WARNING: This is a challenging Geocache, and may not be for everyone! The Rails to Trails walking path at this location is elevated, but has guard rails to keep you safe, although you may need to venture beyond them a bit. As with all elevated surfaces, there is an inherent risk of falling and being injured. You should probably not attempt this cache by yourself. Please use Extreme Caution! Enjoy!
The Geocache:
This Geocache is located along an inactive section of the old Central Kansas Railway, under south bound Highway 235 and just south of east bound Highway 54 (Kellogg Avenue). You are looking for a 50 cal ammo can hidden on the old train trestle that is now used as a walking path spanning the Wichita, Valley Center Floodway, AKA The Big Ditch. The container itself has been secured in place and requires a combination to open.
You must physically sign the log book, and replace the container in its hiding spot in order to claim this Geocache as a find. Failure to do either will result in the deletion of your log, so please play fair.
NOTE: As with any Geocache hidden by me, if you ever need assistance, please do not hesitate to ask. I am more than happy to help in any way I can, and have even been known to climb trees, scurry through tunnels, and guide night adventures for fellow Geocachers.
CKR History:
The Central Kansas Railway (CKR) (reporting mark CKRY) was a short-line railroad operating 900 miles (1,448 km) of trackage in the U.S. state of Kansas and west to Towner, Colorado, most all of which were former Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway lines. Owned by Omnitrax, CKR's main business was from the Kansas wheat harvests, as well as other traffic. The Watco Companies of Pittsburg, Kansas purchased all of the CKR's lines on May 31, 2001 and formed the Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad. (more information)
The Trail:
The Prairie Sunset Trail is a rail-trail conversion stretching west from Wichita to Garden Plain, a distance of about 16 miles. The abandoned rail line was previously used by the Central Kansas Railway, and sections of the line are now owned by the city of Wichita, Sedgwick County, and the non-profit Prairie Travelers organization. Portions of the trail have been developed by adding limestone gravel, bridges, benches, and even landscaping. Not all of these features reach as far east as this Geocache, and really start further west around 167th St. It is doubtful this area here will ever be fully converted, but it still makes for an interesting and enjoyable hike.
Special Thanks:
I first happened upon this location back on May 23rd of 2009 while searching for “Rail W 1.8 Big Ditch Bridge, GC1J0QT” by one of the area’s more notable Geocachers, robfire820. I was so intrigued by this location that when I came across something similar out west, I just had to hide a cache there…Central Kansas Railway, GC2MW0D. If it wasn’t for Rob’s caches and hard work, I would have never seen and visited some of the wonderful places spread throughout Kansas. His Steel Bridge series will always be one of my all time favorites, not to mention all of the cool Letterbox hybrids and Earthcaches he has placed. Thanks Rob for all that you do and have done for Geocaching.
I would also like to thank Frog4peace for assisting me in the creation of this cache. Her knowledge base and advice were crucial to its development.
