petrified forest,arizona,
birdfotos.com
Driving the Highways & Byways
of Arizona with Earle Robinson as he searches for Arizona Wild Life & interesting places to visit.
The Petrified Forest National Park Arizona revisited
August 2004
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Living in Arizona allows me to visit the Petrified Forest many times a year.
On the original Petrified Forest tour I showed you all of the points and a bit of each petrified viewing point.
Now I am going to concentrate on my favorite viewing point,
The
Crystal Forest.
If you would like a few particulars about it click HERE.
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Stop in at the Crystal Forest visitor's center and you will learn about how it came to be.
They didn't want me to use flash so it was hard to hold the camera still while I took a time exposure picture.
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Now, when walking in the forest please try to stay on the asphalt paths.
Some times I will admit I did stray off a bit, but got right back on the path ASAP.
I say if you do get off the path you had better C/sharp or you will B/flat.
Here is a photo I accidentally took while falling to the ground because I was not watching where I stepped.
Being old & stumbling really isn't to bad when you consider the alterative, I guess.
I was lucky I didn't hit my head on one of those rocks
I would sure have hated to break one & them get fined.
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You just never know what you will see as you walk along the trail.
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Remember not to touch or pick up the artifacts you may see.
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When you park in the parking area for the Crystal Forest walk, please the 2 Ravens on the sign that reads,
"Revegetation Area Stay On Pavement."
They're generally arguing, squabbling, or fighting about some thing.
I believe one is saying to the other, "You know this is my perch
& I really would appreciate it if you find another place to perch."
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Hey; are you listening to me? Get lost bud!
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And stay off my perch in the future. Ya hear??
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Boy, what a fellow has to through for a little peace & tranquillity around here.
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The first petrified piece of petrified wood you will see upon entering the Crystal Forest will be this one.
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Iron minerals provide bright mustard, orange, rich reds, ochre, and black.
Blue, purple, brown, and black, including graceful fern-like patterns, are caused by manganese minerals.
Other minerals may be present in small amounts, differing from log to log.
The colors are best seen in broken sections of petrified wood.
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Triassic Lumberjacks?
Inasmuch as every thing here is has a pinkish/reddish cast let's take a look at one of small pieces
What a beaut.
No, there weren't any prehistoric lumberjacks, and the National Park Service doesn't break up the logs.
The logs were broken naturally.
Since the petrified logs are composed of quartz, they are very hard and brittle,
breaking easily when they are subjected to stress.
The hard logs are surrounded by softer sediment layers.
As the sediments shifted and settled, stress on the rigid logs caused fractures.
As erosion exposes the logs, weathering widens the cracks, particularly from ice wedging in the winter.
Gravity helps the sections roll or fall away from their original orientation, however many of the logs in the area remain aligned.
As shown in the images below.
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It is in this area that you just might find a fossil or a small piece of quartz.
But, you will have to look very closely and very slowly.
If you should find such a treasure do not pick it up or disturb it in any way.
However, you may photograph it.
Here is a photo of some smoky quartz.
B is the quartz side. C is the opposite side of B. You may not always be able to
see this because I believe it is on the inside of the logs.
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This is a fossil of part of the vertebrate of a PHYOSAUR.
I WAS TOLD IT IS APPROXIMATELY 220 MILLION YEARS OLD.
I may be wrong but I think in more recent years they found this to be a Parasuchia.
These are not to be considered a dinosaur but more like a crocodile.
I am not going to say how I came about the ones I photographed, but it was with the help of a very nice lady Park Ranger.
I would have never found these on my own just walking through the Crystal Forest.
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Just a few pretty pieces of petrified wood.
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