Urban Adventure
I’d like to think I know my city. I live just a few miles from downtown. I keep an ear to the ground on the up and coming places adding to the eclectic mix of Oklahoma City urban life. But I’ve been proved wrong. Oklahoma Today’s September/October issue is all about Oklahoma City, http://www.oklahomatoday.com/. New places, old places and places I haven’t even heard of. New sushi restaurant downtown, a mosaic somewhere on the Bricktown canal? It’s uncharted territory for me.
Ok, so maybe a trip to Bricktown doesn’t suffice as outdoors or out there, but I’m going to attempt to expand that category. Downtown is just a 10-minute bike ride from my house. Side streets (NW 19th Street is one of my favorites) make it easy to make your way downtown without too much traffic. The massive trees in Heritage Hills and Mesta Park keep the sun off your back. I contend that the urban cityscape can be just as interesting as the trails on the ridges of the Quachitas.
So, a few places I plan to hit before the cold weather makes bike riding a teeth gritting experience:
The downtown library.
I lived in Oklahoma City for nearly six years and never made into the Taj Mahal for bibliophiles. Heck, I might even grab a sandwich while I’m down there at Leadership Square. Maybe that needs to be a weekday trip. I’m not sure what restaurants are open on the weekend in the chrome palace.
The Underground. http://www.downtownokc.com/Default.aspx?tabid=58
I’m not sure how to get there, or what I’ll see when I get there…but I’m going to hunt it down. The tunnel system is lit up and links parts of the city…can I ride my bike in there?
The Lunch Box, 413 W Sheridan
So if this restaurant has been in business for more than 50 years, why has it taken me five to put it on my list of places to visit? I hear you can’t pass up the pie…and while they’re might not be wildlife there, it is close to the bus station, which is always full of interesting characters migrating to various destinations. Not sure if Sheridan is a bike friendly street, but I think the downtown side streets might be a good alternative path to fighting midday traffic.
Those are just a few places on my list of must sees in the urban cityscape. What’s on your list, and what’s your bike route?
Stay tuned.
Julie Bisbee
Too wet to ride?
Rain bothers me. Why? Because riding a mountain bike on a muddy trail is ill-advised.
Yesterday I was dying to get on my bike and the rain had finally moved on out of the metro area, but all area trails were undoubtedly too wet too ride. So I decided to take a spin around Lake Hefner on the paved trails.
I had never ridden the lake trail that circles the lake, so I figured, ‘What the heck …’
I’ve got to say, it was a good workout and I’m a bit sore today. The nearly 10-mile trail wraps around the lake and is a surprisingly smooth and mostly uninterrupted trail.
It took me about 35 minutes to ride the whole thing.
Riding the dam section was almost the best part because of the scenery. Finishing my ride on the east side of the lake and looking back west across into the sunset was the best.
I’ve found a new outdoor pleasure.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie
Sharing a secret
I have debated sharing a favorite fishing hole with you, but I figure, what’s it going to hurt?
Lake Bixhoma in Bixby.
This gem is a tiny municipal lake that provides water for Bixby. I’m not going to help you with directions. You’re going to have to find it on your own.
Anyway, this is one of my favorite Bass fishing spots because of its proximity to my friends’ homes in Tulsa and its great fishing. What’s best is it gets very little traffic, so you feel many miles further from home than you really are.
In fact, yesterday (Sunday, Aug. 17) was the most crowded I have seen the lake in awhile. And the traffic? A couple of kayakers and maybe three or four fishing boats.
There are a few things to consider when going to this lake. There is no alcohol allowed. You must have a municipal license and you must have a municipal license for your boat. It is also a no wake lake. Perhaps these are the reasons the lake sees such little traffic.
Yesterday’s weather was great and following a full moon, we anticipated catching a lot of fish. I caught one; my buddy? Zero.
That was probably our worst day on that lake in memory.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie Frost
State parks are getting more visitors
Believe the hype. It worked. When the summer travel season began in May, analysts predicted high gas prices would keep families close to home. They would spend more time at closer locations, heading to state parks instead of far-off funlands.
And you did. Park visitation at the state’s parks in May was up by 100,000 compared to May 2007, according to figures from the Department of Tourism. Pretty good Oklahoma. You are following the national trend. The word staycation is etched into your brain and you’re opting for tents instead of king-size beds and water slides.
