TRAIL RUNNING A POPULAR SPORT. A new sport has taken off in recent years: trail running. According to a recent article in the Lawrence Journal-World (11-02-07), an estimated 6.7 million people run primarily on hiking and mountain biking trails. Although trail runners have to watch out for rocks, roots, branches and logs, the uneven earth-packed surface is better for knees and joints than flat concrete or asphalt surfaces. There are several hundred trail runners in the Kansas City area and some have formed a group called Kansas City Trail Nerds (for more information see: Bad Ben's Trail Running Site.)
SUNFLOWER RECREATIONAL TRAILS ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of Sunflower Recreational Trails will be held on Saturday December 1 in Council Grove, an historic landmark on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. All trail enthusiasts are encouraged to attend (nonmembers can join by paying $10 membership dues at the door). The meeting will be held from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Hays House, the oldest restaurant west of the Mississippi River in continuous operation. Directors will be elected by the membership following a presentation by President Ross describing the Year in Review. The annual meeting will be followed by a Board of Directors meeting at which all members may attend. Following this meeting there will be a field trip to the Kaw Heritage Park and a segment of Flint Hills Nature Trail which has recently been completed.
COUNCIL GROVE TRAIL SEGMENT T0 OPEN. A trail surface composed of limestone screenings suitable for road bikes and wheelchairs should be installed by the first of the year on the Flint Hills Nature Trail between Council Grove and the Kaw Heritage Park. At the park there is a trail loop around the base of the tallgrass prairie-covered hill with the Monument to the Unknown Indian on top and along a riverbank with the original stone hut ruins built for the Kaw Indians. A replica Kaw Indian lodge has been built by the tribe and is now open to the public. It should be noted that an estimated 75-80% of the 805 burr oak trees planted along the Flint Hills Trail in memory of the 805 original Kaw families has survived.
KANSAS RAIL CORRIDORS RELEASED. The American Trails Association, a fictitious entity created by A & K Salvage from Salt Lake City, has decided to release several rail corridors in Kansas it had railbanked previously. According to a Chicago railroad attorney, the lines now revert to K & O Railroad (WATCO) out of Pittsburg, Kans. Four lines are of interest to Kansas trails advocates: (1) Iola-Humbolt (6.5 miles); (2) Wellington-Oxford (9.2 miles); (3) Chanute-Fredonia (23.6 miles); and Protection-Englewood (30.3 miles). The first line would make for an extension of the recently-completed 52-mile Prairie Spirit Trail and the last line would extend the 30-mile Short Grass Prairie Trail north and east toward Pratt. Sunflower Recreational Trails is currently exploring assuming railbanking custodianship and later transferring the corridors to other entities.
LANDON NATURE TRAIL VANDALISM. As reported in the Topeka Capital-Journal (10-26-07), there have been 41 cases of theft and vandalism along the Landon Nature Trail in Shawnee County since the beginning of 2007. Nails have been hidden in leaves to harm horses and hikers and signs have been defaced and stolen. It is thought that trail opponents are behind much of the vandalism. Crime Stoppers has issued a cash reward for information leading to the apprehension of the perpetrators. Despite the vandalism, the Landon Trail Division of the Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy (KRTC) continues to work on the trail southeast of Berryton.
HEALTH OF KANSANS DECLINES. The health of Kansas has declined markedly in just one year with the Sunflower State dropping from 16th to 23rd in the ranking of states. A study by the United Health Foundation found that the percentage of the population that smokes increased 9 percent to 20% since 2006 and the percentage of the population that is obese rose 8 percent to 25% of the population. That is why it is important to develop trails close to where people live so they exercise for health. Physicians recommend that patients walk (or bike) briskly at least three times each week for 30+ minutes.
ECONOMICS OF RAIL-TRAILS. A 2006 study by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy of the 62-mile Pine Creek Trail in Pennsylvania found that the trail generates nearly $5.5 million annually for the local economy. The rail-trail follows a river in the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. It was found that trail users buy food, gasoline and lodging. For more information see: Biking Bis: Build it and they will come and spend; Pennsylvania's Pine Creek Rail Trail. An informal survey of trail users by the Landon Trail Division of KRTC has found that of the 200 questionnaires received, trail users spent an average of $10-$11 daily.