The Little Grand Canyon

You want rocks Matthew?   Utah has lots of them!

This is a view from the Wedge Overlook in the San Rafael Wilderness.  The photo is of the "Little Grand Canyon".  A couple of thousand feet down you can see the San Rafael River running through it.  (Oddly, the first time I looked over the edge of this canyon two weeks ago, the water was brilliant blue!  Must have been some rain in the watershed as on this day it was running muddy brown.)

The "beehive" like dome in the foreground is part of the Navajo Sandstone, a roughly 200 million year old rock formation.  It is very famous as it outcrops all over the Colorado Plateau, including Zion National Park.  The "cross bedding" indicates that during that period of geologic time, an ancient desert had massive sand dunes.  Those sand dunes have now hardened into rock!

Internet connections are spottier than I thought they would be....mainly because I have been working 10 hour days and am limited in time to get connected.  Hope to post more pictures soon! 

The Lovely Forest Service Wareyard

So!  My new home for a little while.  The ware yard is definitely a ware yard.  Poul raked up all the tumble weed and stickies, so we can at least get out our door!  The trailers in the background belong to the other summer interns -- 3 incredibly nice young women.

My first day was spend in the BLM office, completing a 3-1/2 hour defensive driving video class.  Apparently for the past several years the BLM has lost at least one vehicle each summer because of intern driving....so now we all have to be tested before we drive government trucks!   Then the director of the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry gave another intern and I a whorlwind tour of the BLM land near the quarrry -- the "Little Grand Canyon" of the San Rafael Swell.  Gorgeous!  Photos to follow!

Today I spent several hours out in the field on a special project.  Needless to say, as you can see from the cloudless blue sky, I am sunburned -- total farmer's tan!
I'll update as frequently as I can.

Thanks to my sisters for the well-wishes!  It will definitely be a summer to remember.  I loved the haiku! 

And to think....I'm leaving all this behind!?

Can you see it?  Can you see it?  That very fine, steady downpour of rain, rain, rain.  I wish I could capture it with the camera.  It is what I've always called a "Seattle Soaker".  It fascinates me how the sky can just open up and pour for hours at a slow, steady rate. This is happening (unfortunately) as we pack up the RV for our trip to Utah. No doubt everything will be damp until we hit the dry, heat of the desert!

It might be the last time I see such lush greenery and cool temperatures for a while.   I'm looking forward to the start of a summer adventure! 

Almost On The Way

This summer, I plan to do something a little bit different. I've taken an internship through GeoCorps and will be working under the direction of the Bureau of Land Management near the tip of the San Rafael Swell.

The San Rafael Swell is one of the emptiest regions in Utah.  The "Swell" is actually a gigantic oval-shaped fold in Earth's rocks.  This type of fold is called a plunging anticline.  You can see the nose of the fold in the page banner/title photo!  This wide plateau is surrounded by an upturned ring of interesting rock layers.  The plateau is a desert with little vegetation, but has been dissected by streams.  Many scenic mesas, buttes, canyons, and slot canyons abound! 

Here is a view of the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry Visitor's Center where I will be spending about 1/2 my time.  Yesterday it was already in the 90's!   We haven't even had a 70 degree day here in Seattle!

I'm looking forward to what this summer will bring!  We (my spouse and I) leave for our 12 week adventure in 4 days.