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Wallace Hughes 3/28/25 Wallace Hughes 3/28/25

The Wichitas

The Wichita Mountain National Wildlife Refuge covers almost 60,000 acres in southwestern Oklahoma. The mountains aren’t terribly tall, topping out at 2479 feet. What they lack in height, they do make up for in interesting features. They are made up of highly eroded Quanah granite. They have a very rough and lumpy texture with lots of boulders, with a reddish-orange color. In many cases, it seems like just piles of boulders dumped in large heaps. The mountains are mixed with prairies for plenty of grazing.

October 2024 From up on one of those rock piles, just above Heart Rock.

We got to explore some the trails here and visit some of the many lakes that are spread around . Just taking a drive on the roads was enjoyable as the scenery of the plains and mountains makes a wonderful backdrop. Heading out early in the morning would guarantee plenty of animals sightings on the drive. They do have bison jams but they are much smaller than Yellowstone’s. A herd here might have 20-30 bison, instead of hundreds. Even in mid day, you could find some bison somewhere on the drive. To find elk, we would have to go out early or closer to dusk. They tend to have a healthier fear of vehicles and people, so it is harder to get a good picture of them.

He’s busy munching on the grass. It must take a lot of grass to support that mass.

On a cool, drizzly morning there were quite a few elk around. There are about 1000 of them in the refuge, while the bison are under 500.

They eventually turned around and went back to the field they were in.

There are also longhorn cattle that roam the refuge. We’ve seen them in the campground.

In addition to these animals there is plenty of other wildlife. There are lots of turkeys with a large flock that seem to live in the campground. One morning we had a coyote cross the road just in front of us and then stalk through the high grass and occasionally pounce on things. There is an area that has a small prairie dog colony. We did see them but didn’t get near enough for any pictures. They are prone to carrying diseases. We did not get to see any river otters or burrowing owls that they are supposed to have.

This guy is an Eastern Collared Lizard, also known as a mountain boomer. He is laying on a log near our firepit.

This is the dam on the south side of Quanah Parker lake. The campground is on the west side of the lake.

One of the small lakes, early in the morning.

One of the trails leads to this small canyon, called 40 Foot Hole.

Several of the hikes lead to or go around lakes in the refuge. This is the dam for Post Oak Lake.

This is zoomed in with the phone so the quality isn’t great but you can see the Crab Eyes.

The relief gate from French Lake drops into this cool spiral drain.

Our stay at Wichita Mountains NWR was very enjoyable. There was lots to see and do. The campground was very nice and it was nearly silent at night. During the day we could hear artillery rounds sometimes, as Fort Sill shares a border with the refuge. At the other end of the refuge you could frequently hear fighter jets on maneuvers during the day. Our biggest complaint would be the heat. In October it was still pretty hot and we needed AC on most afternoons. Our only other complaint would be the wildfire.

On Thursday afternoon I noticed smoke as I headed back to camp from a hike. It wasn’t thick but it was there. The camp host said there was brush fire north of the main road, a couple miles from the campground. In the morning I spoke to one of the staff and they said the fire was blowing back over an area that already burned so it shouldn’t pose a threat. By noon the wind had changed again and we started having a forest service helicopter coming in and picking up water from the lake nearby. The smoke was definitely getting thicker and the smell was quite strong. By 2:00, we were all told to evacuate the campground. It wasn’t a rush but they wanted everyone gone. Two of the entrances to the refuge were cut off by now so we had to leave by a different route than we wanted and make a wide trip around that added about 2 hours to our drive that day. The Rush fire burned over 12,000 acres before it was contained. We were going to be heading out the next morning so it only cut short our visit by one day. It’s time for us to head back to the Carolinas for winter.

Sunrise on Friday morning. The smoke adds some color to it.

I took this picture as we were leaving the refuge. We are actually back at the refuge as I type this(late March). The wildfire was mainly a brush fire and only burned fallen leaves, grass and low brush. Since October grasses have grown back and you can hardly tell that 12,000 acres.

Wallace Hughes 3/5/25 Wallace Hughes 3/5/25

Oklahoma……………Who Knew?

Back in October of 2022, we took our camper and the dogs to Texas and visited Big Bend National Park. Big Bend was a wonderful place to visit with lots of different landscapes and what might be the darkest sky in the Lower 48. The night sky was truly amazing there. On the drive out to Texas we took I-10, and absolutely hated that stretch of road. It is more boring than driving through hours of cornfields in Iowa. Then you hit that damn causeway over the swamp in Louisiana and that will make anyone seasick. To avoid that on our way back, we went north and took a right on I-40, heading East to get back to NC.

