miss_betty2012
Sunlight Breaking the Ridge at Osage Lake - Wichita Mtns NWR
Sunlight Breaking the Ridge at Osage Lake_9110 - Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Reserve
Hi Guys. I've only been home a few days, having just returned from a two week road trip in Oklahoma.
What a wonderful time we photo friends and camping buddies had at this magnificent park. We all arrived from different places, two from Texas - Tom Crews from Sherman near the Oklahoma border and me from Dallas, along with three from Oklahoma: Thomas Welborn from the Oklahoma City area and Linda Stokes and her friend Jackie Estes from Western Oklahoma. We are all photo friends, and now personal friends as well. We each had our camping equipment and shared two large campsites together, as well as great fireside dinners and chats in the evenings. Tom and I arrived on Wednesday. Thomas arrived on Friday, and Linda and Jackie arrived on Saturday.
After the weekend was over the rest of the gang went to their respective homes, but I wanted to use this time to explore the southern half of Oklahoma and hopefully find some fall colors. So after the others left on Sunday I remained at this park until Tuesday, then drove north to just west of Oklahoma City to Red Rock Canyon. On Saturday I crossed the state from west to east, crossing through the suburbs of southern Oklahoma City and nearing the Arkansas border. I stayed Saturday and Sunday in Robbers Cave State Park on the east side of the state. Then I drove south, taking in the Talimena Scenic Drive through the Ouachita Mountains. It was a beautiful drive, but still the fall colors had not arrived. Last year at this time everything was in full color. This year just a few beginning yellows were showing.
I had intended to camp another night but I heard on the radio of the impending big storm front that was to arrive through the night and provide two days of heavy rainfall. Two solid days of heavy rain is not my idea of a good tent stay so I pushed on further south towards the Texas border than I had planned. I ended up in Broken Bow, OK in the far Southeast corner of OK and took a motel room for the night. After two weeks of living in a tent on my first camping trip, and most of it by myself during some quite chilly nights, that motel room with the great shower and good bed really felt good. It also provided me with a good rest before driving all day to return home. In all I drove over 1,330 miles and came home with a new respect and love for the parks in Oklahoma. Oklahoma had a lot of wonderful parks and I intend to explore them more.
My first morning at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Reserve in SW Oklahoma. My photo friend Tom Crews had arrived earlier on Wednesday. I stretched the 4 hour drive from Dallas into 4 1/2 when I stopped for a long break before continuing on. When I arrived at the park I just followed the signs to the camp site. It was just starting to sprinkle rain. Tom was there at the campsite and the two of us, both inexperienced with tents, hurriedly put up my tent as the rain was lightly coming down. Fortunately the rain stopped for a while and I was able to get a fire going with the help of a very gracious camping neighbor who volunteered his help, and Tom and I enjoyed sausage dogs cooked over the fire. It rained off and on all through the night. Our host, Thomas Welborn was to arrive on Friday.
This park is huge; It's not just go down the road a mile or so to the campsite. The main road is approximately 16 miles from the east end to the west end, and that does not include the width of the various side roads leading to various lakes and hiking paths. It covers 60,000 acres with 650 head of free-roaming bison, approximately 700 elk, wild turkeys, some 300 head of longhorn cattle and two large areas where prairie dogs make their homes. And if all that isn't enough, there's the beautiful wide open spaces of prairies backed by the Wichita Mountains.
On this morning, though, I had not seen very much of the park. We got up early for sunrise shooting. Tom led the way on a hiking trail in near dark to this beautiful, secluded little lake. Actually I wasn't able to keep up with Tom and I lost track of him, but it's all good. I knew he was around somewhere. As sunrise was approaching quickly I stopped at some large boulders to see what I might capture in camera. Later I saw Tom standing in the distance at the crest of a hill. Then I never saw him again until much later in the day when we both had arrived back in camp. When I finally made my way to where I had seen Tom standing from he distance, I finally saw this beautiful little lake. Tom has a beautiful photo posted of this lake. Although the sun had already risen, I was delighted that it was just now cresting the hills on the other side of the lake. So, here you have my first view of this magnificent place. I should have plenty of images to keep me busy for a while.
I send big hugs to all my friends and thanks for your patience with me.
