The temperature fell below freezing overnight, but the morning was sunny and dry, leaving the roads safe enough for us to take the less-traveled high road to Oklahoma. We stopped at a pull-off to admire the snow-capped mountains and ran into some ranchers who told us that this was more snow than they'd had all winter. Like I said, freak storm.
Pass with care, indeed!
Northeastern New Mexico
Johnson Mesa Church
Snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains
Located in far northeastern New Mexico, Capulin Volcano is an extinct cinder cone rising 1,300 feet above the surrounding plains to 8,182 feet of elevation. We walked the fairly steep, one-mile trail around the crater rim and enjoyed spectacular views for miles around.
A lesser-known National Monument
Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field
Good place for a bench
Jana and Tom atop Capulin Volcano
Black Mesa, Oklahoma, in the distance
Between Folsom, NM, and the Oklahoma panhandle is a long, lonely stretch of road, 17 miles of which is unpaved. There's a faster route we could have taken via US highways, but the way we went is more fun, passing by huge ranches, dry scrub, and red mesas.
The road less traveled
Iron-rich red mesas
Not a wedding venue
Wedding Cake Butte
Finally, we entered the Oklahoma panhandle, where tomorrow we'll be hiking to the state's highest point. We made one last stop at a replica of a brontosaurus femur just off the side of the road. Is it life size? Maybe. Some signage would have been nice. I do know there have been dinosaur fossils and footprints found in this area.
Jana and a six-foot femur
Lodging: For the next three nights, we'll be camping in Black Mesa State Park, where we met up with my brother Brian, his girlfriend Jamie, and our friend Mooney, plus their dogs, Pip and Lil Dude.
Black Mesa State Park, Oklahoma
Our group had reserved two adjacent sites in the Creek Area of the Black Mesa campground, a short walk from the restrooms and shower house. Campsite TT008 is nice and shady, with just a few widowmaker dead branches in the trees to watch out for. Campsite TT009 has very little shade but offers a nice, open view of the night sky.
South Carrizo Creek, behind our campsites
Home away from home
This area of the panhandle receives the lowest amount of rainfall of anywhere in Oklahoma; consequently, there was a burn ban in place, so no campfire. Brian and Jamie had graciously offered to provide dinner each night, prepared at their home and reheated on a Coleman stove. Tonight was spaghetti. Yum!
Tom, Mooney, Lil Dude and Pip
Black Mesa State Park has some of the darkest night skies in the country, and all the campers try to keep their lights low and use red lights when walking around at night. The stargazing is awesome!
An Oklahoma Dark Sky Park
Nighttime view from camp