If you are a believer in traditional stereotypes, youD never believe this.

The rugged Kansas outdoors is attracting a large group of people with one thing in common.

Chris Frank shows us.

Take a hike.

What's normally a rude, bullying exclamation is actually embraced by this large group of women hikers.

It's our Halloween hike.

Yeah, that's right.

Taking a hike can be a great way to escape into nature.

Leave your cares behind and get some exercise at the same time.

With such avid hikers, you would expect to find walking sticks, backpacks, hiking shoes and even oxygen boost containers strapped to their bodies.

But tutus and unicorn headbands?

Well, they may seem out of place unless the hike happens to occur close to Halloween.

The tutus have nothing to do with Halloween.

This is how they normally dress, she jokes.

Of course.

It's a chilly October Saturday morning at the Elk City State Park, west of Independence, in southeast Kansas.

More than 50 women prepare to hike the Elk River hiking trail.

They are members of Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond.

It's an all female hiking club.

It was founded by a pair of Wichita women Jeri Brungardt on the left, and Cindy Coughenour on the right.

The group started in 2019.

Coughenour hour soon found out there are a lot of women who want to take a hike.

Yeah, what he said.

So this was our very second trail, our first hike.

We had 12 people show up and we thought.

Oh, my God.

And by their second hike, they nearly tripled in size.

Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond keeps growing, with women wanting to take a hike.

It got started after Brungardt and Coughenour simply posted photos of their own hikes on their Facebook pages.

I don't know.

The two were overwhelmed with Facebook comments from women wanting to join them on their hikes.

So they formed the club.

So we started back in 19.

We had two hikes and then COVID hit.

So we took a couple of months off and then asked our ladies to wear masks outside.

Spread out.

And then they were able to take their masks off.

And we just been going ever since.

We have a hike every month.

Sometimes it's right around Wichita.

Sometimes it's in an hour away, 2 hours away.

And some hikes are to neighboring states, she says, including Arkansas, Colorado and Oklahoma, and involve overnight camping.

I know, its a beautiful path.

Yeah it's amazing.

Hiking in the US continues to grow in popularity according to statistica.com, close to 59 million people in the United States participated in hiking activities at least once in 2021.

Surveys indicate hiking has been on a growth spurt since 2015.

And depending on what sources you read.

Hiking is second only to running as the top outdoor activity.

I didn't hear you ladies!

Woo hoo!

Everyone has their reasons to take a hike.

It's just beautiful to see Mother Nature doing what Mother Nature does, you know, and taking the time to slow down and just soak it in.

It takes a hike to do that.

It does.

You know, we live our lives just at such a high pace just to stop and absorb the best things on Earth, you know, outside.

Now, granted, most of these hikers are from Wichita in the south central area, but there are hikers representing all areas of the state.

The Elk River Hiking trail is a 15 mile trail.

It generally takes several hours to hike the whole trail.

And that's not for everyone but you.

You'll just go out as far as you want to go.

And when you're ready to turn around, just come back unless you are going all the way through.

A hiker doesn't have to traverse the whole 15 mile trail to get an appreciation of nature's beauty here and also get a good physical workout in the process.

The first three miles are the hardest of the trail.

There's a lot Of incline and steep incline.

And so you just have to make sure your feet steady and careful with the rocks.

Yeah.

About those rocks she describes.

Well, they're more like giant, majestic boulders.

This area is popular with hikers.

The Elk River hiking trail is often rated very high, if not at the top of Kansas hiking trails lists.

As the sign indicates, it is a rugged trail with blue markings, meaning it is an intermediate trail in difficulty.

This is a hard part here.

This is the difficult end, it's going to be real cool up here, though, with a really big tree or really big rocks.

Yeah.

Now, something first time hikers here quickly realized is that Kansas is not all flat.

Amazing.

I love the rock formation too.

One of the beautiful things about going on a hike like this is finding out of the way places, getting off the highways.

You find places like this that you wouldn't believe that you're in Kansas.

And that's what the women hikers say also.

We left Kansas a long time ago.

This can't be Kansas.

No, it's not Kansas, but it's very pretty, very awesome.

And what is meant is these sites aren't the typical images we have of Kansas.

Geologists say this Montgomery County area is part of the same Ozark Plateau region that covers parts of Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The hiking landscape is beautiful, but also requires constant attention to where the hikers step to avoid stumbling.

How does it look to you?

Well, I have a broken arm, so.

It's not looking real good.

Serious.

Why do they do that?

Her steps are a challenge to be taken carefully.

Her reward, the sights to be seen once she's on stable ground.

Oh, It's beautiful.

Yes.

Can you believe this is Kansas?

So we often surprise ourselves when we discover there's more to Kansas than just miles and miles of flat land.

You've just got to get off the beaten path and find those road less traveled.

