Many thanks to all who made the trip across Texas and the Panhandle Plains to see our very own “Grand Canyon of Texas,” with an elevation drop of 800 feet from the rim of the canyon to the floor. We had 19 attendees, including 3 husbands and 1 granddaughter! One attendee was a brand new member — we welcome Dawn Kidd to TOWN!
Despite all kinds of weather (yet typical, I’m told, for the Panhandle’s unpredictable weather), our Texas-tough campers rode it out. I was especially impressed with the tenters, as immediately following our wonderful Monday evening potluck gathering we had a fierce wind come from out of nowhere, followed by a frightening electrical storm with a pounding of hail stones and enough rain to shut down the trails on Tuesday.
So, instead of hiking Tuesday morning, we ended up taking an informative, afternoon van tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable, and we were glad to be in the cool air conditioned van. Afternoon temps in the canyon reached 106 degrees according to my auto thermometer. Evenings, however, were breezy and quite comfortable, and early mornings were cool enough for hikes.
Several good hikes were taken, including the well-known Lighthouse Trail (6 miles round trip), which five of us did on Monday. Other hikes were along the river and to explore caves in the sides of bluffs. We took many pictures of the colorful canyons and mesas with geological layers and formations. Do you know the difference between a hoodoo and a pinnacle?
The visitor’s center had fabulous views from its overlooks, great exhibits, and a 1 hour video on the history and story of Palo Duro (which means “hard wood”). We read about the exposed geological formations dating back 250 million years, and we learned about the area’s fossils and bones of prehistoric animals, and about prehistoric cultures. We also read about the Battle of Palo Duro (1874) where the cavalry destroyed the last Indian camp in the Texas Plains along with their supplies and horses, forcing the remaining Indians to move to the reservations in Oklahoma, opening the area for settlement. Then, in 1876, Charles Goodnight began his ranch in Palo Duro Canyon with 1,600 head of cattle, which he expanded to over 100,000 head. We read about and saw the work of the CCC and WPA during the 1930’s.
Of course, we saw the famous outdoor musical “Texas,” staged beneath a magnificent canyon and mountain backdrop. And we had great weather!
On Wednesday, many of us went on a horseback ride with nice topography, creek crossings, and beautiful scenery. Later that day and also on Thursday, several who drove into Canyon were amazed by all that the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum had to offer! You could get lost in there, and they had a little something for everyone! Some of us finished the camping trip with dinner at the “featured on TV” Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo; then later fought an unexpected, very strong wind and dust storm to make our TOWN mark at Cadillac Ranch! All in all, it was a good trip! I’d like to do it again someday in the cooler Fall season, and hike more trails.
After Palo Duro, our adventurous TOWNies took off in various directions: some to Caprock Canyons, 1 to Ruidoso New Mexico, 1 to Colorado, a couple to Kansas, and I headed to Oklahoma where I thoroughly enjoyed several more days.
First, I headed to Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, north of Amarillo where I camped with no need for air conditioning, and watched the sun set. The next morning, I toured the Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument where the ancient Antelope Creek people lived 1150-1450 A.D. This was truly a cache of flint outcroppings in every possible color combination, some with clusters of sparkling crystals. As a rock hound, I was in heaven (but of course, I couldn’t collect any of the pieces). Next, my drive across the Texas Plains seemed to take forever, but I finally reached Oklahoma and got on Route 66 (IH 40), stopping to enjoy the outstanding Route 66 Museum in Clinton. It brought memories of earlier eras. Then on to my destination in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge (near Medicine Park and Lawton). I really had a wonderful time in the Refuge among herds of wild Bison, Longhorn cattle, and Elk. I drove the scenic routes, took hundreds of pictures, hiked the trails, ate at historic restaurants, toured old Fort Sill, and drove to the top of awesome Mt. Scott, where I watched the sun set on one side of the mountain and the moon rise on the other side. The Wichitas look like Enchanted Rock and Inks Lake on steroids – rocky, granite mountains, except they are much bigger and much more expansive in area. They’re part of the oldest mountain range in the U.S. I really loved the area and may plan a trip for our TOWN group some October or November when the Elk are bugling.
Until next time,
Carrie
