Quanah Parker was a Comanche war leader. The Wichita Mountains in southwest Oklahoma are ancestral lands of the Comanche, Apache, and Kiowa. Quanah had a home in the area that stands today (along with about 500 descendants). Today most of the area is the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. It's a beautiful and rugged area inhabited by wild buffalo, longhorns, elk, lots of birds, plenty of smaller critters, and a beautiful lake named after Quanah Parker.
Spring is beginning to pop out in Oklahoma. The second image is Post Oak Creek flowing into Post Oak Lake with Elk Mountain in the background. At least that was Post oak Lake 40 years ago when I first started visiting the area (with my view camera) and the lake on the other side of the trailhead was Treasure Lake. One would think Post Oak Creek would flow into a lake of the same name but...several years ago the US Geological Survey made an error (I hope it wasn't intentional) and called this lake Treasure Lake. According to them, Post Oak Lake is now where Treasure Lake used to be and all the maps were changed to reflect their bold new direction. Refuge employees are apologetic but say they can't get it changed back. Apparently, someone's bureaucratic reputation is tied up with the error and they refuse to correct it.
Enjoy the photos and, if you are ever near SW Oklahoma, take time to visit the refuge. It's a magnificent place.
