FORT SILL, Okla., Feb. 18, 2016 -- It's a gorgeous week. The weather is perfect for all things outdoors (minus skiing I suppose). And so it is with the belief that you all should find time to go outside that I bring you this week's bucket-list item: The Medicine Creek bluffs.
Really if you're going to do just one thing while at Fort Sill you should see the bluffs. It's free, and it's on post. Additionally you can literally drive past it making it unnecessary to find a parking spot and walk. It would add maybe two minutes to your drive anywhere else. Really there's no excuse not to check it out.
I'm sure though many of you have seen the bluffs as you drive to Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area or have visited it yourself. It juts out impressively over Medicine Creek as the stream trickles through Fort Sill near the Sportsman Services office. I've taken many engagement and wedding photos there because it's seriously one of the more naturally iconic (and gush worthy) locations on post to take photos (especially as the sun sets and rocks are painted with a gorgeous shade of pink. Even if you don't like pink, it's still really pretty).
With the weather being just a touch warmer than it's been in the past few weeks I enjoyed an "early" morning walk (9 a.m.) in the shadow of the bluffs. I thought I might find a fisherman or two, but instead it was just me and those pretty Canada geese that I like so much. They must read the paper and I know I liked them because they would not stop following me. I looked like the Pied Piper with geese instead of children and rats, and a camera instead of a pipe (you young readers have no idea what I'm talking about do you?). Side note: I did a quick informal poll and asked a bunch of Soldiers gathered for a brief if they knew who the Pied Piper was. Those who knew who he was were all 30 and older. Come on! Read a fairy tale or two!
Anyway, the geese followed me, honking and snapping at each other as we walked along the creek bank. The bluffs continued to rise to my left as we walked, forcing my gaze upward, which I suppose is appropriate since the bluffs are a sacred site to the Comanche Nation. A plaque nearby lets visitors know the cliff is 310 feet high and the sick were brought to be healed. The bluffs were also where "young braves fasted in lonely vigils seeking visions of the supernatural, and warriors presented their shields to the rising sun for power." According to the plaque, the bluff was also a legendary place for Native American suicides.
I don't suggest jumping off any cliffs, but a visit to the site is worth doing if you're at Fort Sill even for a short period of time. Add that to Geronimo's grave and you'll have a historical, outdoor, activity.
The area near the bluffs has picnic benches and covered seated areas which are a relief in the summer. There is a small dam followed by a short waterfall and plenty of large boulders to climb over and around if you're into that kind of thing.
Additionally, across Apache Gate Road are more picnic areas as well as swings and slides for children to play on (that's if they're not too busy running along the water's edge, chasing birds or feeding the geese -- hey, maybe that's why the geese were following me. They thought I had some food which, of course, I normally do).
Despite being near a busy road, and the constant sounds of freedom coming from the ranges, the area around the bluffs is quiet, or at least a little more so. In addition to the geese you can see hawks flying and occasionally turkeys wandering through. I don't believe in energy, but there is something peaceful about the area.
So there you have it. If you're going to do or see only a few things, make a trip to the Medicine Creek bluffs. It doesn't have to take a lot of time away from your schedule but it's worth it, if only for a moment of bliss.
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