I arrived back at the missile silo a little past noon on Thursday.  On the way, I stopped at Big Bertha’s Cafe for some final fuel.

I highly recommend the homemade hash browns.

By the time I made my way down Missile Base Road, the heat was intense.  White gravel roads don’t help.

Ed greeted me again, and told me about the equinox party Saturday evening.  The missile silo community, he told me, is trying to foster better cosmic alignment.  Afterall, things aren’t going well for planet Earth.  He picked up a piece of worn blue cloth.  Just this week the wind tore it off the Whole Earth flag.

Tattered Earth?

In the evening, Matthew and Leigh Ann once again kindly came over with a wonderful meal, and we talked more about the silo, it’s past and future.  The space race is coming back, Matthew said, and these silos might once again play a role.  The Atlas V missile is being used in the current efforts to explore space.  These old Atlas bunkers in which we were eating might also play a role.  If we can learn here how to live underground, Matthew speculated, maybe it can be the beta for living underground on Mars, as Elon Musk envisions.

Structure built a few years ago at Subterra for aquaponics experimentation

Underground living, I am realizing, is an old practice in Kansas.  As far back as the 1500s, The Kansa and the Pawnee lived in earth lodges that were partially underground.  In the Flint Hills, there are at least 270 arched stone roof subterranean limestone structures built as storm shelters, cold storage and root cellars (http://www.flinthillshelters.com).  Prairie grasses live mostly underground, with roots that can go down 12 feet or more.

Prairie grasses sink their roots deep below the shallow topsoil into this limestone

These ways of living underground are strategies for dealing with hot, dry and windy environments.

Another strategy is to do things outside at dawn and dusk.  Yesterday, I woke again long before the sun rose, and left Subterra at the crack of dawn. It was a gorgeous sunrise.

Pie also helps.  Eight miles into the ride, I stopped at the Sommerset Hall Cafe and finally got my piece of “America’s Best Pie.”

A fine piece of coconut creme pie.  Excellent crust!

Fueled up, I headed off to bike the final 36 miles back to Lawrence.  About 15 miles in, the heat growing more and more intense, these recliners sounded pretty appealing.

But I kept at it, and arrived on the outskirts of Lawrence by noon.  After days on the prairie, I was a bit shocked by the amount of development and people.

By 1PM, I was safely and my friend’s house, and ready for a nap.

So what would I say about biking Kansas after this one week pilot?  It is definitely worth it, and it might not be too crazy. If you are traveling as I was in early Fall you just must watch out for falling hedge apples, charging squirrels (I nearly swerved off a gravel road yesterday trying to avoid one), pee coming out of cattle trucks, and snakes on roads.  Of course thunderstorms are a serious threat (I was very lucky to only ride on the outskirts of a few).  The south wind also is a formidable force.  Be prepared to be stopped by it.

And Whiskey, the new bike?  Definitely Kansas gravel road worthy.  Cousin Russel did poke fun at her brand name: an All City gravel bike?  He had a point.  But back in Lawrence today, she got quite a few looks and compliments outside the Free State Brewery where I was relaxing with some IPA.  We are looking forward to our next ride!