On Tuesday I made a 400 mile round trip to Newton,KS to haul a combine home...I got done loading at 11:30 AM and headed 60 miles straight east on 1st Street....I was overwidth and was only going to run 40-45 mph in 4th gear so went the scenic route...Combines pull very hard as they have so much wind drag..
Heres some pictures starting at the Flint Hills..
1-Heres Main Street in Cassoday,KS....The Flint Hills start just west of there..
2-Heading east out of Cassoday....Theres only one house for the next 25 plus miles..It
will just be me and the cows..
3-Theres nothing but bluestem pasture as far as you can see..
4-I didn't take this picture...Its Teeter Rock located 10-12 miles east of Cassoday,,,The former town of Teeterville was also located there..I've never been to Teeter Rock because its in a pasture 1 mile south of the road..The rancher allows access and its a popular place....I didn't want to take my pickup and trailer there..
I'll see it in the car one of these days..
5-Proof that Kansas isn't level..The hill over looking the valley of the east branch of the Fall River that flows south..Its a long ways to the top of the other hill..A utility crew was working at the bottom of the hill..
6-Looking SE at the Fall River valley..
7-Stopped to check the trailer tires-etc..
8-One of the many large watershed lakes to help prevent flooding on the Fall,Verdigris,and Neosho Rivers..
9-Heading on east to Hamilton,KS...In the 35 miles there from Cassoday and I met 2 vehicles..
10-Main Street in Hamilton,KS..There used to be a good cafe there buts its out of business..
11 and 12-The bank and water tower in Hamilton.
13-A couple of old trucks just east of Hamilton..
14-I first went this road east of Hamilton in 2004 and these 4 crosses were there then on a
sharp curve...These 4 young people will be 23,19,16,and 15 forever..How sad..
15-Getting ready to cross the Verdigris River west of Virgil,KS..Almost every bridge for 100
miles was rated at 15 tons..I saw heavier trucks in the area..
16-A picture taken 7-8 years ago of the historic Virgil,KS hotel..Sadly an arsonist burnt it down
6-7 years ago.
17-A picture taken several years ago of the Virgil bank..
18-19,and 20-The old high school,church,and store in Vernon,KS...We are now out of the
Flint Hills.now..
21-A nice clean field of beans in the Verdigris river bottom...They should make 60 plus
bushels per acre..Soybean harvest was only about 20% done..
22-Some old horse drawn machinery south of Neosho Falls,KS.
23-There are lots of oil wells in the Hamilton to Neosho Falls area...Farming
around them wouldn't be too bad..
24-The Neosho River at Neosho Falls,KS..The food of 1951 ruined this town..
Thats a story by itself which I will do in the future..
25-A low water bridge NE of Iola,KS...Recently the water had been over the road
where it goes around the bend..I crossed 2 more low water bridges after this...
26-The clouds are getting heavy and 15 miles from home I hit rain..
27-A country church north of Bronson,KS..In the 100 miles before this only 2 vehicles
came up behind me..
I arrived home at 5:30 PM with no problems...It had been a fun day..
Heres some pictures starting at the Flint Hills..
1-Heres Main Street in Cassoday,KS....The Flint Hills start just west of there..
2-Heading east out of Cassoday....Theres only one house for the next 25 plus miles..It
will just be me and the cows..
3-Theres nothing but bluestem pasture as far as you can see..
4-I didn't take this picture...Its Teeter Rock located 10-12 miles east of Cassoday,,,The former town of Teeterville was also located there..I've never been to Teeter Rock because its in a pasture 1 mile south of the road..The rancher allows access and its a popular place....I didn't want to take my pickup and trailer there..
I'll see it in the car one of these days..
5-Proof that Kansas isn't level..The hill over looking the valley of the east branch of the Fall River that flows south..Its a long ways to the top of the other hill..A utility crew was working at the bottom of the hill..
6-Looking SE at the Fall River valley..
7-Stopped to check the trailer tires-etc..
8-One of the many large watershed lakes to help prevent flooding on the Fall,Verdigris,and Neosho Rivers..
9-Heading on east to Hamilton,KS...In the 35 miles there from Cassoday and I met 2 vehicles..
10-Main Street in Hamilton,KS..There used to be a good cafe there buts its out of business..
11 and 12-The bank and water tower in Hamilton.
13-A couple of old trucks just east of Hamilton..
14-I first went this road east of Hamilton in 2004 and these 4 crosses were there then on a
sharp curve...These 4 young people will be 23,19,16,and 15 forever..How sad..
15-Getting ready to cross the Verdigris River west of Virgil,KS..Almost every bridge for 100
miles was rated at 15 tons..I saw heavier trucks in the area..
16-A picture taken 7-8 years ago of the historic Virgil,KS hotel..Sadly an arsonist burnt it down
6-7 years ago.
17-A picture taken several years ago of the Virgil bank..
18-19,and 20-The old high school,church,and store in Vernon,KS...We are now out of the
Flint Hills.now..
21-A nice clean field of beans in the Verdigris river bottom...They should make 60 plus
bushels per acre..Soybean harvest was only about 20% done..
22-Some old horse drawn machinery south of Neosho Falls,KS.
23-There are lots of oil wells in the Hamilton to Neosho Falls area...Farming
around them wouldn't be too bad..
24-The Neosho River at Neosho Falls,KS..The food of 1951 ruined this town..
Thats a story by itself which I will do in the future..
25-A low water bridge NE of Iola,KS...Recently the water had been over the road
where it goes around the bend..I crossed 2 more low water bridges after this...
26-The clouds are getting heavy and 15 miles from home I hit rain..
27-A country church north of Bronson,KS..In the 100 miles before this only 2 vehicles
came up behind me..
I arrived home at 5:30 PM with no problems...It had been a fun day..