Be grateful you live in Oklahoma were state parks don’t charge an entrance fee. It’s free to spend the day in an Oklahoma park and have a picnic. Free…I repeat free. In some states you could expect to pay $5 or more just to get into a park. National parks are nearly double that.
As the Department of Tourism looks to make improvements at parks around the state, the increased visitation numbers can’t hurt when asking for additional funds from the Legislature. It’s more bang for their buck.
On top of that, it’s nice to know that more people are seeing the diverse landscape of Oklahoma. More people are sitting around campfires and talking. More people are hiking, biking and taking in the natural beauty. All without the aid of cellphones, laptops and televisions. Sounds good to me.
Happy Trails.
Julie Bisbee
State Writer
Beat the heat at the lake
After I got over the shock of my electric bill last month, I’ve decided to beat the heat in a different way. I’m setting that air conditioner on 83 and heading for the lake.
Last weekend we went to Arcadia Lake in Edmond. There was a cloudless sky and the temperatures were already in the 90s, it wasn’t even noon yet. Our cooler was packed with hotdogs, water and the making for smores. Getting there that early you don’t have to fight for a shady picnic spot, and we got one within walking distance to the beach.
It was a great day to be at the beach. Hot as blazes. Boats whizzed around the lake. With the aid of SPF 45 (that’s right! I’m fair.) I was able to lay on the beach and read a little bit. Relaxing, and knowing that my electric meter wasn’t running like crazy. It was great.
But if you’re heading out to Arcadia Lake with children under 12, don’t forget the life jacket. It’s required and Edmond Police won’t hesitate to give you a ticket if your child isn’t wearing a life jacket on the beach. In the time I was there on Sunday, I saw two families get tickets both complete with fines.
For more information go to the city’s Web site.
If you’re wanting to leave the metro area, there are always state parks with lakes. Lake Thunderbird is a favorite, and usually crowded on the weekends. Lakes Texoma and Murray are also top picks.
But what about Keystone Lake or Fort Cobb? There’s plenty see and still lots of water. For more information on state parks and lakes go to http://www.oklahomaparks.com/
Julie Bisbee
state writer
Can you dig some brisket?
Thanks to Polynesian hunters of yore, who in their infinite cleverness endeavored to toss their daily kill into a pit of fire — cover it with rocks and dirt — and unearth for the next day’s meal, the barbecue universe was born. In homage to those fine gents and their bone-based body piercings, my good friend and colleague Jesse Olivarez and I recently dug our own pit for an afternoon barbecue.
To summarize, we did this:
Dug a hole approximately 3 feet deep by two feet wide, dropped bricks into the bottom of the pit, burned 4 cubic feet of pecan wood down to embers, and used three bricks set on their side to work as an altar for the object of our worship: a 9-pound brisket.
The brisket was trimmed, then given an light mustard coating. A rub was applied (recipe below) then the brisket was put in foil with a little apple juice and butter. After wrapping it tight in the foil and placing it in a roasting pan with handles, the whole bundle of joy was wrapped in water-soaked newspaper (one saved from last week, of course). Then we covered the hole with a piece of plywood and covered it with dirt, making sure the pit was airtight. Sixteen hours later, we exhumed the beef and ate…and ate…and ate…and ate.
Brisket rub:
1 cup premium light red chile blend
½ cup paprika
½ cup garlic powder
¼ cup Kosher salt
¼ cup black pepper
¼ cup light brown sugar
Mountain bike near home
You might think Oklahoma is a bad place to mountain bike. Not so.
There are many trails in Oklahoma that will challenge, many of which are closer to home than you might think. I bought my Gary Fisher Sugar 4+ nearly 3 years ago and have logged many hundreds of hours on Oklahoma Trails.
I have bruised, scarred and bled from falls. In other words, some are quite challenging. But as I have always said, “If you’re not falling, you’re not trying hard enough.”
I routinely ride Bluff Creek, which is just about a 5 minute drive from my house or a 10 minute ride. The trail is difficult in spots, but I have ridden it so many times I can usually get around the 3 1/2 mile trail in about 25 minutes or less, depending on how I’m feeling that day. These days I usually ride two laps and that amounts to a healthy workout.