That's what these women do when they say to each other, Let's take a hike.

Oh, Kansas has got so much beauty people don't know about.

Oh, there's more beauty in Kansas, people just have to get off the interstate.

Kansas is Not flat.

It is absolutely gorgeous.

Just gorgeous.

Full of surprises.

And hiking trails are perfect for introducing us to the Kansas less traveled.

I didn't know this existed you get on I-70, you just keep going west.

So this is really nice.

Yeah.

There are narrow passageways requiring a hiker to focus on their steps so they don't trip and there are places on the trail one has to climb up or down for them to go forward.

Do what you can do.

Of course, if there weren't such challenges, then a hike wouldn't be much different than walking one's neighborhood sidewalks.

Oh, I'm from Philippines and it's amazing.

I love Kansas.

There is a wide range of ages here on the trail.

Group membership is open to women from age 12 and up.

But what is age?

Its just a reference point on the timeline of life.

Phyllis Bassett, at 81 years of age, is the most senior in this group, but is finding the joy of hiking as an exercise helps keep her feeling youthful.

It is a point of pride that I knew I can do with what I do, and I just bought a e-bike.

So I'm out biking.

And this 81 year old encourages others on the merits of hiking.

It is so good, to keep your body moving, keep you young.

You feel good.

Hiking exercise makes you feel good.

It really does.

It's very good for your body.

Keeps you limber.

Okay.

Thank you.

How was that?

It was tough.

But I'm here.

I'm here.

This is one of those trail locations where a little help from friends is needed to safely get through.

How do we get back up, is the question.

Very carefully is the answer.

Good job.

Thats a tough one.

We haven't lost anybody, so that's a good thing.

Okay.

It's kind of a climb, isn't it?

It is.

Everybody helps everybody get up and down.

So it's like a big sisterhood.

We're having a great time.

I love the group.

I love being in nature.

It's God's creation and it's just beautiful.

A lot of beautiful memories and a lot of camaraderie.

It's just really great.

And although the trails the women hikers find to hike are described as enjoyable.

They often point to additional reasons to be a part of the group experience.

To Adele Dunn, this is a way to expand one's circle of friends.

There is some crazy hiking, but I think the just the female camaraderie.

Great women.

Lots of laughs.

A lot of fun.

Just getting to know other people.

Tarzan vine... swing on that.

There is a commitment and cost involved to travel to a hiking trail, but it gives the hiker an experience most can't have on their own residential street.

It's good to push yourself, you know, doing more than what you're used to doing and getting out and not just walking in flat, smooth pavement, but up and down rocky trails and love getting out in nature.

Keep the body moving.

I heard a trainer one time say Motion is lotion, and I absolutely believe that.

You know, people will say, oh, my hips are hurting.

And by the end of the hike, they'll say, oh, I feel great.

This trail was 15 miles long from end to end.

But most choose a shorter distance.

Some women will hike ten miles and some a 10th of a mile.

We always tell them there is no bad hike.

You do what you can enjoy being in the outdoors and have a great time.

And if you can hear all the chatter and the and the smiling and laughing between everybody, look at them.

They're just having a good time.

Now, the thing about hiking a challenging rocky trail is the distance covered often seems longer than reality.

Hey, ladies.

Does it feel like you've gone five miles yet?

Guess what?

One, there's a sign right here.

One mile.

Now we're knocking ‘em out.

Keep going.

Keep going.

One mile, oh thats awful.

What does it feel like?

Five.

Bri Dornisch only recently moved to Kansas from Montana and before that, Pennsylvania.

This is her second hike with this group.

I think that it's cool that they see so many different areas.

There's a lot of places like this.

I probably never would have come here on my own.

I certainly wouldn't have known that there's all these cool rocks and features down here in this part of the state, so they kind of allow you to see things that you probably wouldn't have on your own.

The women hikers dressed in Halloween costumes captured their fair share of attention from other hikers.

I have hiked a lot around the country and I've seen a lot of interesting groups, but I've never come across a unicorn wearing a tutu before.

So I've had a first on this trip and it may not be the last.

After all, members of women hiking Kansas and Beyond hike monthly, so they may soon be hiking on a trail near you and turning the offensive, saying, take a hike!

into a phrase to be embraced.

This is Chris Frank for Positively Kansas.

The group's Facebook page is called Women Hiking Kansas and Beyond, if you're interested.

One of Wichita's most historic buildings just turned 100 years old.

Anthony Powell takes a look back at its history and what the future holds for the iconic Orpheum Theater.

I mean, Our marquee is a showstopper in itself.

The Orpheum, a place where some of the most recognizable names in entertainment have displayed their talents.

It takes your breath away when you walk through the doors.

The love generations of Wichitans and other Kansans have for the Orpheum reflected in a 100 year anniversary celebration for the theater in September 2022.

