Nov 11 2016 - Caprock Canyon to Copper Breaks

We always walked the "long" way to the showers/toilets to check up the prairie dogs.
A cute prairie dog photo to start your day off right.

Weare weaving our way slowly home.  First town is Turkey  (home of Bob Wills -something to do with music - hence the museum below.  No we didnt go in

Like many small towns - the railway spured development...

and as things changed - some towns died.  Its hard to believe that a town with a building this big just faded away - this is all that is left.

Next town is Matador - the cafe under the oil rig was a gimmick to try to drum up trade. He also paid long distance truckers to put up  signs all over the country that said how many miles to Matador.  One thing led to another and at one time the place was humming...

Ye olde Jail

Last stop before home was Copper Breaks state park

Took a nice stroll around the Juniper ridge trail, visited the lakes and took in the displays in the visitor center.  There are also longhorns here but they were hiding.

Nov 10 2016 - Caprock Canyon

Another sunny day in paradise.  After breakfast we head off towards the trailway - this is an abandoned railroad that has been paved to make for an easy bike ride..  The complete trail is  some 65 miles long - but we are just doing the part that gets us to the tunnel.

it staerts off dead straight but soon gets interesting

The bat tunnel - dont breathe in!

Why make a straight tunnel  - a curved one is more fun

safely through...

Back at the park we watched a small herd of Bison stroll down to the lake for a drink, then back up the hill to graze some more.  They are quite majestic creatures.

Then via the Priarie Dogs to our next hike.

We went far enough down the Eagle Point trail to see the "natural arch"...

Then for the final hike of the day - up to the viewpoint on John Haynes Ridge.

Where's Clare?

a bit of scrambling gets you this view

Back at base the sun set as we were making supper.
The perfect end to the perfect day.

Nov 9 2016 - Palo Duro to Caprock Canyon

Same sunrise view - but with dirty bikes this time

On our way out of the park we hike most of the way up the "Rock Garden" trail

A nice view to remember the park by.

Then its off towards Caprock Canyons State Park
We took the route that crosses the lower part of Palo Duro Canyon.

where is everyone?

We love it when people build roads just for us - we only saw a couple of gravel trucks....

We got to Caprock about an hour before sunset - so drove all over to to check it out

On our pre-sunset stroll we came across this - we assume there is a spider in there lobbing out balls of mud - its just amazing that none of them fall short - its a near perfect circle.....

Nov 8 2016 - Palo Duro Canyon

Sunrise view - the bikes wait patiently.

After breakfast the first order of the day is to go back up to the entrance station to pay for last night on tonite. The trails are open today and our State Park Pass gives us 50% off a second night. Yippee!

First we hike down a part of the CCC trail. This was the first trail cut in the 1930's before they put the road in.

The view from the top of the trail

someone made a nice road

then we drive back down to begin our bike ride to the "Lighthouse"
On the way we cross the river several times - hard to believe that a river of this size did all this - but it did.

oh and don't forget the turkeys..

Finally to the bike ride - a gentle uphill with some rocky parts and a few stream crossings
When you get to the end of the trail you can scramble up to the base of the Lighthouse if you dare....

Back down to van and we explored a few more trails and looked around the amphitheater area.  Its deserted this time of year but they put on some sort of show in the summer..

Then back to base for supper and another fire.