Little Baldy

One of my favorite places in Oklahoma is the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. My wife and I have been there several times over the years and every time we go, even though the geographic area remains constant, we have an entirely unique set of experiences. Our kids always like climbing around the top of Mount Scott, and we have a few trails we like to hit up (as well as new ones to explore) and there’s also interesting animals like bison, prairie dogs, and longhorn cattle to see that all adds up to a fun, interesting, and often exciting time for everyone. Recently we spent a few days in the area with some friends, and the big difference on this particular trip was the time of year. While of course it would seem obvious that traveling to a wildlife refuge in November would produce different scenery and experiences compared to, say, spring or summer, it was amazing to see the differences firsthand over the course of the weekend.

One of the most striking changes my wife and I noticed was the bright colors all throughout the wildlife refuge: mountains, trees, grass…everything took on rich hues of orange, yellow, and even green that we just don’t normally see at other times of the year. The mix of clouds and sun amplified everything as well, and this week’s photo is a good encapsulation of everything all in one image. I took this at, or very near, the top Little Baldy which is the end point of one of our favorite hiking trails. I’m looking north and way in the distance you can see the mountain range positively glowing with light from the afternoon sun, though just a few minutes later they were shrouded in gray after the clouds moved in. The changing colors of the leaves on the trees almost felt like something out of a Bob Ross painting, and Lake Quanah Parker poking in from the right adds a splash of blue as well as a bit of context that really helps you get a sense of the scale of everything. I have a couple of images from this same location without the lake and they just aren’t as interesting, mostly because all of the trees end up blending together and you, the viewer, are left without a real anchor point to make sense of the image.

I shot this with my trusty little Fuji X100F, which I have now had for almost six years and was the only camera (aside from my iPhone) that I brought on the trip. As usual, it performed admirably :) It’s mostly just a coincidence that I’m starting the new year with this image here on Weekly Fifty, but I suppose it’s fitting as well. This is meant to be a hopeful image, a look at the possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead and a reminder to see the familiar in, quite literally, a new light. And I hope to approach 2024 with the same mindset as well.