We have really enjoyed this beautiful area! We had never been here, and I really enjoy a new adventure. After we survived Hwy. 191to get here, we have thoroughly enjoyed Dinosauar National Monument and the Utah Field House of Natural History.
Sept. 13, we rode the road trail through Dinosaur National Monument that showed the beautiful terrain and the petroglyphs. We were amazed how many we saw, even some that were not in the brochure. It was so much fun. I love stuff like that! We also went into the temporary visitors' center. The brand, spanking new one opens in two weeks. Wouldn't you just know? Oh well, it will give us an excuse to come back. They have a huge wall of actual rock taken from the quarry here and technicians have removed a lot of the rock to really expose the dinosaur bones, but it is in the new visitors' center.
Sept. 14, we went back bright and early to Dinosaur National Monument and caught the shuttle to the trail to the quarry (only way to get there). We hiked up the trail and saw the Morrison Formation where the dinosaur bones are found. It used to be an ancient river bed. Besides dinosaur bones, we saw lots of fresh water clam fossils. Then we hiked further up to the Stump Formation. This was once an ancient arctic ocean. There we saw some small clam fossils. They reminded me of the little clams you see in the ocean as the tide comes in and goes out, right at the edge.
On our way back down, we stopped at the Mowry Shale level, where the ocean came back over the land and was about two feet deep before volcanic ash from the Sierras showered down and made the water so muddy and thick, the waterlife died. I saw shale with worm tunnels, a squid-like fossil, and a fish scale. The ash is what later became the shale. I just love geology! This area visibly shows the different eras of our continent and the result of tectonic movement, shifting, bowing, lifting, etc. and changes due to volcanoes, and oceans, rivers, etc. People from all over the world come here to participate in the digs and to see what they produce.
Split Mountain here is unique. The Green River literally split the mountain. Geologists cannot figure out why the water would not have gone around the mountain, in the path of least resistance. I'd love to get a book of geology for dummies about this region! I don't want to know all the chemistry, just the big picture to remind me of the two geology courses I took in college.
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| love the jewelry |
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| This was a whole wall of them - didn't get them all in this photo. |
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| Lizards were quite popular. Maybe all the beginners had to do them. |
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| This flute player was my favorite! |
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| large dinosaur bone! |
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| a large bone! I think she said a femur, but not sure of what... |
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| a spine |
We have really enjoyed our stay here and will be heading to Rawlins, WY, tomorrow. We have figured out a way to avoid going back on Hwy. 191. We sure hope it will be easier!
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