Our first real play day on vacation took us hiking from Wire Pass into Buckskin Gulch slot canyon. They are other worldly and not for the claustrophobic.
The House Rock Valley Road is passable with almost any vehicle when dry. Although the last time I drove it the condition was rutted from a previous idiot driving on it when wet.
The East Kaibab Monocline, known locally as the Cockscomb, is a wrinkle in the earth’s crust created 40-80 million years ago by the forces of plate tectonics.
Erosion along the fold created spectacular geologic features. Beds of sandstone and limestone jut up into the sky, forming steep rocky formations while the softer rock layers erode to form the valley bottoms.
Sand ripples along Wire Pass Trail
The nearly 200 million year old Jurassic Navajo Sandstone formed when this region was a sandy dessert where huge dunes migrated across the landscape pushed by seasonal winds.
Lizard tracks on sand wall
There were small oasis where dinosaurs congregated leaving behind trace fossils in small limestone lenses but all we saw were fresh tracks.
Over millions of years, younger deposits covered the sand dunes. Eventually the sand was compacted and cemented by minerals.
Beginning about 15 million years ago with the uplift of the Colorado Plateau, erosion of younger rock layers exposed the original sand dunes showing the layers and cross-bedding patterns seen today.
Go here for the rest of the story.
.jpg "Sunrise over the Cockscomb House Rock Valley UT")
.jpg "Speedometer")
.jpg "Geology interp sign Cockscomb UT")
.jpg "Wire Pass trailhead AZ")
.jpg "Slot canyon Wire Pass trail GRSE NM AZ")
Entering the cool shade of the slot I was simply in awe. Plus no worry about heat and glad I brought a long sleeved shirt..jpg "Slot canyon Wire Pass trail GRSE NM AZ")
Took so many photos I had a difficult time choosing. Every bend and turn brings a new look at nature’s sculpture by water..jpg "Navajo sandstone at junction Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch AZ")
.jpg "Petroglyphs and sediments at junction Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch UT")
.jpg "Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon GRSE NM AZ")
.jpg "Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon GRSE NM AZ")
.jpg "Dried clay in Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon GRSE NM AZ")
.jpg "Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon GRSE NM AZ")
.jpg "Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon GRSE NM AZ")
Would never be caught hiking here before, during or after a monsoon rain..jpg "Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon GRSE NM AZ")
Only met a few other hikers..jpg "Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon GRSE NM AZ")
.jpg "Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon GRSE NM AZ")