Earlier this week I went on business to northwest Oklahoma. On the way back I stopped at Gloss Mountain State Park.
The big hill at the park is called Cathedral Mountain. I didn’t know that it had such a grand name or I would have taken a picture of it. I didn’t so what you get is this pic from halfway up the hill back down to the parking lot.
The wildflowers were out and putting on a show even though it was overcast.
Most of the climb actually had stairs. The last fifty feet was kind of hard.
I went up looking for a geocache which I didn’t find. What I wasn’t expecting was the many birds soaring. The wind was strong on the ground. At the top of the mountain hill it was even stronger. The birds were soaring. The effect was magical as they dipped up and down and all around.
As I walked the length of the mesa I saw more and more birds.
I was surprised when about 50 feet in front of me two full grown turkey vultures came out of the hole in cliff, took a look at me and took off.
There was a teenager, about half the size of the adults, looking at me with scorn before he took off.
I got close to the end of the mesa. About a mile walk and I could see Lone Mountain across the way.
The mesa narrowed in spots to where it felt like I was on a sidewalk in the sky.
The whole time I had an escort. I guess they were waiting to see if I fell off the cliff or got bit by a snake or something.
You could see forever at the end. That spot of water in the distance is the historic Cimarron River.
The vultures stayed with me the whole way. Nothing gets your head on straight than being shadowed by vultures.
Camera Critters
ps: In researching this post I came across a Tulsa Wedding Photographer who did a photo shoot of a model in a wedding dress on top of Cathedral Mountain Hill. Some outstanding photos.
