24hrs in the Wichitas

The meteorological promise of good weather near the Wichita mountains, coupled with a three-day Presidential Lovers' weekend made for an all together too good weekend invitation to refuse. I followed the siren's call right into rocky oasis of southern Oklahoma.

In my short-sighted weekend planning, I had forgotten southern OK recently weathered a brutal snow and ice storm - which had only just finished melting. The place was wet. Really wet. Our efforts to avoid high water and muddy earth were further exacerbated by the thousands of branches the trees decidedly shrugged onto the ground beneath them. Nearly every tree here had fallen apart - brutally fractured by the sever ice storm a week before.

In the Narrows, at the base of Aerial Anticipation (5.11c) patiently waited an abandoned - but not forgotten - Trango Cinch. After nearly two months of sitting sheltered below the roof, we were reunited - climber and belay piece.


Super stoked, I red-pointed the route on my second try. Aerial Anticipation is known as the best sport-climb in Oklahoma and while I'ven't touched every rock in the state, I'd agree it's a pretty sweet line. 60' of technical slab into steep jug pulling. Swing!


The spring evening died beautifully - twilight sun echoed in Quanah Parker Lake before finally resting beneath Charon's Garden.


But asking two, nice spring days in a row from Oklahoma is simply asking too much. We woke to a snow flurry melting on our exposed faces and ferocious freezing winds tearing through camp. Even if it wasn't wickedly cold, all the rock of Charon's Garden was still too wet to climb from old snow melt, anyhow.


The inclement weather was the Wichita's reminder, passage through this place may only be temporary. And after giving thanks to refuge, we turned tail - northward - to what waited for us back in Enid America.