Studying geology with Elliot

The whole motley crew

First summer vaycay is done.

First we drove to Mesa Verde and did the Petroglyph Trail, Balcony House, and Cliff Palace.  Then through Paonia to visit with HCN.  I told the editor I was one of his contributors, and he said, "Oh, yeah, your pieces generate a lot of comments".  That's why I don't read them.

Next to the Yampa River for a geology class.  I can recommend the Antler Hotel in Vernal.  OARS took us on a five-day geology trip.  Brad and I paddled rubber duckies for two days.  Only on the flat water: I am a wimp.  High, high water.  More water, in fact, than on our last Grand Canyon trip.  Were able to do some nice hikes to Wagon Wheel Point and Jones Hole.

Then to Capitol Reef.  Did the length of Sulfur Creek, the Navajo Knobs, Sheets Canyon (a slot), Golden Dome, Cassidy Arch, and Cohab Canyon.  Tried to find a soft deposition deformation feature in Spring Canyon, but hiked five miles and missed it.  Would have probably helped to look at the photograph in the geology book BEFORE.

Hit the Kolob section of Zion on the way back and did the 14 mile trek into Kolob Arch.  Hike was long and sandy and hot, and they have bitey bugs.  The arch was really cool, though, and worth the trip.  Lucked out with the weather: the high was 82, and two days later it was in the 90's.

Brad and I in the double duckie

pictograph at Jones Hole

Steamboat rock where Green meets the Yampa

The slot in Sheet sCanyon

Getting down from Sulfur Creek

down

Kolob Arch

Hiking along Timber Creek to the arch