Temple Mountain In the Fall

 

Just returned from a short survey of the Temple Mountain area.  What a beautiful area.  We even found a few fossils.  In the Moenkopi we found some swim tracks. 

Swim tracks are made when animals swim in shallow water and their toes or claws scrape the bottom of the pond or lake.

The tracks were made in clay and soon after a layer of fine sand covered the area.  The sand later lithified into sandstone, creating a natural cast of the prints.

Our main purpose was to check out the Temple Mountain member of the Chinle formation.  We found it, of course, near Temple Mountain.

Our first discoveries were teeth weathering out from the pebble conglomerate.  We also found a few gastropods and fossil wood stains. 

Next day we went along the “behind the reef road”.  Wood was more plentiful, unfortunately that is all we found.  The wood was grey like the soil around it. 

The fall colors were vibrant,  all-in-all a great place to be in the Fall.