After visiting Big Bend NP, we headed north. Driving up through the oilfields of central Texas is no treat, either. It is flat and desolate with nothing on the horizon but oil equipment and smells atrocious, as oil refining always does. I can’t imagine living near that. We thought it would go on forever and figured that Oklahoma would be much of the same. We were pleasantly surprised that the terrain changed fairly soon after entering OK, with actual trees and pastures. As we headed east we even saw some fall color. Not like we’d see back home but it was a nice taste and quite a relief after the oilfields of TX.

When planning this trip we did some research as we knew we would probably be spending a week in OK, while Shawna worked, on our return trip. One of the Youtube channels we came across had some nice trips from his time in the Wichita Mountains. Yes, mountains in OK. As we did more looking we found a couple of spots that we would like to explore so we made some reservations and our first stop would be Quartz Mountain State Park.

Quartz Mountain is a very well cared for park in Wichita Mountain range. It is nestled in between the mountains and Lake Altus-Lugert. It’s not very big but it has plenty of trails and packs a lot of scenery in, especially when you didn’t expect much. In the week we were there we did hike most of the trails they have. These mountains are fairly low and are mainly rocky bumps with patches of dirt. It makes for an interesting landscape, particularly with the lake as an ever present neighbor.

Overlooking the lake on the Twin Peaks Trail.

With Shawna’s somewhat recent foot surgeries, the trails here were great for her. They are rugged enough to get you a workout and the terrain is challenging but they are not terribly long or so steep as to be a problem with some of the stiffness that she still has. We got to hike a couple of times in the evening and enjoyed more of them on the weekend.

The girls looking over the lodge and the lake.

There are several different campgrounds in the park. There are some by the lake and more along the river. By the time we made reservations we got a spot that backed up to the hills. There is a lot of wildlife in the park. There are lots of deer that are almost tame from the constant exposure to traffic and people. There were 6 that spent most of their time in our camping loop or across the street in the picnic area. This did not sit well with the girls. There was quite a bit of barking and whining going on. We saw some armadillos on the trails and even a porcupine crossing the road.

The view from the Cedar Valley Trail. The old Wallace Ranch below. You can also see the dam and river.

Us on a sunrise hike. This is our favorite time of day. The light is great for pictures and we beat the crowds, not that there were many people here.

Sunrise over the lake. It was windy most of the time while we were here. I think it kicks up dust and sand and adds to the orange glow on the horizon.

Shawna heading back down the New Horizons Trail.

The dam that creates Lake Altus-Lugert was finished in 1947 after being delayed during WW II. There was a smaller dam at the site that was built after the town of Altus was razed by a tornado in 1902.

These deer were quite happy to hang out nearby all day.

This trail is just under the Baldy Point climbing area.

I was able to catch a picture of the porcupine with my phone.

The Lodge at Quartz Mountain is very nice and reminiscent of a national park lodge. Just on a smaller scale. It has very interesting architecture and they display sculptures and art in the hallways and gathering areas. The hotel rooms have an excellent view by the edge of the lake. The original lodge was built by the CCC but it burned down in 1995. The park has art studios and offers programs and scholarships for students. There is a very cool stone amphitheater and they have a large preforming arts hall. Quite the treasure they have here.

While we were here, Comet A3 Atlas was making it’s approach, so we got another astronomical treat on this trip. I should have gotten the good camera out and set it up but the iphone took some pretty decent shots of it. It has a tail that is 80 million miles long and won’t be back again for 80,000 years.

Comet Atlas A3 over the Red River. I was hoping to get a reflection but it didn’t work out.

Quartz Mountain State Park is definitely an underrated destination. It is a wonderful park and we truly enjoyed our stay here. So far, Oklahoma showed us that there are some real treasures where you don’t expect them. Let’s wander down the road and explore these Wichita Mountains some more.

Wallace Hughes 2/22/25 Wallace Hughes 2/22/25

Northern Lights

As we made our way back to the Carolinas, our next stop was at Santa Rosa Lake State Park. This would be our final stop in New Mexico for this trip. The lake was created by damming up the Pecos River and is another lake that is seriously low due to drought conditions. We spent a week here and there were several trails to hike on. Getting out at sunrise always presents some interesting views. There are always some unique plants to find in a new place.

Sunrise over Santa Rosa Lake. October 2024

A canyon on the Pecos River, below the dam.

A unique plant that was covered with tiny purple flowers. I had to zoom in because they are so small and then the camera couldn’t focus too well.

An interesting silhouette of this spiky plant. It seems most plants in NM are spiky. I think this one is called staghorn cholla.

A picture of the same plant with some good light. You can see how the ends get some yellow growth. Almost looks like clusters of bananas.

