Whenever I travel, I look for out-of-the-way places that are not commercialized and overrun with tourists. Avoiding the Interstate highways helps me find such spots. In late October, as I drove across southern Kansas, I saw Big Basin and St. Jacobs Well noted on what was otherwise an empty section of the highway map. My kind of place.
Located some 40 miles south of Dodge City, 25 miles east of Meade, and 20 miles west of Ashland, Big Basin and St. Jacobs Well are two adjacent sunken formations with no drainages leading out. According to the historical marker next to the highway,
Big Basin was formed thousands of years ago by the dissolving and collapse of massive gypsum and salt formations lying several hundred feet below the surface.
St. Jacobs Well is a sinkhole that always holds water, even during dry years. Reaching it requires a short drive on a narrow gravel road.
The road leads to an overlook with a trail leading to the sinkhole.
A sunflower with a few stray late-season flowers attracts a sulphur butterfly.
With wood being scarce, stone was sometimes used for fence posts in Kansas.
The sinkhole is relatively small, and surrounded by vegetation. It was hard to photograph without a wide angle lens.
Poison ivy shares space with its harmless cousin, rhus trilobata. This is the first time I can recall seeing poison ivy growing next to sagebrush.
A large cottonwood claims its share of the sinkhole wall. A turtle makes itself at home.
Above: Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) adds color to the scene. Below: An old-fashioned windmill spins in the breeze, pulling ground water into a watering tank.
A hilltop monument overlooks Big Basin and St. Jacobs Well.
Follow
this link for a brief video about the area. I did not catch a glimpse of any bison when I was there.
How many tourists did I encounter during my visit? Exactly none. Yep, my kind of place.
"Green Diary Rescue" is Back!
After a hiatus of over 1 1/2 years, Meteor Blades has revived his excellent series. As MB explained, this weekly diary is a "round-up with excerpts and links... of the hard work so many Kossacks put into bringing matters of environmental concern to the community... I'll be starting out with some commentary of my own on an issue related to the environment, a word I take in its broadest meaning."
"Green Diary Rescue" will be posted every Saturday at 1:00 pm Pacific Time on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.