Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge – Day 2 Sunset Photography

Having found no better and more convenient place for sunset photography during my mid-day exploration of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, I decided to hike back to Little Baldy again for sunset.

Wild Turkey in campground

I had already seen a flock of wild turkeys wandering freely and nonchalantly around the campground and as I left my campsite, I noted a dozen or more along my route.  I had already mounted my wide angle lens and had no other lens with me, so I could not get a close up photo of these wild birds.

Wild Turkey in campground

These photos are not very good, but I wanted to include these as documentation of the wildlife in this area.  These wild turkey do not seem to be bothered much by humans, although they will scurry away, when approached too closely.  I suppose their lack of great fear of humans is a result of this being a wildlife refuge, where no hunting is permitted and contact with humans is common.

When I arrived at Little Baldy, I worked my way around to the western side and picked my way up the slope, looking for different view points from which to shoot today.

Little Baldy western slope in sunset light

From atop a large granite feature, I shot along the edge of Little Baldy as the sun sank low in the sky.  Then I worked my way towards the top of Little Baldy.

Sunset on Little Baldy
Post Sunset on Little Baldy

The sun was already sinking below the horizon, when I got near the top of Little Baldy.  I managed to snap a few photos before the golden hour ended, but most were similar, even though I tried moving around as fast as I could to get various perspectives.

Possibly, I might have gotten better and more varied shots, had I gone to the top first, rather than shooting from the side of Little Baldy.

Tomorrow I will begin the next leg of my journey towards my primary destination of this road trip.

Ken