Note: This article was originally published on October 15, 2014.
When I arrived at the trail head, I could tell right away that this would be quite an experience. It was the most remote area I’ve ever been to. The nearest human was at least thirty minutes away; the nearest civilization was over an hour away. The trail led into a deep valley surrounded by flat-topped mesas, giving me the impression of ancient native American tribal chiefs standing watch around the valley, looking down with their arms crossed as if to say to me “You are here only because we allow it.”
The hike was about ten miles round trip. At the far end of the trail was a marker signifying the highest point in Oklahoma. It took me about two and a half hours to get there. The scenery along the way was, in a word, incredible. The sky just doesn’t look this way anywhere else in the world, I am convinced.
Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find yourself. If you ever find yourself in the panhandle of Oklahoma, Black Mesa Trail is the best place to lose yourself.
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