My auxiliary trail is out on the east side of Lake Stanly Draper. This trail definitely has some trickier spots and is much longer, but the green (easy section) can be ridden with a confident ease, even by novices.
Clear Bay down at Lake Thunderbird is one of the best in the state. The only trouble is, it’s quite expensive as far as gas goes and quite time consuming for me to make the trip down to Norman.
I’ve never been much for running or jogging, so mountain biking gives me the best of both worlds. I get a good workout and I am outdoors where I am most at ease. The competition against self is great.
If you want to get into mountain biking, know that there are many great trails in not only Oklahoma, but neighboring Arkansas and even Texas. But a good piece of advice? Don’t skimp on buying a bike. Spend the money. You will pay for it.
Going out to the local Wal Mart or Target for a mountain bike is ill-advised. They may seem up to the challenge, but those bikes will crumble on some of the tougher sections of trail.
You must always, ALWAYS wear a helmet.
Here’s a link to a great site with information about some regional trails and just Okie biking in general.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie Frost
Gastronomical Trainwreck Scheduled in Catoosa Saturday
The tables will be turned in the barbecuesphere tomorrow in Tulsa. Rather than pigs snorking down on feed to be fattened for a future in falling-off-the-fork fare, it’ll be the humans getting a facefull of feed.
The Cherokee Casino hosts the World Barbecue Eating Championship where $10,000 will go to the man, woman or child who can take down the most pork sandies from Runt’s Barbecue of Broken Arrow.
This a Major League Eating/International Federation of Competitive Eating certified event, so come on out to see who from the Gong Show-level cast of characters will compete in the Casino’s poker room.
Sorry, registration has closed, but who can resist this kind of gluttony in action. And watch out for those reversals, they won’t be pretty with barbecue sauce.
Forks fly at 1 p.m. 777 W. Cherokee St., in Catoosa.
“Hello from 14,200 ft.”
It’s a vicious cycle.
Every step makes every breath shorter. Every step means less available oxygen as you inch your way up the mountain. The less oxygen there is, the faster your muscles fatigue.
But you climb on, one foot in front of the other, promising yourself that no matter how much it hurts and how taxed your lungs are, you can go five more steps before resting.
Stopping seemed to induce vertigo, so I just pressed on as best I could. In retrospect, I think the altitude affected me more than I thought it was while on the mountain. By the time I had come to just 1,000 feet from the summit of Quandary Peak, I just wanted it too badly to allow myself much rest.
I paced myself by taking short, choppy steps and fell into a rhythm that pushed me up the mountain. People often say that outdoor sports such as biking or climbing or kayaking are man vs. the elements. I would mostly agree, but by the time I had emerged from the tree line, I realized it was going to be Augie vs. Augie.
It takes reaching deep inside yourself to squash all doubt. Turning around and heading back down is not an option. At high altitudes, seconds slow to minutes and the summit seems to grow taller despite your upward effort. False summits are completely demoralizing.
But you go on.
And when you win, when you reach the summit and sign the regristry that forever proves your triumph, the pain and the aching turns into a joyous intoxication of soul. For me, hitting the 14,000 foot mark was a very spiritual thing. Many that I passed and those I shared the panoramic views with said it would not be worth the pain if not for the view. Not true of me.
For me it was beating myself, conquering a challenge and inwardly proving I have the guts to keep pushing on. It was about setting and meeting a goal. That’ s a special feeling, one that has my soul still a bit drunk on triumph, even a week after the fact.
Don’t be mistaken. The views are incredible and the sheer magnitude of where you are when you stand atop a peak is exhilirating. The world you know below seems so distant. The solitude and great expanse almost induces claustrophobia in a strange sort of way.
You don’t want to go back down, mostly because you know the hike back down is going to be brutal, but more so because the Heavens seem to be within reach. And let’s not be mistaken, the climb down is every bit as excruciating as the climb up.
Before I headed back down, I called my dad and said “Hello from 14,200 feet.” I sent the same text message to many of my friends. Yeah, I was bragging. Many were at work. I know, that’s just wrong of me.
But I am now most certainly addicted to climbing and am already planning my next ascent. I now understand why the oft considered “crazies” plan excursions up Everest. I now understand and appreciate John Krakauer’s writing about summit attempts much better.
