Rattlers and Jackalopes

The last two days we mapped an area called Sheep Mountain. It was a lot of work but it was an amazing place to spend our days. We spent the days in the field and then last night we were all up late working on our maps and geologic histories. Today was our off day here and a small group of us went on a nice hike close to camp. These first pictures are from mapping at Sheep Mountain.

We split into groups of four for mapping, David and Isabel were with Cat and Sam Streeter. It was a lot of fun, we split into pairs to plot points during the day and then we joined forces again in the evening to produce the maps. Below is Cat, Sam, and Dave.

Izzy, Cat, and Dave. We wore our soil scientists shirts that day!

Day 2 of mapping. We were in for a scare right off the bat because the two of us walked off to the west and then began trekking back east and we were about two feet from a small, dried up crick bed when we saw a rattler in the bottom of the crick and it rattled at us! Needless to say, we didn't stick around to say hi, we ran off in the opposite direction and made a wide circle around it to avoid it. We were all right, but it sure did get our adrenaline pumping! Sorry we didn't get a picture! We also some other wildlife out at Sheep Mountain, over the two days we saw four different female Jackalopes. We knew they were females because they didn't have antlers! Below, we stopped up on a high vantage point for lunch.

Artsy string cheese shot.

OMNOMNOMNOM.

There were some amazing geological features at Sheep Mountain including folds and faults. Here is a fantastic anticline!

Dave's favorite gas station!

Today Auntie Annie (one of our TAs), Andi, Liza, Sam Streeter, Dave, and I went on a beautiful hike. We weren't able to get as high as we anticipated because the trail ended and rocky cliffs began, but it was a lot of fun. Below Andi and Liza prepare for the hike.

We encountered a snake in the beginning of the hike. Here is an attempt at a picture, you can see its body but it was hiding its head and tail.

Water break part way up the mountain.

Lunch time on top. It is still very hazy here, we found it is from fires in central Wyoming.

Dave on Pride Rock.

Auntie Annie in her new cowgirl hat!

We found what we think to be an alien near the end of our hike. It was dead so we brought it home!

Afterwards we went and jumped in the Shell Crick.

We waded through the freezing cold water to a cave that we thought would only be a few feet deep but actually went in for about twenty or thirty feet!

Liza, Dave, Andi, Annie, and Sam after our swim.

Iowa State Field Camp has been a great facility, we have a few days left here and then we are heading to the K Bar Z Ranch, also in Wyoming, for our next segment.

Talk to you soon!
Dave and Iz