In keeping with a tradition established a few years ago, we took a 4th of July road trip. Previous excursions have found us stuck in the mud in Dayton Basin and at the Golden Spike re-enactment. We have passed Fossil Butte, WY may times on the way to Denver or Rifle, and always said to ourselves,"we'll stop there sometime", not believing it for a second. The thing is, we're running out of day-trip destinations we haven't seen, and I guess it was F.B.'s turn.
We packed a lunch and headed East, managing to negotiate Emigration Canyon without killing a single bicycler. We were amazed by several things:
1. There was no entrance fee.
2. The Visitors' Center was very interesting.
3. The hike to one of the working fossil quarries went through a lush forest of aspens and wildflowers.
4. Vicious mosquitoes were chewing us to pieces.
Once we got to the quarry, a Park Service paleontology intern offered us insect repellent and a fascinating description of the actual fossils - mostly fish- he was extracting. He said that you might find horses, crocodiles, turtles and bats in the area. Very interesting stuff.
We also took the opportunity to go to Evanston for the first time before heading home.
The pictures show the quarry worker and some fossils of various ages.
Henkka, Salla, and Hallie in December of last year.
January of 2009.
