Palo Duro Canyon – Part 3

Hello and welcome to part three, or day 2 of our Palo Duro adventure!

This was to be a big day for our adventure as our plan was to do the Lighthouse trail hike. This trail is roughly 6 miles round trip, and in all honesty, both of us work desk jobs and are in our sixth decade of life. Six miles hikes are not something we do on a daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly basis. But we were determined, and hopefully prepared, and set out to do this.

We left the hotel before sunrise and entered the park even before there were rangers at the front gate. We made it to the trailhead shortly before sunrise and were greeted with a nice cool breeze. We loaded up our backpacks with water bottles and a minimum of camera lenses, in order to lower our physical requirements, and headed down the trail.

At the trailhead, we met this chipper little guy reminding us not to die. “Thanks buddy.” Might as well have posted, “Death awaits all who enter here unprepared!”

Friendly reminder to not die

Determined that we would not need to be rescued, we started the hike while the sun was still just below the horizon. It made for some nice color in the sky, but as you can see from the photo below, there was not a cloud to be seen. That could spell disaster for us later in the day if we are unable to find shade. The mesquite “trees” (bushes really) don’t offer much in the way of shade when you are over-heating.

Sun beginning to light the sky

Not too far into the hike we came to Capitol Peak and as we began to make our way around it, our old friend Mr. Sun began to peek down at us from behind the crest! Still though, at this time of morning, the temperatures are still reasonable in the low 70s so we should have plenty of time to complete this trek before dying.

Mr. Sun says good morning

As we approached Capitol Peak, we noticed a hoodoo to the left, which we assumed was the Lighthouse off in the distance. We figured the trail would circle around the peak and we would be there. Wrong! While there are places on the trail where you can see the Lighthouse, this isn’t one of them. In our defense, it does kind of look like the Lighthouse from a distance.

Capitol Peak and not the Lighthouse

As Karen tends to do, her eyes spot the beauty of the area in the intricate details which Michael many times overlooks as he is scoping out the big picture.

Beauty in unexpected places

As the sun began creeping up in the sky the light began to dance across the landscape creating beautiful contrast between the highlights and the shadows. This intensified the red color of the rocks and created an atmosphere of ruggedness that could remind one of an old John Ford western.

Light and shadows

Once we made our way around the first obstacle, Capital Peak, we were treated to more of a light show as the rising sun began hitting just the top of the surrounding peaks, leaving the bottoms in shadow.

The peak in half light

Once more, Karen’s eyes went to the delicate beauty of a backlit grass along the trail.

Backlit flora
Karen shooting grass

Meanwhile, Michael was playing with self-portraiture through shadows.

The rising sun casting very long shadows

While we were trying to make the most of our time photographically, we were also very aware that our old friend Mr. Sun was slowly climbing higher and higher into the sky. We were drinking our water and being careful not to overexert our bodies, while also reminding ourselves that this was still the easy part of the trail. The last quarter of the path to Lighthouse is where the trail difficulty really ramps up.

Rock formations (hoodoos) spotlighted by the sun

At this point we are still in the shade of Capital Peak. We know however that this will not last much longer. Not only is the sun getting higher in the sky, but the trail is also about to take us beyond the shade of the peak and head out into the open and toward the Lighthouse.

Prepared for the coming sun

The entire time we were there, we never tired of seeing the layered formations caused by thousands of years of wind and rain, and how the light would bring out their colors and textures.

Light, color, and texture

An interesting point is that much of the rim of the canyon, and indeed most of the canyon itself, is private land. In this photo you can see numerous houses lining the rim of the canyon. I can only imagine the views that these people wake up to each morning. I’m also sure that many of these houses are likely available for rent on some of the rent-by-owner type sites.

Houses along the canyon rim

Finally, after a couple of hours, the Lighthouse comes into view. It is still a good distance away, but at least we can see the destination. I don’t know about you, but when I’m hiking, being able to see where I am headed makes the going just a bit easier. The downside is, as you can see, there is not much shade between where we are and where we are going. Also notice that still, there was not a cloud in the sky. Should we sprint for it? Nah! We drink more water and continue our steady pace.

Lighthouse in the distance

We carry on. We got to the point of the trail where it began to ascend, and the climbing did get a bit sketchy here and there. We were both wearing boots with pretty good grip and protection, but one of us made a simple but painful mistake. While looking through the viewfinder of the camera, a misstep took place, a fall happened, and a leg landed on a prickly pear. A quick check was made to make sure that nothing was broken and there were no major injuries. We then began pulling the long thorns out of the leg, from the ankle up to the bottom. We ended up stopping several more times throughout the day as more of those spikes announced themselves as we moved. And it wasn’t just the big thorns that are easy to see, there were also tiny ones that were only felt as the clothing brushed against the skin. Yes, that’s going to leave a mark.

