Sunday April 21, 2019

Road video and map – Chinle to Holbrook, AZ

Yesterday’s Canyon de Chelly tour cancellation had a knock-on effect today as I had intended to drive the south rim this morning, rather than yesterday afternoon. That meant I had more time to enjoy Petrified Forest National Park which was today’s focus as I journeyed from Chinle to Holbrook, AZ.

This park is primarily known for two aspects, the Painted Desert that makes up the northern area and vast quantities of petrified wood found mostly in the south. However, due to the ample time I had to explore, I walked the Blue Mesa trail, which winds through badlands in the center section of the park, and this was my favorite section of the park.

Petrified wood is formed when dead trees fall into a river and are quickly covered with silt, mud or other deposits before the wood has time to decay. Over time, mineral laden water percolates into the structures of the tree and deposits silica in its cells that then bond with the organic matter, replicating the structure exactly.  Eventually the wood is completely replaced with silica leaving a very hard rock with the shape and structure of the original tree. The petrified wood found here originates from trees that lived in the Triassic period about 220 million years ago.

As the name suggests, the Painted Desert is an area where different minerals have infused the desert with a range of bright colors.

The park has evidence of human occupation dating from 8,000 years ago. Many petroglyphs have been discovered, such as these at Newspaper Rock, which are thought to be about 2,000 years old.

Historic Route 66 used to cross the park but now the only indication is this roadside exhibit marking its location. I wonder how much effort it must have taken to eradicate all other evidence of its existence.
Blue Mesa is an area of badlands that fascinated me with its variation of color and texture.
In places the horizontal layers of color are narrow and incredibly sharp. The area also has petrified wood in its upper strata.

Petrified wood that has been washed down drainage channels as the soft rock erodes.

The largest petrified logs can be found along the Long Logs trail at the southern end of the park.