Flying Hot With Throngs Of Wichita Mountain Climbers

Today, about a half hour before noon, I was back on Mount Wichita for the first time since a bout of daily deluging rendered mountain climbing too muddy at this mostly mountain-free part of the planet.

The temperature whilst I was mountain climbing was barely into the 90s, with the high humidity making that temperature really feel like it was about 10 degrees warmer.

I  was not alone on the mountain today. A large number of people were enjoying the relatively cool weather, including the young lady you see on the summit of Mount Wichita.

That is not a jet flying above the young lady on the summit. That is a large Styrofoam model airplane which she hauled to the mountain top.

I somehow managed to snap the photo just as the plane was launched. About a second later the plane crashed, unable to glide, even though a strong wind blew.

I did not stay around for subsequent launch attempts.

Due to a strong wind blowing I was not assaulted by hordes of biting insects.

The biting insects woe seems to have abated in the past couple weeks. Only twice since I was savagely attacked on Mount Wichita by multiple types of biters have I felt the need to use the Cutter bug repellent I bought the day of the attack.

In the second photo you can see some of the other mountain climbers climbing Mount Wichita today.

These mountain climbers climbed well before the summit turned into an airplane launch pad.

There is a plan afoot to dredge Lake Wichita. Currently the lake is quite shallow, I think 7 feet deep on average, due to decades of silt accumulation.

I hope when the lake is dredged that that which is dredged is piled up next to Mount Wichita in several piles, creating the Wichita Mountain range.

I think this could become a prime attraction. Done right maybe even mountain bike trails could be built.

A couple weeks ago I learned that it was the dredging of Sikes Lake which was the source of the material which materialized as Mount Wichita.

Sikes Lake is a short distance from my abode. I've not yet learned why the new mountain was not built near Sikes Lake instead of several miles away at Lake Wichita.

Sikes Lake is sort of part of Midwestern State University. There is a trail around the lake. The trail goes by a museum with multiple outdoor art installations.

I drove in the road on the east side of the lake last week to find myself dealing with the biggest flock of roadblocking geese I have ever encountered. The trail around Sikes Lake goes through the geese infestation. My encounters with geese have usually not gone well, but I must be brave, soon, and jog around Sikes Lake.