Blog Rewind.
Ok kids, now we will go back in time to catch up of how we got to this point.
Today we will be heading to Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. We traveled through the park in about 6 hours back on Tuesday, June 24th. It is an easy park to do a short trip through since it is right on Route 40 and the north entrance is off of the interstate and then the southern entrance drops you out on a convenient road that takes you back to Interstate 40. Also on state Rt. 180 you can stop and buy your very own petrified log. But we will get back to that later.
The northern part of the park is full of overlooks over brilliantly colored desert. We took a short mile walk around the rim in this area. Of course the temperature at this point is just north of 100F. Some where in this area I came up with the great idea to get Paula to an area where the ambient temperature is 113F. That way she can say that she has been in 113 degrees above and below zero. Not many people can say that they have been to the same temperature above and below 0, and even less have if that number is greater than 100. Upon expressing this idea to her she pointed out that scientifically 0F isn’t a key point to anything. Since water freezes at 32F and 0F is just another number, so to have my completely useless point to have any interesting value she would have to be at the same numerical value above and below 0C. And since she has been at -80C to get to 80C would be the same as 176F. Now you all can see why I am the way I am… My completely pointless happy moment in my mind has been blown out of the sky and then consumed by a flesh eating plague. Facts are so difficult some times.
Where were we? Ah, the Petrified Forest. Yes, the northern section has some very nice view points to take in. Now to the middle section of the park. This is the area on the map where the railroad tracks cross the park. Here there are some very good examples of where people inhabited the park years ago. I think most of it was about 1200 years ago. But as you all know, don’t take my mumblings as facts. There were several Indian tribes that lived in this area over the years. There are remains of structures as well as writing on rocks in this area. You can see examples of this in the photos. I really like the bird that is carrying the man in his beak. Now remember this stuff is over 1000 years old!!! Try to get paint to stick to your front porch for more than 15 years and then tell me how this stuff is still here. Very impressive sight for many reasons.
Here we are a little further south from the artifact area at an overlook. This are is littered with even more Indian writing all along the cliff. The scopes that are provided are great for investigating the writing from afar. There were 20 times more figures in this area than the photos that I posted from the first area. The scopes worked well to view the passing train off in the distance.
This photo is a view of a petrified log still encompassed in a rock. This rock fell from the cliff that we are standing on, so it is hard to imagine all of the logs that you are standing on.
Here is the bridge log. As you can see it is a petrified log that was unsupported and bridging a small opening. Small meaning 40 feet or so.
And I said unsupported, and it was unsupported when it was originally opened as a National Park. Many moons ago the park system was concerned that left alone this log would collapse under it’s own weight and then it could no longer be enjoyed by tourist from all over the world. So they decided to build a support structure under the log. This was done in the WPA era by the conservation corps. This era of the National Park system is fascinating and it is when the parks really became accessible to the average public. The CCC built most of the infrastructure that is in the parks that we enjoy today. Now I am getting off track again. The point is if you ever get to a National Park or want to read about them, investigate the CCC, what they did was amazing.
The National Park Service now has a philosophy to leave things alone. Basically natural things will be left natural. So if this log was found in 2006 it would remain as it was found. If it falls down, then so be it. You will have to look at it as a pile in the bottom of the ravine.
Now we are finally to the part of the show that everyone has been waiting for. The big honkin’ colored heavy rocks/trees. I’ll mention it right up front; DON’T TOUCH THE LOGS!!! I will explain more later, but it should be very clear to everyone that you cannot take any pieces of the logs with you. Actually you are not allowed to remove anything from any National Park, but this one is of much more importance. There are signs everywhere to remind you of this point and when you entered the park they ask everyone if they have any petrified wood in their vehicles when they come in. This will be key later as well.
