February 20, 2021, Death Valley California

 Another 75 degree day and sunny. We had signed up for a hike with the Death Valley history assoc in November to a canyon that is usually closed to the public because of all the fossils. They take a couple tours a year into it. There were about 17 people total, lots of guides and relations came with the guides. We were required to wear masks the whole time because it was a federal government thing. Had to arrive at the crack of 730 am. That is why we took the bus down to the valley, saved me a hour of sleep. 

The group hiking up canyon.  We were in a canyon that is not opened to the public. It was well signed. Some tiny fossil mussels. 

Our leader was Torrey Nyborg PhD who is a paleontologist/geologist and did his doctoral dissertation on this area. He is showing us some of the layers and faults in the canyon walls. Walking up the canyon.

Rain drops on dirt on the way up, fossilized raindrops. Manganese oxide crystals are fernlike. The area had a lake. The animals all came and drank there an left foot prints. The mud fossilized, then was uplifted. The fossils are on the canyon walls. These are mostly camel foot prints and some small birds.

This part of the canyon is called the Barnyard because of all the fossil foot prints on the walls. Small bird foot prints, a fossilized worm tube, a large and detailed camel foot print and some stromatolites made of cyanobacterium that originally oxygenated the earth. 

Lots of camel foot prints and the large circle is a mammoth print. We hiked all around the basin looking at fossils. 

Looking down at the basin. Death Valley below has blowing dust and the Panamint mountains are obscured. Camel tracks, an odd formation on a rock, fossilized plants and ancient horse prints. 

Fossilized plants, a cat foot print fossil and a chuckwalla. Some giant mammoth tracks. 

 Looking back at the basin as we leave. Drippy rock formations in the canyon. 

The group hiking out. There was high wind with dust blowing in Death Valley. John hiking out.

 Palm trees and the turret from the ranch across the street with dust and sun back at camp. There was so much dust that the sunset pinked it up like clouds. 

The edge of the dust plume and some clouds in sunset colors.