John Day Fossil Beds

Brad, Kim, Dana and myself hooked up the RV and drove out to Prineville, Or., to see some of the central part of the state. Oregon is the 10th largest state. After we set up, we went over to Smith Rock, a very poular rock climbing formation, and a beautiful spot. We hiked around a bit and saw a couple interesting birds we'll have to look up. Brad and I made it up to Monkey Face Rock, a large rock balanced on a ridge. I was unable to ascend the last few rocks to the ridge as I'm not in peak condition and not particularly comfortable with heights. It was a great canyon type view with shear rock faces all around us.
In the am. we hooked up the RV and began a loop to visit the three locations of the famed John Day Fossil Beds. They were named for an early pioneer who, with partner, were robbed of everything they had including clothes, by indians. The larceny occurred at the confluence of the a river known as the Maw-Maw and the Columbia. The men survived and as the story spread, people began to refer to the Maw-Maw as the John Day River. The river runs south from the Columbia into central Oregon and through the area where fossils began to be found. So the famous beds took on the name of a guy who was wondering around naked and new nothing of fossils.
Over millions of years, multiple volcanic eruptions laid layer upon layer of ash and lava down which encased the flora and fauna of that particular time. Fossils from all these eras have been discovered with many new and unheard of species being found. The Beds are in three different locations. The Painted Hills Unit has a walking path through some incredible hummocks and hills. The colors are amazing. From there we hit the Sheep Rock Unit where a very interesting visitors center is located. The museum was neat and they ran a film which detailed what they knew and how this area formed. They even allowed Tikki and Gwen, their dogs into the air conditioned theatre to watch. After that we ate a picnic lunch and turned toward home and the Clarno Unit. The ride over was one of the best parts of the trip. The scenario was very similar to the North Dakota Badlands area. Steep, colorful and craggy.
On the ride home we took Rt 26 which runs past Mount Hood. Near the high point on the road we began to see signs for the Hood to the Coast Relay, an annual event where teams form and run legs of a relay all the way to Cannon Beach, about 150 miles away. There must have been hundreds of teams and it looked like a very well organized event. The road was littered with runners of all sizes and shapes. It made for interesting conversation as we passed hundreds and hundreds of runners.
We got back to our RV Park a little after eight and set up and went out to a bar-b-que joint for dinner. A long day.