Konza Prairie

A couple Sundays ago we decided to head out to the nearby rolling Kansas hills for a little Sunday family stroll. The area where we live is covered with beautiful trees but not too far outside of town the trees thin out and the Kansas prairie is exposed. The trail that we found was supposed to have buffalo grazing nearby but we never saw them. I guess that means that we'll have to go back! 

After paying our due's:

 Thankfully we had enough nickels and dimes in the car since we weren't prepared for a trail maintenance fee.

 We were off!

Look at all the dust his little boots are kicking up! Proof that he is totteling at a very high speed!

After the first couple minutes we came to a narrow bridge where we bravely took turns crossing. Several different fellow hikers passed us and warned us that this was too hard of a hike for little children and a jogging stroller. ???? I pictured in my minds eye even deeper ravines and dangerous cliffs but then I remembered that we are in Kansas. There are no mountains! What in the world were these kind, albeit pansy hikers talking about?!

Obviously these Kansas folk don't know my husband! I'm glad that we didn't heed their warnings because it was a beautiful hike that reminded me of hiking around the California hills that we grew up in.

 There was one very large hill with a bunch of steps leading up to it. I guess this was what they were referring to. Maybe it would have been harder if we didn't stop halfway up for Char to use the privacy of a bush to poop behind. When you gotta go, you gotta go!

Cabe was madder than a hornet that he had to be strapped into the stroller but once his big brother joined him he felt slightly better. Misery loves company.

Mason hiked like a pro and spent most of the trip zipping on ahead of us.

 The trail

 Going downhill is a lot more fun. I couldn't catch it, but the boys caught some serious air as they were going off jumps on the way down. They had all these pretty dried flowery-things. Made me excited to come back here when it is green again.

 Towards the very end, Mason got a little tuckered out. This is why I like to go hiking with James. He makes my job easy.

 Mason and Char were here. Since we had to pay $2 in change to hike with a clear conscience  I didn't stop my men from practicing their penmanship in the hiking log at the end of the trail.