Prickly pear = pain

Just so you are aware, dear hiker. Those long spikes are very strong. They punctured through denim like nothing and even a few punctured the boot that was being worn! Those suckers are stiff. And somewhat like a porcupine quill, they grab on and do not just slide out when you pull them. I’ll just say that one of us was feeling this for a few weeks to come.

Finally, we reached the Lighthouse. By this time there are already some people here. A few people had passed us on the trail while we were stopping to rest and make photos. Others must have started out even before us this morning. We discussed that would be one good reason to stay inside the park rather than a hotel outside; earlier starts. At least there is some shade here.

Lighthouse

We decided to rest a bit before making the final ascent up to the actual monument. There were a couple of young girls who appeared to be doing some sort of photo shoot and didn’t want to get in their way. The monument wasn’t going anywhere.

Next stop, the top! Well, not actually the top, but up on the monument.

Until next time,

Michael & Karen

All words and photographs copyright 2023 M Hampton Photography

Palo Duro Canyon – Part 2

Welcome back! Let us continue day one of our Palo Duro adventure where we left off!

After taking some time to cool down and recover from that “easy” hike with the ranger, we spent a little time around the Mack Dick pavilion area at the base of the canyon. Unlike the Grand Canyon, at Palo Duro, you can drive down into the canyon and explore from there.

As the day began to turn to early evening, clouds began forming once again, making the temperatures not as high, and providing some much-needed shade. I really wish they had been around earlier.

Panorama from the canyon floor

As we ventured out to see a little more of what the canyon had to offer, we began to make plans for the next few days. We made our way around the area of the pavilion on foot taking several photographs, and once that was well scouted, we drove the park road that makes its way through the base of the canyon. It should be noted however, that the state park only covers a small portion of the actual canyon and stretches about 120 miles long and 20 miles wide. Palo Duro canyon is 2nd only to the Grand Canyon in size in the US.

Photographer #1 (the pretty one)
Photographer #2 (the less pretty one)

Checking out the park it became clear why this is considered one of Texas’ hidden gems. The colors are amazing, especially the red rocks contrasted with the blue sky. Add the fact that this year has seen higher than average rainfall, there is also much more green than usual, making for an even larger gamut of colors to behold.

The canyon, greener than usual

The views, just about anywhere in the canyon, are something to behold. Whether you find yourself on the high ground looking down into the canyon, or on the floor looking up out of the canyon, the vistas are beautiful.

Amazing vistas no matter where you stand

History of the canyon according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website:

People have inhabited Palo Duro Canyon for [several thousand] years. The Clovis and Folsom peoples first lived in the canyon and hunted large herds of mammoth and giant bison.

Other cultures, such as the Apache, Comanche, and Kiowa, used the canyon’s plentiful resources more recently.

These early cultures left behind rock art and bedrock mortars, where they ground mesquite beans and roots for food.

Early Spanish explorers probably discovered the canyon, naming it Palo Duro, Spanish for hard wood.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon/park_history
Clouds providing shade over the canyon as evening approaches

As mentioned before, the CCC played a large part in the creation of this park. Also from the TPWD’s web site:

President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. The CCC provided jobs and job skills by hiring young men to work on conservation projects. The program enrolled men between the ages of 17 and 25 who qualified for public assistance. They earned clothing, food, medical care and $30 a month; they sent most of that home to their families.

ibid.
The exposed walls show many layers resulting from several geologic events in history

The park opened to the public in 1938 and is currently the second largest state park in Texas, covering about 28,000 acres. Of course, the biggest is Big Bend Ranch state park, which covers a whopping 300,000 acres, over ten times the size here. That one is still on our list and we’ll make it there someday, Lord willing.

The dreaded prickly-pear plant (more on this later)

As the sun began to drop in the sky, we decided it was time to head back and nourish ourselves. It was quite the first day filled with wonder, and a couple of mistakes, and we wanted to be prepared for tomorrow. We planned a hike to the Lighthouse monument, which is about a 6-mile round trip. Striving to not recreate today’s mistakes, we will be starting as near to sunrise as we can as well as carrying plenty of water. We will also be preparing for the brutal UV rays of the sun.