Mountaineering is most certainly one of the more trying outdoor sports and in all its beauty and grandeur, is a symbol of man’s will to conquer the toughest Mother Nature has to offer, but most certainly within the confines of a deep respect for her.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie Frost
In the pictures:
The first is of yours truly atop the summit, my back to the west. The second is of the mountain taken from Coloarado State Highway 9, about a mile south of the peak. It doesn’t look near as daunting as it is while climbing. The last is of the ridge leading up to the summit. You can see the trail snake along the spine nearly all the way down. The view is looking to the east.
Mountain Info:
You can learn more about the Colorado 14′ers by visiting the below link:
For more specific information on Quandary, use the links below. I took the east ridge trail, which is left difficult – though longer – than the other routes to the summit.
http://www.breckenridgeclimbing.com/
http://14ers.com/photos/peakmain.php?peak=Quandary%20Peak
“Hello from 14,200 ft.”
It’s a vicious cycle.
Every step makes every breath shorter. Every step means less available oxygen as you inch your way up the mountain. The less oxygen there is, the faster your muscles fatigue.
But you climb on, one foot in front of the other, promising yourself that no matter how much it hurts and how taxed your lungs are, you can go five more steps before resting.
Stopping seemed to induce vertigo, so I just pressed on as best I could. In retrospect, I think the altitude affected me more than I thought it was while on the mountain. By the time I had come to just 1,000 feet from the summit of Quandary Peak, I just wanted it too badly to allow myself much rest.
I paced myself by taking short, choppy steps and fell into a rhythm that pushed me up the mountain. People often say that outdoor sports such as biking or climbing or kayaking are man vs. the elements. I would mostly agree, but by the time I had emerged from the tree line, I realized it was going to be Augie vs. Augie.
It takes reaching deep inside yourself to squash all doubt. Turning around and heading back down is not an option. At high altitudes, seconds slow to minutes and the summit seems to grow taller despite your upward effort. False summits are completely demoralizing.
But you go on.
And when you win, when you reach the summit and sign the regristry that forever proves your triumph, the pain and the aching turns into a joyous intoxication of soul. For me, hitting the 14,000 foot mark was a very spiritual thing. Many that I passed and those I shared the panoramic views with said it would not be worth the pain if not for the view. Not true of me.
For me it was beating myself, conquering a challenge and inwardly proving I have the guts to keep pushing on. It was about setting and meeting a goal. That’ s a special feeling, one that has my soul still a bit drunk on triumph, even a week after the fact.
Don’t be mistaken. The views are incredible and the sheer magnitude of where you are when you stand atop a peak is exhilirating. The world you know below seems so distant. The solitude and great expanse almost induces claustrophobia in a strange sort of way.
You don’t want to go back down, mostly because you know the hike back down is going to be brutal, but more so because the Heavens seem to be within reach. And let’s not be mistaken, the climb down is every bit as excruciating as the climb up.
Before I headed back down, I called my dad and said “Hello from 14,200 feet.” I sent the same text message to many of my friends. Yeah, I was bragging. Many were at work. I know, that’s just wrong of me.
But I am now most certainly addicted to climbing and am already planning my next ascent. I now understand why the oft considered “crazies” plan excursions up Everest. I now understand and appreciate John Krakauer’s writing about summit attempts much better.
Mountaineering is most certainly one of the more trying outdoor sports and in all its beauty and grandeur, is a symbol of man’s will to conquer the toughest Mother Nature has to offer, but most certainly within the confines of a deep respect for her.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie Frost
In the pictures:
The first is of yours truly atop the summit, my back to the west. The second is of the mountain taken from Coloarado State Highway 9, about a mile south of the peak. It doesn’t look near as daunting as it is while climbing. The last is of the ridge leading up to the summit. You can see the trail snake along the spine nearly all the way down. The view is looking to the east.
Mountain Info:
You can learn more about the Colorado 14′ers by visiting the below link:
For more specific information on Quandary, use the links below. I took the east ridge trail, which is left difficult – though longer – than the other routes to the summit.
http://www.breckenridgeclimbing.com/
http://14ers.com/photos/peakmain.php?peak=Quandary%20Peak
