Fossil Butte National Monument

With the towering Uinta Mountains in the rearview mirror the K2R2 flew north to Wyoming where Fossil Butte National Monument was our next stop.

The clouds that brought an historic drenching to Yellowstone National Park hung low over the countryside. The visitor center was a delight. The 52 million year old Eocene age Green River formation in this location is composed of limestone, mudstone, and volcanic ash. These sedimentary rocks were formed in three great lakes that covered portions of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. At the Fossil Butte National Monument the deposits are from Fossil Lake, the smallest of the three lakes. Fossil Lake was 60 miles long and 40 miles wide tucked into mountains that were covered in lush forests.

Entombed within the layers of these rocks are some of the most well preserved fossils you will ever see. The amount of detail is unbelievable. Among fossils are fish, turtles, bats, crawfish, leaves, ferns, snakes, crocodiles, birds, damselflies, spiders, snails, three-toed horses, primates, stingrays, shrimp and much more.

The K2R2 was thirsty for a little mud so up we went up along the scenic drive. Making the first muddy tracks up the steep incline brought us to the top of Fossil Butte. We went to the end and turned around to head back to the black top. Rebecca spotted a young moose cavorting in a lake down at the bottom of a valley. Was it inspired by the K2R2?

It was afternoon and we needed to find a campsite for the night. Heading up Hams Fork creek that flows out of the Bridger Teton National Forest the K2R2 was locked and loaded for some mudding Wyoming style. We finally settled on a dispersed (FREE) site on the banks of Hams Fork and set up camp and built a fire. Then we did a double dutch oven meal of monkey bread and creamy chicken rice and asparagus. It was everything Rebecca had been dreaming about when we had talked of dispersed camping. The creek flowing by our door, birds flying all around us, and even a herd of antelope trotting by on the road a mere 40 yards away.

The next morning with the temperature hovering just below freezing we got an early start on the day and as we pulled out on the road just 100 yards away was a mother moose and her gangly legged baby. As Kiki was taking pictures before they disappeared into the willow thicket, it occurred to me that maybe you don’t have to click your heels together and close your eyes for your dreams to come true. Maybe you just have to believe.