Black Mesa --  October 11, 2004

    On October 11, 2004, Janice Stroud, EEU, WCU, and I traveled to the Oklahoma Panhandle.  In extreme Western Oklahoma lies Black Mesa.  The land in this area of the country is flat with a large Mesa which extends from Colorado and New Mexico.  The Eastern end of this mesa is in Oklahoma, and part of that mesa is the highest point in Oklahoma.  The weather that day was cloudy and cool (mid 50s.)  We experienced some rain at the end of the hike.
    After the hike, we stopped by "The Merc" in Kenton.  No trip to Black Mesa would be complete without a trip to the Kenton Mercantile.  We had lunch and enjoyed talking with Merc owner and fellow highpointer, Allan Griggs.
                                                                Steve Urbanski,  January 8, 2005
 
 
001 Black Mesa from the East
 
 
 
002 Janice making some type of cryptic gesture at
        the start of the Black Mesa hike
 
 
003 A Black Mesa Preserve sign at the beginning of the trail
 
 
 
004 There's a well defined trail all the way up to the summit
 
 
 
005 A lower part of the Black Mesa trail
 
 
 
006 A tarantula on the trail.  We saw two, one alive, one dead
 
 
 
007 Janice on the cliffs of the mesa in New Mexico
        The New Mexico border is only 1299 feet from
        the highpoint monument
008 WCU on the cliffs on the South side of the Mesa
        It's well worth the trip to New Mexico
 
 
009 Janice crouches down to take a picture
 
 
 
010 WCU and Janice sneaking back over the OK/NM border
 
 
 
011 WCU, SKU, Janice, and EEU at the monument
 
 
 
012 SKU atop the monument
 
 
 
013 Janice atop the monument.  She wouldn't stand up
        It was a little windy up there
 
 
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014 SKU at the monument
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
015 SKU at the USGS marker at the base of the monument
 
 
 
 
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