Continue an ascending traverse to what is now a west-facing slope, and finish your ascent on the mesa top. When you reach the bench for Mile Marker 3, you're near the top of the climb. This is where you gain the majority of the elevation for the day - 500 feet over the next mile - first cutting up a side canyon, then hiking up some switchbacks. At the bench for Mile Marker 2 (Route Scout clocked it in at 2.2 miles), the trail swings south and heads straight for Black Mesa, and you can see the trail cutting up the slope ahead, signaling your imminent ascent. Their mileage didn't quite align with the mile markers noted using Route Scout, but they do provide decent shade and views of the desert surroundings. You will pass a couple of benches that have mile markers etched on them. Occasional junipers provide shade and you'll see some washes beside the trail. The first two miles are pretty tame, as you gain minimal elevation hiking along the north side of Black Mesa proper on an old two-track. There's a pit toilet at the trailhead and a gate that you'll walk through to start the hike. Black Mesa itself looms directly above, but the true summit within Oklahoma is still a few miles away. The hike starts from the large dirt parking lot at the trailhead. The Nature Conservancy helped to create the Black Mesa Preserve in 1991, and today the preserve is operated by the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.
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