Dinosaurland

We’re home!  I’ll write more about our homecoming in the coming week, but for now I’ll just catch up on the posts from our last week on the road.  Most likely, I’ll post one “catch-up” per day, so stay tuned.  Then I plan to do a series of wrap-up posts.  After that, who knows?  We’ll just have to see.

The town of Vernal Utah, and surrounding Uintah County capitalize on their proximity to Dinosaur National Monument and the quantity of fossils found in the region.  The area even refers to itself as Dinosaurland, and a pink dinosaur welcomes visitors to the town.

Dinosaur National Monument takes its name from an incredible deposit of dinosaur fossils that were first discovered in 1909.  The quarry here is one of the best late-Jurassic Period dinosaur finds in the world.  This quarry yielded the remains of more than 500 dinosaurs, and more than ten species of dinosaurs were discovered.  Twenty complete skeletons were unearthed.

We visited Dinosaur National Monument last Wednesday and were able to explore the original quarry and even touch dinosaur bones.  The Quarry Exhibit Hall is actually built over and into the side of the quarry, and what remains of the quarry wall is exposed inside the building.  Looking up, or down, at a two-story high wall filled with more than 1,500 dinosaur bones was an amazing experience.  Most of the bones appeared randomly, but there were several sections of articulated skeletons as well.

Tim Walks Along the Quarry Wall Inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall

One of the More Impressive Dinosaur Fossils in the Quarry Wall

Exposed Dinosaur Bones

What a Amazing Sight

Tim Had to Be Convinced It Was Legal to Touch the Dinosaur Bones

The Exhibit Hall Also Contains Several Impressive Exhibits

The original Quarry Exhibit Hall was built in 1957 as a part of the National Park Service Mission 66 program and was an outstanding example of modernist architecture.  Unfortunately, the building’s foundation was never stable, and long-standing structural problems forced the National Park Service to close the building in 2006.  Luckily, I was able to see the building from the exterior when I visited the park in 2007, although like every other visitor, I could not see the quarry wall inside.  Rangers we spoke with said the hardest part of their job was telling people that the quarry wall was closed.  Some of the visitors had come from half-way around the world and were simply devastated.  There was no access to the quarry wall for five years.

The Newly Opened Quarry Exhibit Hall

The current building opened just last year and is a beautiful piece of architecture.  It is billed as a rehabilitation of the original building, but it really is a reconstruction.  Virtually none of the original structure remains, although the new building does maintain much of the original design.  I’m happy the timing of our visit was such that we were able to go inside and see the quarry wall.

Landscape Adjacent to the Quarry Exhibit Hall

Colorful Cliffs

We found that there is much more to see at Dinosaur National Monument than just dinosaur bones.  The deep and colorful canyons of the Green and Yampa Rivers are preserved here, as are the historic remnants of ancient cultures, settlers and homesteaders.  We took the Tour of the Tilted Rocks to discover some of these features.  Along this route we were able to view some of the finest-quality petroglyphs I’ve ever seen.  This rock art was made about 1,000 years ago by the people of the Fremont Culture, and some of the images are enormous in size.  Petroglyphs like the lizard likely took months to complete.

An Outstanding Collection of Petroglyphs

Intricate Images

The Lizard Is a Favorite Figure

We also visited the restored cabin built by Josephine Bassett in 1935 on land she homesteaded in 1914.  Josie was an independent woman who lived alone here on her own terms.  It is hard to imagine the challenges she faced in this isolated and rugged, but beautiful land.

Josie Bassett Cabin

We followed the Green River for a while and learned how the river was responsible for creating a host of amazing geological features.  The rugged ridge of Split Mountain, which the Green River split in half, for example, loomed alongside of us for much of the way.  Colorful cliffs and unusual rock formations only added to the spectacular scenery.

The Green River Winds Its Way through the Park

Split Mountain

Cliffs Along the Green River

We drove to Dinosaur, Colorado, so we could visit the Colorado section of Dinosaur National Monument tomorrow.  For the first time on this trip, we were unable to find a campground.  The one where we had planned to stay was virtually abandoned.  We didn’t have a good feeling about the place, so we dumped our tanks and left.  We never did see anyone there.  Thus began a search for a place to camp in an area where there simply were no campgrounds.

By this time it was 6:00 pm, and we realized we would have to find a place to boondock, in other words, park off of a main road in an area with no facilities.  We turned onto a county road and then found a dirt road managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  There was a nice open space to park, and that’s where we camped for the night.  I can’t believe our first experience with boondocking took place the last week of our trip. 

Our Boondocking Site

 

Flaming Gorge

We took the day off yesterday and hung out at our campground overlooking Flaming Gorge Reservoir.  It was very hot, with the temperature reaching 93°, and there was very little shade to shield us from the scorching sun.  We learned that several cities in eastern Utah actually broke temperature records yesterday.  We still had a good day and enjoyed watching the pronghorn that frequent the campground.  Our camp host informed us that it is the pronghorn that own the campground.  They graciously allow us to camp there.  How nice of them.

Just Make Yourself at Home

Are You Coming to See Me?

Kitty didn’t seem to mind the heat, and Tim discovered a great brushing station.  The new grill stand seems to have been placed at the campsite just for that purpose.  Tim got a few strange looks, but several dog owners wanted to book an appointment with him.

This Is the Life!

We awoke this morning to another hot day.  On top of that high wind warnings were posted throughout eastern Utah.  We coped with winds of 25-40 miles per hour and wind gusts of 55-65 miles per hour for most of the day.  We tried, but could not escape the wind or the heat.

