Saturday's Lucy Park Texoma Hellacious Obstacle Run Muddy Fun

It was to Lucy Park I ventured this third Saturday of the 2026 version of April, for the first time in quite a few days, for some salubrious nature communing in chilly temperatures requiring outer wear not usually needed this time of the year at this location on the planet.

Arriving at Lucy Park I was surprised to see virtually every parking spot in the park already occupied. It took some driving to finally find a parking spot. Lucy Park is a big park, with a lot of parking spots.

So, what was going on? I soon learned the congestion was caused by something called T.H.O.R. 

Texoma's Hellacious Obstacle Run

When I got back to computer access I Googled "THOR Village Lucy Park Wichita Falls Texas" because that was what I saw on a sign upon entering the park Googling I came to a THOR website with the following explanation...

T.H.O.R. represents everything that is right with the world today – mud, guts and everybody nuts. Experience the insanity and the awesome adrenaline rush.

The off-road adventure starts in Lucy Park and winds along the Wichita River, past the Falls, through Camp Fillers, and back to Lucy Park. Fierce obstacles and mud riddled trails stand between you and victTHORy. They will have food, beverages and music for participants and spectators to enjoy while experiencing this fun adventure event. Step up to the starting line and face the 20+ challenging obstacles that await you, including several new surprises every year! You think you’re tough enough? Come test your THORtitude at Texoma’s roughest run on record!

Many of the obstacles were muddy, hence seeing so many people covered with mud. The end of the course had a hosing station to wash off some of the mud. This obstacle run had no appeal to me, but it sure looked like a lot of people were having a lot of fun. Hundreds upon hundreds of muddy people.

I took the above photo soon upon beginning my nature communing, because I was struck by how much greener the landscape had become since my last Lucy Park visit. The above photo documentation was an area where no THOR people could be seen. This was south of the part of the park I refer to as the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle.

The Backwoods Jungle was where some of the obstacles were, such as the one in the photo documentation at the top.

Saturday Nature Communing Fishing Sikes Lake

On this second Saturday of the 2026 version of April, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured for some cloudy nature communing.

Which would make the view in the photo documentation, the rocky eastern shore of Sikes Lake, looking southwest, at a lone fisherman fishing at the lake's edge.

Soon, after seeing that guy angling, I saw another guy with something hooked on his line giving quite a fight. I did not linger to see what, if anything, got caught.

At various times of the year Sikes Lake, and other Wichita Falls lakes, get stocked with trout and catfish.

Serious weather drama is on the menu for today and several days to follow. With predictions of heavy rain, hail, gusting winds, thunderstorms and tornadoes possible.

So far, today, nothing dramatic, weather-wise, has happened.

Getting Gassed At $3.58 In Wichita Falls Texas

That $3.58 a gallon gas price you see photo documented above, was photo documented about an hour ago, at my neighborhood Walmart's gas station.

Down 11 cents from yesterday's $3.69, which is currently is the highest I've seen at my North Texas location.

From what I've read, and been told, $3.58 is way cheaper than what many of you are paying.

The gas price increase has not seemed to have slowed traffic at my location. If I remember correctly, and sometimes I do, back during the worst of COVID traffic was greatly reduced.

Is the current average gas price across the nation breaking the record of the previous period when events caused the price to rise? I don't remember.

I have not recently checked what it currently is costing to fly out of here.

To Washington, or elsewhere.

I was thinking of flying to Washington this summer. I do not like flying. My last two times flying were disasters. With the last time being a 12 hour wait in D/FW before flying to Arizona, arriving in Phoenix after midnight.

I have not driven back to Washington since July of 2001. I do not know if I would like doing that, a quarter century later.

Wichita River Circle Trail Hiking With The Goslings

It was to the eastern parking lot for the Circle Trail access to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area I parked this fine Spring morning, also known as the first Tuesday of the 2026 version of April.

But, it was not to the Wichita Bluff Nature Area direction I commenced nature communing. It was the other direction, on the Circle Trail, curious to see how the trail connection to the Lucy Park terminus of the Circle Trail was coming along.

On the way to check out the current trail construction status I came upon the goose family you see above. 

Mom and dad with a little flock of goslings. They did not seem to mind me getting close and politely posed for the photo documentation.

The red liquid you see beyond the geese is the Wichita River, running high due to the recent rain.

And above we are as far as one can go on this section of the Circle Trail. This evidenced a lot of progress since I was last at this location. At that point in time the trail ended with a cement wall, with a solid forest of trees beyond the cement wall.

Building this couple mile section of the Circle Trail has been going on for a couple years, or so it seems.

When this section is completed there is then only a short other section to complete to make the Circle Trail a complete circle. That section is at the west end of Lake Wichita. Some stubborn property owners have stifled the completion of that section.

I do not understand why the property owners would not see the trail as being an asset, which is what the Circle Trail has rendered in other parts of town which originally objected to the wide paved trail coming through their neighborhood.

The hiking temperature was perfect this morning. 65 degrees, as measured by the Fahrenheit method. I was comfortably attired in sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Chilly Windy Pre-Easter Saturday Storywalk Around Sikes Lake

Copious amounts of precipitation precipitated last night, along with a couple thunder booms.

So, on this first Saturday of the 2026 version of April, it was to Sikes Lake I ventured to enjoy the chilly wind whilst nature communing, along with a number of other nature communists.

Sufficient rain fell to raise Sikes Lake enough to activate the Sikes Lake Waterfall, also known as the Sikes Lake Dam Spillway, as you can see via the above photo documentation.

