Highway 40, the road less traveled

Today I departed the interstate shorty after leaving Salt Lake and headed east on highway 40, a two lane road to Dinosaur National Monument. The park itself is big with Dino's occupying a small part. An ancient river bed, now tilted at a 70 degree angle, trapped many dinosaurs. The excavation is housed in a display building where a 30 foot wall has been partially unearthed, revealing layers of many fossils. 

The is also some very cool geology with perhaps 20 layers of differing sediments exposed. The bands of colors are the different layers. The red ocher mesa was cool and much more vivid then the picture shows.

 

This deep, ancient river gorge was spectacular and looking down into it brought on a bit of vertigo :-)

After Dinosaur National Monument, I continued to head east on 40 through Colorado's high plateau (6000 feet). For most of the hours long ride there were no cars in front of or behind me. Vast and isolated. I saw some Prong Horn Antelope, heading away from the road. I stopped to take a picture and one of them stopped and turned around to check out me. Who was watching who?

May 28 Progress

The first day I made 800 miles, today I made only 380 miles. I'm now at Steamboat Springs Colorado at nearly 7000 feet. Tomorrow I head into the Rockies for a climb to over 12000 feet (above the tree line) though Rocky Mountain National Park and eventually into Fort Collins. Once again thanks to Dave for helping plot the course on the phone this evening.

Here is the progress map, today drive is in orange.