Day 4-Petrified Forest Nat Park

Our bodies must still be on Eastetn Standard Time because we were up at 5:30 Mountain Standard Time full of energy. We grabbed some breakfast and put on our shorts and t-shirts and stepped outside to find it was in the high 40's.,Luckily we are prepared for all weather and I got a long sleeve on and Cassie put on her jacket that she got from her sister Norma just in time for our trip. We thought she might need it in Colorado but not New Mexico. We found out shortly after getting on the highway why it was so chilly in the morning when we saw a sign saying "Elevation 6500 feet". 

Petrified Forest NP opened up at 7 and we were the first visitors. I have done my research and found that most visitors get there around mid to late morning so the Nat Park Srrvice recommends getting a early start to avoid crowds. It's great advice because there is nothing like being around this great scenery and being alone. We took a short hike and we could see miles of magnificent desolation and the most incredible silence.  

 

There are 2 major parts of the Park. The northern portion is the Painted Desert so named because of the array of colors that one doesn't expect to see in a desert. There are blues, reds and purples mixed in with the usual browns.

 

 

The southern portion is where the park gets its name. It is home to largest collections of Petrified wood in the world. These are trees that over millions of years fell and kept its shape while the organic material was hardened due to a chemical reaction with volcanic ash and silica and formed quartz. In short , it appears to be a log but it is rock like and is filled with colorful quartz. 

     

 

It's a large park at over 100,000 acres and 27 mikes end to end. We had a great time and hiked their numerous short trails that combined for about 8 miles walked. Cassie was happy about that. It really is a cool park that gets overshadowed by the more popular parks in the Southwest. One of those we are on our way to now as we are now on our way to the Grand Canyon.