DINOSAUR NATIONAL PARK - Day 1

June 21, 2014

We left Boulder early this morning and headed toward Dinosaur National Park.  It was mostly a two lane highways and today we had 4 different mountains to climb over 8,000 feet.  During the
many miles

.
we crossed a large dam called Flaming Gorge

a curvy road

and beautiful scenery

and finally arrived.

While driving through the campground, I checked my cell phone and it showed no service.  Then we came to a cute little loop that wasn't busy at all and it had cell service and 4 G connections.  It was right on the Green River with the Mountain View too.

Our campground from taken from the hill above it

Our camper is seen on the far left as you look at the picture

This would be our home for two days

After we checked in, we went to the visitors center and watched a movie about the park and then headed out on a self driving tour.

Hope you enjoy the drive with us.

Ton stood along Cub Creek Valley.  It stands at 5,000 feet  and gets  less then 10 inches of water a year from rain and snow. With subzero winters and the dry hot summers, not much grows here.  Only sagebrush, grasses and once in awhile the Prickly Pear Cacti.

In the hills banded with gray, red and purple, help identify the Morrison Formation of rock layers.  149 million year old dinosaur fossils were found here

Every turn is different from the others.  

The landscape changes constantly.

This rock is known as Turtle Rock.  The many holes result from more rapid weathering of weaker parts of the rock.  This is Entrada Sandstone, the same type which forms the arches in Arches National Park.

The Freemont people made these petroglyphs about 1,000 years ago.

Using sharp tools, they pecked away at the dark natural stain on the rock surface, called desert varnish, to reveal the light colored sandstone beneath. 

Was this religious art, a sybolic language, or simply something created to fill idle moments?  

No one is sure. 

This shows the type of hike to get to them

I personally think this may have been the 

First Smiley Face!  LOL

A REAL PIONEER

Josephine Bassett, a local legend.  She settled here in 1914, built several cabins (this one in 1935).  Josie provided for herself.  She raised and butchered cattle, pigs, chickens and geese.  She canned the harvest from her vegetable garden.  

Notice the opening between the roof and the walls

Josie’s only source of heat came from her wood-burning fireplace.  Her water came from the spring.  There was no electricity; her light came from an oil lamp.  

She lived a 19^th century lifestyle well into the 20^th century.  

I don't think I'm ready for this yet! :)

Married five times, she ultimately chose the single life. 

In 1964, while feeding her horse, it nudged her and she slipped on some ice and broke her hip.  Josie dragged herself into her house where friends found her several days later.  She had no phone to call for help.  On her trip to the hospital, she said that she had a feeling she would never again see the home she built here.

A rancher to the end, Josie died here that spring at the age of 90.

This was her chicken coop

and the property behind her log cabin home.

  

Homesteads such as Josie’s stand as physical reminders 

of the pioneers who coped with endless work, solitude and scant 

conveniences.  Josie experienced challenges few of us face today. 

Back at the RV, Ton made hamburgers on the grill and we settled in for the night.  The following pictures are of our campsite taken after dinner. 

And the last one is taken our

our back window.

We thank God for giving us the ability to do this and

enjoy the wonders and beauty of his world.

Good night for now

Day 2 when we get internet again