US Parks

Apr

2014

Rocky Mountain National Park

The Rocky Mountains, in the beautiful state of Colorado have long been romanticized as the best and brightest example of the Rocky Mountains anywhere. When most people think of Colorado, or Denver, they most likely imagine vivid images of the pristine mountains with sunshine, snow, and blue skies. While Denver, Colorado , is indeed a nice place to live and visit, the image of the Rocky Mountains might be best served by a place that’s actually in the mountains. That place would, of course, be the Rocky Mountain National Park. Continue reading →

Sep

2013

Yellowstone National Park

If you approach pretty much anyone in America – or even the world for that matter – and ask them to name the first American National Park that comes to mind the answer would probably be Yellowstone. There might be several reasons for this, but it’s probably because Yellowstone was the first national park in America, and probably the first national park in the world. Of course, the fact that most American baby boomers grew up watching Yogi Bear cartoons on TV helps too. Continue reading →

Sep

2013

Making a Geyser

It’s a fascinating experience to stand at Old Faithful and watch it erupt for the first time. While steam and water is vaulting into the air nearly 100 feet, it’s simply awe inspiring and beautiful to see.

There may come a time, however, when you wonder exactly how this all works. And while the specific circumstances that allow a geysers to exist are rare, it’s not a very complex issue from a physical world perspective. Continue reading →

Jun

2013

Grand Canyon Geology

It’s often said that the Grand Canyon is nearly two billion years old, but that’s not entirely true. At the base of the Grand canyon, the rocks that make up the lowest layers, the Vishnu Group, are estimated to be between 1.8 and 1.6 billion years old. While very old, the canyon itself is closer to only about 11 million years. Continue reading →

Jun

2013

Grand Canyon National Park

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon, located in northern Arizona near the town of Williams along Interstate 40 is an absolute must see destination for anyone traveling that way. Whether you have a week or two to spend, or just a few hours, your time will not be wasted if you just walk out to the rim and look. Continue reading →

May

2013

Capitol Reef National Park – Wayne Wonderland

Capitol Reef National Park may not be the best known national park in the US, but this little park is possibly one of the most interesting. It is in the middle of a geologic feature called “The Waterpocket Fold”, and possibly demonstrates one of the finest examples of geologic progression in the entire Colorado Plateau. While not the originally proposed name for this park, Capitol Reef got its name from the locals, who believed the large dome shaped white colored sandstone rocks in the area resembled the nation’s capitol building. They also referred to the Waterpocket fold as a Reef, indicating that it represented a natural barrier. It’s said that the two expressions combined, creating the name Capitol Reef. Continue reading →

May

2013

Capitol Reef – The Waterpocket Fold

To walk among the red rocks in Utah is an experience that’s well worth the effort. From Moab where several great parks exist, including Arches and Canyonlands to the Grand Canyon (which is actually in northern Arizona) where, if you’re stout enough you can walk to the bottom and witness layers of rocks that were laid down almost at the beginning of the earth itself. Well, not quite, but you can still see layers that were formed as far back a 2.6 billion years. That’s a really long time! Continue reading →

US Parks

Rocky Mountain National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Making a Geyser

Grand Canyon Geology

Grand Canyon National Park

Capitol Reef National Park – Wayne Wonderland

Capitol Reef – The Waterpocket Fold

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