Badlands Residency Day 42

Had a lovely afternoon hike today.  Ed and I drove up Old NE Road and parked near castle trail.  Hiked east a bit, down the trail, then veered off into one of the draws.  Ed had climbed to the top of the ridge along here last summer with another paleo, so knew a way up.  It was a relatively short yet tricky enough climb, with a nice view from the top.  Some neat fossil specimens to be found there as well, including an oreodont skull with a clastic dyke running through it.  Spent some time at the top wandering about to the edges, looking at fossils, taking a rest and looking off into the distance.  Came back down a different way, headed back to the quad, then worked on some things until dinner time.  A bunch of us met at Badlands Bar in Wall for pizza and talking.

Looking back down the draw we climbed up.

View towards Cedar Pass.

Oreodont skull, brain case visible, muzzle in the dyke.

Nice clastic dyke.

Juvenile tortoise.

Big Horn Sheep have keen senses, we were very far away.

Looking back up the way we hiked down.

Patterns in the mud.