Chat
04-18-2019, 09:31 PM
A nice day for a hike. I went to a layer that I'm not really sure about geologically. Its above the Morrison so it could be 100 million years old or so. I'm not sure if it is the Dakota/Chinlee or not. I had a chance to talk to Jim Kirkland, the famous paleontologist for an hour last week. He said I should look in this area because T-Rex can be found here (Assuming I guessed the right layer).
Luna showing us the cliffs in the background. Same formation that created "Miller's Cows". Lotta cows at the base of those cliffs.
Shelby GT inspecting the view. The view pleases him.
We kept coming across insane sandstone. Yellow areas were bleached white, then filled with strawberry. Add the lichens on top to complete the painting.
It looks so tasty.
Barry Goatalo had a strange interest in sniffing and tasting this rock. He was messing with it for several minutes. Perhaps it WAS tasty!
Thats the Morrison formation off in the distance. Then a herd of yellow cows. The ridge I was walking along had giant blocks falling off and rolling down the hill. I found some petroglyphs but I think they were fake.
As I walked along the top of the ridge, I found a gap in the rock and some dirt that had been disturbed long ago. I suspected a giant sand worm had breached the wall, so I followed the path down. A white paleosoil had been exposed, and there was a 2 foot thick rock layer just sitting there in the white slope. The giant worm had dislodged some of the rock. Eureka! Mineralite!
As the ledge became higher, I had a good view of the Morrison formation near the highway. I noticed a hole in the rock in front of me. Thats a sign of thin rock for sure.
I tried to get the goats to follow me away from that area.
So... Not so safe. Still, I had been jumping over bottomless gaps that had been exposed as giant blocks began to tip toward the edge, so I guess overhangs are no biggie.
So it was a short 4 hour hike just exploring. I never saw a single fossil of any kind in that layer.
Luna showing us the cliffs in the background. Same formation that created "Miller's Cows". Lotta cows at the base of those cliffs.
Shelby GT inspecting the view. The view pleases him.
We kept coming across insane sandstone. Yellow areas were bleached white, then filled with strawberry. Add the lichens on top to complete the painting.
It looks so tasty.
Barry Goatalo had a strange interest in sniffing and tasting this rock. He was messing with it for several minutes. Perhaps it WAS tasty!
Thats the Morrison formation off in the distance. Then a herd of yellow cows. The ridge I was walking along had giant blocks falling off and rolling down the hill. I found some petroglyphs but I think they were fake.
As I walked along the top of the ridge, I found a gap in the rock and some dirt that had been disturbed long ago. I suspected a giant sand worm had breached the wall, so I followed the path down. A white paleosoil had been exposed, and there was a 2 foot thick rock layer just sitting there in the white slope. The giant worm had dislodged some of the rock. Eureka! Mineralite!
As the ledge became higher, I had a good view of the Morrison formation near the highway. I noticed a hole in the rock in front of me. Thats a sign of thin rock for sure.
I tried to get the goats to follow me away from that area.
So... Not so safe. Still, I had been jumping over bottomless gaps that had been exposed as giant blocks began to tip toward the edge, so I guess overhangs are no biggie.
So it was a short 4 hour hike just exploring. I never saw a single fossil of any kind in that layer.
I don't drink beer, but if I did, I'd prefer Dos Equis. Stay thirsty my friends!