Parks in the Park

Outlaw Ghost of Robbers Cave

by Daniel Parks

With wisp of wind on gloaming breeze,

odd swirls of dust move through the trees.

And while it's true the days had passed

when robbers to this Cave were cast.

Yet in its shadows, dread prevails,

nocturnal fears the night regales.

And on some hot and sultry nights

it seems suffused with muted fright.

'Twas on such night, as from a grave,

strange devil winds stirred from the Cave.

And in its midst a woman stalked

adorned in silken gown and frock.

Her flexuous hair cut to her sash,

influenced not by dervish cast.

And in the gloom, I tried to see

if specter's real, or fool I be?

The ghostly wench entreated me

to sue the winds to set her free

While in her hand, extended thus,

a pistol waved amongst the dust.

Her face was aged and anger fraught,

while curses coursed for vengeance sought.

And then I caught the woman's name

as from her maw were vows proclaimed.

"Belle Starr's earthly form I bear,

my death avenged, of that I swear.

When dastard deed, requited be,

these chains of death will set me free.

And then my killer's soul I'll take

to Hell's eternal burning lake!

And then my killer's soul I'll take

to Hell's eternal burning lake..."

And as she spoke, the devil wind

began to ebb its strident spin.

And the specter from the past

was no more carried by its blast

but faded back from wince it came

while crying out her dreadful name.

And lastly vanished to her grave,

this Outlaw Ghost from Robber's Cave.

As I gasped from lack of breath

I knew I'd seen the face of death...

Blooming dogwoods

Dogwoods turned their flowers upward to the spring sunshine.  Birds flirted in their branches and redbuds lent their color to the woods.  I arrived at Robbers Cave in Wilburton on a Friday afternoon in mid-April, ready for a weekend of camping and wedding festivities.  My good friends had been planning their green, sustainable wedding (well, of all things, a wedding/ marriage should be sustainable!) for almost two years, complete with compostable plates, cups, and silverware.  It's no secret that I'm not a fan of weddings, but it is bound to be enjoyable when the bride refers to it as the "camping event", and dogs are encouraged.
 

Beautiful bride and groom and their furkids

As I set up my tent that I had purchased for $10 at the outdoor gear swap meet at OKC Kayak, a ranger's assistant came by to collect the camping fees.  He asked if I had ever been to the park before, and I was happy to say that not only had I been, but I had even mentioned the park in one of my blogs.  I asked him where the largest pine tree is in Oklahoma, since the park boasts that it has the "second-largest".  Stumped, he radioed the park office to ask.  Apparently, it is a well-guarded secret, and I am still searching for the answer.

Perfect campsite

Parks (coincidence that Mr. Parks is a park ranger's assistant?) mentioned that he is a writer, as well.  In fact, he has a book being published and will be released very soon.  He asked if I would include one of his poems in my blog, which I was delighted to do!  By the time I finished setting up my tent, Mr. Parks had delivered a copy of one of his poems and a photocopy of the cover of his new book.

I was thrilled to kick off my weekend with this chance encounter.  I really should no longer be surprised at the amazing Oklahomans that I meet on my adventures around the state.  As I joined the rest of the wedding guests at the lodge, I gushed about my good fortune.  Friends who had joined me on other Okie adventures weren't too surprised.  We have met some of the most interesting, talented, and generous people on our travels.  Daniel Parks can be added to that growing list.

Gifts of ghost stories!

A little while later, I returned to my quiet camping spot (thanks to a tip from the groom!) and found some pieces of paper weighted down next to the fire ring.  It was one of the ghost stories from Parks' book.  I sat by the creek and read about strange calls for help in the darkness and the mysterious disappearance of one of the rangers.  I concluded that it was fiction, but it played with my mind and had me second-guessing. 

Wide-open eyes saw nothing but blackness as rain pelted the tent.  I couldn't sleep, but I wasn't sure if it was because I'd never used my bargain tent and I wasn't confident that it was water-tight (it was, thankfully!), or if it was because of the ghost story that kept replaying in my mind.  The author's references to landmarks in the park create a story that is hard to distinguish from fact.  Half-asleep dreams mingled with the ghost story and had me actually wishing that there were other campers close by.

