Quartz Mountain, also known as Baldy Point.
If you’re in to climbing (particularly trad) and you live in Oklahoma or north Texas, save this date: Nov. 2-4.
That’s the date for the Fall Gathering of the Wichita Mountains Climbers’ Coalition. This is a relatively informal affair that takes place annually at Quartz Mountain, which is west of the Wichita Mountains and near Quartz Mountain State Park in southwestern Oklahoma.
Want to go? Here are directions, courtesy of summitpost.org:
Baldy Point is located in extreme southwestern Oklahoma 17 miles north of Altus and 45 miles south of Interstate 40. From I-40, exit 66 at Clinton/State Hwy 183. Drive 45 miles south to the town of Hobart. At Hobart, turn west on state highway 9 for 10.2 miles to the town of Lone Wolf. Just before Lone Wolf, turn south on state highway 44 and drive for 9.5 miles to the entrance to Quartz Mountain State Park on the right. From Dallas/Ft. Worth, take U.S 287 northwest to Vernon, Texas. At Vernon, go north on U.S. 283 to Altus, OK. In Altus, 283 changes to state highway 44. Go 17 miles north of Altus on state hwy 44 to entrance of Quartz on the left.
At the entrance to the park, drive north for 1.4 miles on 44A until coming to a “Y” intersection. A sign will be there for “Baldy Point.” Go left (west) at the “Y”, following the sign, and continue on new paved road for about a mile until passing Baldy Point on the right and reaching an intersection. If you cross a new bridge, you have gone too far. Turn right (north) at the intersection and drive on a paved road for 1 mile until reaching a dirt road aligned with telephone poles on the right. A sign will be on the right for “Baldy Point.” Turn right (east) on the dirt road for .4 miles. The road will Y….go right, then a left shortly after to the parking lot. Here is a detailed map of the state park. However, this map is now outdated in that the road from the “Y” has been rebuilt and is changed. Instead of the road turning dramatically south after the “Y”, it continues straight west for about a mile until passing Baldy on the right.
You can read more about Quartz Mountain at this link.
And if you want to know more about the Fall Gathering, go here.
Bob Doucette
On Twitter @RMHigh7088
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