The logs are more brilliant than the photos show and more spectacular than any description that you have ever heard. Some logs are perfectly colored and they look like they have just been split and are in a firewood pile, others have hundreds of colors in them and they look like they are from a cartoon. And did I mention that they are now rock. So if you look at a small log that would weigh 5 pounds if it were wood, the same size piece would be 50 pounds. Very cool to sit and look at.
To give you an idea of scale these pieces are about 30 inches across.
Don’t these pieces just look like some rotted wood that is lying on the ground? The coloring is amazing. And these are scattered among the purple, orange, crazy looking ones.
Here is the extent of the wildlife that we saw while in the park. And we saw lots of them. I am guessing the reason we didn’t see much wildlife is because this place is very nearly equal to the surface of the moon. There is squat for water, not much for plant life and not much else. Pretty amazing to think that people lived here. And likely for many centuries.
This is my favorite log to look at. First the scale is huge. It is about three feet in diameter. And then you have all of the erosion factors working here in their natural state. This log was laying flat underground for years and years. Then erosion started working on one area and uncovered part of the log. Then years later most of the log is uncovered and part of it has dropped into the ravine left by the erosion process, while some of the log is still completely underground waiting to be exposed. Just gives you a scale of the time element involved here.
And this is just one area of exposed petrified logs. There are many more around, both in the park and outside. The park has negotiated with surrounding land owners to purchase a substantial amount of land to expand the park. And this has been approved by Congress to expand the park, now the park just has to wait for Congress to pass another bill allocating the funds to buy the land. It is interesting to think about how much petrified wood is out there just under the surface.
So, now what is the interesting and sad story of Petrified Forest National Park? Well all National Parks are there to preserve beautiful natural features for everyone to see and enjoy for generations to come. The key difference is what you are looking at. If you go to the Grand Canyon or Yosemite most people are there to look at a spectacular canyon. So you are actually looking at the absence of something, the rock that was carved out by rivers or glaciers. Go to Yellowstone and you are watching geysers and open plains. At Petrified Forest you are looking at a finite resource, the petrified wood. If you brought in a truck and took out all of the wood the area would still be beautiful, but not spectacularly unique which is what is needed to make it a National Park.
There is about one ton of petrified wood stolen from the park every two months. This wood can never be replaced, and it will continue to degrade the viewing experience for the public. Will this remove all of the wood that you can see in my lifetime? Not likely, but it is a measureable degradation of the natural resources that the NPS is there to protect. We got all of that info from the pamphlets that they pass out and the signs that they have posted everywhere.
We finally go the real scoop from the ranger at the visitor center when we started talking to him and explained that we were headed to Yosemite to work. Then he started to tell us about the security in place in the park. Remember way back when they ask you if you had any petrified wood in your vehicle on your way into the gate (like most people carry petrified wood with them incase they need to start a fire.) Well there are spotters way off in the distance at all times when the park is open. These spotters have very powerful spotting scopes and watch people while they are walking amongst the logs. These spotters also have radios; these radios are used to talk to the exit gates. “Do you have any petrified wood in your vehicle?” You might want to think twice before answering that question on your way out. Also, there is backpacking allowed in the park. Why you would want to sleep out in the middle of that in the heat is beyond me, but it is allowed. If you have a backcountry permit they explain to you when you have to be settled down into your camp and what time you can break camp in the morning. This is because they have motion sensors all over the park to detect anyone snooping around after hours.
Overall it is a very interesting park. The work that the National Park Service has to do to keep it in one piece only added to the experience. Most people don’t know all of the security pieces that are hidden from the average day visitor. And the location along route 40 makes it a perfect drive in and drive out park. We were there for about 6 hours and we saw a good portion of the park.
And yes, once outside of the park you can stop and buy your piece of petrified wood that is dug up off of federal lands.
When I get home I am going to have to dig out the piece of petrified wood that my grandparents got for me twenty some years ago while they were at the park.
Wow, I need to get a hobby. Six pages. My English teachers would flip if they knew I could write this much.
R.J.
