JOHN DAY FOSSIL BEDS

President day’s weekend Scott and I took a 3 day trip to the John Day Fossil beds in Central Oregon. We went just to the Sheep Rock Unit. http://www.nps.gov/joda/ We took US26 through Vale over the Blue Mountains to John Day.

The top of the Blues had a snow floor ~ 4500-5000 ft.

Above Prairie City looking across to the Strawberry Mts.

We had planned to stay in the Clyde Holliday State Park in John Day but it was closed. So we headed to a BLM campground on the other side of the Fossil beds.

Drive thru Picture Gorge.

Lone Pine CG Kimberly Oregon

Story in Stone Trail

Flood of Fire Trail overlook-

The clay cliffs are 1500 foot deposits of volcanic ash from the Cascade Mt’s capped with lava flows.

60 million years ago this region was jungle with 1,000’s of species of mammals. Tiny horses, cats , rhinos and 2,000 lbs pigs.

After a few years of dirt biking, driving SUV’s and running the AC it now looks like this !

Tortoise shell fossil on Trail into Time.

Top of “Trail into Time”

Cant Ranch house serves as park headquaters. The ranch history was just as interesting as the fossils.

Barn and Shearing Shed at Ranch.

Links below are panoramic pictures of barn and fossil museum.

http://virtualguidebooks.com/Oregon/EasternOregon/JohnDaySheepRock/CantRanchJohnDay_F.html

http://virtualguidebooks.com/Oregon/EasternOregon/JohnDaySheepRock/CondonCenterThree_F.html

http://virtualguidebooks.com/Oregon/EasternOregon/JohnDaySheepRock/CondonCenterTwo_F.html

Fossils being extracted.