One day we went to see the sights in the small town of Santa Rosa. It lies in a pretty barren area that once had the thriving Route 66 come right through town. Now Interstate 40 runs parallel and across the main drag in a lazy X. Back in it’s day, it was busy little town during tourist season, as evidenced by all of the motels that were here. A few motels are still in use but most have fell into disrepair or have been converted to apartments or other uses. Near the interstate exchanges are the modern hotels like Hampton and Econolodge. It is still a cute town but it’s definitely past it’s prime. The most popular attraction these days is the classic car museum. Another interesting place is the Blue Hole. It is a spring and pond, 80’ across and 80’ deep with incredibly clear water. It’s a popular spot for scuba training and several state police showed up the morning we were there to do some diving but we had to go before they were ready to get in.

Some very interesting details on this church. St Rose of Lima Catholic Church.

Cool monument on the courthouse square lawn.

The crystal clear water of the Blue Hole.

By far though, the highlight of this stop was getting to see the Northern Lights. We knew that there was a chance of seeing them pretty far south on this night but we didn’t expect to really see them this far down in central NM. We waited a while after the sun went down and it was quite dark to look. We couldn’t see anything visible but the camera on our phones could pick it up. Since we were on Eastern time we went to bed thinking we got shut out and the show wasn’t going to get to us. Shortly after we had been in bed, one of the camping neighbors was calling out like Paul Revere, as she went down the road, that you could see the Lights now.

This was the shot taken early when we couldn’t see any of the color.

I ran out quick to see and they were easily visible. So, we got back out of bed and stayed outside for over an hour watching the lights. I think all of the campers were out enjoying the wonderful colors in the sky, too.

We were thrilled that we got such a good show.

Shawna taking a picture from our campsite as it started to dwindle.

Seeing the Northern Lights is something that has been high on our list for years but we just haven’t gone far enough north to see them yet. We were amazed that they came so far down to give us this excellent show. One day we’ll make it to Alaska or Iceland to see the Aurora in full display but we’re quite satisfied for now.

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Wallace Hughes 2/21/25 Wallace Hughes 2/21/25

Dancing Ground of the Sun

We left Heron Lake the first week in October and headed for Santa Fe. The town is an interesting blend of both the Native American and Mexican cultures. The city was founded in 1610 by Spaniards as the capital of a province of New Spain. It is the highest capital in the US at 6998 feet above sea level. The area was first inhabited by the Tewa people, who called this area the Dancing Ground of the Sun. We set up camp at Rodeo Santa Fe, right in town. The camping space is basically a dirt lot at the rodeo arena. We arrived on a Saturday, so there were quite a few horses, trailers, dogs and people around the lot. The other thing in abundance were goat’s head stickers. These are nasty little balls covered in spines that resemble goats horns. They get stuck in your shoes and torture the dogs by sticking in between their pads. Any place that had some vegetation had to be avoided at the rodeo lot. We stayed here because it was convenient as we wanted to explore Santa Fe.

Museum of Contemporary Native American Arts. October 2025

We like to avoid crowds so we visited the downtown area on Sunday morning. It does payoff in smaller crowds but the downside is not everything is open. Which was the case on this day. We wandered the streets and the Plaza downtown and enjoyed the architecture of the different buildings. The street vendors were setting up their wares for the day. We did get to go in some of the shops and galleries that were open. We grabbed a gluten free pizza across the street from the San Miguel Chapel and ate outside on a bench next door.

Scottish Rite Masonic Center. Doesn’t sound Native or Mexican but it is an interesting building,

San Miguel Chapel is the oldest church in the US. The original structure was built before 1628.

Cool fountain at The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

It wouldn’t be New Mexico without some chili peppers.

We did walk around the capitol building and admired the sculptures on the grounds. We decided to come back in the morning and take the self guided tour of the inside of the capitol. The NM capitol is the only completely round capitol in the US. We arrived before most of the staff and legislators got to work, just after 7:30. We were able to wander all the floors of the building and admire the many the works of art. Since nobody was there we also walked through the legislative chambers from the upper gallery. There was a lot of artwork on display and made for a very impressive gallery that is free to visit and enjoy.

There was a large display of quilts with many styles.

Very cool bison sculpture made from trash. Enlarge the picture to see the details.

This is a hallway with legislator offices directly entering it and used to display more artwork. Everything in this building is round.

We really enjoyed visiting Santa Fe. The city is nice and neat, well laid out and is interesting with it’s southwest feel. The art gallery at the capitol was a surprising treat. We spent longer here than we expected to. We will definitely make a point to visit more state capitols as we travel.

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Wallace Hughes 2/19/25 Wallace Hughes 2/19/25

Heron Lake

Heron Lake State Park is in northern NM, not far from the Colorado border. Due to drought, it has less than 20% of the water that it should and it has been years since it has been at capacity. We had originally planed to spend a week here but after cutting our time short at Taos and looking at our next stops, we ended up staying here for 2 weeks, in a few different sites. We knew the lake was low and figured the park would be fairly quiet as the main attraction is a bit dry. We didn’t have any firm plans for anything here, except to just hang out and relax. We were surprised by how much there was to do in the area.

