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Fossil Butte
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Ferreting for Fossils in Wyoming's High Desert

Busy B in Kemmerer, Wyoming
Breakfast at Busy B in Kemmerer

Agood, home cooked breakfast of eggs, whole wheat toast, home fries and fresh coffee awaited me at the Busy B restaurant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The breakfast was tasty and filling. The restaurant retains much of the architectural charm of the original building. A pressed tin ceiling accents the inside which is warmly lit by the sun's morning rays filtering through textured glass window cubes. Distinctive, gloss black tiles adorn the outside.

I passed several intriguing buttes or flat topped hills, on my way from Bear Lake, yesterday. Today I wanted to visit Fossil Butte National Monument and learn about the fossils and the multi-colored layers of rock they rested in.

Chateau Motel in Kemmerer, Wyoming
The vivid Art Deco Chateau Motel in Kemmerer, Wyoming
 

While the Rocky mountains were forming 50 million years ago, a large freshwater lake was created. Called Fossil Lake today, it was 50 miles long, 20 miles wide and sub-tropical in nature. A forest of Palm, Fig and Cypress trees surrounded the lake shore. Young mountains with slopes of Fir and Spruce gently rose in the distance. Gars, paddlefish, bowfin and stingrays inhabited the warm lake waters. Along the shore of Fossil Lake crocodiles, turtles, insects, dog sized horses and early primates roamed. Birds and bats flew overhead. Most of the dinosaurs were extinct and humans would not be present for another 45 million years or so. Fossil Lake existed for almost two million years which is a very long time for any lake to live.

Fossil Butte Panorama
Fossil Butte Panorama
 
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Green River Formation
Fossil Butte Quarry

BBillions of creatures lived in Fossil Lake during the two million years it existed. When the inhabitants of the warm water lake died their remains sank to the bottom. Most rotted away or were pulled apart by scavengers. Just like in the warm, shallow seas that created the limestone for Rick's Spring and the Minnetonka cave, the same processes worked here. Shell bearing creatures died, sank to the bottom and rotted away. Their remains formed a limey mud that other dead animals sank into and were sometimes quickly covered. The lucky ones who received a decent burial eventually turned into fossils.

Snake Fossil Replica
Replica of a rare fossilized snake
 
Fossil Fish
Top to bottom:
Diplomystus, Notogoneus and Knightia fossilized fish
Bowfin Fossil Fish
A Bowfin fossilized fish
 
Stingray
Fossilized Stingray
Masha from Saratov, Russia
Masha from Saratov, Russia

Istopped at the Fossil Butte visitor center and was helped by Masha Martyshina who is from Saratov, Russia. She is part of an exchange program with a sister park in Russia. Masha grew up in eastern Siberia and at the age of 14 moved with her parents to the the city of Saratov which is near the Caspian Sea. I learned a few new words in Russian which is similar to Polish. Their alphabet is Cyrillic though and different than the Latin alphabet we share with the Poles. Masha would like to organize a trip across Siberia via the Siberian Express train. It sounds like quite an adventure. Unfortunately Masha must return home in a few weeks. I am sure that more than a few people will miss her pleasant personality and warm smiles.

 
In the clouds
In the clouds at Fossil Butte

Idrove to the Fossil Lake trail head and picnic area in the north end of the monument. There I followed a steep and winding, one and a half mile loop trail, that dipped through an Aspen grove and then headed to the current Fossil Butte quarry. The quarry is off limits to tourists but I did get to see the limestone and mudstone rocks that made up the bottom layers of ancient Fossil Lake. Trailside signs helped to explain the current natural wonders of Fossil Butte.

Next I drove to the far northern end of the monument by following a gravel road up an 8,048 foot butte. The view was spectacular as you may get a hint of in the photograph to your left.

Bat
A fossilized bat
Soft Shell Turtle
A fossilized soft shell turtle
 
Fossil Country Museum
Fossil Country Museum in Kemmerer

Late in the afternoon I drove back to Kemmerer and stopped at the Fossil Country Museum in the center of town. I did not see many fossils but I did experience a fascinating hometown museum. Local citizens donated or lent the stuff of everyday lives from the 19th and 20th century. A lunch pail from the local coal mine, military uniforms from the Spanish American war, a wedding dress that belonged to an Oregon Trail emigrant, a Russian samovar, a mine work rule sign written in Polish and Italian, High school uniforms, typewriters from the 1920's, photos of the first J C Penny store, tools from a local blacksmith and even a distillery used during prohibition. The museum told the story of everyday people in a small town named Kemmerer in the high desert of western Wyoming. I enjoyed the exhibits immensely. To coin a capitalist term, it was another vacation day that was well spent.

 
J C Penney Display
J C Penney started in Kemmerer
J C Penney Girl
J C Penney fashion poster
Whiskey Still
A whiskey still used during Prohibition

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