Today we will be heading to Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. We traveled through the park in about 6 hours back on Tuesday, June 24th. It is an easy park to do a short trip through since it is right on Route 40 and the north entrance is off of the interstate and then the southern entrance drops you out on a convenient road that takes you back to Interstate 40. Also on state Rt. 180 you can stop and buy your very own petrified log. But we will get back to that later.
The northern part of the park is full of overlooks over brilliantly colored desert. We took a short mile walk around the rim in this area. Of course the temperature at this point is just north of 100F. Some where in this area I came up with the great idea to get Paula to an area where the ambient temperature is 113F. That way she can say that she has been in 113 degrees above and below zero. Not many people can say that they have been to the same temperature above and below 0, and even less have if that number is greater than 100. Upon expressing this idea to her she pointed out that scientifically 0F isn’t a key point to anything. Since water freezes at 32F and 0F is just another number, so to have my completely useless point to have any interesting value she would have to be at the same numerical value above and below 0C. And since she has been at -80C to get to 80C would be the same as 176F. Now you all can see why I am the way I am… My completely pointless happy moment in my mind has been blown out of the sky and then consumed by a flesh eating plague. Facts are so difficult some times.
Where were we? Ah, the Petrified Forest. Yes, the northern section has some very nice view points to take in. Now to the middle section of the park. This is the area on the map where the railroad tracks cross the park. Here there are some very good examples of where people inhabited the park years ago. I think most of it was about 1200 years ago. But as you all know, don’t take my mumblings as facts. There were several Indian tribes that lived in this area over the years. There are remains of structures as well as writing on rocks in this area. You can see examples of this in the photos. I really like the bird that is carrying the man in his beak. Now remember this stuff is over 1000 years old!!! Try to get paint to stick to your front porch for more than 15 years and then tell me how this stuff is still here. Very impressive sight for many reasons.
Here we are a little further south from the artifact area at an overlook. This are is littered with even more Indian writing all along the cliff. The scopes that are provided are great for investigating the writing from afar. There were 20 times more figures in this area than the photos that I posted from the first area. The scopes worked well to view the passing train off in the distance.
This photo is a view of a petrified log still encompassed in a rock. This rock fell from the cliff that we are standing on, so it is hard to imagine all of the logs that you are standing on.
Here is the bridge log. As you can see it is a petrified log that was unsupported and bridging a small opening. Small meaning 40 feet or so.
And I said unsupported, and it was unsupported when it was originally opened as a National Park. Many moons ago the park system was concerned that left alone this log would collapse under it’s own weight and then it could no longer be enjoyed by tourist from all over the world. So they decided to build a support structure under the log. This was done in the WPA era by the conservation corps. This era of the National Park system is fascinating and it is when the parks really became accessible to the average public. The CCC built most of the infrastructure that is in the parks that we enjoy today. Now I am getting off track again. The point is if you ever get to a National Park or want to read about them, investigate the CCC, what they did was amazing.
The National Park Service now has a philosophy to leave things alone. Basically natural things will be left natural. So if this log was found in 2006 it would remain as it was found. If it falls down, then so be it. You will have to look at it as a pile in the bottom of the ravine.
Now we are finally to the part of the show that everyone has been waiting for. The big honkin’ colored heavy rocks/trees. I’ll mention it right up front; DON’T TOUCH THE LOGS!!! I will explain more later, but it should be very clear to everyone that you cannot take any pieces of the logs with you. Actually you are not allowed to remove anything from any National Park, but this one is of much more importance. There are signs everywhere to remind you of this point and when you entered the park they ask everyone if they have any petrified wood in their vehicles when they come in. This will be key later as well.
The logs are more brilliant than the photos show and more spectacular than any description that you have ever heard. Some logs are perfectly colored and they look like they have just been split and are in a firewood pile, others have hundreds of colors in them and they look like they are from a cartoon. And did I mention that they are now rock. So if you look at a small log that would weigh 5 pounds if it were wood, the same size piece would be 50 pounds. Very cool to sit and look at.