Sunlight Breaking the Ridge at Osage Lake - Wichita Mtns NWR
Sunlight Breaking the Ridge at Osage Lake_9110 - Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Reserve
Hi Guys. I've only been home a few days, having just returned from a two week road trip in Oklahoma.
What a wonderful time we photo friends and camping buddies had at this magnificent park. We all arrived from different places, two from Texas - Tom Crews from Sherman near the Oklahoma border and me from Dallas, along with three from Oklahoma: Thomas Welborn from the Oklahoma City area and Linda Stokes and her friend Jackie Estes from Western Oklahoma. We are all photo friends, and now personal friends as well. We each had our camping equipment and shared two large campsites together, as well as great fireside dinners and chats in the evenings. Tom and I arrived on Wednesday. Thomas arrived on Friday, and Linda and Jackie arrived on Saturday.
After the weekend was over the rest of the gang went to their respective homes, but I wanted to use this time to explore the southern half of Oklahoma and hopefully find some fall colors. So after the others left on Sunday I remained at this park until Tuesday, then drove north to just west of Oklahoma City to Red Rock Canyon. On Saturday I crossed the state from west to east, crossing through the suburbs of southern Oklahoma City and nearing the Arkansas border. I stayed Saturday and Sunday in Robbers Cave State Park on the east side of the state. Then I drove south, taking in the Talimena Scenic Drive through the Ouachita Mountains. It was a beautiful drive, but still the fall colors had not arrived. Last year at this time everything was in full color. This year just a few beginning yellows were showing.
I had intended to camp another night but I heard on the radio of the impending big storm front that was to arrive through the night and provide two days of heavy rainfall. Two solid days of heavy rain is not my idea of a good tent stay so I pushed on further south towards the Texas border than I had planned. I ended up in Broken Bow, OK in the far Southeast corner of OK and took a motel room for the night. After two weeks of living in a tent on my first camping trip, and most of it by myself during some quite chilly nights, that motel room with the great shower and good bed really felt good. It also provided me with a good rest before driving all day to return home. In all I drove over 1,330 miles and came home with a new respect and love for the parks in Oklahoma. Oklahoma had a lot of wonderful parks and I intend to explore them more.
My first morning at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Reserve in SW Oklahoma. My photo friend Tom Crews had arrived earlier on Wednesday. I stretched the 4 hour drive from Dallas into 4 1/2 when I stopped for a long break before continuing on. When I arrived at the park I just followed the signs to the camp site. It was just starting to sprinkle rain. Tom was there at the campsite and the two of us, both inexperienced with tents, hurriedly put up my tent as the rain was lightly coming down. Fortunately the rain stopped for a while and I was able to get a fire going with the help of a very gracious camping neighbor who volunteered his help, and Tom and I enjoyed sausage dogs cooked over the fire. It rained off and on all through the night. Our host, Thomas Welborn was to arrive on Friday.
This park is huge; It's not just go down the road a mile or so to the campsite. The main road is approximately 16 miles from the east end to the west end, and that does not include the width of the various side roads leading to various lakes and hiking paths. It covers 60,000 acres with 650 head of free-roaming bison, approximately 700 elk, wild turkeys, some 300 head of longhorn cattle and two large areas where prairie dogs make their homes. And if all that isn't enough, there's the beautiful wide open spaces of prairies backed by the Wichita Mountains.
On this morning, though, I had not seen very much of the park. We got up early for sunrise shooting. Tom led the way on a hiking trail in near dark to this beautiful, secluded little lake. Actually I wasn't able to keep up with Tom and I lost track of him, but it's all good. I knew he was around somewhere. As sunrise was approaching quickly I stopped at some large boulders to see what I might capture in camera. Later I saw Tom standing in the distance at the crest of a hill. Then I never saw him again until much later in the day when we both had arrived back in camp. When I finally made my way to where I had seen Tom standing from he distance, I finally saw this beautiful little lake. Tom has a beautiful photo posted of this lake. Although the sun had already risen, I was delighted that it was just now cresting the hills on the other side of the lake. So, here you have my first view of this magnificent place. I should have plenty of images to keep me busy for a while.
I send big hugs to all my friends and thanks for your patience with me.