I hate highway 56. It's the only main road in this part of Kansas and there's too much traffic for such a barren place. I had 2 options for getting to McPherson, continue to follow the highway an annoying 21 miles south before another 35 miles west, or follow the railway line which pretty much cuts diagonally south west. The latter would be dangerous-few people or roads about if anything were to happen, uneven footing and rather large freight trains which would leave me with a nasty headache if i were hit. Being an expert novice hiker and professional to the last, there was only one sensible option-the railway line. Off to cause trouble i went. The views were awesome in the foggy rain, no roads, no buildings, just the occasional untalkative cow. The only noise was from the rain, my footsteps, the odd train and someone braking wind. I sheltered to eat lunch in the ghost town of Ramona, 10 minutes later i was being photographed by the mayor and offered beef jerky by her daughter, and no, not that kind of beef jerky thank you. A stranger is obviously big news here. They were the last people i saw all day, not that i was expecting to see anyone else stupid enough to walk on a railway. I camped early in Durham, another ghost town, so that i was away from the noisy trains. Im not quite half way to McPherson so it looks like a long day tomorrow, hey ho.