Palo Duro Canyon SP

In northwest Texas, there is a state park containing a canyon.  Called the “Grand Canyon” of Texas, it's not really comparable to the National Park, but its still a welcome break from the vast desert plains spotted with oil derricks.   We stopped for the day, and spent a number of hours walking the margin between the arid canyon uplands, and the lush riparian areas surrounding the Red River.

 

 

 

 

Salt and gypsum crystal deposits.

 

 

A number of shady characters used the canyon as a hideout in 19th century.

 

 

 

 

 

The windblown sediments which makeup much of the rock contained a fair amount of water-soluble minerals.  As water percolated down through the sediment, these minerals concentrated into bands of white and crystalline structures.  Further out west, this process produces veins of zinc, copper, silver, uranium, and lead, often in the fault boundaries between rock layers.  In Texas these younger sediments lack these valuable metals, but are still quite pleasing to look at. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were pretty proud of a few fun rock formations, Lighthouse rock shown below.  While they pale in comparison to the south of Utah, its impressive for Texas.

Superior North Shore

Dates: 7-10-21 to 7-11-21

Continuing along the northern border we drove onto the north shore of Lake Superior, we took a detour along the Gunflint Trail.  This area is littered with outcroppings of billion-year-old rock formations.  Originally formed during the earliest stages of the earths cooling period, they are very high in iron and related minerals.  This has the interesting effect of making them ferromagnetic. We stopped to hike to a unique vertical outcropping of this rock (magnetite?). 

Right after we left, we came across a newer beaver pond.  To our surprise, the reclusive short-legged beavers were out and about.  You can see one below near its lodge.   The sound of their teeth clacking together as they munched was surprising.  The beavers are an interesting species, as they “farm” their food over decades.  When a beaver hears rushing water they instinctively dam it up.  This creates ponds and wetlands, which kill off most trees.  Their favorite food is the tender bark and sapwood of birch and aspen trees.  When they have exhausted an area, they abandon it.  When it dries out, the aspen and birch saplings are the first to return.  When the food is replenished, they return to dam the stream, and start over again.

Unfortunately, we forgot our camera, so some blurry phone photos will have to do!

 

  

Farther down the trail we spotted a bull moose grazing in a nearby wetland area.  Moose are big, with males easily breaking 700lbs.  So even with our phones at a distance, you can still spot the brown fur and distinctive antlers.

Here is the destination of our trek.  About 30ft tall, and very magnetic.  A fridge door is less magnetic than this big boy.

 

Here is a magnet stuck to the side.  

 

 

Further down the road, we chanced across Mayhew Lake (if you don’t know why that matters, don’t worry).

 

We tried out a moose observation trail with no luck other than some mosquitoes and a fun abandoned car.

 

 

Near the shore of Superior, there are some fun waterfalls.  During the last ice age, the weight of the ice sheet pushed the land down around 100ft.  This resulted in a second shoreline forming a mile or two inland from the current one.  As the ice receded and the land rose, it left these cliffs behind, forming many waterfalls.  This one is called Devil’s Kettle.  

 

Northern Arkansas

Dates: 4-03-21 to 4-05-21

With a few family events finished, we stopped a few days for mail and maintenance, then spent a few days visiting northern Arkansas state parks.  Included were Mt Nebo, Lee Creek Reservoir, Sam’s Throne, and Ozark National Forest.