Let's raise a glass to the Orpheums past, her present and her very long future.

Cheers.

The unveiling of a new mural was also part of the 100 year anniversary festivities.

Now, let's step back in time to the Orpheums rich history.

The Orpheum was designed by famed New York architect John Eberson and is known as the first atmospheric theater in America and the oldest one still standing.

And for decades, countless people would come through the doors to take their minds off their problems.

The theater had 1700 seats.

They'd fill that thing up four or five times a day.

And even into the late fifties and early sixties, that theater was full a lot of the time.

But as Jim Grawe recounts in his PBS Kansas documentary Lost Theaters of Wichita, it wouldn't be long before the Orpheums demise began.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles.

But by the 1960s, movie theaters had television to compete with.

Meanwhile, businesses had started relocating to the suburbs, and smaller multiplex theaters were offering moviegoers more options.

These giant one screen auditoriums fell out of favor.

The Orpheum would eventually close its doors.

But a group of citizens was determined not to let it shut down.

They got the theater on the national landmark list and prevented demolition.

By the late nineties, the theater reopened to the public.

It's found a new home for audiences, many yearning to escape the technology dominant world.

When you walk into The Orpheum, it really is... You're transported into a different time period, a different atmosphere.

And I think that that's something that it can't be replicated.

You do have the option to do streaming services, and we understand that's competition that we've got on our end.

But again, I think the splendor of where you're sitting and watching it on a big screen is pretty unique.

And it's not just audiences that love the Orpheum experience.

New artists that are coming up are just like, Wow!

Never seen a place like this.

Older artists that have been touring for a while really love the vibe here.

It's there's an intimacy that you get in a theater like this that you don't get in other comparably sized ones or even newer ones that might have nicer appointments.

And then the acoustics in here are astonishing.

The theater's aesthetics have also improved since its reopening.

A $3 million restoration project upgraded the lobby, box office and bathrooms.

The focus now is raising $9 million to improve the auditorium with new chairs, flooring and air conditioning for the balcony and stage.

I think that the community needs to be very very involved in bringing her back to life and bringing the auditorium back to its grandeur.

There's also the challenge of replacing Barney Byard, who's led the way in booking a wide variety of acts for the last few decades.

Byard retired at the end of 2022.

I love this place and they're going to keep booking really cool shows, and I'm sure I'll be a paying customer going forward.

Levi Miller has taken over for Barney Byard.

He is dedicated to not only bringing in big names, but also those who aren't quite at that level yet.

Like Wichitan Jenny Wood, who has played here before.

It's really important that members of the community that don't necessarily get to have their favorite genre of music show up in larger spaces like the Intrust Bank Arena or the Wave in Wichita have a place to be able to come and have that special entertainment that they prefer to be in their city.

Special is indeed the word to describe what the Orpheum has meant to Wichita over 100 years of special.

Hopefully another hundred, if not more, are in store.

She's pretty incredible.

Youre that personal, you call her “she ”.

Yes.

Yeah.

Lady O.

For Positively Kansas.

I'm Anthony Powell.

Here's another interesting fact about the Orpheum In 1940, it hosted the Kansas premiere of Gone With the Wind.

Tickets were a dollar for evening shows and $0.75 for matinees.

Wichita native Hattie McDaniel won an Oscar for her role in that film.

Spring is the most colorful time of the year across Kansas and this week's Wild Edge Report, photojournalist Mike Blair takes us on a tour of the state to find the most spectacular wildflowers decorating the countryside.

The earth laughs in flowers.

That's how Ralph Waldo Emerson put it.

And once you've seen the spring grasslands, you know it's true.

The green hillsides alone would be beautiful, but not enough.

Once you've seen earth giggling, you could never be satisfied when the land shows merely a pleasant face.

Some years rains drenched, the drought tired plains and flowers return like swallows to Capistrano.

The orderly progression becomes wonderfully intense.

Colors, clusters and heights.

Red line clipping boundaries on the flower meter.

Approaching fireworks.

Grandeur.

Rain or shine.

It doesn't matter.

Kansas comes alive with a showy display.

Will you look with me, and promise not to drive the roads hike the parks and fields with an indifferent eye?

Will you smile along as Earth laughs its pleasure?

If so, your day will be brighter, your heart stronger.

As you revel in a new season.

And you'll find yourself laughing too.

I'm Mike Blair for Positively Kansas.

Next week, Mike takes us to the water on a kayak to explore the wonders of the Kansas Aquatic life.

A Miltonvale, Kansas man is said to be for the birds.

That's because he makes birdhouses and then gives them away for free.

Chris Frank introduces us to Richard Kill, or should we say the bird man Miltonvale.

Mark it out eight inches, get this little bird house marked out.

We got it.

