My favorite place is located in southwestern Oklahoma, near the town of Lawton. It is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, in particular Mount Scott and Elk Mountain. These two sites offer incredibly breathtaking views as well as fantastic opportunities for hiking, bouldering, and rock climbing.
Mt. Scott
Mt. Scott features a road that snakes its way up the small "mountain", culminating in a parking lot at the top. This location is fantastic is most likely what most people imagine when they think of the Wichita Mountains. It has gorgeous views of the surrounding area, including hills, forests, towns, and lakes, as well as plenty of spots to hike and climb. I have visited Mt. Scott countless times, initially just driving up to the top with my family, but eventually hiking up it with friends. It is a place that I feel very connected to, for reasons I cannot seem to explain. Whenever I hear people claim that Oklahoma isn't pretty, all I have to do is imagine the view from Mt. Scott to know that they have no idea what this state can offer.
View During the Ascent of Mt. Scott (Personal photo taken 10 June 2017)
Elk Mountain and Charon's Garden
A few minutes drive from Mt. Scott sits the hidden gem of the Wichitas, the incredible and breathtaking Elk Mountain and Charon's Garden Wilderness. From the front side, where the parking lot is and the hiking trails emanate from, it is somewhat unassuming. A series of hiking trails winding through boulders and trees, hugging a small cliff face. However, when viewed from the backside, or better yet, looking down from the backside, it is like stepping into another world.
Elk Mountain, Photograph by Thomas Shahan (2012) Source: flickr.com
No two visits to this incredible place will be the same, a countless number of routes can be taken to ascend the rock formation from any number of angles. From the top, the view seems to stretch out for an eternity. There are so many different uniquely beautiful locales that I have found here that I could not possibly hope to document them all, from a small pool of water, shaded from the sun by arching rock formations that hang high above the cool waters, to hidden alcoves hidden between massive boulders the size of houses. I have no idea how boulders these size came to rest in such a place, but it creates an awesome atmosphere, like being in the garden of some primordial god, fitting for a place with the name Charon's Garden.
Viewing Charon's Garden from Elk Mountain (Personal photo taken 24 June 2017)
Thank you for this gorgeous post, Callum! I like to include something from the blog stream in the class announcements every day, so I will put this post in tomorrow's announcements. Maybe it will inspire someone in class to make a pilgrimage to this beautiful place in Oklahoma!
ReplyDeleteAs you can guess, there are so many stories about mountains in the Indian storytelling tradition: there are legends about actual mountains, like the god Shiva's home in the Himalayas, and then there are mythical mountains, like Mount Meru, the cosmic center of the universe: Wikipedia: Mount Meru ... if you are interested in learning about the mountains of INdia and their stories, that would make a great project for this class! :-)
Callum, nice post! I grew up going to the Wichita Mountains all of my life (I am from Altus) and I always think of them too when people claim that Oklahoma isn't pretty or doesn't have good scenery! Mt. Scott is my favorite, but the winding road up to the top has always made me extremely nervous. I have to look away!
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