Petrified wood? Nay, a petrified forest!

[Neanderthal Shaman]

On the way back from some lab work in the Tri-Cities, I got to stop at the Ginko Petrified forest in Vantage, Washington. Most of these trees are miocene. Buried for millions of years, they were unearthed and transported by the incomprehensively large deluge that carved the various gorges through which the Columbia flows at the end of the last ice age. 

 

 

There were some petroglyphs at the park as well. Their original location was nearby, but they had to be relocated for construction of a reservoir. Some of them  had been defaced, because apparently some people just can't help themselves. 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Neanderthal Shaman
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[Neanderthal Shaman]

 

A mayfly on some of the petrified wood. Just a few days or maybe a week that it gets to spend its life as an adult. Fitting that such an ancient lineage of insects should hang around a fossil park (Most insects are neopterous, having the ability to fold their wings neatly on their backs, but mayflies are paleopterous, belonging to an old lineage that predates this function).

 

 

 

 

The park had a great interpretive center showcasing beautiful specimens from the various species.

 

 

Taking anything from the park is against both state and federal law, but there's no shortage of rock shops in the area that are happy to sell you some fine looking wood. 

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Neanderthal Shaman
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[Tidgy's Dad]

One imagines the scene, back in the distant past, when some artist had been depicting images of the gods and carving religious symbols and petroglyphs to ward off the evil eye into the very living rock, when he suddenly saw something.

"Doris! Some idiot's drawn rubbish pictures of deer and bison all over my life's work!"   

Edited July 29, 2021 by Tidgy's Dad

[daves64]

@Neanderthal Shaman Did you do the hike through the forest itself? The interpretive trails? 3 mile long hike showcasing the trunks of petrified trees still in the ground where they were found. I haven't been there in years, but it was a nice hike.

[Neanderthal Shaman]

19 minutes ago, daves64 said:

@Neanderthal Shaman Did you do the hike through the forest itself? The interpretive trails? 3 mile long hike showcasing the trunks of petrified trees still in the ground where they were found. I haven't been there in years, but it was a nice hike.

I didn't, as it was really heating up, but I would love to go back in the fall and walk it, along with some of the other trails in the area.

[daves64]

Yeah, it's been a bit warm around here lately. Looking at 99 today with 104 for the next 2. A tad TOO warm to go walking anywhere, especially there. No shade with all the trees sort of underground & lacking leaves.