Yesterday was a day for more exploring and I headed out first to The Cockscomb because I wanted to take this picture since the light was less favorable the last time out. The view is looking north on Cottonwood Road and the rocks on the left are Carmel Formation sandstone (deposited on the margins of a shallow sea); those on the right are Entrada Sandstone. Both formations date from middle to late Jurassic, the Endtrada Sandstones deposited in dunes atop the Carmel Sandstone as the Carmel Sea retreated. Hence, in most places where both are exposed the Carmel would be below the Entrada, but here they are adjacent to one another as a result of the folding of the Earth's crust along the East Kaibab Monocline. Cool, huh?

This is a huge wedge of sandstone barely visible in the previous photo where it is just popping up over the distant ridge near the center of the image. Not sure but I think it may be Henrieville Sandstone which lies atop the Entrada. Note the trees at the base - they are probably at least 12 - 15 feet tall and dwarfed by this huge slab of rock that was forced up by the fold. Also note the high tension power lines near the bottom of the photo. I know people need power and all but why was it necessary to run two sets of giant poles through such amazing amazing scenery? I sure it has to do with shortest distance and easiest route (and they probably pre-date the monument) but they are an eyesore.

The day wrapped up with a visit to Kodachrome Basin State Park - just 25 miles from Bryce, but a place I had yet to visit though I'd driven past several times. The big attraction here are the over 50 "sedimentary pipes" that dot the landscape. The process that forms them isn't completely understood and it is believed that liquefied sand is forced up into portions of these sediments, resulting in harder rock. When the softer rock that surrounds it erodes away, only the pipe remains. They are formed in Entrada Sandstone, a pretty common rock 'round these parts. In fact, most of that cliff in the background is Entrada; the redder portion at the bottom known as the Gunsight Butte Member and the white with red stripes portion called the Cannonville Member. You may remember that the dinosaur tracks from a couple of weeks ago were also in the Entrada (Escalante Member, though we climbed up the Cannonville to reach the print site).

I had heard there are lots of Chukars (a bird introduced to North America for hunting purposes) at Kodachrome but I didn't see any. I had also heard there were lots of jackrabbits there, too, and, while I didn't see them either, you know they were around with all the pellets on the ground . . .