Continental Divide Expedition, Part I:
New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas
Photos and Text: Scott Brady

Part one of the Continental Divide expedition adventure starts at 13,161 feet on Wheeler Peak in New Mexico as part of a four state highpoint and 4wd expedition. Wheeler Peak is the tallest point in New Mexico, the pinnacle of the Sangre de Christo range near Taos.  Climbing solo, via the scramble route from Williams Lake provided a nice challenge and the rewards of 100 mile views.  From the summit, I was able to look north to my goal in Oklahoma and the opportunity to shift my trusty Tacoma into low-range.

From Taos, I drove east through Cimarron, where I happened upon a loyal Off-Road reader and his father who recognized the Expeditions West Tacoma.  They were in route to do volunteer work at the Philmont Boy Scout Center.   Leaving the Santa Fe National Forest, the mountains give way to the Raton Basin and the vast grasslands of the central planes. Continuing east, I met up with Brian, a long time adventure partner and we made good time to our camp for the night in the Kiowa NP. We made camp at near dusk, and grilled up some thick ribeyes and watched the stars shoot across the big Midwestern skies.

Spectacular summit flowers were in full bloom, the mountain washed in the morning sun. My decent included sliding down a 600’ long scree slope to the basin trail below.

This nearly century old bridge spans the Cimarron River and provides a route to the settlements of Independence Group and Wiggin.

Waking early, we moved on to Clayton NM (for fuel and supplies), and our goal of exploring the remote trails of the Black Mesa and Comanche Grasslands. Reaching the intersection of Route 18 and 325 we spent a few minutes reviewing the topos and scanning the southern flanks of the mesa for a route to the top.  With a loose plan we drove north to the ghost settlement of Independence Group, checking out a well preserved wooden suspension bridge over the Cimarron River. From there continued on to Red Hill, where the topo shows a series of tight switchbacks giving access to the mesa above.  After driving for a few miles, the trail grew faint and we stopped to explore on foot.  Vegetation had nearly reclaimed the trail and the switchbacks, though still visible on the hillside were in poor repair.  Choosing to Tread Lightly on this recovering route we turned around and decided to approach the mesa from the north.

This proved to be a great plan and allowed for a more technical shelf road and access to the Mesa. The tight shelf required moving several fallen boulders and negotiating two deep washouts before climbing through a narrow, rocky notch to the top.  Brian stayed close to the hillside in the big Dodge and used the torque of the Cummins to make short work of the climb.  Despite his truck being nearly stock, I was more than impressed with the big ram.   (It is important to note that this area has lots of private land; please respect all “no trespassing” signs and leave gates as you found them.)

Once on the mesa, we parked the trucks and started hiking towards the Oklahoma Border and to the highest point in OK (N36 55 55/ W102 59 50), situated at the eastern narrow of the caprock.  The trek was easy, with Brian and me making good time to the summit cairn and a 10’ tall granite monument. After signing the register, we returned to the trucks and retraced our route back to Blacksmith Creek.

The tallest point in Oklahoma is 4,973 Feet, and is the 23rd
highest state point in the US.

The finale of part one was at Mount Sunflower, the highest
point in Kansas.  While the highpoint in Kansas may seem
a little silly, it is still taller than 22 other states.

With plenty of sunlight remaining in the day, further exploration was in order.  We entered Colorado and followed Whilby Canyon to the north, driving through several side arroyos and formed two-tracks. The scenery was spectacular, with the thick basalt tables stretching across the horizon, with igneous spines cut deep into the flanks.  This area is filled with impressive history, including an inscription on a canyon wall by Coronado’s group in 1541, and a section of the famed Santa Fe Trail descending through the Rita Blanca Grasslands. It proved too perfect a spot not to camp, and we called it an early evening.

Waking to perfect temperatures and blue skies we motored north, and into Kansas, and our most extreme hike yet.  Actually, the tallest point in Kansas is Mount Sunflower, which proved to not be a mountain at all, registering as barely a bump in the endless horizon of farmland. It seemed a fitting end to the journey though, having started nearly 10,000’ higher just two days before. Watch the pages of Off-Road for the rest of the adventure, continuing west into Colorado… Part II

Resources:

America's Highpoints: www.americasroof.com
National Grasslands: www.fs.fed.us/grasslands

All photos