Padawan’s Short Trips

[brroberts]

We usually travel a couple of months at a time, but occasionally do short trips of 4 days to 3 weeks. I’ve left those unchronicled, but I’ll try to start remedying that here.

8 days in central Kansas. Wetlands, museums, geology, forts, history.

First night hanging out reading and napping outside Larned, KS.

[brroberts]

First stop, Mushroom Rock SP. Small park with interesting history and geology. Fremont and Santa Fe trails close and stage line to California before the stages were pushed north by Indian tribes.

[brroberts]

Cheyenne Bottoms wetlands is pretty dry right now.

[brroberts]

Barton Co Museum nice for a local museum. Off to Pawnee Rock State Historic site. We had to make a detour to Braun’s for ice cream first.

[brroberts]

Pawnee Rock. Fremont, Pike, and Sibley all came through on expeditions. It used to be 50’ taller, but the railroad ground the top off for the track ballast.

[brroberts]

One of Sibleys camps on the Santa Fe trail survey.

[brroberts]

Ft Larned, Santa Fe Trail Center, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge.

[brroberts]

More updates from the last couple of days.

El Cuartelejo - only KS pueblo.

Steele house - early ranch/farm and land for Scott Lake SP.

West KS prairie.

After a quilt shop in Oakley:
Butterfield stage museum and original Logan Co courthouse. Russell Springs, KS.

Site of last Indian battle in Kansas Punished Woman Fork.

And finally, albino buffalo.

[brroberts]

Okay still on the prairie, more pics.

[brroberts]

Last set for today.

[brroberts]

Little Jerusalem SP.

[brroberts]

Catching up here on Little Jerusalem SP and Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark. We took an off trail walk with a ranger at Little Jerusalem, and I took waaaay too many pictures. First up is Monument Rocks.

[brroberts]

The rest of Monument Rocks.

[brroberts]

Randomly selected additional pictures from the walk in Little Jerusalem. There’s a bunch more, but this will give you the idea.

[HABBERDABBER]

So what is the geological explanation for Monument Rocks? They are kinda out there isolated.
How old are they thought to be.

[brroberts]

Well there was an ocean that receded as the Rockies rose. Followed by a rain forest that didn’t survive an ice age. The glaciers didn’t quite get there, but wind driven loess blew in. Finally these chalk formations survived. Lots of fossils, giant clams, some oil was left behind. Pivot irrigation finally killed the Smokey Hills River. Now it’s got some kind of federal recognition, but it’s on private land.