Cattail Pond at Robbers Cave

There are valuables to be discovered in the Oklahoma state parks, and Daniel Parks is one of them.  Pick up a copy of Poetic Scenes and Mystic Dreams, and spend some time visiting with the state park employees.  Find out how they got there and what keeps them there.  Our shrinking park budgets will never be able to properly compensate them for the lives that they give to the areas that they love.  Experience a little bit of it for yourself.  See it, walk it, submerge yourself in it, and let it keep you awake on a rainy night.  (You can purchase Mr. Parks' book at the Robbers Cave Cabin Office, the Gift Shop, or online from Amazon, or directly from the publisher - Lulu).

100 Adventures - Part 2

The challenge to experience 100 Adventures in 2012 culminated with one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever experienced.  The combination of terrain, time of year, and weather were the perfect recipe.  Long overdue, here is Part 2 of the 100 Adventures:

We started our journey when the moon was still a bright sliver in the early morning blackness.  Our little group was headed to SE Oklahoma to hike Horsethief Springs in the Ouachita Forest.  The trail is an 11-mile loop, which was ambitious for our meandering ways on a short, November day.  Plus, our adventures almost always include detours, and this one would be no exception.

2nd Largest Pine Tree in Oklahoma

The scenic drive took us though Wilburton, so we decided to swing by Robbers Cave State Park to visit the 2nd Largest Pine Tree in Oklahoma.  I've done a bit of online research since then, trying to find the 1st largest pine tree in Oklahoma, but with no success.  There were some shaggy mane mushrooms in various stages of autodigestion there.  If I would have known what they were at the time, we could have eaten them.  Since my foraging skills are a bit lacking, we left them alone.

Robbers Cave State Park

Our route continued along the Talimena Drive.  We had driven the entire 54-mile scenic drive two weeks earlier to catch the fall foliage, and the color was even more brilliant now, although some of the trees had already dropped their leaves on this blustery day.  We turned off the drive and stopped at Cedar Lake where we could pick up the trail.  There, we ran into friends who were camping and backpacking for the weekend.  We were invited to share lunch with them, but we now had about five hours of daylight remaining, despite our early start.  That tends to happen often when you take the scenic routes and stop for photographic opportunities along the way.  The journey is definitely at least as important as our destination on these adventures.

October 27, 2012

November 10th, 2012

December 29th, 2012

Talimena Scenic Drive

Horsethief Springs Trail took us through tall pine trees and red and gold deciduous trees.  We crossed a few semi-dry creek beds and climbed uphill to join up with the Ouachita Trail for a mile or so.  We passed through areas recovering from recent fires and dense new-growth pine groves.  One section of trail turned lush green with healthy grasses among rockslides.

Along the top ridge of the Ouachita Mountains, the trail became deep in colorful leaf litter.  I spotted a walkingstick among the leaves on the trail.  It was cleverly camouflaged with its surroundings, displaying the same fall colors as the leaves it consumed.  Once the first one had been spotted, then we started seeing them EVERYWHERE.  It was most definitely mating season for them, as they gathered in large, amorous groups.  It was difficult to walk, since they seemed to cover every foot of trail and tree.  I later discovered that there is an extreme infestation of them in the Ouachita Mountains, and their leaf consumption can kill the oaks and other hardwoods that they live among.  We unknowingly transported several along the trail, as we each caught one or more hitching free rides on our pant legs.


Our pace increased as we reached the halfway point and could see the sun getting lower in the sky.  It was impossible not to stop for breathtaking views of the colorful treetops as we peeked past the pines and into the hillside below.  Thankfully, the last three miles or so were mostly downhill, so we just had to be careful not to trip on the plentiful rocks that were on the path as we admired the beauty around us.

Just as the sky was changing from orange to pink to dark blue, we temporarily lost the trail.  As much as I had desired to spot a bear or cougar, I really didn't want to spend the night with them, exposed in the cold forest.  We backtracked until we spotted trail markers again and made it back to the car just as the last bit of light dwindled.


We had to make a quick stop back at the Cedar Lake campground, just to let our friends know that we survived the hike and covered more than ten miles in five hours flat, while still stopping to enjoy it.  Declining the camp food buffet, we chose to grab some gas station diner food on the way back home.  The sliver of moon guided the car as we journeyed back - exhausted, legs aching, and thrilled with the sights from the 100th adventure of 2012.

Just in time!

Where will your adventures take you this year?