Friday was our last full day in Amarillo so we decided to drive out to Lake Meredith National Park.
The terrain in this part of the country is fascinating. You can drive for miles and miles and not see a single bit of natural water and then suddenly, you come to a lake.
Lake Meredith is a reservoir formed by Sanford Dam on the Canadian River at Sanford, Texas. It is about 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Amarillo, Texas in the Texas Panhandle. It historically was a major source of drinking water for Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas, located about 150 miles (240 km) to the south along with many other towns in between and nearby. In 2003, the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority announced that it would reduce allocations to its member cities due to an ongoing drought and a continued drop in the water level in the reservoir. As of 2008, the lake continued to hit record lows, and most of the water supplied by CRMWA is now coming from wells in Roberts County. In 2011, water withdrawals from Lake Meredith temporarily ceased and on August 7, 2013 the lake reached its all-time low 26.14 feet (7.97 m). The record high capacity was in April 1973 when the lake was 101.85 ft deep.
It was obvious that the lake was low. We drove to an area that advertised a boat ramp. When we got there, there was a boat ramp but the nearest water was at least 200 yards away.
Our hike took us along the shoreline and through a few canyons.
The terrain in this part of the country is fascinating. You can drive for miles and miles and not see a single bit of natural water and then suddenly, you come to a lake.
Lake Meredith is a reservoir formed by Sanford Dam on the Canadian River at Sanford, Texas. It is about 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Amarillo, Texas in the Texas Panhandle. It historically was a major source of drinking water for Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas, located about 150 miles (240 km) to the south along with many other towns in between and nearby. In 2003, the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority announced that it would reduce allocations to its member cities due to an ongoing drought and a continued drop in the water level in the reservoir. As of 2008, the lake continued to hit record lows, and most of the water supplied by CRMWA is now coming from wells in Roberts County. In 2011, water withdrawals from Lake Meredith temporarily ceased and on August 7, 2013 the lake reached its all-time low 26.14 feet (7.97 m). The record high capacity was in April 1973 when the lake was 101.85 ft deep.
It was obvious that the lake was low. We drove to an area that advertised a boat ramp. When we got there, there was a boat ramp but the nearest water was at least 200 yards away.
Our hike took us along the shoreline and through a few canyons.
PENNY LANE HAPPY AFTER A SWIM
We got about six miles out of the trail and headed back to Lewis.
Saturday was moving day so we did a bit of prep and spent the rest of our evening with a clear starry sky.
Saturday dawned clear and breezy. We were up and moving and had the rig ready to pull out by 0930. We pointed west and started making our way to Carlsbad, NM.
Most of us relate Carlsbad to the Caverns. That was at the top of our list and Rob had chosen a KOA outside Carlsbad. We had a good day's drive ahead but the roads were good and the weather (although windy), was clear.
Another thing you can go miles and miles without seeing in areas like this is a gas station. We had plenty to get us to our destination but we wanted to arrive with plenty. We drove for quite a while and finally came to a totally no frills Pilot gas station.
A SIGN, PUMPS AND A CARD READER. NO FRILLS AND NO WORRIES ABOUT HEIGHT CLEARANCE
We made a good day of getting to Carlsbad and easily found our campground. We got checked in, got set up and fed the girls
After we got the girls settled, we decided to drive to Carlsbad Caverns National Park to watch the sunset Bat Flight.
If you ever get to the Caverns, try to take the time to see the this.
We arrived about 25 minutes before sunset and found a seat in the amphitheater. The amphitheater sits above the Natural Entrance to the Caverns. As the sun sets, thousands and thousands of bats make a mass exodus from the cave entrance. The numbers vary and can be lower earlier in the season which runs from April to September. We watched bats leave in huge groups for 30 minutes. It is absolutely fascinating and so very quiet. No cameras, cellphones or electronic equipment are allow.
THIS IS A STOCK PHOTO. I AM AN AVID RULE FOLLOWER AND THE RULE IS NO PHONES OR CAMERAS OR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT.
After the Bat Flight, we headed back to Lewis and had a light dinner. We'd had a busy day and were ready to tuck in. We were both excited with the prospect of visiting the caverns on Sunday.
Another great day in this thing we call life.
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