Little Adventure on the Prairie:Trail Run @ Konza Prairie Biological Station

View of the Konza Prairie 

So for today's post, I'm going to move down from the mountains and talk about another region that I have always found to be stunning: the Flint Hills. Specifically, I want to talk about a recent weekend trip I took to Konza Prairie Biological Station, which is a beautiful prairie preserved owned by Kansas State University and located outside of Manhattan, KS. A few friends had recommended the trails at Konza, so I decided to head out there recently to take a look...and I'm so glad that I did. It turned into a beautiful afternoon in the Flint Hills, and I actually wished that I had allotted more time to explore the area before having to head back. This is a local hotspot, but because it isn't really marked from the roadway, most people never hear about it. 

I was hoping to run the trails at Konza on my visit.  There was one main trail at the park, but from that trail were a variety of length options. The main Nature Trail was a 2.5 mile loop, with additional mileage coming from the Kings Creek Loop (which made for a total of 4.4 miles) or the longest Godwin Hill Loop (which would make your total distance 6.0 miles). The trails were clearly marked by signage and a wide, dirt-and-gravel walkway. There were also restroom facilities near the trail head for public use. 

Even though Konza is a prairie trail system, the path definitely was not flat. The trail began with a series of steep limestone steps, and there were rolling hills throughout the trail. But the hills were worth the climb; the view from the top of the Radio Tower hill was stunning. You could see miles of wide-open prairie and the rolling flint hills, plus there were views of the town of Manhattan a few miles away. Although Kansas gets a lot of crap for being "flat and boring", there is incredible beauty in the flint hills at Konza, especially as the sun began to set and the grasses were flaming with bright color. 

I really enjoyed using these trails for trail running, but they could also be used as a hiking trail. No bikes were allowed on the trails, and dogs were also prohibited. There were quite a few families with young children using the trails - especially the shorter Nature Trail. I plan to go back to Konza soon to run the trails again, and I would strongly recommend this to anyone in the area, either permanently or just passing through. The park was free to visitors, although a $2 trail maintenance donation was suggested. The park is open from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. More information on Konza can be found here at their website. 

It's easy to see the mountains or the oceans as beautiful elements of nature, but I think that we often forget to notice the beauty in other places, like the prairies. There is something raw and majestic about the wide open grasslands of the Midwest, and there are so many opportunities to adventure and explore the great outdoors on the Great Plains - or anywhere! You just have to look around for pieces of hidden beauty around you. 

Been to Konza or know of any other amazing prairie hiking trails? Please comment! 

Happy wanderings! - GG

Places to HIKE: Death Canyon @ Grand Teton National Park, WY

In terms of popular Grand Teton National Park hiking, Death Canyon isn't probably the most well-known. But it is a beautiful hike into some amazing country, and a good, moderate hike to start with, especially if it's your first day in the park.

Overlooking Phelps Lake from the trail

Accessing the trail is a bit of a pain. You have to take the Moose-Wilson Road (which can be quite bumpy) to the cutoff for the trailhead, which is clearly marked but another short drive. GTNP does a great job of marking roads and trails, so if this is your first visit to the park, you'll be able to figure out where you need to go.

Once you hit the trail, it's pretty easy going for a while. You travel through some heavily-forested areas with only mild incline. For the first 1.5 miles, there aren't really any great overlooks, but it's a peaceful bit of trail. It's a great warm-up. 

View up the peaks as you climb the Canyon

Then, you reach a beautiful clearing where you can look out over the marvelous Phelps Lake. It's really stunning, especially after being in the trees for a while. Then, you start to hike downhill through a series of switchbacks. There is quite a bit of elevation loss here, but don't worry; you're still on the right trail. Once you're nearly down to lake-level, there's a cutoff to the lake itself. We decided to skip the walk around the lake in favor of the Death Canyon trail. 

From this point, it's about two miles to your destination. Because we were on the trail in early June, we still encountered some snow fields. If you don't feel comfortable on this snow, don't proceed! If you can pass the snow (or just don't encounter any), the rest of the trail is really beautiful. You'll have to do some elevation gaining through some switchbacks, but the views at the end are always worth it! From the end of the Canyon, you have a great view back down the valley and over Phelps Lake. 

A few things to remember:

Looking back down the valley

• This is bear country! Once you get to the Tetons, you will be bombarded with signs reminding you of the bear threat. But I still feel obligated to put that on this post. We didn't encounter any bears, but this isn't the most traversed trail, so be on the lookout. Be smart; bring your bear spray. 
• You will have some uphill trail on the way back to the trailhead as you climb out of the lake valley. Just keep that in mind as you hike. 
• For more info on the trail, take a look at the NPS map of the area. 

We really loved the Death Canyon Hike at Grand Teton National Park. Overall, it's only about an 6-mile hike, but it's a solid day hike. Plus, there are lots of opportunities to add more miles through trails branching off of the main trail. 

FYI - I'll be posting more about GTNP and the Jackson Hole area in the weeks to come. So be on the lookout for more hikes, bike rides, and general travel tips for this region!

AND - if you've done this hike (or something similar) please comment! It'll help build our community of Wanderers.

Happy wanderings! - GG

The Tetons and Phelps Lake from the trail

Welcome to the Wanderer's Trailhead blog!

I believe in the Great Outdoors.

That's the most important thing about this blog. Our natural resources and ability to adventure in the wilderness are some off our greatest untapped sources of life. They refresh the body, mind, and soul. They connect us to our roots, offer refuge from the stress of modern life, and put life back into perspective. Whether you love the mountains, the desserts, the beaches, or the alpine tundra - or all of those, for that matter! - this blog will have something for you. It will cover hiking and biking tips, stories of the power of nature, and lifestyle posts.

I want to be clear though: I'm not going to try to tell you how to live your life. That's up to you. Feel free to take bits and pieces of this blog and incorporate them into your own life. I don't believe that there is one "right" lifestyle; there are many ways to be healthy, strong, and happy. Some of my closest friends don't enjoy workouts and hard hikes, but they are some of the happiest, most content people I know. So read these posts, take what you can, and enjoy the beauty of life.

Welcome to the Wanderer's Trailhead blog. Every grand adventure begins at a trailhead, and I sincerely hope that, for many of you, this blog can be your starting place. Read, repost, comment - but mostly, just enjoy the content.

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Happy wanderings! - GG