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Editor’s note: The following is a personal account of a hike by staff writer James Jordan. If you have a story to tell or an opinion to share for our Sunday page, submit it to sumnernewscow@gmail.com. We will print almost anything… except poetry!

by James Jordan, Sumner Newscow — It was reckless, maybe even stupid. At the time it seemed reasonable enough to think a 25-foot-tall crevice in a rock wall in wet conditions was something I could go up and down. It was only later that the endeavor seemed foolish.

When I was there, the rain had been falling for days. More was predicted, but I had not been out in nature for weeks. I had not had three days off in a while and was unsure when one would come around again. I was going hiking … period.

James Jordan

I like finding new places to see and hike. And on this day, I decided on Elk City State Park, near Elk City – somewhere northwest of Coffeyville. It is around a small lake. I was on the road before 6 a.m. and at the park when it opened at 8.

It is a somewhat remote state park and was almost empty on an overcast and cool day.  I saw only a couple of people in parking lots and none on the trails.

There is a high bluff around the lake, many small canyons, some huge boulders making it a rugged place for hiking.  The rain had been falling for days and it was still misty and cloudy the day I was there. There was mud in places, and just enough moisture to make conditions slippery at times.

I hiked around the rim of the bluff, which was about two miles and not terribly difficult. I could see the canyons and huge boulders below and the lake itself beyond the big rocks. I could also see the trail below and it looked inviting.  So far, the trails were living up to their high ratings given by hikers on websites.

The rim of the lake was nice. It did not take long to get far enough back into the forest to have no reminders of civilization. The ground below intrigued me though, I could see the trails below winding through huge rocks and small canyons and wanted to get a closer look.

After circling the top rim, I found the trailhead for another trail that would go to the bottom area. I had read the first part was rough, and it was a five-mile-long trail to another part of the lake.  I thought I would go part-way and go to the other area later by car to check out the other end of the trail.

The second trail was straight and flat at first, going along the rim in a different direction. I followed the blue hash marks on trees that clearly marked the trail. Soon I came to the hard spot. The trail made a hard right and I found myself staring into a small hole in the rocks – an almost 25-foot-deep crevice.

At the top were big rocks to hold on to. The crevice was just wide enough for a person to lower themselves between the rocks for the first eight feet or so. Below that it was not straight down and some roots seemed to make strong footholds down to the bottom. The blue hash marks went down the crevice, confirming that it was indeed the trail.

I stared at the hole for a few minutes, and even turned around and started back the way I came. I turned back though. I wanted to do it.  I thought it might be difficult, and it was, but I did not think it was dangerous.

I strapped my small pack on tighter and stuffed my camera inside.  I slowly lowered myself between the rocks, holding on to each side.  It was working well until I lost the handle on one of the rocks that had gotten a little slick from the moisture. I fell about a foot suddenly. I could not see where my feet were going which was probably a good thing. I landed with my arms sticking straight up and my feet on the small ledge below. For a second, I thought I was stuck, but there was just room enough to pull myself free enough to see where to step.

The hardest part was done. From there I was able to climb the last 10-12 feet on roots sticking out of the ground. The first half was straight down, and the rest was too steep to walk but was manageable.

After getting to the bottom, I looked up and saw just how big that crevice really was. It looked more imposing from the bottom, but I have always felt going up a steep place is easier than going down. It was then I realized what I had just completed was dangerous. There was no one around.  I realized I had no phone signal at the bottom of that cliff. There was a chill in the thought that if I got in trouble in this remote area, there would be no help coming.

A slight breeze stirred the damp thick air. Birds were calling out to each other in the trees. Some were flying around. There were rustling noises in the bush, the sounds of small animals moving around and staying out of sight. The sounds of nature soothed what fears I had.  Remoteness can be frightful, but it can also be freeing.

A warn peace settled over my spirit. I was at home at least for a brief time in the natural world. The trail was smooth for a few hundred feet but I soon saw the huge boulders I had noticed from above. Some passages were tight, and there were lots of twists and turns. I walked through small canyons. In other places, there were overhangs of rock that would provide shelter if it rained.

Some spots looked like a good place to camp, even if they were on a rocky place. Native Americans may have camped there, and certain animals like deer took refuge there in the rain.

I stepped on a slick rock and twisted my ankle a little. I was glad had my sturdy hiking boots on, and not my normal hiking shoes.  It hurt a little but could have been a lot worse. I walked among the boulders and canyons for about an hour, captivated and hypnotized by the wonders of creation.

I saw a deer standing on the trail about 100-feet ahead of me. We stared at each other for a minute, and the deer wandered behind some trees.  I walked past the deer a few minutes later. I could see him in the trees not more than 20-feet away. I guess the deer was as curious as I was.

After a while the trail evened out and based on my step counter, I had covered about two miles. I sat on a rock and rested for a few minutes listening to the sounds of nature – mostly silent, broken by a bird or a small breeze.  I drank more water and ate an energy bar. Soon I felt ready for the return trip.

I wondered if there was an easier way to get back to the top. The cliff was a solid wall except for the place I had climbed down. The only other option was to go two or three more miles to another part of the lake, and then walk the road back around to the top. I got up and started walking back down the trail towards the crevice.

The canyons and boulders looked different in the opposite direction. The air was getting heavier. The clouds got thicker and grayer. It looked like an evening with the fading light, but it was not even noon.  I could hear raindrops hitting the leaves on the trees above me, but only a couple of drops fell on me.

The light rain fell for several minutes but was never enough to get anything too wet. The rest of the day would have light rain at random times that was more refreshing than anything.

Soon I was back to the crevice. I quickly climbed the first half on the roots with no difficulty. Getting those last few feet up the rocks was a little more challenging. I climbed up to where my shoulders were above the surface and needed something to make that final step. There was nothing I could step on to push myself upward. I raised myself far as I could and raised one leg. I got my knee to the top of the rock and pulled myself up that way.

It worked but it strained my groin and it hurt. After getting myself out of the hole I lay on the ground for a few minutes. I am used to hiking, but not used to this kind of climbing. I strained something a little. There was no real injury and I felt better in a couple of minutes.

I walked slowly back to my car, less than half a mile, and felt better by the time I got there.  I sat at a picnic table and ate my lunch. I drank all the water I could stand to stay hydrated.

There were several trails at this park, and some were long. The longest was 15 miles, and I went about a mile on several of them and it was rough going at times.  I turned back when it started getting muddy. The rest of the day I drove my car to different trailheads and went a short distance on each, and in most cases, I went to both ends of the trail that way.

The sun started going down. I was tired, hungry, chilled, and wet. It was time to go home. A good day of hiking.

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