There was an odd thing happening at Sikes Lake today, which I had not seen previous years. An Easter themed odd thing, which you will see photo documented below.

Alongside the trail, all around Sikes Lake, there were installations like you see above, and below. The above Easter-themed image had a caption asking us to "Look at the disciples' faces. I wonder what they are thinking...."

I would think they may be thinking along the line of wondering what the meaning is of these colorful plastic eggs. 

 Apparently the above indicated I was at the end of something called "the Storywalk." This was at the bridge at the north end of the lake.

I do not know when this Storywalk took place, or if it is yet to take place. Or maybe it was taking place whilst I was lake walking without me realizing I was on a Storywalk.

Wichita Falls does not have a local newspaper even remotely coming close to managing to do even a mediocre job of covering local news, or events, such as this Storywalk around Sikes Lake.

Thunderstorm Rain Rises Sikes Lake & Sprouts Texas Wildflowers

The predicted thunderstorm arrived last night, a little later than predicted, beginning booming around the time Trump babbled his embarrassing primetime address to the nation. 

The thunderstorm dropped the most rain that has been dropped in quite some time. This rain rose the level of Sikes Lake, which was quite noticeable upon arriving at my nature communing destination this morning.

As you can see, via the view from the rocky east shore of Sikes Lake, looking southwest, some wind action is making for some wave action, and for pleasant walking conditions, which appeared to attract a larger than the norm number of fellow nature lovers.

The precipitation the past couple days appears to have triggered some wildflower spouting.

There were patches of pink evening primroses sprouting in the greenery all around the lake. Such does not quite rise to the colorful landscape I would be seeing right now if I were at my old home zone of the Skagit Valley, with its masses of tulips, daffodils, and other bloomers. 

However, the Texas wildflowers are natural, whilst the Skagit Valley fields of color are commercial bulb farms, planted by man, not by Mother Nature.

Whether natural or manmade, seeing a lot of color brightening the landscape is always a pleasant thing to see....

Nephew Jason Early Skagit Valley Tulip Report

The above photo illustrated the following email from my Favorite Nephew Jason...

FUD -

Our mild Spring has brought the Skagit Valley Tulips to an early bloom. If you are heading this way to enjoy the spectacle, the next few weeks would be ideal.  

Hope all is well in Texas.

-FNJ 

FUD is short for Favorite Uncle Durango. You can likely intuit what FNJ is short for. 

Those tulips which Jason photo documented are part of the landscaping at his Fidalgo Drive-In, in Anacortes.

I have not flown out of this town since way back in July of 2019. Flying up to Washington in April would be a bit jarring, as in I am already used to HOT weather. We've gone over 100 degrees, already, this year. A mild Spring in Washington is way colder than a mild Spring in Texas.

I remember way back in July of 2008, flying up to Washington, to spend a month. I was shivering cold the entire time. My little sister got so tired of me whining about being cold she bought me a jacket at Costco, which still hangs in my closet.

Final Day Of March Hiking Green Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle

It was to Lucy Park I ventured on this final day of the 2026 version of March, to hike the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle, which was significantly greener when last I hiked this location.

Spring has definitely sprung. Two weeks ago, at this Lucy Park location, the color scheme was primarily brown, with very little green.

Today may be the last time I hike the Lucy Park Backwoods Jungle for a while, what with thunderstorms and rain on the menu for later today, and following days. With heavy downpours and tornado potential.

Tomorrow there is going to be the biggest statewide test of the Emergency Notification system, with radio warnings, phone text messages, sirens and who knows what else, starting around 10:30 in the morning, if the info I heard on the radio is accurate.

Skagit Valley Scenic Yellow Daffodil Scene

Saw that which you see above, on Facebook. A scenic scene in my old home zone of the Skagit Valley.

That is a field of yellow daffodils. Daffodils are the first of the flowers to bloom every Spring, followed by tulips and other colorful blooms.

That mound rising on the horizon is known as Little Mountain. Little Mountain is in the Mount Vernon city limits. Mount Vernon is the biggest town in the Skagit Valley. Population around 35,000.

If such a mound were visible in my super flat Texas location, it would likely not be known as Little Mountain, more likely it'd be known as Big Mountain.

Linda Lou's Skagit Valley No Kings Protest Report With Wichita Falls Protest Against Trump

The Skagit Valley of Washington's Linda Lou called me this afternoon whilst I was on my way to WINCO to tell me about today's NO KINGS PROTEST in my old home zone.

Linda Lou told me today's protest dwarfed the previous two.

This will mean nothing to anyone who does not know the town, but both sides of Mount Vernon's College Way were lined 7 - 8 deep, from I-5, all the way to Skagit Valley College. That is a couple miles.

Meanwhile, a couple miles north, in the town I grew up in, Burlington, Burlington Boulevard was lined up deep on both sides of the road, all the way from the Skagit River bridge to Fairhaven Avenue, in downtown Burlington.

Linda Lou reported seeing a surprising number of protest signs.

It was windy and cold this morning, so I opted not to go to the Wichita Falls NO KINGS PROTEST, which took place in downtown Wichita Falls. I had gone to the two previous protests.

When I got back from WINCO, I woke up my computer, clicked on the link to the local newspaper's online version of the Wichita Falls Times Record News, a news source I have repeatedly complained does a bad job of covering local news.

Well, the Times Record News was right on top of today's big story, as you can see via the screen cap above.

I'll hit the publish button on this and then go check out the local news sources in my old home zone and see if I can see some photo documentation of Mount Vernon and Burlington's protests.