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“It started working out great, so I just kept going and going and I had three miles worth of paths,” Brungardt, a former high school runner, said. “I was so excited that I thought, ‘You know what,this will be great for family and friends for a nature trail.’ Brungardt’s self-titled Sand Plum Nature Trail is now the home of the Tigers’ cross country races starting this fall. Fort Hays has two home meets, the Alumni Run on Aug. 25 and the Tiger Open on Oct. 6. In the spring, Fort Hays State University coach Jason McCullough was running from Hays to Victoria when he happened upon the trails.“On the weekends I do my long runs, and Victoria is only 13 miles away from my house, so I normally don’t run there, but the wind was really strong out of the west, so I decided, ‘I am going to run to Victoria,’ and my wife, or someone comes and picks me up,” McCullough said. “I almost got to Victoria and Ilook over and see these kind of like trails where you can tell people mowed. I look for those types of tilings all the time.”He talked with Brungardt,who has let the Tigers use the property. FHSU needed a new home course after part of their course was altered because of campus construction. Fort Hays often has used the trails for practice, too. McCullough said Sand Plum reminds him of Rim Rock, arguably Kansas’ most well-known cross country course, and the Oklahoma State University course.“We have got a course ready to go,” McCullough said. “We have put a lot of time and money into that course. It’s going to be harder(than FHSU). We have got some hills.... The footing is a little bit rougher because it used to be pasture, but it’s go-CHELSY LUETH • Hays Daily NewsA bridge across a creek bed on one of the trails is shown at the Sand Plum Nature Trail near Victoria.mg to be a pretty nice course. People that I have taken out there really like it. They really think it’s great.”Victoria High School's cross country team and some students studying at St. Fidelisthis summer also have used the trails. Brungardt, who works at St. Fidelis, said the trails are not open to the public. He works on the trails about one to two hours a day.“Most nature trails are state-run,” Brungardt said. “It’s all coming out of my pocket.”Brungardt has had some oeonle talk to him about astate cross country championship and Victoria and/or Hays High hosting a meet on the grounds. However, Brungardt said, mainly for insurance purposes, the family decided it will not happen at die current time.“Only Fort Hays is who I am allowing,” Brungardt said.Currently, Sand Plum hasmultiple trails that Brungardthas created and a 5- and 8-kilometer courses.Each trail has different names, including North Fork, Deer, Turtle (because Brungardt saw a snapping turtle in a nearby pond) and SumacU(from the sumac plants located on the trail). Brungardt wanted the signs to be part of nature: Each marker is made from wood, not plastic.Old farm equipment dots the trails in some places. Brungardt affectionally calls the equipment, which hasn't moved in several decades, yard art” and “visual nostalgia.” Brungardt provides walking sticks, too. He walked with a stick that had one bell.“My brother and I went camping up in Montana and the hikers there put a big bell on their walking stick to let the grizzly bears know they are coming,” he said. “I put one bell on.” Brungardt said building the trails provide “a ton” of satisfaction. Plus, the creek provides what Brungardt calls “an ideal location.” When family comes to Victoria, one of the highlightsis walking the trail.“I am sick of farming,” he said. “I wanted to do something more enjoyable, and this, I figure will help peoplegetting exercise.”As well, Brungardt built several benches, a bridge bought a turkey call and food for wild animals on the trails.McCullough has driven over nearly everyday to work on the course and helped create Summit trail for the cross country' course. Summit Trail, built over two months, includes an approximately 20-yard steep incline that is different than many other courses. The course includes several long runs in the open prairie, as well as loops around the creek.“Jason) said this is a really rough hill for cross country, for the steepnessof the grade,” Brungardt said. “Jason said that it is more professional type of course than a flat course. It has got a variety of terrain. We have got flat terrain, wehave got hilly terrain.”
Newspaper Details
The Hays Daily News
Hays, Kansas, US
Sun, Aug 19, 2012
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Charles B.
KS, USA 21 Dec 2020
Other Publications Near Hays, Kansas
The Hays Free Press
The Hays Daily News
