Black Mesa (Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico)

Coordinates: 36°55′55″N 102°59′52″W / 36.93188°N 102.99785°W / 36.93188; -102.99785
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For summits in Colorado and New Mexico of the same name, see
Black Mesa (summit). For the fictional Half-Life location in New Mexico, see Black Mesa Research Facility
.

Black Mesa
U.S. state high point 23rd
Coordinates36°55′55″N 102°59′52″W / 36.93188°N 102.99785°W / 36.93188; -102.99785[1]
Geography
Black Mesa is located in Oklahoma
Black Mesa
Black Mesa
Topo mapUSGS Jacks Gap
Geology
Mountain typeMesa
Climbing
Easiest routeHike

Black Mesa is a

butterflies, and the Texas horned lizard. (In Colorado, Black Mesa also refers to a summit in Gunnison County[4] and a mountain pass in Dolores County.)[5]

History

The plateau has been home to Plains Indians.[6]

In the late-nineteenth and early twentieth century the area was a hideout for

Oklahoma Panhandle area, which was then considered a no man's land, lacked law enforcement agencies and hence the outlaws found it safe to hide in the region. However, as new settlers arrived in the area for copper and coal mining and also for cattle ranching activities by grazing cattle in the mesa region, law enforcement became more effective, and the outlaws were brought under control.[3] In more recent times, at least one person has claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrial aliens at Black Mesa.[7]

Geography

The Mesa is situated in

Oklahoma Panhandle. The Black Mesa plateau is part of the Rocky Mountains and the shortgrass prairie.[3] Some features include the Old Maid Rock,[8]
and Devil's Tombstone.[9] The mesa's base includes a 200-foot (61 m) escarpment which is parallel with the Dry Cimarron River's north bank.[10] Its highest elevation is 5,705 feet (1,739 m) in Colorado.[1] The highest point of Black Mesa within New Mexico is 5,239 feet (1,597 m).[2] In northwestern Cimarron County, Oklahoma, Black Mesa reaches 4,973 feet (1,516 m), the highest point in the state of Oklahoma.[2]

A hiking trail of 4.2 miles (6.8 km) leads from the preserve to the summit which rises about 800 feet (240 m) above the level of the surrounding plains,[11] the Nature Conservancy recommends four hours minimum for a round trip; overnight camping is not permitted.[12]

The mesa's highest point within Oklahoma is marked by a granite obelisk, and a visitors' log.[13]

Topographical map of Black Mesa in Oklahoma, New Mexico and part of Colorado, with highlighted meter elevation elevation contour

Climate

Black Mesa is not only the highest point in Oklahoma but it is also the driest, harshest and coldest place in the state.[14] A nearby weather station is located in Kenton.

Climate data for Kenton, Oklahoma (Elevation 4,330ft)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 83
(28) 		86
(30) 		89
(32) 		97
(36) 		102
(39) 		109
(43) 		108
(42) 		108
(42) 		107
(42) 		99
(37) 		89
(32) 		84
(29) 		109
(43)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 50.4
(10.2) 		55.1
(12.8) 		62.3
(16.8) 		70.3
(21.3) 		78.8
(26.0) 		88.6
(31.4) 		92.6
(33.7) 		89.9
(32.2) 		83.8
(28.8) 		73.5
(23.1) 		59.7
(15.4) 		51.3
(10.7) 		71.4
(21.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 19.7
(−6.8) 		23.8
(−4.6) 		31.0
(−0.6) 		38.7
(3.7) 		48.5
(9.2) 		57.8
(14.3) 		63.1
(17.3) 		61.5
(16.4) 		53.7
(12.1) 		40.6
(4.8) 		29.0
(−1.7) 		21.6
(−5.8) 		40.8
(4.9)
Record low °F (°C) −23
(−31) 		−19
(−28) 		−18
(−28) 		13
(−11) 		27
(−3) 		39
(4) 		47
(8) 		44
(7) 		27
(−3) 		6
(−14) 		−15
(−26) 		−17
(−27) 		−23
(−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.40
(10) 		0.33
(8.4) 		0.96
(24) 		1.48
(38) 		2.47
(63) 		2.18
(55) 		3.10
(79) 		2.67
(68) 		1.58
(40) 		0.99
(25) 		0.67
(17) 		0.35
(8.9) 		17.18
(436.3)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 4.9
(12) 		3.6
(9.1) 		6.4
(16) 		1.3
(3.3) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.5
(1.3) 		2.8
(7.1) 		4.1
(10) 		24
(59.82)
Source:
NOAA[15]

Geology

The visual and map view appearance of Black Mesa is as an "

Dakota Sandstone and the Jurassic Morrison Formation.[16]

Beginning in 1935, geologists and paleontologists have searched the mesa's outcroppings, finding dinosaur fossils in the Jurassic and Triassic strata. A large quantity of dinosaur bones has been recovered from the Black Mesa locale; totaling over eighteen tonnes. These remains were split between several species, including stegosaurus, camptosaurus, diplodocus, and edmontosaurus. Clear fossil physical evidence, a distinct line of footprints believed to have been made by an allosaurus, has been found juxtaposed with the Carrizo Creek, which runs around the modern-day northern edge of the mesa.[3]