Shadows elongate as the sun begins its descent

Tomorrow will be an early one for sure, so off to dinner and bed to prepare. Have to make sure the camera batteries are charged and ready to go. Be sure to check back for part 3 to see if we survived.

Michael & Karen

All word and images copyright 2003, MHampton Photography

Palo Duro Canyon – Part 1

Welcome to Michael & Karen’s autumn 2023 adventure, where there will be death defying events, beautiful scenery, and lots of love! It is, after all, our 31st anniversary!

This year we decided to travel to the panhandle of Texas to visit the Palo Duro Canyon. This had been on our bucket list for many years, going back to our days of doing our travels on a motorcycle. It may have taken us some time to get there, but we finally did.

To start off, we stayed at the Hampton Inn in Canyon Tx, which was 1) convenient to the park and 2) had a free EV charger, meaning that we could drive around all day in the park and then fully charge back up each night as part of the hotel’s amenities! I don’t expect perks like this to last forever, but for now, they are much welcomed!

We drove from our home in East Texas to Canyon on Saturday and got all checked in for the night. Sunday morning, we rose and attended worship serviced at a sister church in Amarillo, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, PCA. After a great service, we had lunch and headed out to the park to, as our tagline says, Share God’s Creation One Click at a Time!

Upon entering the park and heading to the visitor center, this was our first real view of the canyon!

View from the visitor’s center overlook

While at the entrance to the park I asked the park rangers about any easy short hikes that we might take to get acclimated to the area. They said, “Well, a ranger-led one is about to start in 10 minutes. We’ll meet you at the visitor’s center!”

Great! We’re already off to a start and will have a ranger with us to boot!

The hike, about a mile in length, started at the overlook and traveled around an area where an old CCA camp had been located back in the 1930s, building much of the infrastructure of the park. You can still see some remnants of the structures on the plateau below us.

Daily view of the CCA workers

It wasn’t very long after we started this “short, easy hike”, that any cloud cover that we had started to dissipate. That was unfortunate. We had planned on this time of year, as the first of Autumn, in hopes that the weather would have started to turn cooler. Unfortunately, this was not yet the case as the temps were creeping into the upper 90s.

Cloud cover disappearing

As we continued the hike, both of us began to feel the effects of the sun’s unblocked UV rays as well as the heat. We quickly learned that there is not much shade in this part of Texas. We are used to the large pine trees of East Texas, not the smaller mesquite trees out here. While we had taken plenty of water, we found ourselves needing to stop several times. Luckily, this was a very small hiking party with the ranger, and they did not mind the extra stops.

Natural erosion continues to play a part of the canyon’s formation

It was about this time that the ranger pointed out that we are at a higher elevation than we are used to back home as well! That is something that we had not even factored into our planning! Here at the canyon rim we were at about 3,400 feet above sea-level. Back home we are closer to 400. It may not sound like a lot, but we’re not as young as we used to be and haven’t been much above our altitude in a while, except for our sky-diving adventure we did for our birthday’s last year, but that’s a story for another time.

The sun and heat become unbearable, but the scenery is beautiful

We continued on the hike, taking several breaks whenever there was a bit of shade. This was not looking like a good beginning for our adventure! But, as they say, we carry on!

Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the US behind the Grand Canyon

So, as it turned out, we had made a couple of errors on our first hike. 1) Not realizing that we were at a higher altitude than we are accustomed to, and 2) starting a hike at 2 in the afternoon when it was the hottest part of the day! These are two mistakes we will not be repeating! The middle of the day, the clouds dry up and the sun beats down on man and beast alike

Clouds? Shade? Where?

The ranger told us to look out for a couple of this on our hike, in hopes that we might see some of God’s creation at work. First, there is the Texas Horned Lizard, or “horny toads” as we called them growing up in Oklahoma. They are very rare, but this is one of the places where they can still be seen. The second thing was to look out for mating tarantulas! Oh joy (Karen thought). We’ll be looking out for both, along with rattlesnakes in the days to come!

Late afternoon clouds begin forming

After what seemed like forever, this “short and easy” hike was finally over. We learned some lessons that will serve us well over the next few days. This was just our introduction to the park, and the first day is not even over yet. There is still so much to see. (Death defying event #1 complete).

After this, we got in the car, cranked up the AC, and found a place where we could park and cool back down for a while. Then, we were ready to head back out for some short excursions to finish the day.

Come back later for part 2!

Michael & Karen

All word and images copyright 2003, MHampton Photography