I grew up in the midwest then transplanted to the South (GA/TN) for high-school and part of college. While I appreciate my small town rural upbringing I am VERY thankful for the exposure to Outdoor Sports I received while living in the South. Backpacking, mountain biking, rock climbing and many other outdoor pursuits are largely foreign to folks in the midwest. I don’t believe I would have the same passions for the Outdoors without this exposure.
A variety of events lead me back to the midwest mid-college. I was bitter to say the least about this detour and wanted to get back to the mountains ASAP! My time in the midwest I had to get creative with my outdoor passions. I took as many road trips as my budget and time allowed to Colorado and I began to explore locally. I was rather surprised by local features for trails, terrain and communities of people that were passionate about outdoor sports while living in the flat-lands.
Just one small example: I found one of the coolest climbing gyms and legit climbers in Wichita, Kansas. The Kansas Cliff Club is a climbing coop that remodeled a massive old cement silo. The gym features adjustable cracks, HUGE 80′ routes, cool little chambers and the best part — 24hr access with an active membership and lock combo
Many of my fondest outdoor adventures have happened in the seemingly desolate flat-lands of Kansas and Nebraska. I’m glad I had this time to explore and really learn to appreciate the specialness of each place I get the privilege to visit.
CALVIN CREST MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL
Calvin Crest is not exception. Great train and terrain surrounded by wheat fields. I had a blast exploring this trail! Here’s a short little video from one of my rides there:
If you are in the Lincoln/Omaha, NE area — checkout Calvin Crest!
OTHER ADVENTURES
Hayden, ID: Epic 7-Summits Ride