Vernal, Utah to Hot Springs, South Dakota

Monday, August 27, 2012

Hello!

Tonight’s blog is going to be very brief, as I need to get to bed REALLY early! Hopefully you’ll enjoy the pictures!

Up around 6, with a light breakfast at the hotel, and then on the road a little after 7; long way to go today – across Wyoming to South Dakota. We were both very surprised at the Wyoming landscape, as we remember with great affection the mountains on the west side of the state. However, once you leave the mountains, the landscape becomes almost bleak in its brown flatness; Robert reminded me that it used to be all under water millions of years ago – and it still looks like a seabed. We did spot some Pronghorn Antelope along the way, though.

Pronghorn Antelope in Wyoming

At any rate, many miles today, and once again, only a bit of freeway driving. We reached the freeway at Casper, for about 50 miles, then off on to back roads again working our way into South Dakota.

Arrived at our hotel, USA Stay Suites, a bit before 4 p.m. to find that we’re ideally suited for the mammoth site – it’s right across the street! Decided to see it now rather than wait until morning, and were in time for the next-to-the-last tour at 4:45 p.m.

Wow! What an AMAZING place! It was only discovered in 1974, when a man with a bulldozer started to clear land for some houses he was planning on building. Fortunately, he had incredible foresight and, rather than build houses, he sold the land to a non-profit group that formed to oversee the site.

What happened is this: About 26,000 years ago, a limestone cave collapsed under its own weight, leaving a large depression on the surface. In time, an artesian spring filled the depression with fresh water, at something like 90-95 degrees. As the water was so warm, grasses and shrubs grew year-round around the edges of the depression, even in the winter. Large animals, primarily Columbia and Woolley Mammoths, trying to get to the grass and shrubs around the edge, would fall into the depression, and because of the slippery shale sides of the pool, were unable to get out. They either drown or died of starvation or exhaustion. Gradually, over thousands of years, these animals piled up on top of each other. When the artesian spring moved west, the depression eventually dried out and hardened. And this was what was found by the bulldozer in 1974!

Mammoth Bones

More Mammoth Bones

A Nearly-Complete Skeleton

Mammoth Skull

Complete Skeleton

Skull

Almost the entire depression is now under cover and part of the site, and scientists come from all over the world to study the finds. We had an excellent tour of the site, and were then allowed to wander all over at will. They have an excellent exhibit hall, and you can also go downstairs to observe workers in the labs who will answer any questions you have about what they’re working on. There are programs for children and young adults, and in addition to the different universities doing research, you can join one of the two outside groups that come in occasionally to dig away! When you see the size of some of those bones, and the teeny, tiny equipment they use – dental picks and toothbrushes – boy, my patience or lack thereof would certainly disqualify me from archeology at this level!

Back to the hotel around 6, and of course, it being Monday, the best (and almost only…) restaurant in town is closed today…UGH…Second best in down was a bakery, and third was Dale’s Family Diner…don’t even ask…suffice to say that next time we come this way, we will bring our own food!!

Lots of love for now!
m
xxx