Exploring the dirt trails at the far end of the lake from camp. September 2025

Heron lake is a manmade lake that dams up Willow Creek. Just below the dam, the creek flows into Rio Chama. Rio Chama creates a rugged canyon running through the park as it passes through. We walked a trail that follows the rim with views into and across the canyon. There is a trail that takes you to the bottom and up to the other side of the canyon. One morning I took the dogs down to the bottom and across the steel bridge.

Rio Chama canyon in Heron Lake State Park.

Willow creek and the dam are to the right and Rio Chama is on the left.

We spent most our our visit in the Willow Loop campground, which does have electric and water at each site. One morning we started at 38 degrees and then it got up to 82 in the afternoon. The temperature swing is pretty dramatic here. The mornings were cool and dry but we would need to run the AC for a few hours every afternoon. The picture is from an overlook that we would pass on a short trail that starts in the camping loop. You can see the lake looks a bit pathetic. The buttes and sky still made a nice place to sit for a while and enjoy the view. I would take the dogs on this little trail a few times each day.

As we drove around the region we saw many cars that had pulled off the road and people were out collecting something from the tree line along the roads. We learned that they were collecting pinon pine nuts. Inside the pine cone, there are small nuts behind each scale. Peeling back the husk reveals a white nut that has a slightly sweet taste with a bit of moisture in it. They are very expensive if you want to buy them but they are free for the taking along roads and in the woods in this region. They are a bit tricky to get, though. If they are on the ground, it is most likely that some rodent has already scored the little treasure inside. Getting to them requires you to dig in between the scales to pop them out and that is quite a messy task as these pine cones have a ton of sap all over them. it literally drips off of them. There were several of the these trees along this trail, so I was able to harvest a few so we could taste them. There was a neighbor at camp that went out every day to collect nuts. It seems like an awful lot of effort for the payout.

You can see the nuts in there, and lots of sap.

Not worth the effort once curiosity was satisfied.

We took a day trip up into Colorado to look for fall color. On the way we went through the small town of Chama. As we passed through, the steam locomotive was getting ready to pull out of the station to head up the mountain. We drove up the road and stopped several times to get pictures of the train going past the mountains and aspens. We visited this area right about peak color for the aspens. They were incredibly bright and they shimmered in the breeze.

Another day trip we took was to the Abiquiu reservoir area and Georgia O’Keefe’s Ghost Ranch. The terrain is covered with lots of eroded sandstone of many colors, giving the land the appearance of being some place in Utah. We had planned to do some boondocking in this area but realized we needed to stick closer to electricity. It was definitely worth driving down for the day to see all the cool formations. While wandering down a back road, I caught a glimpse of a balanced rock down a dirt trail. We turned back and went down the trail to discover this area of bright white formations. Later, on a map, I saw the area is called Cerrito Blanco. It’s on National Forest land but is not managed in any way. It seems this beautiful spot has become something of a dumping ground for some locals. Even with that, it still is a wonderful place.

And we had it all to ourselves while we were here.

Good lighting for a selfie of us. In almost all pictures of me, I’m squinting.

While we were here for almost two weeks, I did not see a single heron. I didn’t see many water loving birds at all here. The lake is named after Kenneth Heron who had the idea to divert water from Colorado to these dry areas of New Mexico. What we did see were elk. Lots of elk. Probably hundreds of them. At the far end of the lake there is an area for primitive camping that is accessed by dirt roads. It is mostly for tents but some smaller campers and vans can get to these lakeside spots. While wandering down these dirt trails in the truck I would get out at times. At the edge of the lake I noticed so many tracks it was hard to tell just what animal made the tracks. As the tracks separated I could see that they were elk tracks.

Since Shawna is working during the week, we got up well before sunrise when we were out here in New Mexico. Shawna keeps her work day on Eastern time, so I was up well before the elk start moving in the morning. The next morning, I drove out to the end of the lake and went up on a small hill that overlooked the end of the lake. From where I was I could see dozens of elk leaving the lake and heading back towards the high hills and buttes that they call home during the day. The following morning I went down the trail but stayed close to the line that separates the state park and the land of the Jicarilla Apache, which is well posted. I found a spot that had lots of tracks and parked. I waited there as the elk started coming in from the lake. There was near constant bugling as there were so many of them. Once in a while I could hear the clacking of antlers as the males sparred. I did not get any decent pictures as it was still quite dark by the time they dissolved into the woods and hills but I did get some videos so we can hear the bugling.

Heron Lake may not look like much at first glance but this is quite the gem of a state park. We hope to be back one day.