Not far away from the dam, we came across these beautiful redbeds(as they're apparently called.)
The story goes that before these hills were tilted during the formation of the Rocky Mountains, these beds of sedimentary rock were covered with a layer of Alcova Limestone from the brief time when seas covered this region. This limestone created a firm crust that prevented complete erosion of these soft redbeds.
It is thought that they are red because it's iron-rich, which then rusts, but the issue is, by no means, settled.
More information about these fascinating formations from Geology of Wyoming.
I love the feeling of these gentle giants reclining to rest...
This one is nice enough to make a new cover image wherever I need it... I cropped it like a panorama.
It's almost hard to believe that simply turning around can give you this view instead... maybe more of the limestone? There are many fossils to be found in the area, but I haven't gone searching for any yet.
A couple of final shots before we continued on our journey. I loved watching the light reclaim the redbeds...
The wildflower near where I was standing. It turns out to be a picture of Arnica! Probably arnica angustifolia. Expect a near-future article about the medicinal properties of this plant! As it's not locally abundant, I couldn't ethically collect any from this plant, but I may return to collect a small portion of its seeds later in the season.
Photos taken by myself in June 2020 with my Nikon D7200.
Past issues of...
Wondrous Wyoming
Casper
Snowy Walk in Wyoming Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
January Walk Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3
Alcova
Lander
| Featuring Lander | and | surrounding areas |
|---|---|---|
| Popo Agie River Demo - active v passive | Plants of the Popo Agie River - Arrowleaf Balsamroot | Lander Park |
| Popo Agie River Sinks | Popo Agie River Rises |
Glenrock & Rolling Hills
Along Deer Creek - Glenrock Town Park ,
Douglas
Ayres Natural Bridge part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 ; Plants of Ayres Natural Bridge part 1, part 2
Great Divide Basin and surrounding
| Featuring the Great Divide Basin | and | surrounding areas |
|---|---|---|
| Ferris Mountains | Independence Rock, March 2019 | Great Divide Sunset |
Rawlins
| Featuring Rawlins | and | surrounding areas |
|---|---|---|
| Street Art in Rawlins, March 2019 | Trainspotting in Rawlins, March 2019 | Ferris Mansion, Rawlins |
| Wyoming Frontier Prison | St. Joseph's Catholic Church |
Thermopolis
| Featuring Thermopolis | and | surrounding areas |
|---|---|---|
| Wind River Canyon May 2019 |
Thermopolis Mineral Hot Springs, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Jackson, Tetons and Yellowstone
| Featuring Jackson Hole | the Tetons | Yellowstone, etc. |
|---|---|---|
| Glimpse of the Tetons |
The Tetons, part 1, part 2,
Kaycee and surrounding
Border crossings
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
(Buy my work at RedBubble, TeePublic, PicFair and DeviantArt.)
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(Buy my books at Books2Read and at LBRY)
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