To give you an idea of scale these pieces are about 30 inches across.
Don’t these pieces just look like some rotted wood that is lying on the ground? The coloring is amazing. And these are scattered among the purple, orange, crazy looking ones.
Here is the extent of the wildlife that we saw while in the park. And we saw lots of them. I am guessing the reason we didn’t see much wildlife is because this place is very nearly equal to the surface of the moon. There is squat for water, not much for plant life and not much else. Pretty amazing to think that people lived here. And likely for many centuries.
This is my favorite log to look at. First the scale is huge. It is about three feet in diameter. And then you have all of the erosion factors working here in their natural state. This log was laying flat underground for years and years. Then erosion started working on one area and uncovered part of the log. Then years later most of the log is uncovered and part of it has dropped into the ravine left by the erosion process, while some of the log is still completely underground waiting to be exposed. Just gives you a scale of the time element involved here.
And this is just one area of exposed petrified logs. There are many more around, both in the park and outside. The park has negotiated with surrounding land owners to purchase a substantial amount of land to expand the park. And this has been approved by Congress to expand the park, now the park just has to wait for Congress to pass another bill allocating the funds to buy the land. It is interesting to think about how much petrified wood is out there just under the surface.
So, now what is the interesting and sad story of Petrified Forest National Park? Well all National Parks are there to preserve beautiful natural features for everyone to see and enjoy for generations to come. The key difference is what you are looking at. If you go to the Grand Canyon or Yosemite most people are there to look at a spectacular canyon. So you are actually looking at the absence of something, the rock that was carved out by rivers or glaciers. Go to Yellowstone and you are watching geysers and open plains. At Petrified Forest you are looking at a finite resource, the petrified wood. If you brought in a truck and took out all of the wood the area would still be beautiful, but not spectacularly unique which is what is needed to make it a National Park.
There is about one ton of petrified wood stolen from the park every two months. This wood can never be replaced, and it will continue to degrade the viewing experience for the public. Will this remove all of the wood that you can see in my lifetime? Not likely, but it is a measureable degradation of the natural resources that the NPS is there to protect. We got all of that info from the pamphlets that they pass out and the signs that they have posted everywhere.
We finally go the real scoop from the ranger at the visitor center when we started talking to him and explained that we were headed to Yosemite to work. Then he started to tell us about the security in place in the park. Remember way back when they ask you if you had any petrified wood in your vehicle on your way into the gate (like most people carry petrified wood with them incase they need to start a fire.) Well there are spotters way off in the distance at all times when the park is open. These spotters have very powerful spotting scopes and watch people while they are walking amongst the logs. These spotters also have radios; these radios are used to talk to the exit gates. “Do you have any petrified wood in your vehicle?” You might want to think twice before answering that question on your way out. Also, there is backpacking allowed in the park. Why you would want to sleep out in the middle of that in the heat is beyond me, but it is allowed. If you have a backcountry permit they explain to you when you have to be settled down into your camp and what time you can break camp in the morning. This is because they have motion sensors all over the park to detect anyone snooping around after hours.
Overall it is a very interesting park. The work that the National Park Service has to do to keep it in one piece only added to the experience. Most people don’t know all of the security pieces that are hidden from the average day visitor. And the location along route 40 makes it a perfect drive in and drive out park. We were there for about 6 hours and we saw a good portion of the park.
And yes, once outside of the park you can stop and buy your piece of petrified wood that is dug up off of federal lands.
When I get home I am going to have to dig out the piece of petrified wood that my grandparents got for me twenty some years ago while they were at the park.
Wow, I need to get a hobby. Six pages. My English teachers would flip if they knew I could write this much.
R.J.
posted by R.J. at 1:16 PM
1 Comments:
That's awesome! I guess that would only come from me, being the Science geek I am. I really enjoy reading about all your experiences!!
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