Southwest Oklahoma is the home of the Wichita Mountains, a small mountain range on the prairie.  The highest peak of the Wichita Mountains is 2,464 feet on Mount Scott.  I’ll never forget the first time I saw this mountain range while driving down the highway.  Oklahoma is a mostly-flat state, making the Wichita Mountains scream, “I don’t belong here!”  I had no expectations of seeing a mountain while traveling towards Lawton for the first time.

There is a 2.9 mile road that will take you to the top of Mt. Scott.  This road is closed to motorized vehicles on Friday/Saturday/Sunday from Sunrise to noon, leaving it open to hikers and joggers.  The total climb is 1,021 feet up according to Trail Run Project, with a 7% average incline.  It is worth the view from the top, so I encourage driving if you are not able to hike or jog.  The area is surrounded by lakes making it a spectacular view of the area and you’ll likely see wildlife if you ever make the trip. 

My family and I spent the weekend in Wichita Falls for a family event, so naturally I was looking for workout opportunities close by.  I lived in Lawton, OK for close to a year in the late 1990’s.  Nothing against the town or people in it, but I didn’t enjoy my time living in that city for many reasons too irrelevant to write about in 2020.  I decided I should run it for not just the physical challenge, but to wipe out any negative feelings from the past by creating a positive memory.  I was already 200+ pounds while living there and completely out of shape.  I’ve drove to the top a few times previously, but wouldn’t even try to walk much less run. 

I was expecting to run 13 minute-miles with the steep grade plus temperature of 84 degrees.  The jog up the mountain is on asphalt so I anticipated the sun making it feel hotter.  If things went according to plan, I’d reach the top within 38 minutes. I was wrong, it took only 33 minutes to get to the top.  It was a struggle—my heart rate stayed pretty jacked up for most of the incline.  Shade did not really exist either,  but I was able to keep a steady pace.  I was able to return in under 24 minutes, but the descent was mentally taxing.  More effort was placed on controlling my pace to prevent losing control.  This allowed me to utilize muscles not normally exerted on a run.  I hammered out some DDP Yoga before the run giving me a good stretch. I felt great afterwards. It was a fun challenge, especially for someone who lives nowhere near mountains.  Sure, it’s not the Rockies, but it’s a fun challenge none-the-less. 

I loved it.  I celebrated with a #1 combo meal from Whataburger. (We don’t have Whataburger in Kansas; it’s my favorite fast food guilty pleasure).

Now while approaching this part of the country, I won’t think about nonsense from a few decades ago.  Next time I see Mount Scott I’ll ask myself, “you think you can break 30 minutes to the top of the mountain?”

Future goal.

Go get it.    

More reading on Mount Scott: https://www.trailrunproject.com/trail/7042910/mount-scott-service-road