Elk City Lake Dam
Today we started our third week on the road. It doesn't seem like we have been gone 14 days. We have had great weather and we have done and seen a lot of things.
We woke up to a breeze and the temperature in the low 50's. There was a cloud covering all day. The temperature got up into the low 70's.
We started the day out having cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Then we got ready to go on a hike. The hike was on Table Mound Trail, which is a 2.75 mile hike one way to the overlook. By the time we got back we had hiked 6 miles. We hadn't been on a hike since the second day at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge 11 days ago. We started from the campground and walked to the trailhead about 1/4 of a mile. The trail was very well marked with blue paint on the trees. We hiked through the trees, up and down the hillside, by the lake and through three creeks. There were a few places that it was challenging because we had to walk up the hill but overall it wasn't bad. As we hiked we saw the lake through the trees. There were a couple of fishermen on the lake fishing. The lake was a little rough when we hiked to the overlook but by the time we returned the lake had calmed down. Larry saw a couple of deer running through the trees but I didn't. We were the only ones on the trail. The trail was muddy in a few places due to the storm that came through a couple of nights ago. We were surprised how fast the trail was drying out. We had to climb over a few downed trees. When we got to the overlook we rested before doing the return hike. When we got back to the trailhead, there was a day area there Larry rested while I went to the bathroom. The bathroom at the overview was still closed for the winter but the one at the day area was a vault bathroom so it never closes. It was very clean and didn't smell at all. We started the hike with a lite jacket on but halfway to the overlook we took them off. We had a super hike.
Trail marker and trail through the trees
Trail sign
Fishing on Elk City Lake
For lunch I made sandwiches. After lunch I did my Daily Solitaire and event. The event was Event: Free Cell Mini of 5 games. It took me 9 minutes and 19 seconds, which put me in 8th place in my group.
About 2:00 we walked over to pay for another night. As we were paying a gentleman came over and said we could pay at the park office. Larry said that was ok we already had paid for the night. We talked with him for a bit and he called a lady over who knew more about the rules about yearly passes. She explained why they needed our Social Security number, it was because Kansas passed a law that said people who were behind on child support or had warrants against them couldn't camp or buy any licenses. When you check in via a person they system uses you social security number to run a security check, if it finds something the person checking you in has to notify law enforcement. If you use the kiosk to pay then you don't have to provide your social security number. We had a very nice visit with the couple.
On the way back the Solar eclipse was happening. I glanced up and saw a ring around the sun and told Larry to look. We didn't have any glasses but we didn't look directly at the sun. It was just the beginning. We weren't at the best place to see the full effect by it was cool. It also was overcast.
For dinner I barbecued sausage links. I didn't have to walk around the campground after dinner because I already had done 17,500 steps. This put me in 1st place in my group.
We spent the evening relaxing with a book.
Reading is relaxing
Below are more pictures from the Ralph Mitchell Zoo & Park. Independence park had a very nice Veterans Memorial Park. They had a plaque for each war with where the war was fought, how many died and why it was fought. They didn't have the names of people who died instead they had the total quantity of people who died in the war and how many died from their county. The zoo is free and both the park and zoo are well used by locals and visitors.
White Peacock (color mutation of Indian Blue peacock)
Tortoises
Blue Peacock
Two-Toe Sloth
The shoe-house
Memorial plaque for the Civil War
Statues at the fountain
No comments:
Post a Comment
I would love to hear friendly comments on anything at all. Ruth