 students. It is yet another small college on a pretty campus in a small town. I never heard of it until about 30 minutes ago.

Note sign on the left regarding guns.