Protected area

View from the summit

The mesa lies in the protected area known as the Black Mesa Nature Preserve which was established in 1991, covering 1,600 acres (6.5 km2). The preserve protects 60% of the area of the mesa peak. The peak is accessible along an 8-mile-long (13 km) trail.[3]

Apart from the nature reserve, there is also the Black Mesa State Park encompassing 549 acres (2.22 km2), with a 200 acres (0.81 km2) lake known as Lake Carl Etling. The park is a recreational area with many facilities for camping, hiking and many other outdoor activities. The park is about 15 miles away from the peak.[3]

Wildlife

The flora and fauna and terrain of Black Mesa are unique in Oklahoma, more typical of the semi-arid

grasslands and rocky buttes of eastern Colorado and New Mexico. Many species reach their easternmost or westernmost limits of their ranges here.[17]

Black Mesa Nature Preserve in particular covers around 60% of the flat portion of the mesa in Oklahoma.[12] Wildlife reported in the park and the reserve are golden eagles, piñon jays, red-tailed hawks, and mule deer, part from a bird area for bird watchers.[3]

Flora

The vegetation of the preserve is mostly shortgrass prairie with scattered

Cholla cactus. The summit plateau is vegetatively classified
as a "Bluestem-grama shortgrass community". The preserve contains 23 plant species listed by the state as "rare".

Fauna

The prairie rattlesnake is well adapted to Black Mesa's dry environment.

The indigenous top predator is the

lagomorphs are present, the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), and the black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus).[18] Other mammals include the dog-like coyote,[18] as well as the much smaller prairie dog and a species of badger.[14]

Nine snake species are found in this arid environment, the

toads.[19]

Birds are common, and there are 59 species present during at least some years. Seven different

red-shafted flicker, olive-sided flycatcher, Say's phoebe, ash-throated flycatcher, Cassin's kingbird, and western kingbird are also found. There are five corvids; the black-billed magpie, pinyon jay, American crow, and common raven, as well as the more local Chihuahuan raven.[20]

state butterfly
of Oklahoma, is found on Black Mesa.

61 species of butterfly are found in the preserve,

hairstreaks, a copper, four whites, nine true brushfoots, two satyrs, and a leafwing.[21]

There are 91 species of moths on Black Mesa. No species of fish are found on Black Mesa.[22]

Culture

A permanent exhibit in the Sam Noble Museum is a diorama of the Black Mesa. It covers 2,000 square feet (190 m2) and is housed in the Hall of Natural Wonders. Funds for its creation were provided by the Whitten-Newman Foundation.[14] The diorama is touchscreen computerized and interactive and is set within the boundaries of the mesa. It is a replication of the real shape and form of the mesa and is modeled to a suitable scale which brings out the short-grass prairie habitat next to a rivulet. Stuffed and mounted animals on display are the ones found in the mesa, including eagle, vulture, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, mountain lion, prairie dog, jackrabbit and badger. An ephemeral lake is also on display in a cross section format.[14] Star gazers gather each October near Black Mesa for the annual Okie-Tex Star Party.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Black Mesa, CO". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ a b c d "Black Mesa, NM". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Lewis, Tom; Richter, Sarah Jan. "Black Mesa". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  4. ^ "Colorado Gazetteer". Home town locator. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  5. ^ "Black Mesa". dangerousroads. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  6. ISBN 978-0-7621-0424-6
    .
  7. ^ "Abducted By UFOs! Sooners Report Close Encounters". NewsOK.com. January 23, 1994. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  8. ISBN 978-0-7385-8295-5
    .
  9. ISBN 978-0-403-09837-8
    .
  10. ISBN 978-0-9777611-0-4
    .
  11. ^ "Oklahoma High Point - Black Mesa - Kenton OK". Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c "Oklahoma:Black Mesa Nature Preserve". The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  13. ^ "Black Mesa (Oklahoma) – Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering". Mountain Forecast.Com. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
  14. ^ a b c d "Black Mesa". Sam Noble Museum: The University of Oklahoma. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  15. ^ NOAA. Retrieved 20 February 2011[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "Suneson and Luza, A Field Trip Guide to the Geology of the Black Mesa State Park Area, Cimarron County OK" (pdf). Oklahoma Geological Survey. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  17. ^ "Black Mesa Nature Preserve," The Nature Conservancy, [1], accessed 25 May 2019
  18. ^ a b c "Checklist of Oklahoma Preserve Mammal Species" (PDF). The Nature Conservancy. July 3, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  19. ^ "Checklist of Oklahoma Preserve Reptile & Amphibian Species" (PDF). The Nature Conservancy. July 3, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  20. ^ "Checklist of Oklahoma Preserve Bird Species" (PDF). The Nature Conservancy. July 3, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  21. ^ a b "Checklist of Oklahoma Preserve Butterfly Species" (PDF). The Nature Conservancy. July 3, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  22. ^ "Checklist of Oklahoma Preserve Fish Species" (PDF). The Nature Conservancy. July 3, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  23. ^ Richter, p. 34

External links

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