Back to the Salt Mines

2018-09-27
Strataca, Hutchinson KS, MO

Today's goal was to get across the rest Kansas (most of it) and half way or so across Missouri. That would take me through Lawrence Kansas, my place of birth. Dad was transferred back to Delaware when I was four years old so I really don't remember much about Kansas, and what memories I do have are confined to the house. I didn't get to town much when I lived there (it was a long ways on my pedal tractor) and I haven't been back to Kansas since we moved. I haven't actively avoided it; it just wasn't on the way during my travels.

While I met my overall goal to get into Missouri, I didn't actually pass through Lawrence. I decided to visit Strataca, a salt mine museum just northwest of Wichita. They have mined a lot of salt there since 1923, and part of the mine has been converted to a museum. The mine is 650 feet below the surface, and pretty much everything (after you buy your ticket) happens down there. Note for my cycling friends: they have a Tour de Salt where you can ride your bike in the mines. Just remember rule number one: don't lick the walls. That's not for the reason you'd think; it's not because they're worried that the guests will wipe out the 4-foot-thick support columns one lick at a time, but rather because the salt is full of dirt.

Typical mine wall. Licking not permitted.

The "Crystal Pod" was formed when water dissolved some of the salt, letting the dirt settle to the bottom. Then when the water evaporated the white pure(ish) crystals remained.

The salt here is mined a lot like coal: cut, drill, blast, shovel. There are other mines that use a brine evaporation process which is how they make table salt. This mine is just for road salt, which is also used in animal feed and tanning hides. I didn't get much more information about that last one but they mentioned it a few times. I got to see some of the old equipment that was used in the early years to mine the salt. They've improved it over the years of course.

It's not a metal sawfish sculpture. It was used to undercut the walls before blasting.

There is also a vast archive in one section of the salt mine. All sorts of records are stored there as well as a lot of movies especially those on film. The dry, temperate, stable atmosphere is excellent for preservation.

This is the presentation in the museum, not the actual archive. I'm pretty sure these are just a bunch of empty boxes, but it could well be the entire run of Lost or something else with low value.

It was a fun couple hours and a good way to break up my day.