Although we didn’t feel like spending much time outside, we were lucky enough to be driving the Flaming Gorge-Uintas National Scenic Byway the entire day.  What a spectacular drive.  The theme of the byway is “Wildlife Through the Ages” since the route travels through one of the richest areas for wildlife and fossils in the west.  Markers along the entire length of the byway identify the various geologic formations, the time periods and the types of animals and plants that were discovered.

Geological Markers Along the Byway

Color Along the Scenic Byway

As we left the desert-like area near our campground, we climbed high into the eastern flank of the Uinta Mountains at over 8,000 feet in elevation.  Along the way we marveled at unique geologic features, deep multi-colored canyons, breathtaking scenic vistas and dark green forest landscapes.  Talk about “eye candy.”  I think this drive may make my “top ten” list.

Sheep Creek Bay Sits along the Scenic Byway

The Colors of the Cliffs Are Amazing

The Vista from Sheep Creek Overlook Took My Breath Away

Much of the drive passes through Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, and we now understand how this gorge received its name.  Flaming Gorge has to be one of the most aptly named landscapes in the country.  The colors of the cliffs and canyons are indeed “flaming.” 

Flaming Gorge seems to be one of the lesser known of all the west’s national recreation areas.  Today we had the area almost to ourselves, and we understand that it never gets too busy, even in the height of the summer.

We made a detour to reach one of the most photogenic sections of the gorge, Red Canyon, which was carved by the mighty Green River.  We walked along the Red Canyon Rim Trail and looked down 1,400 feet into Flaming Gorge Reservoir.  The contrast between the red of the cliffs, the blue of the water and the green of the trees was simply breathtaking.

The View into Red Canyon Is Stunning

The Red Canyon Rim Trail Provides Awesome Views

After leaving Flaming Gorge we traveled down through countless geologic layers of time on our way to the Uintah Basin of Utah.  This section of the road is infamous for its steep descent and series of nine tortuous switchbacks.  Although the views were spectacular, the wind made for extremely dangerous driving for high profile vehicles.  We were shocked to see a tractor trailer that had rolled over along one of the curves.  Hopefully the driver escaped with few injuries. 

What a Scary Sight!

Descending into the Uintah Basin

Tim on the other hand did a masterful job of controlling the RV, and we arrived safely at Steinaker Lake State Park near Vernal, Utah.

Along the Water at Steinaker State Park

Another Waterfront Site

Stradling the 41st Parallel

We spent last night in Kemmerer, Wyoming, whose claim to fame seems to be the home of J.C. Penney and the site of the “Mother Store.”  Kemmerer is a cowboy town, as are most of the towns in Wyoming.  On the way out of town we spotted a herd of pronghorn on a hillside just beside the highway.  Southwest Wyoming is home to the largest migratory herd of pronghorn in the continental United States, and it is always a thrill to see these graceful animals.

The Original J.C. Penney Store

Pronghorn Herd, Sometimes Called Antelope

I Think They're Staring at Us

The Pronghorn Is the Fastest Land Mammal in the Western Hemisphere

Although most ranches in Wyoming raise cattle, we also passed several sheep ranches and were surprised to find sheepherders who still traveled in their traditional sheepwagons. What a throwback to an earlier era.

A Wyoming Sheephearder and His Wagons

One of the major sites associated with all of the western trails is Fort Bridger.  Established by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez in 1843 as a trading post on the Oregon Trail, it became a Mormon fort in the 1850s and then a U.S. military outpost in 1858.  Fort Bridger is now a Wyoming State Historic Park, and the evolution of the site is interpreted here.

1880s Barracks, 1867 Commisary and 1868 Guardhouse at Fort Bridger

Mountain men, Indian traders, Oregon and California emigrants, Mormon pioneers, Pony Express riders, U.S. soldiers and railroad men all passed through the fort.  We toured several of the original buildings and tried to imagine the fort’s pivotal role in westward expansion.  Although many of the early structures no longer remain, ongoing archeological excavations are uncovering evidence of the fort’s history.  

1884 Commanding Officer's Quarters

Ranch House

Archeological Excavations Are Peeling Away the Layers of History

Adjacent to Fort Bridger is a roadside motel that served the Lincoln Highway, an early transcontinental highway that also passed by the fort.  Built in 1929, the Black and Orange Cabins have been restored by the State of Wyoming.  How cool that Wyoming has recognized the significance of structures like these that reflect the need to accommodate travelers along the new highway.

Black and Orange Cabins

Southwest Wyoming is characterized by its starkly beautiful desert landscape.  We steadily climbed through eroding hills of various shades of tan and green and saw the Uinta Mountains in the distance.  The Uinta Mountains are the only major mountain range in the Western Hemisphere to run east and west.  We crossed into Utah and arrived at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.  Flaming Gorge was named by John Wesley Powell in 1869 and is a spectacular geological wonder. 

Southwest Wyoming Landscape

Uinta Mountains Loom in the Distance

The centerpiece of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is the huge Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which spans the Wyoming-Utah state lines, which happens to be the forty-first parallel.  The area is a popular area for fishing and boating.  We are staying on the west side of the reservoir and have managed to snag a campsite with a water view.  It’s hot and windy here, and there’s very little shade, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.  We’re going to rest here for the next day or so and then explore the red rock cliffs and canyon that Flaming Gorge is known for.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Sunset at Flaming Gorge

A Lovely View