Richard Kill is a friend to birds and to those who love them.

That's it.

So that's a bird house in the making, huh?

At the birdhouse in the making.

He demonstrates that affection for birds with the time, effort and cost of building birdhouses.

This is the easy part of building the bird house.

The 86 year old native of Norman, Oklahoma, has made his home in the Cloud County town of Miltonvale since 2016.

Miltonvale, with about 440 residents, is 138 miles north of Wichita.

Not a lot do here in this town, but Kill is filling his retirement days with this birdhouse building hobby his late wife, Jean, got him started in.

That work started in Oklahoma.

Soon, blue birds were flocking to the birdhouses the two built and put in the backyard of their Norman home.

It didn't take long for friends and family to notice and ask for their own birdhouses.

The couple's little hobby was growing.

The two moved to Miltonvale to be closer to family.

Then wife Jean died in 2016 after a battle with cancer.

I thought, Well, you know, what am I going to do?

Richard decided to carry on with the hobby he and his wife shared.

He turned his dirt floored garage into a woodworking shop.

He has the tools and the time to carry on the work.

He has several birdhouses in his yard and didn't need any more.

So he started taking birdhouses to the senior center and discovered bird loving fans.

I made them and took them down there and all the little ladies down there wanted blue bird houses or hen houses, and I started building a lot of them.

What started as a small pastime to keep busy in retirement became a greater passion, requiring more time, tools and supplies.

And the charge were it all?

None.

I don't charge it's Kills way of giving back and making others happy with his work while also staying busy and focused.

Well, it's kind of like what can I do for the community, you know?

And what does he get in return?

Oh, just the satisfaction.

The satisfaction, joy.

Something like that.

You know, I enjoy working with Wood.

So this isn't a mass production operation.

Kill says from start to finish, including painting, it takes about 8 hours per birdhouse.

And like a seasoned chef who knows the recipes, Kill has built enough birdhouses that he knows all the measurements without looking at the plans.

Does it ever get tiring?

No.

But if something you like never gets tiring that way.

That's the predator guard and this is the front door.

The thickness of these two boards helps guard against predators.

What that does is if a raccoon comes up there it can't reach in there and get the baby birds, he's got a barrel full of birdhouses ready for the next senior center he visits.

Hope the birds appreciate what you're doing.

Yeah, well, I guess some of them do.

You know, even if the birds don't, his friends around Miltonvale do.

I'm happy to do it, though.

This is Chris Frank for Positively Kansas.

Kill estimates he's built 100 birdhouses and plans to keep up the work as long as he can.

Community spirit is alive and well in Haysville.

It has a long tradition of hosting events that bring townsfolk together and promote esprit de corps.

Anna Spencer has the story.

Welcome to Haysville, Kansas.

I love the rides for the kids and the car show, but they have a lot of vendors here and the food court.

Its just fun.

Just south of Wichita, this small town of almost 12,000 is a city for all seasons where community is at the heart of everything they do.

Over the last several years, residents along with city government organizations and local businesses have worked together to generate pride through activities and events like the Annual Fall Festival, complete with a car show that draws entries both locally and from around the country.

The event also features concerts, food trucks, parades and more, and the festival continues to grow, drawing in hundreds from Haysville and beyond.

The 2022 event included over 130 booths.

Clearwater resident Dawn Riggle has been participating for more than 13 years, selling her handmade crafts and wares at her family booth, all while coordinating vendors at this past year's event.

It is growing every year like we've got more food vendors, more crafters, commercials, more car.

Shows.

I mean, the cars are kind of on the hill up north and they are.

Like packed up there.

It is great festival.

Post-Pandemic residents and visitors are cherishing events like this more and more, building upon the town's traditions and welcoming atmosphere.

Likewise, the highly anticipated tree lighting ceremony draws in hundreds each year, held on the first Saturday in December.

Not even the cold weather can keep residents away.

Known as Village Christmas, participants bundle up every year for the festivities that kick off the Christmas season in Haysville.

Located in Historic Park and Pride Park.

There's food displays, a Christmas market, crafts, caroling, photos with Santa and a crowd favorite, the horse drawn carriage.

Mayor Russ Kessler says these traditions are important to building community spirit.

Well, events like this are very important because it brings out the community.

We all gather around the historic district, around the the lighting ceremony here.

It's we have a lot of people here tonight and we have a lot more people at the historic district, just brings people closer together.

Kessler says Haysville is a special community and while many residents work in Wichita, they choose to live in Haysville where they can experience the benefits of small town living with great schools and local businesses.

He says living here is simply the best of both worlds.

In Haysville, I'm Anna Spencer, for Positively Kansas.

Well that's a wrap for this week.

If you have a story idea.

Im Sierra Scott.

Thanks for watching.

We'll see you again soon.